03 Mar Canon 5D Mark III-next step in DSLR Revolution or just another camera?
Uncategorized | Studio B TeamWowzers! It’s here, the long awaited Canon 5D Mark III! Once rumored to have 4k recording capabilities, xlr inputs and a built in espresso machine, the final specs of this much anticipated ‘uber-hyped’ camera have now been released! The Mark II has become a staple for Studio B shoots. It’s fairly rare these days that we go out on a shoot without it. If nothing else it’s a great second camera when we are shooting on the Red Epic or Arri Alexa, and we often use it simply for production stills. Lets see if the Mark III Can replace the Mark II as our go to DSLR.
FROM THE 5D -MARK-II
TO THE 5D-MARK-III
Looks like they took what worked so well and stuck with it. Definitely a good thing.
So, in the end, why do we care? Lets break down the features.
New features include:
- ISO sensitivity range from 100 to 25,600 (50 to 102,400 extended)
- Digic 5+ Processor and 22.3-megapixel full-frame CMOS Sensor
- 1080p recording @ 30/25/24fps and 720p recording at 60/30fps
- Close to 30mins of uninterrupted record times w/automatic file splitting at 4GB files
- Duel Compact Flash Type I/UDMA and SD/SDHC/SDXC Card Slots
- Built-in headphone jack
- Manual Audio Level Control with 64 levels (which you can adjust during movie recording) ZOINKS!
- New 61-point autofocus system (same as the one found in 1D X)
- HDR and Multiple Exposure modes
- In-camera RAW processing
- Comparative playback function (view two images side-by-side on LCD)
- Scene Intelligent Auto mode
- Support for high-speed UDMA 7 Compact Flash memory cards
- 3.2-inch, 1.04 million-dot LCD
- Optical viewfinder with 100% coverage
In video mode, it also has better noise reduction, so when you are at your crazy high ISO it won’t look as grainy as you think it should. It also claims better file compression and better overall picture quality, thanks to the digic 5+ processor. This camera is set to ship in late March and will retail for $3,500 smack-a-roo’s, over 1k more then its predecessor.
As for Still only options, I know there are a bunch but I’m not a still guy so I couldn’t tell you what they mean. If this is important stuff, post a response letting everyone know why still shooters would care about the Mark III.
So, now is the 5D Mark III a replacement to the Mark II or just another option in the world of DSLR? And, is it worth the extra cash? It’s really going to come down to image quality, if there is really that big of an improvement and if all these little features add up to a whole lot in the work that you do.
To single out the audio improvements, most people won’t be needing audio features for their DSLR anyways and without the inclusion of at least duel mini inputs, its not a feasible audio recorder anyways.
Even better low light recording? Well, more of a good thing is an even better thing, so if that does all it is supposed to, I can see that being a major factor. Longer record times, yes please. Time code, its about time. So yeah, there are improvements, but does that warrant a $3,500.00 price tag?
Soooo, whats my final take? We will get a couple of Mark III cameras in the studio so we can have it as part of our arsenal. Although the new features aren’t revolutionary, they are welcome additions, and since we’re already big fans of the 5D Mark II, I say ‘bring it on.’