Canon today officially launched a new firmware update (version 1.2.1) for the 5D Mark III that brings two notable improvements to the camera: uncompressed HDMI output and the ability to use cross-type autofocus at f/8.
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In what may very well be the most exciting Magic Lantern development ever, the team has discovered a RAW DNG output in live view on the 5D Mark II and 5D Mark III. What this means is that, in the near future, 5D Mark II and III owners may be able to record crystal clear 2K RAW video that blows H.264 output out of the water and then some. Read more…

Cameras today have many extra functions that are often buried in menus and forgotten. Last year, I bought the Canon 5D Mark III and, after a few months, realized that there were some interesting features I had never played with. After figuring out that there was a way to do in-camera double exposures, I immediately started experimenting. At first it was very hit and miss. (I still hadn’t read the manual.)
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If you’re a frugal photographer who’s constantly searching for ways to save some dough when buying gear, you might want to look into the new Los Angeles-based startup company Greentoe. It’s a shopping site that’s trying to turn the e-commerce world on its head by taking pricing power from merchants and putting it into the hands of consumers.

Basically, it’s a site that lets you buy camera gear at prices you want to pay.
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We already know that buying ‘new’ camera gear online is no guarantee that you’re actually getting something new. Even when the source seems to be trustworthy (ala Amazon), you just never know.

So when photographer Rob Dunlop stumbled onto StolenCameraFinder, he chose to look into something. Several months earlier he had received one of the two 5D Mark III’s he ordered from DigitalRev in the wrong box, so he went online and plugged in his serial number. As it turns out, his camera had been used by none other than Kai in one of DigitalRev’s YouTube videos. Read more…

This isn’t a biggie as far as camera issues go, but there are a few photographers reporting some strange discoloration on sections of their Canon 5D Mark III that makes the camera look like it’s a lot older and more beat up than it actually is.
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If you’ve been wondering how the Canon 6D compares to the 5D lineup in terms of size, control layout, and ergonomics, here’s a side-by-side comparison photo in which the 6D (center) is placed next to the new Canon 5D Mark III (left) and the older Canon 5D Mark II (right). The cameras are each ever-so-slightly different in their shapes, but the 6D is noticeably smaller than its higher-tier siblings. It’s more than 10% smaller in its dimensions, and is ~10% lighter than the 5D Mark II and ~20% lighter than the 5D Mark III. Here’s a larger version of the image.

(via LensRentals)

Image credit: Photograph by Roger Cicala/LensRentals

This past October, Canon addressed a big complaint photographers had about the 1D X by releasing a firmware update that introduced AF illumination (kinda) for shooting in dark environments. However, it wasn’t only 1D X users that were complaining about the AF point visibility… 5D Mark III users were — and are — as well. If you own a 5DMk3 and have been waiting patiently for your own AF update, there’s some good and bad news for you: Canon is reportedly working hard on the issue, but it might not be possible to implement the same feature given the way your camera is designed.
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Ever since the Canon 1D X and 5D Mark III were released, photographers have been complaining about sometimes not being able to see the black AF points in the new 61-point system. In July we wrote that Canon was reportedly working on a fix. It now looks like the fix may soon be upon us, in the form of a firmware update.

A press release announcing the new firmware appeared briefly on Canon’s website today but was quickly taken down once the news started getting around. The release mentioned two impending upgrades to the 1D X: red AF point illumination and cross-type autofocusing at f/8.
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What would you capture if you had a day off on a hot summer day with $300,000 worth of camera gear lying around the house? That was the happy situation filmmaker Brad Kremer found himself in recently. The gear he found himself with at the time included an uber-expensive Phantom Flex high-speed camera, Zeiss super speed glass, a Canon 5D Mark III DSLR, and Canon L glass. He decided to put the gear to use (and flex his creative muscles) by inviting the neighborhood children over for a water balloon party — the perfect recipe for epic slow-motion footage.

As summer comes to an end and Autumn begins, kids go back to school and dream of warm days filled with laughter and joy. This short film is a reflection of that dream. Shot with a Phantom Flex it captures the magic of the moment. With frame rates of up to 2564 fps at 1080p we see every detail, every smile and every sparkle in the kids eyes. And that is where the magic lies. Within the hopes and dreams of our children.

He titled the resulting short film (shown above) A Phantom Flex Summer Story. It does not disappoint.

(via John Nack)

P.S. In case you’re wondering, the song in the background is “Moonchild” by the band M83.