Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Canon has unveiled another one of its upcoming 35mm full-frame digital SLR camera, the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. The camera sports a 22.3MP full-frame sensor, a 3.2-inch Clear View II LCD screen, Canon's latest DIGIC 5+ image processor, dual CF and SD memory card slots, 61-point autofocus system, 63-zone metering system and Full HD video capture with manual control. The Canon EOS 5D Mark III will go on sale from the end of March for $3,499.95. [PhotographyBlog]

Canon EOS 5D mark III is in everywhere better than the 5D mark II, but is not replacing it

Nearly five years ago, the Canon 5D Mark II changed cameras forever by turning video into a DSLR feature. It became the darling of indie filmmakers, war photographers and anyone in between who had a need for incredibly convenient, visually distinctive moving pictures. It still is. But it's about to get one-upped. Holler at the Canon 5D Mark III. While the Mark II broke new ground, it's outdated. The Mark III promises refinement and sharper tools: better photos and video that's easier than ever. This is not a coup-de-camera so much as a revolution more fully realized - a more perfect $3500 DSLR. What you get is a revamped full-frame image sensor, and Canon's new Digic 5+ image processor. The Mark III promises to be faster, more powerful, and more versatile than the beloved 5D Mark II. Canon says it will deliver better photos in the dark, more video options, and precision control over your shots. Will this be the new photographer's workhorse? The New Sensor Let's start where the image-making magic happens: the sensor. The 5D Mark III's 22.3-megapixel, full-frame sensor is brand new. Discerning readers will notice that the slight bump up from the Mark II's 21.1 megapixels means more pixels in the same size sensor. Which means that the pixels are now slightly smaller. You might think that this could hurt image quality in poor lighting conditions, but Canon claims that just the opposite is true, that the pixels actually get more light now because of the way the new sensor is designed. Its gapless micro lens design supposedly lets more light in - we haven't tested this yet, but its the same tech as used in the 1 DX, and that thing is a low-light monster. The electronics of the sensor are also more efficient than before, which helps reduce noise. The result is that the Mark III can now shoot full-resolution shots at a whopping ISO 26,500 - two stops past the Mark II's ISO 6400 limit. What does that mean for you, the photographer? That the 5D Mark III will shoot comfortably when the the 5D Mark II has been pushed to its low-light limit. Then, if you hit the ceiling with the Mark III, the images won't be as noisy or distorted as before. Taking Pictures With the Camera Beyond the sensor, it's useful to think of the 5D Mark III as the little brother to the new, super-badass Canon 1 DX. With ISO topping 204,000 and a price tag approaching $7000, the 1 DX is an unstoppable, unaffordable mammoth of a DSLR. Fortunately, though, some of its nicest features have been handed down to the Mark III, starting with the Digic 5+ processor. The 1 DX has two of them, and while the 5D Mark III only has one, that one processor is 17 times faster than the Digic 4 powering the 5D Mark II. What's that mean in practice? The 5D Mark III's autofocus will find its mark faster, will fire more quickly when you press the shutter release, and will be able to process the data in a flash so you can get back to shooting. In fact, Canon has sliced shutter lag down to just 59 milliseconds, which makes the 5D Mark III one of the fastest responders out there. What's more, this generation will peel off stills at up to 6 fps instead of just 4 fps. In some cases, that's the difference between getting your shot and missing it by a hair. The 5D Mark III doesn't borrow just from the 1 DX's brawny DNA; it's inherited the smarts of other members of the Canon clan as well. In particular, you'll see welcome glimpses of the Canon 7D in how the camera measures light and picks a focal point. The new 61-point autofocus on both cameras is a meticulous photographer's dream, and a definite improvement over the Mark II's humble squadron of nine little viewfinder dots. In the Mark III, that squadron is now a phalanx of 61, which can be configured into a number of battle formations to make sure your photo is sharp. The 5D Mark III's metering system has also been reinforced; It now reads 63 zones to calculate how much light is hitting your sensor instead of the previous 35. Not every general needs that many soldiers, but not many would refuse the extra manpower. The Video Boost It's important to remember that the Canon 5D Mark II owes much of its popularity to its 1080 video chops. And it's equally important to note that, as Canon's first HD DSLR, it still had plenty of room for improvement. First of all, unlike the 7D and other more recent Canon DSLRs, the 5D Mark II can't shoot at 60 fps. Why does that matter? Shooting at 60 fps gives you the flexibility to create slow motion footage, by reducing the video to more commonly used frame rates (25, 30). It's a useful effect, and one you can now take advantage of with the 5D Mark III. It shoots 60 fps, albeit at a reduced - but still HD - 720p resolution. Secondly, while the 5D Mark II had a handy input jack so that you could use an external mic to record higher quality audio, it didn't have a headphone jack so you could actually monitor your audio levels. Not listening to what you record is the easiest way to ensure that it doesn't turn out how you intended, no matter how fancy your mic is. The 5D Mark III fixes this problem with a stereo headphone jack. Design, Accessories, Bonus Shooting Modes, and More Aside from these hardware and performance improvements, the 5D Mark III is packed with tiny tweaks that will appeal to photographers of different persuasions. For a couple hundred bucks apiece, you can pick up a GPS or wireless transmitter for easy image transfer. Thanks to the burlier processor, the camera now also has new multiple exposure and HDR modes, each of which combines many photos into one, to different ends. The former will cobble together a usable picture from poor shooting conditions, while the latter is used to create artsy effects in your photos. You know, just in case you want them to look embossed or something. The design of the camera is similar to the 5D Mark II, but the pre-production version looked slightly larger than the 5D Mark II and it's got a few new buttons, the most important of which are carried over from the 7D. There's a multi-function button next to the shutter, which can be programmed to control four key shooting settings. There's also a new start/stop recording button for video, and a “Rate” button so you can tag good images on the fly. Canon has packed the thing with CF and SDHC card slots for lots of storage. The list goes on, but you get the point: this looks like a rad camera. The New Professional Powerhouse? From what we've seen, the Canon 5D Mark III is going to be incredible. Of course we won't know until we actually try it; there's no guarantee that all these tweaks and improvements will work as advertised. There's a lot of brand new technology that's never been used in the wild, squeezed into a tiny body. Will the new processor be as robust as it sounds? Will that new sensor turn out to be glitchy? Will the new autofocus disappoint? It's not likely, but it's not impossible either. Part of what makes the 5D Mark II so great is its simplicity: It takes great pictures and it shoots beautiful video. The only sure thing is that the 5D Mark III loads on the complications. That said, on paper the Canon 5D Mark III improves on its predecessor in almost any category you can think of. That alone makes it one of the most important cameras released in the past half-decade.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Better than Nikon D800?

After Nikon announced its D800 full frame D-SLR camera, now Canon comes to us with its latest camera in the same category: Canon 5D Mark III. As the successor of the famous 5D Mark II, Canon adds upgraded features to the new 5D Mark III including a 22.3-megapixel full-frame Canon CMOS sensor, DIGIC 5+ Imaging Processor, a 61-point High Density Reticular Autofocus (AF) System and 6 frames-per-second (fps) continuous shooting speed (Nikon D800 supports only 4 fps). Regarding CMOS sensor, the 5D Mark III‘s resolution is less than the Nikon D800′s 36.3-million pixels. But that's all, I think the rest of features, Canon 5D MK III bests the Nikon D800, see the spec comparison. I love to shot in RAW format, but I hate the large file output. With the option of M-RAW and S-RAW, the Canon 5D Mark III wins my heart. Based on the story above, I think I prefer this camera rather than Nikon D800, I don't need the higher resolution of D800. But I'll keep surfing the net to read the comprehensive review on both camera. Are you feeling lucky? Find the the Canon 5D Mark III Amazon.com and get special offers. Or visit www.laptopgram.com to keep updated on high-end notebook news.

[Hands-On] Canon Powershot G1 X

Canon will release their latest flagship model in the Powershot series, the G1 X, at the beginning of March in Japan. “For this camera, we had a unified concept from development to product planning. The idea was to deliver the best pictures ever from a Canon compact camera.” “One big feature of this model is the sensor size. This camera has a 1.5 inch sensor, which is really big. Previous models used a 1x1.7 inch sensor, so this one has 6.3 times the area. The result is impressive pictures, with a great feeling of definition, and depth of focus on a par with an SLR.” By using a 14.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, almost as big as the APS-C sized sensor used in the EOS series, Canon has increased the light-gathering area per pixel by a factor of 4.5, delivering picture quality close to that of an SLR, with low noise at high sensitivity. “For regular use, the sensitivity can go up to ISO12800. Because the sensor is so large, this camera's pictures have low noise even in the high sensitivity range. So you get really clear pictures, especially at ISO3200 and 6400. This effect is particularly noticeable in nighttime and indoor photography.” The lens features a new Canon design, and goes from a 28 mm wide-angle to 4x optical zoom. This lens is only 1.4 times bigger than before, so the camera's body is still compact even though it has a larger sensor. “You can stop down to f16, so you get good pictures at small apertures, too.” “This model is mainly intended as a companion to an SLR for professional users, as well as for advanced amateurs. But it takes impressive pictures even on auto and regular settings, so we hope all kinds of users will give this model a try.”

Pentax offers 'special edition' K-5 DSLR kit: silver body, 40mm slimline lens, $1,600

It's good to see a special edition that may actually deserve its name, for once. When the silver version of the popular K-5 came out last year, it was priced at $1,700 body-only. This new kit, which will be limited to 1,500 units worldwide and available from April, will cost just $1,600 including the bundled lens. And it's decent glass: an ultra-thin, Marc Newson designed beauty with a 40mm fixed focal length and f/2.8 aperture - just like on the mirrorless K-01. The only thing missing? There's no sign of a "Limited Edition" stamp anywhere on it, but luckily we're too modest to notice.

D-Link Cloud Camera 5000

The D-Link Cloud Camera 5000 is equipped with pan/tilt capabilities, an automatic day/night viewing, a remote control and a microSD slot. The camera offers a view area of 340 degrees (170 degrees on each side). The D-Link Cloud Camera 5000 also enables you to remotely access live video feeds on any desktop via the mydlink.com portal or on-the-go with an iPhone, iPad or Android device using the mydlink app. No word on pricing at this time. [D-Link]

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX10V Digital Camera Available For Pre-Order

You can now pre-order sony's latest digital camera ‘Cyber-shot DSC-HX10V' in the US via B&H Photo. This compact camera can be yours for $329.99 and will begin shipping from March 28th. In case you didn't know, the DSC-HX10V sports an 18.2MP Exmor R CMOS sensor, a 24mm wide-angle lens, a 16x optical zoom lens, a 3.0-inch Xtra Fine LCD monitor, Memory Stick Duo + SD/SDHC/SDXC card slots, GPS, a mini HDMI port and 1080x60i HD video capture. [Product Page]