There's a credible rumor going around that the Canon EOS 5D is due to be announced on August 22nd, with shipping to commence in October. According to the info sheet I saw, it features:
- 12.8 megapixel full-frame (24mmx36mm)
- 3 frames per second (60 frame burst JPEG; 17 frames RAW)
- 9 point autofocus (w/ 6 invisible points)
- Compatible with all EF lenses (but not EF-S)
- CF cards
- Batteries use same BP-511a as the 10D/20D (yeah!)
- New battery grip BG-E4
- 152mm x 113mm x 75mm; 810 grams
Whether or not this is true or just yet another fake is unknown. If it is true, then this is definitely the camera that I've been waiting for. I've been holding off on the 1D series since they are just too large and, at 1.5 kg each, too heavy for me. The 5D seems to be in the EOS-3 form factor -- much smaller and lighter (810g). The only trade-off appears to be the lethargic frame-rate of only 3 frames per second. But we are talking of pumping 12 megapixels with each shot. One rumor has the price at 2500 euros, which is about $3000, which seems reasonable.
We'll know on August 22nd if any of this is true. There were also hints of the release of the "EOS 1D MkIIN". Exciting times, indeed.
This news is good only if the focusing mechanism is as good as the 1 series cameras. I've dealt with soft images with the D30, 10D and 20D. I'd love to see a real viewfinder as well. For $3000, I would hope these issues are dealt with.
Yes, the news is really exciting. Hope it is true.
yoyo
Xmishx -
I agree, focusing has been a problem with the consumer EOS digitals. Even the 1D series suffers from this a bit. The problem is that digital sensors have a literally wafer thin zone of focus, unlike film which is much thicker and buckles and bends. It isn't so much that the cameras are less precise, it's that the sensor is much less forgiving.
The 1D series are built to much higher tolerances, so the thin zone of focus is tolerable, but the errors really stack up and become noticeable with the consumer/prosumer cameras. It's helped considerably if you focus manually or touch-up focus; but the focusing screens on the consumer cameras aren't very good.
The focusing screen on the 5D is 96% coverage (at 0.72 magnification), so it looks like it'll be good. I couldn't tell if it's replaceable or not.
I agree with Karen Sama... my biggest pain, as a 300D user, is that I past the "fun photography" part of my life, and am really dedicated into becoming a great photographer. But the 300D is a very temperamental camera.
It's fun to walk into a Canon repair shop and your comment is "The camera refused to shoot.". Of course, the clerks are stunned and make all the comments that the 300D has problems auto-focusing on the dark, or dark subject, and if auto-focus don't work the camera keeps hunting down the focal point, and won't shoot ( have I missed more than one shoot that way? Yes, so I shoot mostly on manual ). And I added a new trick to their bag... the camera that, in more than one ocasion, on manual focus, simply won't shoot. It's ready, buffer is free, you press the shutter, and nothing happens. No ERR code on the LCD, nothing, it just refuses to shoot :|
Also, having a focusing screen that is way smaller than the actual frame is rather enerving, when you compose based on a crop, shoot, and notice you will have to crop your picture, because you imagined that leaft on the border was out of your photogram, but it was in :(
So, this is a camera I would surelly try getting as a replacement... if this is not a hoax. It also falls right in the price range of the Nikon D2X, with similar features.
Looking at the spec sheet that's floating around, it's pretty clear that the 5D is using the AF system from the 20D--9 points with joystick.
I'm not sure if it's the same AF module. The spec sheet also specs of 6 invisible auxiliary AF points, which the 20D doesn't have.
I've seen this "refuse to shoot" issue with film cameras as well. My Ricoh GR1, nice as it is, will sometimes not take a photo even when set to a fixed focus mode and the light is fine. I've no idea why, though it's been sent in for a CLA, which might fix it.
But it's this kind of thing that keeps me away from cameras with a lot of automation. I had taken it for granted that when I push the shutter button on my OM-4 it will always, always, always take the picture right away, but having used a number of more automated cameras now, this has moved from "normal" to "wonderful feature."
BTW, speaking of disabilities, my eyes are not the greatest, and I find the grey-on-white and light-blue-on-white colours this blog is using rather hard to read. Can't we just go back to normal black on white, or something with better contrast? Or is this supposed to help me empathize with the plight of partially sighted people? :-)
Here's an article on the rumored release: http://news.techwhack.com/1878/canon-5d-is-finally-unveiled/
http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/index-frameset.html?CanonEOS1D.html~mainFrame
will have to be rewritten soon...
Do you still have time for anything else than maintaining your website?
I love it BTW!!!!!!!!!!
It's official - the 5D and 1D Mark IIN have been announced. See my most recent blog post for more information: http://www.photoethnography.com/blog/archives/2005/08/equipment_canon_6.html