So, I presume Canon is well into making the 5diii and, I’m probably too late to tell you what I want compared with my Canon 5dii, but here you go anyway…

Dual card slots

As a wedding photographer, I would always prefer to have a backup of my cards in the camera. It would allow me to use much bigger cards and not have to worry about switching cards during the day. At the moment I’m only using 8Gb cards (I shoot in RAW) just in case there is a problem with a card.

It’s really, really, really unlikely and in 7 years of photography I’ve never lost a photograph, but with weddings I’d just rather be as sure as possible.

More dynamic range

I’m finding that often my 5dii won’t really capture everything that I want in a single scene. Regularly I’m pulling detail from the highlights and pushing detail from the shadows to build a higher dynamic range shot – and this is very successful and produces some fantastic results!

However, in order to pull detail back from the highlights I need as much dynamic range as possible, so how about giving me a camera with all the dynamic range you can fit in?

1 stop better high ISO

ISO has become the new megapixels – it’s what certain other brand users constantly go on about. Realistically, and practically, I don’t need anything more than ISO3200 and on occasion ISO6400. I have very fast lenses so with those ISO options I can take photographs in virtual darkness.

However, one stop extra ISO performance would be fantastic. I can print ISO3200 at 14×11 without any noticeable grain, and ISO6400 at 10×8 – but I would like to be able to use ISO6400 more often and not worry about noise.

16 megapixels

I don’t actually want any more resolution – it’ll just clog up my hard drives. In fact, 22mp is too much for wedding images. 16mp (or maybe 18mp at the most) is more than enough.

I’m a realist though and I know the 5diii won’t have less resolution than the 5dii, so how about an sRAW1 option which is about 16mp? The current sRAW1 is more like 10mp, which is not enough, but 16mp would be plenty!

Wireless flash

OK I’ll be honest. I’m sick of pocket wizards. I don’t think they’re necessary in this day and age – Canon should bite the bullet and release a version of the camera and flashes which have wireless flash. There – I’ve said it. It’s taken too long to get this technology into our flash guns.

Screen quality to equal the iPhone 4

I thought the 5dii’s screen was a significant improvement compared with the 5d – and it was! I can check exposure accuracy from the screen alone – a great step forwards. However, it’s hard to tell what is in focus and what the detail of the shot was.

Incorporating a much higher resolution screen, like the iPhone 4, would make it much easier for photographers to work fast.

Sort out the Auto ISO in Manual mode!

I was so happy when I heard the 5dii has Auto ISO – it’s a great idea to be able to put the camera in manual (say f1.2, 1/100th) and leave the camera to sort out the ISO. It will keep your shots looking at their highest quality to use the lowest ISO possible.

But what did Canon do instead? They locked Auto ISO to 400 when in Manual mode! Come on guys – that was just a cop out! Allow us to use exposure compensation to control the exposure and give us an Auto ISO which works.

Better weather sealing

It should come as no surprise that my camera sometimes gets wet. With that in mind, please weather seal it properly.

Much better focussing on the outer edge focus points

So this is the big problem and the one which all 5dii owners complain about: the centre point is OK in terms of low light accuracy, but the outer points simply aren’t usable. I don’t know the history of what happened with Canon over this, but the 5dii gained a slightly better version of the original 5d’s focussing system – which honestly was not cool at all.

Canon – your users have had to put up with poor outer point focussing for years – now blow everyone away and give us what we want!

Don’t care about

I thought it was worth mentioning a few things I don’t care about:

1. The mega pixel race. 22mp is honestly enough. I don’t need any more. Give me better noise handling and dynamic range instead.
2. Better video. I know lots will be calling for it, but I don’t need it.
3. Better batteries / grip. The batteries and grip from the 5dii are fantastic. Please don’t make me buy new ones again.

The 5dii…

Before I go I just wanted to say that my 5dii has been truly fantastic, regardless of all of the improvements I could make. All of the photos on this site have been taken with it and it continues to surprise me with the quality of images I get from it.

With that in mind, well done Canon for making a camera which is as suitable in a Church as it is in a studio.

(but please fix the outer point focussing!!)

Want more?

If you want to know lots of the rumours about the 5diii, you can find it all at CanonRumours.