Only thing keeping me from commiting 'economical suicide' (Nice term ;)), is the fact that the bugger isn't FF.
Who cares about 8,5 or 10fps? I don't... I'd like to be able to use my 100mm instead of constantly having to use the 80-200 at its widest however...
Better AF & usefull placement of the sensors would be the main reason for upgrading now. And usable ISo 3200 of course.
14 bit might be nice, if only for my other work.

how much for your old 5D? :D

excellent post, i was wondering about the relative comparison between the as of yet untested mk III and 5D.

for autofocus, Kalle, do you find yourself missing a lot of shots w / the 5D? can't see myself justifying a $4K camera as a hobbyist, but ~$2K for a used 5D or Mk IIn might work.

what are people's takes on the comparison between 5D and mk IIn?

I honestly don't know... I have never tried to analyse the bad shots, was it the photographer or the camera... Also, if AF is really better in 1Dmk3, I guess I might try things that I don't even bother to think about with the 5D, who knows? Anyway, snappier autofocus is always better, but I'm more interested in having more than one usable focusing point. Now I use the center focusing point and when tracking motion I have to do huge crops (= often down to 5Mpix from 12,8) to have well composed images since the focusing point needs to be where I want the focus to be, and that dictates the framing (which with one focus point will result into bad composition before cropping, more often than not).

Edit: also, sometimes I just spend time to trying to make the AF to get a hold on something (it just hunts - not because it works badly as such but because there is so little light on where I try to focus). And of course, this is time that I could use otherwise.

You should: I found out that way that using CFn 17-1 and AiServo is not a good idea. Still need to test my 100/2.0 and 50/1.4 because with those lenses I tend to get a lot of OoF shots on AiServo.
Analysing bad shots to see if it's camera or user error helps a lot.

Me too ;)

My 30D has an AF problem and I can't send it in as I need it for school work (manual bracket focussing as a workaround). I was going to upgrade to a 1D2n, but in for a penny, in for 10 pounds, eh? Also some other work I'm doing can use the bit higher res and if the 14 bit difference is as written about - that's all good. As soon as I can get my hands on the 1D3, I can send in my 30D and use that as a backup. It's been a bummer not having a fully working camera to shoot with.

The "ISO Safety Shift" seems to have been designed badly:
- You cannot define the range of ISOs usable (it's always between 100-3200 (or 200-3200 if highlight priority is used). So, if you have a f1.4 lens and use Tv, it'll stay in f1.4 unless @ISO100 there is enough light to provide a smaller aperture. If you use Av, it'll (probably) choose the smallest ISO value possible to provide the shutter speed of 30 seconds(!).
- Related to the point above, the restrictions for aperture value (that you can set through some cf) are overridden
- You cannot have a combination of ISO & aperture/shutter safety shift.

[edit: the above is what I understood from the white paper]

I'm curious to see how it works in the P-mode, though...

Now, what I want is a sort of super-P-mode which I can program to give exactly a given combination of ISO, shutter speed and aperture value for the given amount of light.
For instance, if there is x amount of light metered, the camera would use f2.8, ISO3200, and 1/200 s. If there is two stops more light, I want the camera to use f4.0, ISO1600 and 1/200 s. Two more stops: f4.0, ISO800, 1/400 s. This is not technically hard to do (give full pre-defined control over this - very simple logic and scripting language is needed - or even just a list of settings and let the camera's logic interpolate the settings in-between), but I guess not many types of photography will need this functionality. Wait, I think sports shooters, wedding photographers and just about every other action-type photographer would like the option to have this. Why not, Canon?

I think that sports & wedding shooters do not face such rapidly changing lighting conditions as concert photographers do. It is hard to imagine a sports event where suddenly someone turns off all the lights and hits them on again at full power after half a second... :) What I mean is that usually photographer should have enough time to respond to changing lighting conditions by adjusting the camera parameters. Or that amount of light changes only a little, so that camera setting still provide decent image quality (shutter time will not increase 3 stops even if aperture stays the same etc...)

I think we are in difficult area of photography and a great minority.

I agree that cameras SHOULD have more custom settings! It should not be that hard to give user the freedom to control on-camera parameters or even design new exposure envelopes (shutter/aperture/ISO combinations). Maybe sometime in the future... Do we have to wait linux-based dSLR for this? :D

(being able to ping localhost on dSLR - a nerd's wet dream ;D)

I watched some of the introduction videos here: http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/masterclass.do
The most interesting new thing I found was that this is the first time that I hear from a semi-reliable source that mk3's sensor has more dynamic range [than the second generation of cmos sensors], about one stop, it is said.

Here's a good review of the 1D MKIII. I want one too! From all I've read and heard it really is an awesome achievement. http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-8738-8908

Yeah the vidoes don't work for me either.

Ok, I *really* didn't want to read that review. I really don't want to sit here and go "I want one" for the rest of my life.

Moderator - can we have this thread deleted and all those praising this camera banned as it will only make me .. no?

Oh well, never mind then.

:P

Sell your car, if you have one.... I never bought one to be able to have money for this hobby.

If I sold my car I would have barely money for Canon 50/1.4... :D

ROTFLOL!!!!!!!!

That pretty much sums it up. Besides, I need it more than I need the 1DmkIII. Although I really really really want a 1DmkIII.

Gearing at getting better glass first, though.

/E

19 cross-type AF sensors is the thing for me in 1DMk3.

I've been shooting 1DMk2 N for six months and I have to say that the biggest drawback I've faced is the poor AF in low light conditions. I have shot Nikon D1X and D2H for years with pretty good results. Basically you have no use for those 45 AF focusing points except for those couple of cross type points in the center area of the screen. As a concert photographer I shoot a lot of vertical shots with a big need for side AF points, but...

The other issue is strange AF focus point selection (You have to adjust it with two different dial controls - In 1DMkIII there is a joystick kind of control for this). I thought that it is a matter of time to get used to it, but after 20-30000 shots I still struggle with it. This could be an evidence that I'm just getting old...

In Nikon there were a lot less of AF points, but they were positioned in a wider area. This helped a lot of compositioning. In 1D bodies the AF points are positioned in a more narrow area, which is pity. This means a need for more cropping in many situations and you kind of sacrifice your megapixels. With my 4 megapixel Nikon D2H there were not so often need to cut megapixels out by cropping. (Ok - You had to shoot that way because there were not so many megs to sacrifice)

While I agree with the outer Af points being not in the right place (Either to close to the side, or not close enough to the corner, and the not too good AF in low light, I think I kinda like the AF point selection. (At least if you limit the camera to 11) and the 'HomePosition option for an additional AF point you often use.
Be sure to set up a few CFn's: CFn 4-3; 11-0; 13-1; 17-0; 18-2
Also be sure to read the pdf by Canon "Getting the most out of your 1D". (Seems to be unavailiable at the moment at Canon, but I've seen it online elsewhere. Otherwise PM me, and I'll send it)

Thank you René for your tips!

I got this limited set of focus points in use, but two controls for simultaneus adjustment for me is sometimes too much, because I'm a man (This quote is from my wife).

regards
Juha

Put it online here: Click

It is tempting me so badly. I read the white paper also, and had to clean up the drool from the floor :D

If i can find the AUD$6k for this rig i will definately drop it in a second!

Rob

I'm still having trouble finding it at any price... :'(

Rob Galbraith had a very microlevel preview a while ago on his site. Now he has tested a production model and has reported an entire article about autofocusing issue reported earlier.
Production model AF-test is here.

It may not be that critical in concert photography, and AF can be set to focus priority by custom functions, so there will be no out of focus images.

This I guess is what I wanted to read:

What I would like to hear, though, is how the AF system compares to MKII:s AF system in that environment.

Generally, this poor autofocus in poor sunlight is - I would think - a critical issue for Canon. The 1D series (not 1Ds) is the only thing Canon can offer sports shooters, and mkIII with its apparently crippled AF performance will be the only "sports camera" canon has to offer for some while. It'll be interesting how this will advance. I hope it's a firmware issue only, and I'm sure Canon does, too :).

Anyhow, for concert shooting, the things don't look so bad.

.... except for this part, which doesn't excactly inspire confidence:
"Whether the focus will remain true as the camera tracks movement - like someone walking down the aisle - is another matter, and we honestly haven't done enough low light tracking with a production camera to give an opinion about how it would do. The preproduction model's accuracy when tracking suits walking around in ballroom lighting, however, was middling at best.
"

I know the limitations of my 1D2, and those would be precisely why I'ld like a 1D3. I'm not paying that kind of money to get the same limitations...

Some mixed info concerning the focusing "issues" out there (Here's one very positive hands-on first impressions writing: http://www.andyrouse.co.uk/img/files/1dmk3_1st_review.pdf)

Anyway, just got a call from one of the dealers saying I'm first on their waiting list. They got one single unit sofar (went to somebody who was quicker). Yay.

Another dealer called just now, will have the camera on Thursday. Just in time for Tuska.

Heyy! Congratulations for a new killer machine. Or will it be called The Speed King?

Or Jane or Sweetie-Pie...? :D

Yea, gotta go and shop for a pillow for her.

Live view put in use:

Algorithm (rather trivial):
1. Set exposure manually (and use braketing if you're lazy or want to combine images)
2. Prefocus somewhere close enough (wide lens and used a small aperture so that's not too important
3. Go to live view mode, lift the camera up in your hands (I guess the camera will be about 2,5 meters high when I hold it), and take the picture

I really like that I can make out the composition even though looking at the LCD from a very steep angle.

I'll post a full review of the camera used in concerts when I have time...

Here's a full res sample (sorry about the "watermark"): http://www.bjorklid.net/jako/mphoto_1dm3/KMBL3020.jpg

I expect it to be interesting noise-wise.

Info:
- ISO3200
- 1/200 s (softness is mostly due to motion blur)
- -0.2 post EC
- Adobe Camera RAW (read as DNG file)
- 0 luminance smoothing, 0 color noise reduction
- Temperature: 5850 Tint: +21

ACR is very efficient in remving the chroma noise (which is a big eyesore for me); I expect this to be mostly because the noise is "nice", ie. easily processable by the software. I intentionally did not remove any chroma (or luma, for that matter) noise in this pic.

Sort of a best case sample exposure wise, I'll post a more typical sample at some point.

And from another perspective... :)

Bad hair day :(

As always on festivals...

A large number of users have been critical of the autofocus with the 1DMk3 (see Rob Galbraith's scathing review). It now appears that Canon's very own Chuck Westfall will be addressing the issue in the August edition of the Digital Journalist (CNET article here).

edit: I Modified the links to make them work...

What I've found is that the auto foucs "points" are rather huge (compared to 5D) and the focus is "drawn" to the background (eg. if there is something with any contrast differences further away [from the main subject], the focous goes there. Other than that, I don't know (need further analysis & testing) if the AF is a problem in concert photography.

Here's a highly scientific (;)) test that illustrates the AF:s bacground focus filia:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1032&message=23757390

Is there a custom setting to tell it to focus on the closest subject? My Nikon D200 has that setting.

Here's an interesting link for Mark 3 owners: Learn How to Customize Your Canon 1D Series Camera

I now have two of these beasties, one of which had to go back to Canon for the submirror fix. I haven't really taken much advantage of the new features but do like the low light autofocus (which has also been very nice in shooting boxing) and low noise. Although I have a 5D, 1DMII and 1DMIIN, I am not one to waste time comparing so can't give comparisons. I do think that the 1DMIIN focuses better but I have not calibrated my lenses using that new feature on the 1DMIII's yet. I do like having a few more pixels to work with than the other 1D bodies. 5D just doesn't drive the lenses fast enough and buffer is too small.

I have one WiFi Adapter but it is still in the box as I need to bring it in to work to get my comrades who know WiFi to help me with it.

All in all I find that any of these bodies is so much better at photography than I am that it really doesn't matter.

Latest rumor is that the 1DMIIIs may have to go back for another hardware upgrade and/or firmware update, sigh.

Why's that?
I thought the 'blue dot' was supposed to be okay?

Apparently not ... we'll just have to wait and see what the official announcement, if any, is.