02Apr Canon 5d mark III HDMI output
With the exception of the 7d which has a crippled audio system, the 5d mark III is the first to have a fixed HD output. The HDMI signal registers on the monitor as a 1080i signal, but just like the Canon 7d the output signal is an odd cropped version of 1080i. With the screen info displayed, which includes the very useful audio meters, you are left with a band of black around a shrunken image.
Turn off all of the useful meter displays by pressing the info button a few times and things get a little better. But even in this mode, you are still left with a black bar surrounding the image. The smallHD DP4 does have a mode that allows you to fill the entire screen with the image, but it’s still a little bit strange that Canon decided to go this route.
Display the output on a flat screen TV and you get something greater then 720p but less the 1080p with a small black crop bar all the way around the image (any guesses what hotel i’m stuck in?). The other odd issue is that the hdmi output switches from HD to SD when you access the menu screen. So if you are using a field monitor you have to wait for it to blink off, readjust the display resolution, and blink back on again. Not at all sure what genus thought that would be a good idea.
It’s still a step up from the 5d mark II’s hdmi output, but it seems like something that would have been easy to fix. My testing is still on going, hotel life gives me plenty of free time in the evenings. I’ll keep you posted.
April 2nd, 2012 at 9:37 pm
I’m guessing Best Western, but I’m basing that off of a signage holder and a door stopper. I think I’m with you, DeeJay, in guessing that much of the “best for the buck” has come our way, and only mediocre is on the way. The 5D III has done what it has meant to achieved for photographers. I think out videography adventures in DSLR and such are but tiny steps from here on out. It was good while it lasted, and the marginal benefits from upgrades are few and thin from this time on out.
April 2nd, 2012 at 9:41 pm
Forgot to mention that Panasonic and Sony might hold our dearest of dreams and ambitions with their future. With the little photography I do, I feel Panasonic and Sony may be better alternatives. I just wish that autofocus (for those of use that want the versatility of a camcorder in a HDSLR or similar) was a camera essential. Maybe some more lenses, with cheaper and more numerous alternatives, within the Panasonic and Sony system. It’s too bad Canon couldn’t have been that “one-stop-shop”.
April 3rd, 2012 at 6:34 am
The door actually leads out into the atrium, and those shots are from the living room area. You’re probably right on the upgrade path. If you take a look at Consumer Camcorder line, things haven’t changed much from the original HF100 and HV20 to their current line of cameras. Upgrades like a touch screen, more memory, and a slightly nicer screen are fine, but the don’t offer major benefits to the end user. In the end your footage will look just as good as it did with the previous camera.
The the 5d MKIII at least the photography features have been upgraded quit a bit, but it’s true, many of the features added for video aren’t things you “Can’t live without”. I have a feeling Canon wont be releasing any major innovations for at least a few more years. Although NAB is coming up in a few weeks, maybe I’ll be proved wrong. I hope so.