# Is Dual Pixel Tech Coming to the EOS 5D Mark III?



## Canon Rumors Guy (Feb 28, 2014)

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<p>PlanetMitch over at <a href="http://www.planet5d.com" target="_blank">Planet5D</a> speculates about the possibility of adding Dual Pixel Technology to the EOS 5D Mark III. With Canon adding it to the Cinema EOS line, can we expect the same thing for the EOS lineup as well?</p>
<p>Mitch asked Canon, and received the types of answers you’d expect.</p>
<p>This would certainly change the game for the EOS 5D Mark III and adding features to an existing Canon DSLR.</p>
<p><strong>Says PlanetMitch

</strong><em>“Tho of course, we don’t know if it is going to be added to the Canon EOS 5D Mark III or even the Canon EOS C300 and who knows how long Canon has been putting Dual Pixel capable sensors out… but we do now know that they shipped cameras with capable sensors before they had the firmware necessary to make it all work.”<strong>

</strong></em></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://blog.planet5d.com/2014/02/is-dual-pixel-autofocus-coming-to-the-canon-eos-5d-mark-iii/" target="_blank">Read the full article</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>
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## bchernicoff (Feb 28, 2014)

Didn't Chipworks or someone already do an analysis on the 5D Mk III CMOS? I feel like they would have noticed something like this.

Edit: Yeah, they did. Here's a link: http://www.chipworks.com/en/technical-competitive-analysis/resources/blog/full-frame-dslr-cameras-canon-stays-the-course/

Also: https://chipworks.secure.force.com/catalog/ProductDetails?sku=CAN-EOS_5D_MarkIII_Pri-Camera&viewState=DetailView&cartID=&g=&parentCategory=&navigationStr=CatalogSearchInc&searchText=canon%20digic

I really think they would have noticed the different architecture if dual-pixel tech was present.


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## LookingThroughMyLens81 (Feb 28, 2014)

I'm all for it though I suspect Canon will hold it over until the 5D4.


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## Don Haines (Feb 28, 2014)

Aren't the cinema cameras APS-C sized sensors??????

I REALLY doubt that they would already be in the 5D3, particularly since the people at chipworks or magic lantern have not found them there......


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## ajfotofilmagem (Feb 28, 2014)

Don Haines said:


> Aren't the cinema cameras APS-C sized sensors??????
> I REALLY doubt that they would already be in the 5D3, particularly since the people at chipworks or magic lantern have not found them there......


The sensor used in the EOS Cinema have size 24.6 x 13.8mm and 9.84 megapixel. It is slightly longer and narrower than APS-C. Moreover, 5D Mark iii is a much older design 70D, and I doubt very much that has dual pixel AF in sensor.


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## cayenne (Feb 28, 2014)

I thought Magic Lantern had already done this with the 5D3??

cayenne


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## jrista (Feb 28, 2014)

cayenne said:


> I thought Magic Lantern had already done this with the 5D3??
> 
> cayenne



Dual pixel tech is a hardware feature. It cannot be added with firmware. Canon would have to have actually manufactured the 5D III sensor with dual pixel technology at the time they released it in order to add the capability with a firmware update later on.

Given the work that ML has done, if that was the case, I would have expected them to have figured that out by now, what with all of the things they have been doing with the 5D III lately. Given that they have not, it seems unlikely that the 5D III sensor was actually manufactured with DPAF tech. 

If Canon does offer an upgrade, it would be a "Send your camera in and we'll replace the main board with one that has a DPAF sensor". And, that would probably cost a pretty penny, too! They may release an interim update to the 5D III, like the 5D IIIdp, that includes just a new sensor and no other model changes. Canon has done small interim camera model updates in the past, like the 1D IIn.


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## hoodlum (Feb 28, 2014)

The "upgrade" for the C100/c300 included sending in the camera for calibration of the on-sensor PDAF. This is more than just a firmware upgrade. Canon is also charging $500 for this service.


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## Diko (Feb 28, 2014)

Meh


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## Badger (Feb 28, 2014)

> The "upgrade" for the C100/c300 included sending in the camera for calibration of the on-sensor PDAF. This is more than just a firmware upgrade. Canon is also charging $500 for this service.



Kind of a really important fact! Thanks, I was holding out hope that the newer 6D might be upgradable, but even if it was, for $500, not so sure :-\


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## LetTheRightLensIn (Mar 1, 2014)

bchernicoff said:


> Didn't Chipworks or someone already do an analysis on the 5D Mk III CMOS? I feel like they would have noticed something like this.
> 
> Edit: Yeah, they did. Here's a link: http://www.chipworks.com/en/technical-competitive-analysis/resources/blog/full-frame-dslr-cameras-canon-stays-the-course/
> 
> ...



Yeah I couldn't possible see how they could miss it. I think the 5D3 sensor is too old.


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## x-vision (Mar 1, 2014)

bchernicoff said:


> Didn't Chipworks or someone already do an analysis on the 5D Mk III CMOS? I feel like they would have noticed something like this.
> 
> Edit: Yeah, they did. Here's a link: http://www.chipworks.com/en/technical-competitive-analysis/resources/blog/full-frame-dslr-cameras-canon-stays-the-course/



Yup. The 5DIII sensor has been under the microscope (literally) - and no, no dual pixels under the hood.

The poor guys at Planet5D should have done their homework rather than daydreaming.
Ignorance is bliss, indeed.


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## ahab1372 (Mar 1, 2014)

LookingThroughMyLens81 said:


> I'm all for it though I suspect Canon will hold it over until the 5D4.


That's probably what the author meant by "upgrade" - the successor of the 5D mark III.
The 5D mark IV, or 5D mark IIIs


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## pedro (Mar 1, 2014)

dilbert said:


> LetTheRightLensIn said:
> 
> 
> > Yeah I couldn't possible see how they could miss it. I think the 5D3 sensor is too old.
> ...



As far as MP count goes, yes. But I do hope that there is technical improvement in sensor tech *aside* of dual pixel AF.


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## tron (Mar 1, 2014)

pedro said:


> dilbert said:
> 
> 
> > LetTheRightLensIn said:
> ...


+1. Dual pixel AF is useless to stills photographers. Now, increased DR and lower noise at all ISOs on the other hand... 8)


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## dgatwood (Mar 1, 2014)

tron said:


> +1. Dual pixel AF is useless to stills photographers.



No, it isn't. It's useful for when you're holding the camera up over your head to shoot crowd shots while using live view mode. It's also useful for when you're using a tablet to control a remote shooting setup. Finally, it's useful when using extenders with slow lenses.

What you really mean is that DPAF is useless if you only shoot stills, use only Canon lenses with Canon extenders, and use only the optical viewfinder.


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## Don Haines (Mar 1, 2014)

tron said:


> Dual pixel AF is useless to stills photographers.



and somehow, we have yet to hear from a 70D owner who doesn't like it.....


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## tron (Mar 1, 2014)

dgatwood said:


> tron said:
> 
> 
> > +1. Dual pixel AF is useless to stills photographers.
> ...


Maybe if you take a small extract of the whole conversations and comment on this.
Nobody said it is a bad feature. But if that was the sole difference between 5D3 and 5D4 how many would they care to upgrade?

That was the case discussed...


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## jrista (Mar 1, 2014)

tron said:


> +1. Dual pixel AF is useless to stills photographers. Now, increased DR and lower noise at all ISOs on the other hand... 8)



I wouldn't say that. For those who primarily use the viewfinder, yes, this is true. However for those who primarily use live view, DPAF can be HUGE. Landscape photographers, macro photographers, possibly even astrophotographers. I can totally see DPAF being a big bonus for macro photographers...it could let them zero in on AF quickly, visually and accurately, then they can manually fine tune for focus stacking.


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## Etienne (Mar 2, 2014)

I'd just like some focus aids with a firmware update.


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## Sanaraken (Mar 2, 2014)

Waiting for the 7DII to have DPAF, 10 FPS and 18mp with better iso.


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## tron (Mar 2, 2014)

Sanaraken said:


> Waiting for the 7DII to have DPAF, 10 FPS and 18mp with better iso.


Now, that's a reasonable request. Improved IQ, improved performance, improved AF... Not just improved Live View AF...


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## candyman (Mar 7, 2014)

It is an extra-cost option available for de C100


http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/news/c100_dual_pixel_cmos_af_upgrade.do?utm_source=newsletter_march_1_14&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Newsletter


I doubt it will be avaliable for 5D MK III like that. Not many would pay extra to use it for the 5D MKIII
It may come by default in the 5D MKIV


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## BL (Mar 7, 2014)

It's not clear to me exactly what is being upgraded on the C100 to allow DPAF.

Is this simply a firmware update?


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## Viggo (Mar 7, 2014)

Nothing about DPAF for the 1dx? Even if it's costly, it would still be worth it, and since it's already superb I have no intention of upgrading to a newer version. 

If it's only firmware it seems a little "Canon" to have to pay loads for it ..


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## pwp (Mar 8, 2014)

LookingThroughMyLens81 said:


> I'm all for it though I suspect Canon will hold it over until the 5D4.


Yes this is the most obvious and likely scenario...the Canon marketing team will be hanging greedily onto Dual Pixel tech as a headline feature in a 5D4 which I have no doubt is still years away. 

Who really knows? By the the time a 5D4 is announced we may be fondly remembering good old dual pixel tech as we embrace something even more advanced...._ermmm,_ quad pixel tech anyone? :

-pw


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## Ellen Schmidtee (Mar 8, 2014)

I wonder why did Canon introduce the EF 40mm STM in 2012 if it had no plans to introduce a FF camera with DPAF shortly after that?


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## pwp (Mar 8, 2014)

Ellen Schmidtee said:


> I wonder why did Canon introduce the EF 40mm STM in 2012 if it had no plans to introduce a FF camera with DPAF shortly after that?


Not quite making the connection there...care to enlighten?

-pw


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## Ellen Schmidtee (Mar 8, 2014)

pwp said:


> Ellen Schmidtee said:
> 
> 
> > I wonder why did Canon introduce the EF 40mm STM in 2012 if it had no plans to introduce a FF camera with DPAF shortly after that?
> ...



All the other lenses with STM are EF-S, and work with APS-C bodies that have DPAF.

Why would Canon make a FF lens with STM, if there are no FF body owners to buy it?


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