Firmware Canon 5 mark III

kin2son wrote in post #15899040
The 400 5.6 has always been better than the 70-200 + 2x combo...

I guess you'd hope it should be. Might be well worth a look at some point then.

Oh yes, wide open the 400mm f/5.6L is fantastic.
Check out the example thread in the lens sample forum.
For about $1K you get a lens who's IQ is close to the $5K plus lenses.

sploo wrote in post #15899010
I understand the MKIII of the 2x is a little shorter than the MKII, and as such another Canon TC won't fit in the back.

300 f2.8? Sir, your wallet is larger than mine .

I must admit that, having experimented with my first bit of birding photography over the last few days (70-200 f2.8 + 2x TC), I've noticed that for birds in flight you really need a high shutter speed, which isn't ideal with the need to stop down the combo to f8/f11 for decent quality, but also that you don't seem to need IS at those shutter speeds. As such, and with the new firmware allowing focusing at f8, I'm wondering if the old 400mm f5.6 (non IS) would be better at f5.6 than the 70-200 + 2x TC combo at f8, and if it'd be decent with a 1.4x TC for a 560mm f8?

Well I'm going to have a hard time swinging a used mkI but since my primary(at least most important to me) use will be for road courses so I'll be hiking around the tracks I'd really prefer the mkII or maybe a 400 DO. As we're still waiting to see what the 7DIII I'm leaning toward the DO for the extra reach on the 5DIII for the times I need it. ON the other hand I know that the a 300 f2.8 is going to be better for TC's it will likely pair up better with the high MP bodies coming in the future. I might just get a 300 f4 and upgrade my 50-500 to the OS version for now.

The 400 f5.6 is a fine lens for things that require the fast shutter speeds, if I didn't shoot motorsports(I need the IS for the slow shutter speeds on panning shots) I'd probably get one. I'm not sure which is better AF wise between the 70-200 f2.8 + 2x or 400 f5.6 + 1.4x, but reach and IQ wise the latter is better.

I'm wondering how well the 300 f4 does with the 2x.

Using a Promaster battery, each time I turn on the camera I get this message "Communication with this battery is irregular, do you wish to continue". Works fine though.

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #15899882
Oh yes, wide open the 400mm f/5.6L is fantastic.
Check out the example thread in the lens sample forum.
For about $1K you get a lens who's IQ is close to the $5K plus lenses.

Thanks. I've never been a birding or motorsport guy, hence the 70-200. The 400 looks like a great lens for the former applications though.

Only problem is that in the UK, it's more like $1600. Though I suppose that, given the age of the design, there must be a fair number of used ones around.

lovemyram4x4 wrote in post #15900371
The 400 f5.6 is a fine lens for things that require the fast shutter speeds, if I didn't shoot motorsports(I need the IS for the slow shutter speeds on panning shots) I'd probably get one. I'm not sure which is better AF wise between the 70-200 f2.8 + 2x or 400 f5.6 + 1.4x, but reach and IQ wise the latter is better.

I'm wondering how well the 300 f4 does with the 2x.

Is IS essential for slow panning shots? I ask as a motorsport guy I know claims he prefers to not use IS for those types of shots (he does work off a monopod though).

I'd guess the 70-200+2x should AF better than a 400+1.4, as the former is f5.6 and the latter f8 - but I've not used the latter so couldn't be certain.

Interesting you mention the 300 f4 though, as I've seen a few people prefer that over the 400 f5.6, on the basis that 300+1.4x is similar to the 400 (not sure if the quality really compares), plus you get a 300, and you get IS.

I guess the 5D3 should also now AF with the 2x on the 300mm.

sploo wrote in post #15903499
Is IS essential for slow panning shots? I ask as a motorsport guy I know claims he prefers to not use IS for those types of shots (he does work off a monopod though).

I'd guess the 70-200+2x should AF better than a 400+1.4, as the former is f5.6 and the latter f8 - but I've not used the latter so couldn't be certain.

Interesting you mention the 300 f4 though, as I've seen a few people prefer that over the 400 f5.6, on the basis that 300+1.4x is similar to the 400 (not sure if the quality really compares), plus you get a 300, and you get IS.

I guess the 5D3 should also now AF with the 2x on the 300mm.

I normally shoot handheld and I can get by w/o IS but my keeper rate is much higher with IS. If I have choice I'm going with IS even if it's at a slight compromise like 300 f4 + 1.4x to 400 f4.6, I'll take the slight IQ loss over blurred pictures do to lack of IS.

FYI, Canon has also posted an updated user manual for the camera. It's a zip file that includes the updated manual itself and a short sheet indicating changes made from the previous version of the manual. The changes are directed to the HDMI video and AF functions.

The new 1.2.1 user manual has 6 additional pages but they took out 6 blank "notes" pages so the total size remains the same at 404 pages.

The zipped file is: _________ eos5d-mk3-im3-en.zip _____ 04/30/13 _____ 27.62 MB


Here is a link to the Canon USA 5D Mk III user manual download page: http://www.usa.canon.c​om …k_iii#Brochures​AndManuals

I just noticed today that my 3rd party batteries will not "wake up" from sleep mode. I have to power the camera back off then on. I get the communication error with the same battery

kwando wrote in post #15920309
I just noticed today that my 3rd party batteries will not "wake up" from sleep mode. I have to power the camera back off then on. I get the communication error with the same battery

Well that blows. I'm still undecided about updating... but stuff like this isn't shoving me in that direction.

I assume when you flip the camera off and then on, it works, yes?

Scratch that, working now... That was strange.

I found out that a battery that is recognized but no serial # appears in one body is fine in the other... On one body, I get a notification on power up that something may be wrong, but then all works... On the other body, no notification...
And I've pulled that battery back and forth... Same result every time...
Ad yes, both bodies are flashed to same firmware