# Canon 5D X with Quad Core DIGIC 7 Processor Rumors from PB



## ishdakuteb (Aug 3, 2015)

Original topic can be found via below link: 
http://www.photographybay.com/2015/08/02/canon-5d-x-with-quad-core-digic-7-processor-rumors/#comments

Original topic of content:
"New rumors about the upcoming Canon 5D X have surfaced over at the DP Review forums. The rumors claim that the Canon 5D X will feature a single DIGIC 7 quad core processor, while the upcoming 1D X Mark II will have two DIGIC 7 processors and one DIGIC 6 processor (perhaps the DIGIC 6 processor will be used for AF processing?).

According to forum poster MichaelVadon:

The Digic 7 is going to be a quad core cpu which will allow 4x the processing power for high MP, high frame rate bodies. The 5DX will contain one Digic 7 and the 1DX Mark II will contain 2 Digic 7s and 1 Digic 6. The Digic 6 will be for metwring and other smaller tasks. The 1DX will have a different larger battery while thr 5DX will keep going with the same.

This comes from the same forum member that first dropped the 5D X name last month as the camera to replace the 5D Mark III.

Prior rumors about the Canon 5D X have pointed to a 24-28MP sensor, 8-9fps still image frame rate, a new flash system and 4K video capture.

As with all rumors, take these with a heavy dose of salt until we hear something a little more solid than a forum posting."

I am waiting...


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## expatinasia (Aug 3, 2015)

I enjoyed reading that until I got to the larger battery for the 1D X. The battery on the 1D X is already amazing and you are hard pushed to empty it in a day when taking stills.

Video is another thing mind you as that does drain the battery a lot.

Three processors in one camera?! Wow. Hopefully USB 3.1 as well.


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## Proscribo (Aug 3, 2015)

expatinasia said:


> Three processors in one camera?! Wow. Hopefully USB 3.1 as well.


Actually 1Dx also has three processors, two DIGIC5+s and one DIGIC4.


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## Maximilian (Aug 3, 2015)

psylvesters said:


> When would Canon release a camera with these spec/
> 
> - base ISO 50
> - No low pass filter
> (something which is ++ in 810)


Canon think they already introduced it and called it 5DS/R.
If you don't like it or if it does not fit your needs, feel free to jump ship because Canon won't do anything here within the next ... say 3 to 4 years?


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## PureClassA (Aug 3, 2015)

I would assume "larger battery" means "more capacity" not "bigger size" They just did that going from the LPE6 to the LPE6N for all the other pro bodies. And you can still use the older LPE6 model in cameras that come with the new E6N (think 5DS) They kept the same physical form factor and size but increased the capacity internally. 




expatinasia said:


> I enjoyed reading that until I got to the larger battery for the 1D X. The battery on the 1D X is already amazing and you are hard pushed to empty it in a day when taking stills.
> 
> Video is another thing mind you as that does drain the battery a lot.
> 
> Three processors in one camera?! Wow. Hopefully USB 3.1 as well.


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## jcarapet (Aug 3, 2015)

larger 1dx battery may be a necessary evil due to upping the image processors. While smaller nm chips have become more efficient, they are still moving through quite a bit of juice to capture images. especially when talking a 4x jump in compute.


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## Chaitanya (Aug 3, 2015)

I am loking forward to what canon does with 6D mark II, improved Af(dual pixel and through viewfinder) will be more than enough to get a lot of sales.


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## Travelintrevor (Aug 3, 2015)

i know who this Michael V is and don't buy into his speculations one bit. He makes similar claims on a different forum but no one there bites....part of me wants to post his website so he can be contacted but I feel this would go too far. 

Again, I would not bet 1 penny on his info.


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## MarkII (Aug 3, 2015)

I don't think anyone cares how many processors it has. Image quality, responsiveness, handling, features and cost matter.

Canon has some big problems on the horizon. Compact sales are being eaten by mobile phones, and mirrorless competition is expanding up to challenge even the Canon FF models. I doubt that this will affect Canon's professional customers, but Olympus, Sony and Fuji are certainly going to affect its share of the enthusiasts market.

It would be nice to see some innovation coming out of Canon. The 5Ds(r) are interesting, but here they are just waay to expensive for what they offer (nearly 4k euros). Meanwhile Sony introduces cheaper mirrorless FF cameras that have sensor IS, comparable resolution and which can adapt nearly any 3rd party 35mm lens with few compromises - thereby eliminating the biggest barrier to existing Canon users migrating to a new system.

If Canon wants to retain the enthusiasts market, it needs to respond to this with innovation of its own - not with lukewarm reheated versions of the same thing. There are a ton of easy things that Canon could do, from not deliberately crippling features in software (auto-ISO limits, intervalometers, etc) to making the system more attractive (why is the speedlight wireless control not built in to Canon bodies, rather than requiring a clunky add-on?!).

As someone who currently shoots a mix of Minolta/Leica film and Canon digital,


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Aug 3, 2015)

Travelintrevor said:


> i know who this Michael V is and don't buy into his speculations one bit. He makes similar claims on a different forum but no one there bites....part of me wants to post his website so he can be contacted but I feel this would go too far.
> 
> Again, I would not bet 1 penny on his info.


+10


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## telemaq76 (Aug 3, 2015)

they can have 1 digic2 or 10 digic7 super + who cares, users want results, not onboard tech. When you buy a TV you watch the image quality, not the brand of the image-chip inside.


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## ishdakuteb (Aug 3, 2015)

MarkII said:


> I don't think anyone cares how many processors it has. Image quality, responsiveness, handling, features and cost matter.



1. I don't think anyone cares how many processors it has <-- Assume this statement is true
2. Image quality, responsiveness, handling, features and cost matter <-- Second requirement of matter, responsiveness, seems to be conflict with (1)





MarkII said:


> There are a ton of easy things that Canon could do, from not deliberately crippling features in software (auto-ISO limits, intervalometers, etc) to making the system more attractive (why is the speedlight wireless control not built in to Canon bodies, rather than requiring a clunky add-on?!).


1. Auto-ISO limits: Someone might be interested in this one, but I do not use this feature ever
2. Intervalometers: I thought they recently implemented in the last two released body, if I am not mistaken...
3. Speedlight wireless control built in to Canon bodies: Totally agree and love this thought. I would like Canon to add assist beam in low light also, might not use it but hey who know


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## LonelyBoy (Aug 3, 2015)

ishdakuteb said:


> MarkII said:
> 
> 
> > I don't think anyone cares how many processors it has. Image quality, responsiveness, handling, features and cost matter.
> ...



Only in conflict if we assume that more processors materially affect the second requirement - can always change the speed of the processors, number of cores, cache size... all sorts of ways to improve "image quality, responsiveness, handling, features, and cost" besides "more processors!".


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## ishdakuteb (Aug 3, 2015)

LonelyBoy said:


> Only in conflict if we assume that more processors materially affect the second requirement - can always change the speed of the processors, number of cores, cache size... all sorts of ways to improve "image quality, responsiveness, handling, features, and cost" besides "more processors!".



1. Only in conflict if we assume that more processors materially affect the second requirement <-- No assumption in this one, should be a true statement as always, more processors, of course a same level of processor or same model, means faster...

2. I rather have more processors than tweaking/overclocking the speed of a processor if I am paying the same price...


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## LonelyBoy (Aug 3, 2015)

ishdakuteb said:


> 1. Only in conflict if we assume that more processors materially affect the second requirement <-- No assumption in this one, should be a true statement as always, more processors, of course a same level of processor or same model, means faster...
> 
> 2. I rather have more processors than tweaking/overclocking the speed of a processor if I am paying the same price...



Nope. Many computation problems are either impossible or very inefficient to do in parallel. You also can't take your second point ("paying the same price") at the same time as "more processors of the same level or model". Not only are you not going to get more processors for free, they require more space, more power, more connections, more everything. It is not at all clear that more processors is the ideal approach.


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## ishdakuteb (Aug 3, 2015)

LonelyBoy said:


> ishdakuteb said:
> 
> 
> > 1. Only in conflict if we assume that more processors materially affect the second requirement <-- No assumption in this one, should be a true statement as always, more processors, of course a same level of processor or same model, means faster...
> ...



Everything has its own limitation, including computation, photography (will give example later), etc... so efficient or inefficient to perform a job is depend on what kind of job you are trying to do.... i.e. I am using my computer to perform some task on MS Word only, or one application at a time. I do not need Quad Core since Dual Core with higher speed will offer faster speed than Quad Core. Thus, what are you saying here is too general. In short,
1. Can you make a 16 bits processor run as fast, yet secure as 32 bits processor?
2. Can you make a single core processor perform multi-task as efficiency as multi-core processor?

I know it does not relate to camera much, but I still ask. If so, teach me how, I am curious...

I am sitting here and waiting for a lesson from an expert (Remember to give an example along your lessons)...

An example of why I am using point and shoot instead of DSLR in low light
1. I need depth of field (likely to be infinity) which offers by small sensor, and
2. Easy of ability of capturing these type of images in a crowded place

Note: Captured with Canon PowerShot ELPH 100 HS (borrowed it from my daughter), and I do not use point shoot by manufacture default settings, including exposure...


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## GoldWing (Aug 3, 2015)

LARGER BATTERY in 1DX???

I shoot 10,000 shots a day with My 1DX and f/2.8 300mm IS USM II and I can't remember when I've needed more than one battery change on a VERY rare instance. The rumor of a bigger battery is very upsetting. I shoot sports MUST hand hold with my 300... Adding more weight just does not make sense. There is nothing wrong with the current batteries in the 1DX from a charging or usage perspective.

If they need to fill some space.... PLEASE add radio controls for my 600 EX RT's and an internal low light AF beam. THAT would be a much more practical use of the space than a BIGGER battery WE DON'T NEED or WANT!

Concentrate of the "Mirror BOX" that spews debris more than a race horse! Those of us who shoot water sports against blue sky would prefer the space be taken up by a Mirror Box that does not shed oil!!! 

Let me bracket my metering from spot to evel to center BUT do not make my battery BIGGER.

and while you're at it! KissMyKite!!! http://www.KissMyKite.com 

Just make sure I have my new 1DX MKII by Nov. Thank you Canon - ;D 




ishdakuteb said:


> Original topic can be found via below link:
> http://www.photographybay.com/2015/08/02/canon-5d-x-with-quad-core-digic-7-processor-rumors/#comments
> 
> Original topic of content:
> ...


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## shutterfreek (Aug 3, 2015)

I'm tend to want to have faith that Canon will be up to the task of bringing photography/videography to new levels in the new 5d ? or 1Dx. They did it with the markII, there's no reason they can't do it again. I'm placing my bets on the lucky 7 processor. If they simply provide 1080p at 60fps / 720p at 120fps they have an instant buyer here. And anything in the 22-30mp range would be fantastic. Thanks so much for the update. I'm excited!


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## LonelyBoy (Aug 3, 2015)

ishdakuteb said:


> Everything has its own limitation, including computation, so efficient or inefficient to perform a job is depend on what kind of job you are trying to do.... i.e. I am using my computer to perform some task on MS Word only, or one application at a time. I do not need Quad Core since Dual Core with higher speed will offer faster speed than Quad Core. Thus, what are you saying here is too general. In short,
> 1. Can you make a 16 bits processor run as fast, yet secure as 32 bits processor?
> 2. Can you make a single core processor perform multi-task as efficiency as multi-core processor?
> 
> ...



1. Absolutely... as long as what you're doing doesn't require more than 4gb of RAM, or very large numbers. It also has eff all to do with security. Now, 32 bit CPUs tend to be newer and built on more advanced fabs than 16 bit CPUs, so of course 32 bit CPUs are typically much faster. The same is true of 64 bit over 32 bit CPUs.

2. An adequately fast single-core CPU can absolutely work as well for multi-tasking as dual-core (or quad-core). Remember, for a long time, that's all we had. Regardless, the Digic7 in your OP was labeled quad-core - with two of those, do we really have five independent computations in shooting?

A better example would be using a dual CPU (not dual core; dual CPU) desktop to run Word. That's a whole lot of extra CPU expense, size, power consumption, and noise for no reason. If Digic7 is fast enough, there's no inherent reason to need two of them, and the second one won't come free. That's the end of my input on this.


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## ishdakuteb (Aug 3, 2015)

LonelyBoy said:


> ishdakuteb said:
> 
> 
> > Everything has its own limitation, including computation, so efficient or inefficient to perform a job is depend on what kind of job you are trying to do.... i.e. I am using my computer to perform some task on MS Word only, or one application at a time. I do not need Quad Core since Dual Core with higher speed will offer faster speed than Quad Core. Thus, what are you saying here is too general. In short,
> ...



Totally agree on 'second one won't come free"... that is the reason why I am saying, "if I am paying at the same price"... 

But a wish is still a wish right?


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## Maui5150 (Aug 3, 2015)

I take this as gospel then... Pink Himalayan salt is pretty much all I use when it comes to salt


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## ishdakuteb (Aug 3, 2015)

GoldWing said:


> and while you're at it! KissMyKite!!! http://www.KissMyKite.com



Awesome sport images... I think that I have chosen a wrong career... lol...


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## gsealy (Aug 3, 2015)

jcarapet said:


> larger 1dx battery may be a necessary evil due to upping the image processors. While smaller nm chips have become more efficient, they are still moving through quite a bit of juice to capture images. especially when talking a 4x jump in compute.



I agree and the other parameter is how much battery drainage will a professional tolerate out in the field.


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## GMCPhotographics (Aug 3, 2015)

psylvesters said:


> When would Canon release a camera with these spec/
> 
> - base ISO 50
> - No low pass filter
> (something which is ++ in 810)



Ahhh....lets play "spot the troll". 
1st post and is already knocking Canon in preference for Nikon.


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## Don Haines (Aug 3, 2015)

It's a rumour from a forum poster.

It holds as much credence as me saying that the next 5D will be the 5Dv, with V standing for NVidia because they are going to use a 512 core NVidia chop as a co-processor so the GPU can process the images at 30 images per second and do 60fps 4K video or 240fps 2K video.

It is speculation. It is meaningless. Don't get excited over at, and certainly don't believe it.....


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## gsealy (Aug 4, 2015)

ishdakuteb said:


> MarkII said:
> 
> 
> > I don't think anyone cares how many processors it has. Image quality, responsiveness, handling, features and cost matter.
> ...



Just a few comments in case people are not aware of the auto ISO feature: I use auto ISO when the light conditions change a fair amount such as when I am doing street photography and the light sometimes gets blocked by buildings. It is a useful feature when the moment could be lost by fooling around with settings. The side feature with auto ISO is to set the minimum shutter speed (I shoot almost always aperture priority). It can be set so as to pretty much eliminate camera shake. If the camera needs more light to get exposure because of the shutter speed, then the camera can exceed the auto ISO limit. Like I said I use this feature with street photography because the conditions are always changing and quickly. I need the camera to help out a bit. I could shoot completely auto, I guess, but I prefer aperture priority to keep my lens in the sharpest range.


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## IsaacImage (Aug 4, 2015)

GoldWing said:


> LARGER BATTERY in 1DX???
> 
> I shoot 10,000 shots a day with My 1DX and f/2.8 300mm IS USM II and I can't remember when I've needed more than one battery change on a VERY rare instance. The rumor of a bigger battery is very upsetting. I shoot sports MUST hand hold with my 300... Adding more weight just does not make sense. There is nothing wrong with the current batteries in the 1DX from a charging or usage perspective.
> 
> ...



Absolutely agree with Tony
1 - one of the main reasons I sold one of my 1dx's is a dirty as hell sensor !
2 - Canon concentrate in Sensor TECH and AF accuracy and coverage


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## Tugela (Aug 4, 2015)

The Digic 7 will be the still version of the Digic DV6 processors found in the XC10 and C300M3. It implies that the new cameras will shoot 4K at 300mbps data rates.


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## JimKarczewski (Aug 4, 2015)

Canon put GPS + WiFi into other bodies but says they can't (according to Chuck Westfall) on the 1Dx due to the 100% magnesium body. So why not use that round port on the camera to add an antennae when you want to use those features? I mean, why do they have to sell us $1200 more in add-ons to do something that could be accomplished by adding a simple antennae. Don't want the features, pull it off the body!


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## Jack Douglas (Aug 4, 2015)

JimKarczewski said:


> Canon put GPS + WiFi into other bodies but says they can't (according to Chuck Westfall) on the 1Dx due to the 100% magnesium body. So why not use that round port on the camera to add an antennae when you want to use those features? I mean, why do they have to sell us $1200 more in add-ons to do something that could be accomplished by adding a simple antennae. Don't want the features, pull it off the body!



Good point. There usually is a work-around if the desire is great enough but I wonder if Canon isn't happy selling the $1200 add ons. Is there any way, such as a petition, that these type of concerns can be conveyed to Canon? Anyone on CR know if this has ever been tried? 

Jack


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## 100 (Aug 4, 2015)

Travelintrevor said:


> i know who this Michael V is and don't buy into his speculations one bit. He makes similar claims on a different forum but no one there bites....part of me wants to post his website so he can be contacted but I feel this would go too far.
> 
> Again, I would not bet 1 penny on his info.



He himself links to his own Dpreview account on his website, so why would posting a link to his website “go too far”?
For a good laugh look at the third of his "four agreements" he claims to lives life by: “*Dont make assumptions*. Ask questions, communicate clearly and avoid misunderstandings”
Source: http://www.michaelvadon.com/about.html


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## MarkII (Aug 4, 2015)

LonelyBoy said:


> Nope. Many computation problems are either impossible or very inefficient to do in parallel. You also can't take your second point ("paying the same price") at the same time as "more processors of the same level or model". Not only are you not going to get more processors for free, they require more space, more power, more connections, more everything. It is not at all clear that more processors is the ideal approach.



A general purpose processor can, given enough time, pretty process anything. One very simple way to use parallel processing in a camera design is to use the processors as stages in a pipeline. eg the first shot uses the first free processor, while a second shot can start using another processor while the first is still in progress.

I do not know what architecture Canon use in the DIGICs, but I would not be surprised if it follows this model - not least because it is an architecture where adding more chips can be used to add more FPS or larger larger burst sizes.

However, the price you pay for this is power consumption (battery life), which rises linearly with the number of cores actively being driven. 

General purpose CPU cores are always less power efficient than dedicated circuitry, so an alternative is to add more specialised circuitry instead. This gives a better performance and power consumption, but is less flexible and harder to get right as it fixes the algorithms in hardware (not Canon seem keen to provide feature updates in firmware anyway).

In short there will be a balance between the number of cores and the dedicated logic, which will largely be driven by engineering, time and cost constraints. A large number of cores does not automatically mean a faster processor (but it certainly means a more power hungry one).

So instead of worrying about how it works, worry about how well it works and ignore the marketing hype...


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## Peer (Aug 5, 2015)

GoldWing said:


> LARGER BATTERY in 1DX??? [...] The rumor of a bigger battery is very upsetting. I shoot sports MUST hand hold with my 300... Adding more weight just does not make sense. There is nothing wrong with the current batteries in the 1DX from a charging or usage perspective.



I disagree. The 1DX2 will most likely have 4k video -- hence, it'll be quite power hungry. 

-- peer


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## Don Haines (Aug 5, 2015)

dilbert said:


> JimKarczewski said:
> 
> 
> > Canon put GPS + WiFi into other bodies but says they can't (according to Chuck Westfall) on the 1Dx due to the 100% magnesium body. So why not use that round port on the camera to add an antennae when you want to use those features? I mean, why do they have to sell us $1200 more in add-ons to do something that could be accomplished by adding a simple antennae. Don't want the features, pull it off the body!
> ...


I agree with Dilbert.... and more importantly, my MAGNESIUM BODIED 7D2 with GPS agrees with Dilbert


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## Don Haines (Aug 5, 2015)

MarkII said:


> LonelyBoy said:
> 
> 
> > Nope. Many computation problems are either impossible or very inefficient to do in parallel. You also can't take your second point ("paying the same price") at the same time as "more processors of the same level or model". Not only are you not going to get more processors for free, they require more space, more power, more connections, more everything. It is not at all clear that more processors is the ideal approach.
> ...


actually.......

Image processing is an area where massively parallel architectures shine.... Jpeg compression is done on 8x8 pixel blocks, RAW compression is probably similar. This is one of those cases where adding a GPU to the camera can add computing power and at the same time, cut power consumption.

I have wondered for a long time why cameras with a dual cpu setup have two of the same CPU..... they would be further ahead with a DIGIC chip and a GPU chip... The heat problem is one of the reasons why Canon does not do 4K in their DSLRs, a GPU would go a long way towards solving this.

Remember, for all essential purposes, a camera is a sealed unit that radiates heat poorly. Push it, and it gets hot, and when it gets hot, things fail prematurely.


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## MarkII (Aug 6, 2015)

Don Haines said:


> actually.......
> 
> Image processing is an area where massively parallel architectures shine.... Jpeg compression is done on 8x8 pixel blocks, RAW compression is probably similar. This is one of those cases where adding a GPU to the camera can add computing power and at the same time, cut power consumption.



Yes, of course. But I there are probably many parts of the processing that either can not be easily parallelised (sequential stages, such as read-out, NR, colour processing, sharpening, JPEG/RAW compression, card-writing) or where locking the algorithms in to silicon is regarded as either too much effort or too much risk (particularly if you might want flexibility to work around unexpected design problems or changes from marketing). For these, pipelining is an excellent - and often the only - option.

For my experience (as an SOC architect), most chips are a heavy compromise between what might be ideal, and might be practical with given time and resource and manufacturing constraints.

Unfortunately, without known what what the design choices were, marketing statements about the number of cores are pretty much meaningless.


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## tron (Aug 18, 2015)

ishdakuteb said:


> Original topic can be found via below link:
> http://www.photographybay.com/2015/08/02/canon-5d-x-with-quad-core-digic-7-processor-rumors/#comments
> 
> Original topic of content:
> ...


Nonsense!

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/56254090

If you check the original post the DPReview member quotes the CR as the source!!! (Catch22)


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## ykn123 (Aug 18, 2015)

GoldWing said:


> LARGER BATTERY in 1DX???
> 
> I shoot 10,000 shots a day with My 1DX and f/2.8 300mm IS USM II and I can't remember when I've needed more than one battery change on a VERY rare instance. The rumor of a bigger battery is very upsetting. I shoot sports MUST hand hold with my 300... Adding more weight just does not make sense. There is nothing wrong with the current batteries in the 1DX from a charging or usage perspective.
> 
> ...


+1 my service partner tries to convince me that there is no issue but i have debris on the sensor i never had with any of my canon cameras. As much as i love the 1DX, you almost only can use it wide open - anything like f10 or more reveals a lot of debris.


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## Stu_bert (Aug 18, 2015)

Tugela said:


> The Digic 7 will be the still version of the Digic DV6 processors found in the XC10 and C300M3. It implies that the new cameras will shoot 4K at 300mbps data rates.



I wonder if you need digic 7 to do the dual ISO that the mk ii is due to get...

If digic follow other processors, then it will be a smaller fab (canon don't make them), and therefore hopefully lower power but faster speed. And if they're multi core or two of them, anyone know if they have the ability to switch off chips or cores when not in use?


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