Biggest Guns Still Missing from Pre-Photokina Announcements
by Wesley Fink on September 5, 2008 12:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Digital Camera
Canon 5D Replacement
We're calling this the 5D replacement because it isn't completely clear what it will be called. Names that are flying around range from the Canon 5D Mark II to the Canon 3D and 7D. Some have even suggested that there will be several full-frame Canon models available in this price space after Photokina. Specs have ranged all over the place in the rumor mill, which has churned out speculation about a replacement model for almost two years. Lately the speculation seems to have converged on a set of specs that are likely close to the final product:
- 18.2MP or 21.1MP Full-Frame DIGIC IV
- ISO 100-6400 with expansions of Lo: 50 and Hi: 12800
- 5 FPS
- 3.2" High Resolution LCD
- 19-point AF
- HDMI Out
- Live View
- HD Movie Mode
- 100% Viewfinder Coverage (current 5D is 95%)
- Full weather sealing
- EF Lenses only (like the current 5D, EF-S lenses are rumored not to mount or work properly)
The final announcement by Canon will fill in the blanks, but a few items are particularly intriguing. The current $8000 1Ds Mark III is also 21.2MP, and it would be very unlike Canon to announce a 5D replacement with a resolution that would cannibalize a much more expensive pro model. That is unless a 1Ds replacement is on the near horizon. The other interesting claim is a High Definition Movie Mode, which would certainly better explain the sudden appearance of the Nikon D90 Movie Mode. It will be very interesting to see if this is actually true.
Experts in the photo industry have recently suggested that all future DSLR cameras will come with a very high definition movie mode. One even suggested that all reporters will be shooting high-definition moves within 2 years with DSLRs and that editors can select the freeze of their choice for "still" media. Some will scream murder at his suggestion, but it is not really far-fetched.
The price for the Canon 5D replacement is also all over the place, with rumors from $2000 (the current street price of the 5D) to $3500 (the original selling price of the 5D). Some have even suggested several full-frame models from Canon with price points of $2000, $3000, and $5000 (like the D3).
For us the bigger question is the timing of the 5D replacement. Will it finally arrive at Photokina as expected or will it once again be delayed? Canon has just posted a teaser web page at their Canon USA website. The title is "Destined Evolution" and the outline appears to be the new 5D replacement. However, the same 5D replacement was expected last fall and didn't happen, then seemed a certain announcement at PMA in January and got delayed again. Will the long-rumored and seriously overdue 5D replacement finally appear? We'll find out soon enough.
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Wesley Fink - Friday, September 5, 2008 - link
Typo corrected.We certainly don't think the 40D is a bad camera, and Canon fans welcomed it. However, the 40D did not do as well in a fiercely competitive market as Canon had hoped it would. That is the likely reason for the early and deep price cuts and sizable rebates on the 40D.
chiew - Friday, September 5, 2008 - link
thank you for the reply. i was just stating my own experience, and i know a lot of people on canon forums were dismayed when nikon's stuff came out. i was a bit caught up in it, too, but i know that canon and nikon will continue to duke it out for a long time to come. it's futile trying to chase the best, especially with a sizable investment in glass. i'd liken the competition to AMD vs Intel or ATI vs NVidia, but it's so easy to switch companies in the computer business without having to lose hundreds of dollars when buying and selling in making the switcheroo, like i'd have to do if i bought nikon glass.chiew - Friday, September 5, 2008 - link
oh, and if you're interested, things have changed a little bit in the past few hours and canon has released a teaser of sorts on its different webpages (US, Europe, Asia, etc). It looks like a 5D replacement for sure, based on its huge viewfinder hump, and because the outline is not square like their 1D series. But I'm sure you guys don't write articles on small trailers like this :DWesley Fink - Friday, September 5, 2008 - link
Thanks for the tip. We added a link to the Canon USA teaser page to the page 3 discussion of the Canon 5D replacement.chiew - Friday, September 5, 2008 - link
cool, glad to contributechiew - Friday, September 5, 2008 - link
that, and i don't think the 40d was poorly received, at least not in my hands :Dstrikeback03 - Friday, September 5, 2008 - link
I'd say the 30D was less well received than the 40D, as it was even less of a change over the 20D than the 40D over the 30D. ISO in the viewfinder only when changing? Come on.Also, EF-S lenses fitting only APS-C bodies isn't rumor, unless Canon releases a spacer it is fact. The whole point of the EF-S spec is that it allows the lens to protrude another 5mm into the body. Canon couldn't change their registration distance and still have EF lenses be usable, so the EF-S spec allows wide-angle lenses to be a little less retrofocal, and takes advantage of the smaller mirror needed for APS-C. This is why the 10D and earlier cannot use the EF-S lenses either - they had a larger mirror that can hit the back of the lens. Some EF-S lenses can be modified to fit, some cannot.