According to a post on the DP Review forums, Canon will be unveiling the long awaited successor to the EOS 5D in a “surprise announcement” on April 22nd. The 5D will cost $3500 and offer specs which bring it uncomfortably close to Canon’s flagship EOS1Ds MkIII, including a 15.3MP, full frame sensor, weatherproofing and a huge 3″ live-view LCD screen.

You can peek the full copy-and-paste of the details below, but the author boxf1, despite quoting “a source I am unwilling to disclose” seems to either have a legitimate leak or has kept his fanboy fantasies on a tight leash: The details sound pretty plausible and Canon has a habit of popping newer tech into the lower-rung models in its range.

Forum page page [DPReview via Crave]

The full post:

The new 5D II will not be released at Photokina, but instead will be a surprise announcement on April 22, according to a source I am unwilling to disclose.

The specs of the new camera are as follows (final name unavailable):

- 15.3 MP full frame CMOS sensor (vastly improved light-gathering capacity per pixel: improved micro lenses; miniaturized micro circuitry; enhanced signal/noise ratio)

- Weather sealing same as 1Ds Mark III

- Dual Digic III with all-new “CXR” NR system reported to best 3rd party NR software. Available as a C.F with 4 levels of customizable parameters.

14 bit A/D conversion

- ISO 12800 (C.F. up to 25600)

- Reported 1 2/3 stop sensitivity improvement

- All-new 29-point TTL CMOS sensor

with 12 cross-type for F/2.8 or faster lens

(35% faster than 40D)

- Micro lens fine adjustment for up to 14 lenses

- 300,000 exposure shutter durability

- 6.0 / 3.0 fps

- 3.0″ LCD

922,000 pixels

- EOS Integrated Cleaning System

- Live View (improved from 450D; latest generation)

- 6/3 fps continuous shooting for up to 68 frames

- MSRP $3499, available June 2

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