Any Chance the April Firmware will Also have Image Upgrades? at DVinfo.net

Tim Polster · January 27th, 2013, 09:31 AM

Hello,

Since the April firmware update was announced so early, I was wondering if Canon might have a plan to upgrade the image quality as well?

When it is broken down, the video image is kind of smoke and mirrors anyway. As a still camera, the camera has detail to spare - 22MB worth. I have to think the video image could be anything they want it to be starting from such a nice resolution.

Canon's cinema line has been deployed, so the 5DMKIII will not be in the way of big releases. In my view, the MKIII was "video hobbled" on purpose to not get in the way of the cinema line. But now, they might increase some sales of the MKIII by bumping up the detail a year after it has been out.

Any thoughts?

Jon Fairhurst · January 28th, 2013, 01:11 PM

I doubt that we will seen any video sharpness improvement. My guess is that the camera reduces aliasing by performing some very simple filtering of neighboring samples. For instance 0.5 times the center pixel and 0.25 times the neighbors in a given dimension. That's why moire is reduced but not eliminated and the image is a bit soft.

To go from a 3-tap to 5-tap filter would improve image quality but would almost double the processing. Also, 0.5x and 0.25x scaling can be done with simple bit shifting. To perform more elegant filtering, one might need real multiplies, which are many times more expensive than bit shifts.

No, I think the image quality will not improve. Some might be baked into the hardware. And to increase the complexity in the DSP would increase heat, drain the battery, and might be beyond the limits of the processor.

Fortunately, even with 0.5x, 0.25x filtering (assuming that's what it is), we can increase the complexity by sharpening in post. It's not ideal, but it's better to sharpen a soft, non-aliasing image than to be stuck with aliasing.

But I'm no Canon engineer. The odds are small, but we could still be pleasantly surprised.

Tim Polster · January 28th, 2013, 10:02 PM

Thanks for your input Jon. I guess there is a chance but sad to say you are probably right. Just makes me a little mad that cheap P&S cameras have more detail in video mode than the Canon cameras. I see this as an opportunity to win more of the community but they probably see it another way.

January 27th, 2013, 09:31 AM	#1
Tim Polster Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Arlington, TX Posts: 2,231	Any Chance the April Firmware will Also have Image Upgrades? Hello, Since the April firmware update was announced so early, I was wondering if Canon might have a plan to upgrade the image quality as well? When it is broken down, the video image is kind of smoke and mirrors anyway. As a still camera, the camera has detail to spare - 22MB worth. I have to think the video image could be anything they want it to be starting from such a nice resolution. Canon's cinema line has been deployed, so the 5DMKIII will not be in the way of big releases. In my view, the MKIII was "video hobbled" on purpose to not get in the way of the cinema line. But now, they might increase some sales of the MKIII by bumping up the detail a year after it has been out. Any thoughts?

January 28th, 2013, 01:11 PM	#2
Jon Fairhurst Inner Circle Join Date: May 2006 Location: Camas, WA, USA Posts: 5,513	Re: Any Chance the April Firmware will Also have Image Upgrades? I doubt that we will seen any video sharpness improvement. My guess is that the camera reduces aliasing by performing some very simple filtering of neighboring samples. For instance 0.5 times the center pixel and 0.25 times the neighbors in a given dimension. That's why moire is reduced but not eliminated and the image is a bit soft. To go from a 3-tap to 5-tap filter would improve image quality but would almost double the processing. Also, 0.5x and 0.25x scaling can be done with simple bit shifting. To perform more elegant filtering, one might need real multiplies, which are many times more expensive than bit shifts. No, I think the image quality will not improve. Some might be baked into the hardware. And to increase the complexity in the DSP would increase heat, drain the battery, and might be beyond the limits of the processor. Fortunately, even with 0.5x, 0.25x filtering (assuming that's what it is), we can increase the complexity by sharpening in post. It's not ideal, but it's better to sharpen a soft, non-aliasing image than to be stuck with aliasing. But I'm no Canon engineer. The odds are small, but we could still be pleasantly surprised. __________________ Jon Fairhurst

January 28th, 2013, 10:02 PM	#3
Tim Polster Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Arlington, TX Posts: 2,231	Re: Any Chance the April Firmware will Also have Image Upgrades? Thanks for your input Jon. I guess there is a chance but sad to say you are probably right. Just makes me a little mad that cheap P&S cameras have more detail in video mode than the Canon cameras. I see this as an opportunity to win more of the community but they probably see it another way.