But for those whose glasses tend more towards the half-full, it might just turn out to be the camera that 5D Mark II owners always really wanted. From the glass-half-empty point of view, this could be seen as an unambitious update that trails disappointingly behind Nikon's 36MP D800 which was announced around the same time. The 5D Mark III has a 22MP full frame sensor in a body that's based on the EOS 7D design, and with a 61-point AF system borrowed from the flagship EOS-1D X. On the face of it, though, the latest model offers little that looks likely to make the same impact. The 5D Mark II was the first SLR capable of recording full HD video, a feature that revolutionized the market in a fashion that no one could possibly have envisaged at the time - least of all Canon. The original EOS 5D of 2005 was the first 'affordable' full frame SLR, and the camera that cemented the 24x36mm sensor as the format of choice for many professional applications at a time when many were questioning its continued relevance. Up until now, the 5D series has been a dynasty of slightly unlikely revolutionaries.

Now, 25 years later, the Canon EOS 5D Mark III is the latest model in the line. With its fully-electronic lens mount, in-lens aperture and focus motors, and reliance on electronic button and dial operation, Canon's EOS system established a blueprint that all successive camera systems have followed. It was the Japanese manufacturer's first 35mm autofocus SLR and the start of the EOS system. While the first alpha release this week will not see all of the features of the big 2.3 ML release, it will still be a significant step forward for people looking to get some more video functionality out of the Mark III.In 1987 Canon unveiled the EOS 650 to the world. It was proven that it was possible to boot into the camera's firmware back in April, but now it's official: the Mark III will be getting a version of Magic Lantern this week. The one missing camera from the list of compatible options is the full-frame 5D Mark III that was released earlier this year. Stability has been increasing steadily with each update, and now Canon DSLRs have certain features (like HDR in video mode), that aren't even available on any current camera. A culmination of a few years of hard work has become a true third party firmware solution, and not just a hack. Back in August, Magic Lantern, the group working on the very successful firmware hack for Canon DSLRs, released their most impressive and fully featured release to date.

Magic lantern canon mark iii