The Canon EOS 5D Mark III Firmware 1.2.1 has arrived with open arms from filmmakers and video journalists. The much anticipated video fix to Canon's HD DSLR workhorse finally allows a clean HDMI output signal to an external recorder. A "clean" signal means an uncompressed 4:2:2 8 bit raw video output over HDMI to current external recorders such as the Atomos Ninja 2 and the less expensive Blackmagic Design Shuttle 2. In much simpler video terms, the Canon EOS 5D Mark III with an external recorder listed above can capture a longer continuous record times with a much higher quality video signal that can be easily manipulated and edited in post production. The Canon EOS 5D Mark III with the new 1.2.1 firmware update bridges the gaps of HD DSLR cinema.
The new "mirroring" feature of the Canon EOS 5D Mark III allows clean uninterrupted external video monitoring over HDMI while a "mirrored" camera LCD display with all the video information clutter is shown simultaneously during video capture. This is a must for external monitoring for cinematographers to help in critical focusing and clients overlooking your film work. So in a nutshell, you can view a clean signal on an external monitor, record a clean HDMI signal devoid of compression artifacts to an external recorder and at the same time record internally to CF and SD cards the standard compressed .mov codec. A DSLR filmmaker's dream come true...
Even Canon's DSLR flagship, the 1DX, at this time does not have this must have feature of a clean HDMI video output signal of the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. For the price of one Canon EOS 1DX, you can buy a pair of better video enabled Canon EOS 5D Mark III's. What a bargain! Enough of the bragging, let us move on to even more features of the 1.2.1 Firmware...
Wildlife photographers rejoice! The new Canon EOS 5D Mark III firmware 1.2.1 includes cross-type AF points at f/8. This is a more sensitive group of AF points for apertures required for super zoom and telephoto lenses with a Canon EF lens extender just like the more expensive Canon EOS 1DX.
At this time, I do not own an external recorder with my Canon EOS 5D Mark III to give my followers a real world uncompressed raw video test of this new 1.2.1 firmware. I do have my Canon EOS 5D Mark III Video Test from last year that shows the beauty of full frame video quality with great glass. My Canon EOS 5D Mark III Video Test is a 1080p video shot at 29.97fps and the much compressed IPB internal .mov codec. In post production, I transcoded the .mov files to AppleProRes422 using Apple Compressor and edited the video files in Final Cut Pro 6.0.6. I exported my AppleProRes422 edited timeline back to Apple Compressor and submitted a Apple H264 video file for my upload to Youtube.
Canon made a great DSLR even better with the addition of the new Canon EOS 5D Mark III Firmware 1.2.1 update. Canon has finally caught up with the likes of Nikon HD DSLR's as for full featured video capabilities.
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Just like the BMW 3 series, Canon introduces entry level full frame luxury with the 20 megapixel Canon EOS 6D with a street price under $2000. In the EOS full frame lineup, the Canon EOS 6D is the smallest and least expensive compared to the venerable Canon 5D Mark III and the ultimate Canon flagship, the 1DX.
To the majority of DSLR owners, the lesser expensive APS-C cropped sensor sits comfortably in their camera bag. Why full frame then? Full frame means a true focal length equivalent of your lenses. A wide angle 14mm lens with a full frame sensor will give that extra wide reach for landscapes and architecture. The larger surface area of a full frame sensor produces a dreamier background bokeh with your glass compared to cropped sensors. A must for portrait photographers.
Enough of the "why?" and now more to the "what?"...The Canon EOS 6D touts a 20 megapixel CMOS sensor with a DIGIC 5+ processor to keep up with the 4.5fps shutter rate. The smaller form factor of the Canon 6D is just about the body equivalent of the Canon 60D. Also like the 60D, the Canon 6D has only a single Secure Digital memory card slot. Similar to the rest of Canon full frames, no built in flash. The Canon 6D has a 97% viewfinder coverage with interchangeable screens to satisfy most demanding photographers.
The Canon EOS 6D is the first Canon DSLR with built in Wi-Fi connectivity to mobile devices and GPS capability. With the free Canon EOS Remote App for both Apple and Android operating systems, you can remotely control, capture and view images on your Apple iPad or even a Samsung Galaxy Tablet. For social media fanatics out there, you can photograph in full frame glory and wirelessly transfer your images directly to your Apple iPhone's Camera Roll. Fuzzy cellphone Facebook pictures are now things of the past...
A true test for ISO capability is a tungsten lit portrait at ISO 3200. In the usual Canon fashion, ISO 3200 is nice and clean with wonderful skin tone and detail. The Canon EOS 6D boasts an expandable ISO range of 100 to 102800. Enough range for even the faint of heart...
He shoots, he scores! The Canon EOS 6D has 11 AF points to satisfy most soccer moms and dads. The 11 AF points does not compare to the flagship Canon 1D series, but the sports photography performance of the Canon 6D is decent in my opinion. With my Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 IS lens set at wide open, I was able to track my son with any of the 11 AF points in the viewfinder with no problem.
Now for the video nitty gritty. A dedicated selectable video/still record button gets you up and running for multiple resolution HD video with your choice of ALL-I or IPB compression. The Canon 6D touts the extended record time up to 29 minutes and 29 seconds with built in Time Code. Only one SDHC memory card slot for all those disappointed redundancy fans. Low light video capability? ISO 3200 is nice and clean. The Canon EOS 6D HDMI output is a selectable info overlay cropped 1080i signal that does not black out when you press the record button. An audio input allows external stereo microphones for dual channels of manually adjustable audio but of course no headphone jack to monitor audio like the Canon 5D Mark III. Ugh!
How about aliasing and moire? I pointed the Canon EOS 6D in the direction of busy textured surfaces such as brick walls, patio screens and landscape foliage with no success. Despite all the online reviewers out there, in my honest opinion I found no horrible or distracting aliasing and moire with my practical hands on review. Other than the usual CMOS jello shutter and vertical smearing of fast moving objects, the Canon EOS 6D is a quality FULL HD DSLR.
My Canon EOS 6D video review opinion? The Canon EOS 6D has outstanding full frame video quality but of course no headphone jack for true video fans like the more expensive Canon EOS 5D Mark III. Entry level is entry level, full frame or not...Is almost $1000 a worthy upgrade to the Canon 5D Mark III for audio monitoring ? IMHO, YES!!! For aspiring filmmakers upgrading from a Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D to glorious full frame affordability of the Canon EOS 6D? Of course, an astounding YES !!!.
My Canon EOS 6D verdict? The Canon EOS 6D is a full frame still image powerhouse that caters to old school 35mm photographers. Now considered "Dinosaurs" of our time, still photographers cherish a picture worth a thousand words. Despite all the fancy gadgetry and Full HD video, the Canon EOS 6D shines as a phenomenal still image maker with outstanding resolution and low light capability. The extras are for the other 99%.
You can view more pictures and videos in my Canon EOS 6D Verdict and Video Review Gallery shot with the Canon EOS 6D paired with the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS and the 70-200mm f/4L IS lenses.
Patience is a virtue. The lure of full frame sensor DSLRs is now a step closer to reality for all those drooling APS-C sensor owners. The new Canon EOS 6D is the latest addition to Canon's full frame DSLR lineup along with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and the flagship Canon EOS 1DX.
Categorized as an entry level full frame DSLR in a compact form factor, the Canon EOS 6D packs a mighty punch with a 20 megapixel sensor, DIGIC 5+ processor, 4.5fps shutter, 1080p video with full manual control and selectable compression and the first Canon DSLR built in Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity. Enough of the pleasantries, more of the good stuff later in my upcoming Canon EOS 6D Verdict and Video Review. Let us move on to video!
My brief Canon EOS 6D experience was the direct result from my friends at North Tampa Photography. With Canon EOS 6D in hand, I quickly shot some video to get some hands on time with this Canon 60D sized body with a full frame sensor. A big sensor means wonderful and dreamy bokeh with a true lens focal length equivalent in the viewfinder. A must for popping portraits and wide detailed landscapes. Full frame ROCKS !
Now for the video nitty gritty. A dedicated selectable video/still record button gets you up and running for multiple resolution HD video with your choice of ALL-I or IPB compression. The Canon 6D touts the extended record time up to 29 minutes and 29 seconds with built in Time Code. Only one SDHC memory card slot for all those disappointed redundancy fans. Low light capability? ISO 3200 is nice and clean. The Canon EOS 6D HDMI output is a selectable info overlay cropped 1080i signal that does not black out when you press the record button. An audio input allows external stereo microphones for dual channels of manually adjustable audio but of course no headphone jack to monitor audio like the Canon 5D Mark III. Ugh!
How about aliasing and moire? I pointed the Canon EOS 6D in the direction of busy textured surfaces such as brick walls, patio screens and landscape foliage with no success. Despite all the online reviewers out there, in my honest opinion I found no horrible or distracting aliasing and moire with my practical hands on review. Other than the usual CMOS jello shutter and vertical smearing of fast moving objects, the Canon EOS 6D is a quality FULL HD DSLR.
My Canon EOS 6D video review conclusion? The Canon EOS 6D has outstanding full frame video quality but of course no headphone jack for true video fans like the more expensive Canon EOS 5D Mark III. Entry level is entry level, full frame or not...Is almost $1000 a worthy upgrade to the Canon 5D Mark III for audio monitoring ? IMHO, YES!!! For aspiring filmmakers upgrading from a Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D to glorious full frame affordability of the Canon EOS 6D? Of course, an astounding YES !!!.
The full frame sensor DSLR market has new competition with the introduction of the 20 megapixel Canon EOS 6D. According to Canon, the Canon EOS 6D is the smallest and lightest full frame DSLR with built in GPS and Wi-Fi capabilities. Consider the Canon 6D a full frame Canon 60D with no articulating screen but with most of the features of the bigger and more expensive Canon 5D Mark III. I have to say most features because there is no headphone jack to monitor audio for video as well as dual slots for flash memory. At a retail price of $2099, the Canon EOS 6D is expected around December 2012 to hit the streets.
The full frame Canon EOS 6D is priced and marketed in between the Canon 7D and the more expensive Canon 5D Mark III in the EOS lineup. Canon APS-C and EF-S lens photographers maybe less shy to upgrade to all the advantages of a full frame sensor. Take note, the Canon 6D with DIGIC 5+ has only an 11 AF point focus system compared to the 61 AF points of the 5D Mark III, along with a slower 4.5 fps shutter rate compared to 6 fps of the Mark III. You get what you pay for...
The Canon 6D's shortcomings are made up by the additional features of consumer add-ons like GPS tagging and Wi-Fi capabilities. Camera Pro's may frown upon gimmicky features, but the built Wi-Fi has caught my consumer eye. Canon has developed a mobile device App to work in conjunction with the Canon 6D for a host of Wi-Fi enabled remote capabilities. The Full HD video features carry over from the Canon 5D Mark III as well, except for the infamous headphone jack to monitor audio during video capture. Minus that useful function, the Canon 6D can record up to 29 minutes and 59 seconds of 1080p video in ALL-I and IPB compression rates like its big brother. I have to add full control over video exposure and audio levels, also. Not too shabby for a smaller and better featured Canon 5D Mark II...Did you notice the removal of the joystick controller on both body and new BG-E13 grip? You now have the Canon 60D multi-controller dial instead. Hmmm...at least you have the Live View/Movie record button to quickly go back and forth from stills to movie mode!
I almost forgot about the new Canon Powershot G15 announcement. Obviously, overshadowed by its bigger Canon G1X advanced point and shoot brother, the Canon Powershot G15 features a smaller sensor and a faster f/1.8 multi-zoom lens. The Canon G15 loses the articulating screen of the previous G12 and still does not feature full manual control over video like the ,yet to be released, mirrorless Canon EOS M. Not to exciting in my opinion...
My Canon EOS 6D Verdict and Video Review will come shortly on this small and compact powerhouse. I am curious about the capacity of the buffer memory shooting RAW images compared to the 5d Mark III as well as the new 20 megapixel CMOS sensor's ISO capabilities. It is only 98 days until Christmas...
Canon's latest flagship entry level Rebel, the T4i/650D, touts a new Hybrid auto focusing system for video and the first LCD touchscreen for Canon DSLR's. Also introduced is the long awaited Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM pancake lens. Otherwise known as the "shorty forty", this very slim profile prime lens has an affordable retail price of $199.
The new Hybrid AF system of the T4i/650D allows objects or people to be continuously tracked in focus during video recording. With Canon's new EF STM or stepper motor lenses, the Hybrid AF system allows smoother lens focusing when compared to USM and non USM EF lenses. The new Hybrid AF system and the LCD touchscreen of the T4i/650D work in conjunction with STM lenses such as the new Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM pancake lens for smooth focus tracking of subjects during video capture.
I wanted to see for myself Canon's revolutionary hybrid focusing system. As a veteran television news photographer, I always manually focus lenses on my video cameras. Just the thought of horrible focus hunting and motor noise gives me nightmares. So how does Canon's Hybrid AF system stack up? Watch my 1080p video above shot with the Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D and the EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens.
My Canon Hybrid AF conclusion? The Servo AF only works well with subjects and people moving at a toddler's pace. Anything faster than crawling, the Hybrid AF does not keep up with fast moving people or objects. My 15 month old baby daughter just started to walk recently and the Canon T4i/650D paired with the EF 40mm f/2.8 STM pancake lens kept her in focus most of the time. Before the test, my expectations were not too high for this T4i or any HD DSLR. Disappointed with focus tracking of normal everyday people or object movements, I was quite surprised at the quiet and smooth focus of the new STM or stepper motor. Say goodbye to noisy, ratchety and jarring focus movement of previous EF USM and non USM lenses. Canon's next step is to match the AF system of conventional camcorders out in the digital video market. Patience is a virtue!
While we are on the topic of DSLR video, the Canon Rebel T4i/650D replaces the 16 month old Canon Rebel T3i/600D with added and removed DSLR video functions. The Canon Rebel T4i/650D most notably does not have 1080p 3x to 10x Digital Zoom video capture and the "AF Quick" mode for video focusing. What happened? My only guess is Canon's marketing division got hold of the R&D department. The Canon Rebel lineup is marketed to the entry level and novice DSLR demographic, most notably soccer mom's. I can't blame Canon for this because all I see at theme parks and zoos during travels with my own family are inexpensive DSLR's strapped around parental necks. New parents mean "green" full auto mode on the control dial 24/7! This includes auto focus with shooting video, as well.
Let us take a break about video and focus on the great Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens image quality. This pancake lens is an amazing and must have for your camera bag. It is affordable, portable and super sharp for crop and full frame sensors. The color rendition of this lens is just about "L" glass quality. The above image was shot with the "shorty forty" and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III at ISO 3200. Focus was dead on and the image quality was outstanding for $199. This "shorty forty" is a no brainer!
I will have more video tests with the pancake lens paired with the Canon 5D Mark III and Canon 1D Mark IV shortly. I am working diligently capturing, transcoding and editing video footage to share the knowledge.
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The new Canon 5D Mark III hit the store shelves with much anticipation. It has been three long years since Canon 5D Mark II owners have been waiting with high expectations of a suitable replacement. In September 2008, award winning photographer Vincent LaForet showed the world an affordable consumer grade camera can achieve a filmmaker's cinematic look and feel in Full HD.
Fast forward over three years later to March 2012. The Canon 5D Mark III based on the Canon 7D design emerges with a 22 megapixel full frame CMOS sensor with a host of major improvements over its predecessor like a 61 point AF system and a headphone jack to monitor audio during video capture. Just like the 1D series, the addition of dual memory card slots adds to capacity and redundancy along with a bright and wide 100% viewfinder. I will list more major improvements with examples. Read on...
I spent the last month immersing myself with the Canon 5D Mark III shooting pictures and video of real life situations. No fancy scientific charts or graphs in my Canon 5D Mark III practical review. I bring to the HD DSLR world just a family point of view through the lens of the Canon 5D Mark III. The baby stroller comes in handy as a camera gear caddy, as well.
I will get straight to the point for still photographers. The Canon 5D Mark III can freeze fast action with AI Servo in low light with a very clean 6400 ISO all day and night. The new 61 AF points and the DIGIC V+ processor can crank out the 6fps with decent accuracy at my kid's Spring Carnival at night. I am a Canon 1D Mark IV owner with a tenacity for dead on focus at a fast frame rate. The Canon 5D Mark III new 61 point AF system is top notch for a non 1D series camera without the 1D series price tag. Brilliant!
Believe it or not, this is ISO 51200 freezing action at 1/800th shutter speed at aperture f/4. Not entirely noise free, but clean enough for candle lit Wedding receptions. It is a vast 3 ISO stop improvement over the Canon 5D Mark II. This 5D Mark III at ISO 51200 looked better than my 2006 Canon 1D Mark II N at ISO 800. How times have changed...
High Dynamic Range photographers rejoice! The Canon 5D Mark III is the first Canon DSLR with built in camera HDR processing. With a press of a dedicated HDR button, you can automatically capture three images at different exposures and the DIGIC V+ processor will do the rest magically. You can immediately view the aligned and processed JPEG from the super sharp 3.2 inch LCD screen. For even more manipulation, you can post process the HDR images in the newly updated Canon Digital Photo Professional version 3.11.26. Say goodbye to Photomatix and hello to the free Canon Digital Photo Professional with built in HDR tool.
No more print button to access Movie mode in the Canon 5D Mark III. The Canon 7D selector dial on the Canon 5D Mark III now makes it easier to shoot Full HD movies. Just like the 7D, the Canon 5D Mark III now has 1280x720p at 60fps video resolution. All this cinematic goodness comes with a choice of two H264 video compressions, ALL-I and IPB. I am still investigating the pros and cons of both at the moment. The ALL-I compression captures Quicktime MOV video files at a massive 3 times the size compared to IPB. Your memory cards and hard drives will burst. Just like broadcast TV cameras, embedded video Timecode is now a reality for HD DSLR's. RecRun and FreeRun Timecode can make logging hours of footage more manageable.
The 4gb FAT32 flash memory card limitation is a thing of the past when it comes to the roughly 12 minute video recording cap of the Canon 5D Mark II. The Canon 5D Mark III can record up to a full 29 minutes and 59 seconds during one video capture. The DIGIC V+ processor records consecutive 4gb files to the memory card. In post production non linear video editing, you can line up the consecutive video files in your timeline for a seamless edit. As for in camera memory card space, you can program the camera to automatically jump from one card slot to the next when the first card becomes full.
Audio capture with HD DSLR video recording has always been a challenge. Although not perfect, the Canon 5D Mark III shines with the new addition of a headphone jack to monitor audio, displayed and adjustable audio levels during recording and touch sensitive controls for quiet adjustments. I am not a big fan of stereo mini jack audio connections. They get loose over time along with the crackly noise that follows. I do not expect Canon to put a full size XLR audio connection on the Mark III anytime soon. That is what the new Canon C300 and C500 full blown cinematic cameras are made to accomplish. Their hefty $15,000 and $30,000 price tag for professional audio is overkill. The new Beachtek DXA-SLR PRO will just do fine at the moment.
A 1080p video shot with the Canon 5D Mark III at 29.97fps. Edited with Final Cut Pro 6.0.6 and used the Canon E-1 Movie Plugin version 1.3 to transcode to AppleProRes422. I used Compressor at high quality to get a 1gb h264 video file. I used an AZDEN ECZ-990 shotgun microphone for audio and a Zacuto Z-Finder Pro 2.5x for critical focus. For support I used a Manfrotto 701HDV head with Benro 3580 tripod legs. I also used a FADER ND Mark II variable neutral density filter to control exposure at the optimal 1/60th shutter speed, wide open aperture and an ISO of 160.
The picture above with lines of code is my modified .plist of the Canon E-1 Movie Plugin version 1.3 for Apple Final Cut Pro editing software. My point? Just like in my Canon Rebel T3i Video Test, I modified the plugin for an entry level DSLR like the T3i to transcode automatically to AppleProRes422 like the big boys. Now with the addition of the Canon 5D Mark III to the Canon E-1 Movie Plugin .plist, Canon Rebel T3i/600D owners can have their dessert, also.
A 720p video shot with the Canon 5D Mark III at 59.94fps. Edited with Final Cut Pro 6.0.6 and used the Canon E-1 Movie Plugin version 1.3 to transcode to AppleProRes422. I used Compressor at best quality to get a 750mb h264 video file. I used an AZDEN ECZ-990 shotgun microphone for audio and a Zacuto Z-Finder Pro 2.5x for critical focus. I also used a FADER ND Mark II variable neutral density filter to control exposure at the optimal 1/125th shutter speed, wide open aperture and an ISO of 160.
The Canon 5D Mark III verdict? For a retail price of $3499 for body only, the Canon 5D Mark III is not in the Canon Rebel category when it comes to price. When compared to the Canon 5D Mark II, the price is justified especially with the 61 AF point focusing system and the plethora of video improvements. The Canon 5D Mark III is a Wedding Photographer's dream DSLR. A high ISO capable full frame sensor with accurate multipoint AF system with Full HD video capability. It is a no brainer for current Canon 5D Mark II owners to upgrade to this amazing camera. A game changer to the DSLR industry in 2008 and again in 2012.
You can view more ISO examples, product shots, HDR photos, videos and more in my Canon 5D Mark III Practical Review and Video Test Gallery. Shot with the Canon 5D Mark III paired with Canon EF 17-40 f/4L,EF 24-105mm f/4L IS,EF 70-200mm f/4L IS,EF 35mmf/1.4L,EF 85mm f/1.2L and the EF 70-200mm f/2.8l IS II lenses.
Warmer days, later sunsets and colored eggs springs Easter joy once again to candy craving children. Over a dozen hard boiled eggs and plenty of colored vinegar later, Easter Sunday bunny hopped to an over easy delight.
Sharing is easy with your older cousin when you barely have four front baby teeth to devour egg hunting treasure. My 13 month daughter loves anything with sugar and will soon be walking on two feet to join the egg hunting festivities.
Easter means wear your Sunday's best, especially when photographed with the new Canon EOS 5D Mark III. Easter came early for me when I picked up my 22 megapixel full frame DSLR featuring a new 61 point auto focusing system and a 6 frames per second shooting capability. There are much more amazing features to list but that will have to wait for my upcoming Canon 5D Mark III Practical Review and Video Test.
Easter cupcakes are the new colored eggs this season. Think of sugary moist cupcakes covered with sweet icing and finally topped off with a Peep. It is Cupcake Wars versus the Easter Bunny.
You can view more eggs and cupcakes in my Easter 2012 Gallery shot with the new Canon EOS 5D Mark III and the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV.
Chad Soriano brings more than 20 years of experience as a television news photojournalist and still camera photographer. Chad worked at Tampa’s Fox Television station, WTVT. His primary role there was in the special projects, consumer investigation unit. His assignments ranged from general news to consumer fraud. His skills in news gathering and camera-work combine to create a strong tool in developing and promoting a unique visual style.
