5D3 Firmware 1.2.1 - TESTS & COMMENTS

[HDCamTeam]

Hi everybody,

Now that Canon has officially released firmware 1.2.1 for EOS 5D Mark III, it would be GREAT to share experiences about the new performance.

Especially regarding the clean HDMI 4:2:2 8bit output, since it's the most important and innovative feature.

PLEASE share your tests and reviews with external recording vs. in-camera recording and also post full details, so we can all evaluate the results.

Thanks a lot in adavance.

[HDCamTeam]

---

@CharlesF wrote:

No Audio through HDMI ? No Quality improvement whatsoever? Touted as an upcoming feature for over a year??

Literally this has been a slapped together update that has not had an ounce of thought or quality put toward it for the DSLR filmmaker / journalists / 5Dmk3 owners who were hoping to achieve better quality video out of there DSLRS.

Seriously Canon, You have so much potential and yet you insist on crippling your products like this does you no favours.

There are a huge number of filmmakers + videographers+journalists and media that helped fuel sales of the 5dmk2 that you provided decent firmware for over time and allowed the camera to a much more powerful tool.

So here we are 4 years since you added manual control to the 5Dmk2... and we get this, a half working - pointless HDMI live feed out that not only offers no noticeable difference in image quality - but as some are reporting actually degrades it ( and with no audio as of 03/05/13 ).

Understandably you want to try and protect your Cinema EOS line - but you must understand - offering half working firmware like this on what could have been a potentially groundbreaking camera is not only damaging your brand by offering sub-par low quality features - but is actively driving away Canon customers.

If you want any chance of redemption by the masses without making this firmware update look like a joke:

1) Fix the HDMI output so audio works + correct any image issues.

2) Offer a better recording codec that will improve the quality (resolution/color/dr) of video recordings internally or at least improve the HDMI output to offer a higher bitrate / cleaner output than the internal files.

---

Sadly, we agree with you.

Sadly because we are also disappointed of this update. The 5D Mark 3 has HUGE potential inside.

IT IS ALREADY an amazing camera, but it CAN deliver so much more...

We really hope that Canon improves it. Despite it's logical they want to "protect" the EOS C  line, they are targets for different segments.

Improving the 5D3 (a $3,200 body-only camera) can push sales a lot and benefit not only the community, but of course the manufacturer for sure, as the 5D Mark 2 has already proven. Especially now that there is much more competition (which some are offering many more features at lower price).

This update generated HUGE expectation on Canon community, but does not seem to be at the expected level.

Again, we really hope Canon improves this great camera even further, they would certainly sell even lot more.

[dead5d]

Hi, Canon.
Your consummer is not that uncontious as you may think.
As a long time canon user I'am realy disappointed with your marketing and your attitude towards the client.
Here are some links to the firmware tests http://vimeo.com/65205491 http://vimeo.com/65276093
But most important thing are the comments that people do on this video tests.
Now I'am in the process making an upgrade of the video gear, and definitely it is not going to be canon.
Blackmagic 4k or Nikon can be much better option for me. And all of my colleagues are going the same way.

[moebius]

A longtime lurker who has been similarly moved to post here. I purchased a field recorder weeks in advance of the firmware update in anticipation of all the proclaimed benefits of having a clean HDMI output. Having run a few basic tests, I can corroborate what everyone else is saying about the quality of external recordings -- there's absolutely no discernible difference in sharpness when compared against the in-camera recordings.

Very disappointing indeed.

[helalwi]

Hi 

I'd like to have the Info and the Q-buttons merged. It makes no sense to have 2 buttons. 

Best regards, Alex

[HDCamTeam]

---

@helalwi wrote:

Hi 

I'd like to have the Info and the Q-buttons merged. It makes no sense to have 2 buttons. 

Best regards, Alex

---

Hi Alex and welcome!

Thanks for your input, but unfortunately it's out of topic since we're talking about the firmware 1.2.1, not the camera buttons design and distribution.

What we really need is an improvement on the RESOLUTION and overall quality of the recorded video. We expected it on the new firmware with the external uncompressed HDMI 4:2:2 8bit, but since it's not any noticeable resolution improvement on it, it would be VERY MUCH APPRECIATED if Canon could improve it on the in-camera video recording.

So far, the reason of buying an external video recorded could be to get ProRes or Avid already coded files. BUT considering the almost non existant difference in Image Quality between external vs. in-camera recording it is not really a big deal for most users.

Also considering the fact that the external recording does not capture Audio, has a green cast and gama/luma shift (AND Audio delay/latency when using external audio recorder, as reported by some users -not tested by us yet)

The "Mirrored" feature is a very welcome feature indeed, but it would be EXTREMELY appreciated by Canon users community if they improve the in-camera video resolution and codec performance. It is possible to do.

Additionally Canon could add Audio recording on the HDMI output and fix the gama/luma shift as well as the green cast (AND possible audio latency on external audio recorders via headphones output).

As side note, we already know the 5D Mark III is capable of video features like Peaking, but we still wonder if it's not really capable of 1080p60 for Full HD slow motion... 

THAT would really be a HUGE improvement and would be worldwide appreciated indeed. Such improvement would really increase sales on this camera.. Another manufacturer is already offering DSLR with 1080p60 recording capability, can't really Canon do it on the EOS 5D Mark III?

We really hope Canon Managers and people in charge read these threads and consider further firmware improvements for this amazing camera which can deliver so much more...

Regards.

[dead5d]

Well, hdmi could have handle better the highlight recovery or highlight roll off. But it makes the opposite, it crashes the highlights...
There is no any extra room for post processing the footage.

[HDCamTeam]

We've seen the results from what ML can deliver (so far just less than a second of video) and it is SO HUGE AND AMAZING! Both in terms of resolution and dynamic range. It's really like RAW footage.

If Canon improved the firmware at least a bit to get more resolution and dynamic range on video, using the DNG technique (or similar one), the 5D Mark III could even compete with the BMCC!!

And of course sales would easily jump astronomically.

For all of us who use Canon 5D Mark III for stills AND video, this would be HUGE indeed. We'd certainly buy another 5D3 body for filmmaking if that happened, simply because of a higher use of the enormous potential this camera has inside and the better results achieved and delivered to final users.

[peterphipp]

I am just about to buy a mark3 but the update does not make it worth spending money before Canon bring out a change in the internal codec. Why can you not offer either ProRes or  even MPG 2 (like the XF305). Jpg compression artifacts  limit this cameras possibilities. ML raw  seems a few months away but actually I dont need RAW. I just want a good clean image at 1080P, with no blocky blue skies.

[HDCamTeam]

---

@peterphipp wrote:

I am just about to buy a mark3 but the update does not make it worth spending money before Canon bring out a change in the internal codec. Why can you not offer either ProRes or  even MPG 2 (like the XF305). Jpg compression artifacts  limit this cameras possibilities. ML raw  seems a few months away but actually I dont need RAW. I just want a good clean image at 1080P, with no blocky blue skies.

---

100% agree with you.

Canon can definitely improve in-camera recording using an enhanced codec. There's lot of processing power and speed available for faster data rates too.

Lot of people don't need RAW video, but definitely MOST people need: Higher Resolution, Hiigher Dynamic Range and Less Codec Artifacts.

That is completely possible with current hardware... It's only a matter of firmware improvement

Let's hope Canon Product Managers go one step ahead and let the Canon Firmware team improves the video quality at least on high-end DSLRs including the 5D Mark III.

Regards