LensRental's Roger Cicala examines Canon EOS 5D Mark III light leak 'cover-up': Digital Photography Review

Just picked up my 5DMk3, I did wait for the latest batch with *****3***** serial # as do quite a bit of low light work. Happy with image quality, speed, feel of body and love features now brought to the for such as mirror lock for long exposures to reduce blur from mirror bounce. I have enough pixels and features to make me a very happy photographer. Let's all get out there and put some great images on this site to inspire others, either from a Nikon or a Canon.

0 upvotes

Hi,
have you tested the EOS 5D Mark III night time with just street light without flash with the following settings?
ISO 104 000
shutter speed 1/500 or 1/800
85 mm lens
F 1.8 or lower

0 upvotes

The answer is simple. One you have provided yourself. Second is : because you can... or should be able to as per manual. People do strange things with cameras, pros too... that doesn't mean they are idiots. They do use it within a provided spectrum of options, don't they?!!! So who are you to call these ppl idiots? They use it within design parameters and both a camera and manuf. should deliver on all levels. An item like this is deemed 1st grade, not some DIY project. For Canon to overlook a simple leak in this one and G1X is unforgivable. They should know better. This is camera builders 101. If cameras could kill like cars we could already be missing few guys... Recall is a recall... This is Canon's fault, period. This is not a $5 ToysRus gadget. Some ppl put serious coin to upgrade to their dream camera so have some respect and don't be a jerk. Just because you think you know better doesn't give you the right to call others, dismayed by the whole thing, idiots (!).

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Light leak issue is actually not a problem, until canon usa made it a big problem by issuing a stupid statement by revealing the serial number that are affected without having the initiative to recall those serial numbers and replace them with the one that have been modified. For canon user, this is the biggest problem that you should be furious about.... think about the resale value of your camera with that serial number, yeah they will fix it, i know that too, but for some freaks.. the camera that has been opened will suffer from a lower resale value!!! Stupid Canon USA..... !!!! Dumb ass!!!! dont u guys out there still have a brain???? y people with the serial number of 1 and 2 have to bear all the consequences, when they are proven to be a loyal canon customer for adopting a new model. And they have to pay for that????? STupid Company policy, may be their brain freeze after the tsunami!!!

Comment edited 50 seconds after posting

2 upvotes

I am not upset with a overpriced,not enough resolution,brand new camera, that is broken straight out of the box. No I am not. I am dissssssapointed in the, camera company that made it , and that it does it on every new body they make!!! From focus errors on all the bodies they have ever made to wild random exposure errors on the MK4. But what UPSETS ME is that this camera company said my warranty on my 7d,was void when the pop up flash, always flashes twice. They told me it was my fault because they see an un painted screw on the body, showing some rust. But I really should say THANK YOU to can not repair,, YOUR service center FORCED ME TO NIKON ! And NIKON ROCKS with 36 MEGA PIXELS !!!!

1 upvote

One word.......childish behavior

3 upvotes

Canon or Tell the Truth?

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Tell the Truth

1 upvote

altenae, do not feed the troll...

1 upvote

@altenae...that's two words...

1 upvote

"not enough resolution" are you mental?

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Even Nikon D800 has its own problems too, maybe you should stick with your 41 mega pixel nokia 808 that you had been bragging about....... hahaahhahhahahahhahahahahahah I am sure it will serve you well.....

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Well from what I heard the Nikon is having big problems on their own. Camera freeze, some focus problems and even camera explosion on your 36 mp that rocks. They even have to stop production from what I heard... you should change to Sony according to your past behavior....

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I don't get it why people are so upset. It's a very KISS approach.

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I don't get why everyone else isn't chill like you eitherman.

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TAPE - ON - THRU - TO - THE - OTHER - SIDE ! Can - NOT make a 3700 dollar camera with out a RECALL !! What else is wrong with it besides the excessive price and low pixel count?

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what is there to recall???? do u actually own one??? or better still do u understand the whole problem? the problem arises because some idiot out there try to take a picture in a pitch dark environment something below ev1, something that the camera is not made to do since its metering range is from ev1-ev20. And who will be idiot enuf to use AE during long exposure??? and who is only taking one exposure when doing long exposure? So actually, there is no problem to begin with. But since some idiots out there demands some fix then canon come out with this solution to keep the sales of their camera from dropping for stupid reason such as this over blown issue, that I also found with at least 3 canon eos 5d mark II body purchased in 2009, and nobody was bitching about it, since it first came out and they work fine up till now. I own 5d mark III the non modified version, and been using it for night photography, in manual mode, and it works fine.

3 upvotes

and why do u need hi pixel count on 35mm camera??? you need higher shutter speed, to get a tack sharp image viewed at 100 percent view. you can't hand hold it when you are using a long lens, without bumping up your iso! and a camera that can only sync up to 1/250s, and slow on focusing I think its really stupid! I might as well use an MF camera with the same limitation but at least can sync up to 1/1600 to make my life easier with a longer lens and strobes and get a way with a much better image quality from a camera with a sensor almost 3x as big!!! idiots!!!

4 upvotes

I think there's some truth to this. 5D mkIII seems a rushed product while compared to competition. That's after 3 1/2 year wait for this camera.

Even the shutter shounds weirds, like a several trings being released at the same time. My OM-D sounds much nicer. And why in the heck they misplaced the zoom in button to the left side of the camera? No more easy thumb button zoom in live view mode while keeping left hand under the lens like with mkII. Couldn't find way to customize this in the manual.

1 upvote

So Stanley, after reading your reply, I'm not sure if you think the light leak is a problem or not that should be corrected, could you please clarify your opinion. Thank you, Mark

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The 5DmkIII shutter sounds like that for a simple reason: It also has a mirror, which the OM-D does not.

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@Mandm it is not a problem at all, same problem occured on 5d mark II as well ( at least on 3 bodies that I encountered) I am not sure if the same problem apply to all 5d mark II. Try to rent one of the mark III, if you are still not sure, and try to take city scape at night, and check it out for yourself, if the light leak bothers you. Cuz, I tried it and turn on the lcd, the exposure doesnot change, i even shine a bright light on top lcd, the exposure does not change. It only change when you photograph something that is really dark. And who takes picture on a really dark condition when there isnt barely any lights....... unless you are a private detective trying to capture some image of somebody's wife cheating with some dude in a dark park somewhere... but with (the top LCD light on???, or shine torch light on the top lcd to make it more conspicuous on your stake out???? c'monnnnn)

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To me this problem could be a result of a marketing politics between Nikon and Canon, while Nikon is still struggling with its d800 inventories, canon has already sold an ample amount of 5d mark III i. Nikon cannot let this happen and give up some of the market share to canon. They have to find something to stop this, dont they???? but again I could be wrong.... hehehehehe

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@Mandm Ok here is another sample.... I tried it at iso 100 at av mode, at f4 shutter speed 15 seconds thats EV 0, turn on the top lcd the ae metering does not change... ( tried it with non modified canon 5d mark III). Dark enuf for you? How much darker of an environment you wanna do your photography at?

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Many of the comments in this discussion simply demonstrate a not-so-surprising fact that very few people who are interested in Photography have very little (practically none at all) knowledge or idea about industrial manufacturing processes and techniques. Use of specialty tapes for manufacturing phones, cameras, tablets, laptops is a well-established technology. tapes play a very important role in industrial manufacturing. Using a tape is not a "cheap fix".

For reference - do a google search on "Speciality Tapes".

an example: http://www.specialtytapes.net/electronics-tapes-light-management-c-102_36_39-l-en.html

7 upvotes

Goog! I say the same thing!

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Sorry... Good, no Goog.. ;-)

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How's the durability of such kind of industrial tapes?

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i'm sure the tape will survive intact where it is even if you drop the camera from the top of the empire state building. would that be durable enough? of course, its job is to shield the sensor box from light leaks so how exactly do you want to measure the tape's durability?

1 upvote

yup I'm a semicon eng and capton tape is a staple, holds the interior of ic's together. Also the material that the flex pcb's in your camera are mounted on. Nothing new about tapes in products that will last the life of the product.

1 upvote

Yeah right ;)

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Minolta was using tape inside lenses back in the 1980's to hold lens groups in place, they claimed better alignment than using screws. Never heard of the tape failing.

1 upvote

The engineer solution. Does it have to move? yes/no
if yes, use wd40, if no use duct tape.

Voila!

:)

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My D7000 had an accident once, guess what holds that together these days? Same goes for the loose battery door on my F5. And my D300 had a fair bit of black tape covering areas where I'd damaged a part that was previously weatherproof.

As my colleague stood behind me just said, would you rather it's fixed with electrical tape, or not fixed at all?

2 upvotes

Well, reading this response I'd rather you be more careful or have better luck in the future. 4 bodies here, and none of them need to be held together by tape.

That said, I agree tape isn't a "cheap fix." You'd be surprised how much tape is used in many applications where it is the best way to hold things or shield (as in this case) in a way that doesn't add excessive weight.

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Oh, one other thing... take a good look at the two camera tops illustrating the original R. Cicala article. Besides the black tape, there are at least half a dozen other design changes between the two. Different parts, assemblies moved around, etc. Why is this and is one improved? Different plants in different countries? Changes due to recognized problems? Cheaper or more efficient methods of manufacture? Parts or supplier shortages? I'd be more concerned about all those changes in the design between the two models than about a bit of black tape. It does leave one to wonder about who designs these cameras, and how well they are tested BEFORE they go to manufacturing. On the other hand, have three Canon Powershot S3IS "superzoom" PnS at home which are our "everyday" carry around cameras (bought an extra "in case" never used it), and one has over 100,000 shutter actuations on it, never failed me yet. Never took it apart, and have no idea what's in it, but it works, tape or not.

2 upvotes

In the second picture the body is angled much more to the left than in the first picture. Also the light falls differently on the two shots.This make it seem that some parts have moved (especially the lower middle PCB) but they are still in the same place. It also makes the black part next to the middle PCH hidden in the second picture. Also the the lighting make some parts seem a different color between the two pictures. I have a hard time finding any differences except the tape.

Also try follow this link (also from LensRentals) and see their Canon 5Diii strip tease:

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/04/5d-iii-strip-tease

Note all the black tape. Which didn't bother anyone (has been posted a month now). The link proves that tape is not an uncommon material in electronics design.

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If only there was this much fuss every time a software developer brought out software with bugs in it.

Comment edited 12 seconds after posting

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There is - you're just on the wrong forum!

Brian

5 upvotes

This is my first posting to dpreview, although I have read quite a few comments over the years. Some photographers seem to be way to concerned about fighting over brands than using their cameras creatively or for work (or both). While I agree that manufacturers should try to get their designs correct without having to recall their products, we demand complex cameras at lower pricing, and new models continually. As a general comment about ALL the manufacturers (and I own Nikon, Pentax and Canon DSLRs, and have owned Hasselblad, Konika, Nikon, Rollei, and Minolta SLRs/film cameras) I wish they all would produce products designed more durably, offer firmware upgrades to keep them as current, and stop making new models and incompatible lens mounts continually. No wonder they introduce bugs! BTW, all cameras and lenses use tape in their construction in the last dozen years. My Nikon D zoom lenses are held together with factory supplied standard cellophane (Scotch) tape.

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Guys, dont be upset by this tape issue...its an expensive product, i know, and by right shld have an "expensive" solution to it too.

But what to do?? Sales is of utmost importance to any company..time is money for them...the longer you delay resolving a problem, the more loss you suffer.

If you have the money for the 5Dmkiii, i suggest you go buy n enjoy it...and remember to share it wth ur close family members, pics n usage as well (that's the best kind of sharing, imho) Just look at people like Brian Carnathan and Bob Atkins..love how they get their family so involved with their hobby..so much joy and love. Just love it! ^__^

I wont have the cash to bring this 'guy' home....but certainly love the good pictures others produce with it...and will keep enjoying the pics it can churn out.

That's all.

Cheers!

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that the nikon issues are not reported here shows that DPR only reports things that make some buzz. no matter if its blown out of proportion or not.

the whole buzz about the light leak would have affected 5% of all users in 2% of all lighting situations. but hey when it creates traffic too your website.... who cares.

so we have nikon battery issue, nikon viewfinder issues, nikon freezing issues, nikon focusing issues.

but what is talked about? an fixed canon "issue" that i no real issue to begin with.

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I guess you haven't seen the D800 and D4 issue reported on today's front page, or the D800, D7000 and V1 battery recall a few days ago..?

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is DPR sponsored by nikon or why do i read nothing about this issues on DPR?

i mean THESE are issues....

http://www.pdnonline.com/gear/Nikon-Investigating--5632.shtml

http://fstoppers.com/news-nikon-d800-has-confirmed-focusview-finder-issues

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

http://nikonrumors.com/2012/05/03/nikon-acknowledges-the-d4d800-lockup-issue-offers-temporary-fix.aspx/

Each has its own problems.
Go and take pictures which is better!!!!

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why it happened while i decided to buy it once it launch?
it ruin the reputation of sophisticated good quality of japan made product. you know the price of mark III is not cheap. :(

1 upvote

I repeat once again: is not tape! insulating material is used also for other components!
Put your soul in peace

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Looks like Canon have it all taped up! So personally I am off to take some pics.

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it's good that car manufacturers doesn't offer to use TAPE for fixing brake defects.

2 upvotes

Are you suggesting that Canon shouldn have used brake pads to stop the problem?

3 upvotes

car manufacturers use grease to fix brake defects :-)

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Your comments have to be the worst analogy I've ever seen.

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I admire Canon very much and think they are the kind of brand that takes risks, differently from Nikon, which I also admire almost the same level (not that often), but that plays much more in the conservative or tried-and-tested (by others) side. But, I have to tell you, a light-leak problem coming from Canon and in a camera like this one did impress me. I've never imagined such thing could happen. It looks like amateurs, beginners fail; something easily forgiven in a handmade camera.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Don't wish to start a brand-war argument, but that statement is dripping with provocation - to say that Nikon do not take risks is just daft. The camera industry is positively peppered with risks, you'd be hard pushed to find a manufacturer who doesn't make risky moves.

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Would there be any such 'tape' in my Nikon D700?

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nothing more informative than first hand information.

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Actually tape is used in many places in the D700, mostly to secure wiring to keep it flat and tight to an assembly. I see nothing wrong with the "fix" and I am somewhat a Nikon partisan.
The 5DIII has some nice features, and it is an evolutionary step upgrade for the 5DII which is very popular as the first cheap FF camera to gather a following. My only problem with it some of the problems of banding and artifacts are retained from the otherwise very good 5DII. That is the main issue which keeps me in Nikon's higher prices, until now. The D800 is an absolute bargain and I hope to have mine on May 14. My new 24-70 arrived today. No tape.....;>) actually there was a light leak issue with that highly thought of model, and it was permanently fixed with ......tape.

0 upvotes

As the Yanks would say, "Jeez" ... but Jesus, what the he** (US **="ck", UK **="ll") is all this utterly pathetic and impotent ranting about Canon vs Nikon?

For Go(sh/d)'s sake, children, these are just brands of camera gear. And I have owned both, simultaneously, without disappearing in a puff of logic - at a time (which continues to this day) when OLYMPUS is my main preferred marque.

Stop this perpetual masterbation - they are just CAMERA manufacturers, and we can all buy or not buy their products as we choose. And if I want an Olympus SLR, a Nikon scuba camera, and a Canon compact, that's my prerogative. Anyone who dares say different, go buy some more Kleenex.

Brian

9 upvotes

I thought the yanks said "hay-zeus" ... ;-)
All that Spanish influence don't you know?

Comment edited 34 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

Canon is loosing it. This whole light leak issue is a joke. The 5D Mark III is 1000$ too expensive, tsunami or not, Fukushima nuclear waste or not. Imagine buying a Porsche with leaking tires, and the company would come up with a bike pump in the trunk to inflate your tires every now and then, instead of changing the set. Ridiculous. They have lost me as a customer.

7 upvotes

FYI, 5D2 already had same issue, which never been claimed by anyone.

How do you think of the pictures taken by 5D2?
5D2 is also joke and worthless for you?

1 upvote

Comments in this forum are hilarious… Always ends up with “Canon Vs Nikon”. I wonder how many imposters from Canon and Nikon are in here, going at each other. It’s a Coke war! Finally, it’s not helping the consumers a bit. Just a time pass…

10 upvotes

They looove and enjoy arguing somehow, not taking pictures with a camera. We'd better just ignore them.

1 upvote

But this is a gear (only) site/forum, not a site/forum for photographers...

1 upvote

I understood what you wanna mean, BUT I think it's not just/only gear site. See the galleries uploaded here. And also, for me, a camera should be a tool for taking photos, not just an object.

0 upvotes

Does anyone take photographs with their cameras? We use the MK III’s for our work including weddings, portraits and engagements. Like all our Canon gear they work and they work tough. We’re not gentle. They are tools of the trade. Is the 5 D MK III worth the investment? Yes. It is simply better in every aspect over the MK II. And the MK II is no slouch to a hard day’s work. Do we care how the guts inside are done? Nope. If it didn’t work then Canon would fix it. But they do work and provide a positive return on investment over and over.

Recent Engagement Session http://danpettusimages.com/engvelasco/
Recent Wedding http://danpettusimages.com/dewalsche/

4 upvotes

Yes, but you are a real, working photographer so your concerns are different.

0 upvotes

@ AbrasiveReducer - that's beyond daft. As a working professional, he has plenty more to be concerned about than you or I, seeing as his livelihood depends on it.

0 upvotes

Oh the drama... whatever.

Move along people. Nothing to see here.

3 upvotes

The Surgery on the 5D Mark III is hilarious....

Time to open up a Nikon and see if there is tape inside....

Really get a life an take some pictures....Instead of trying to find another FLAW in the 5D mark III which is not going to be an issue ever in real shooting.

Cheers

6 upvotes

A good few Nikons use double sided tape to attach the rubber grip to the frame. Not so sure about Canons, other than the 550D which certainly does.

The tape is everywhere! We should embrace it! :P

0 upvotes

IS NOT TAPE!!!!!

1 upvote

This shouldnt surprise anyone, I understand the Canon 5dIII team has been doing significant research into replacing the locking metal mount and using tape to mount lenses on the 5dIV and then doubling the price.

2 upvotes

Harsh, but funny.

0 upvotes

"Harsh" is not funny.

0 upvotes

I see many people complaining about "the malfunctioning 3000+ USD Canon camera". Wooooow... And about the solution adopted. So there are two things here, it seems: the "wrong" design of the camera and the value of the item. Just to give you an example: something went very wrong with Apollo 13, just one item part of a MULTI-BILLION USD program. The astronauts survived because they used tape. In order to make the link between cube-shaped and cylindrical air canisters. So, you see, it's all about tape. Regarding both crew survival and your pictures survival. No worries, Canon surely knows by now that there is a design (or the robot just forgot to insert the tape) flaw and most probably they will try to calculate the cost of a "proper" solution. If the cost will not be justified, you will continue to see tape inside. But fortunately no "light leak". P. S.: without recognizing the flaw, Canon would have been in serious trouble - from me at least (remember the 1D III AF "story"). Cheers! :)

2 upvotes

As they say duct tape is like the 'Force' is binds the universe together :>

1 upvote

Yeah, but I still think the duct tape is better. Even if it comes off I got replacement handy.

0 upvotes

BTW, I see some white flakes inside the top LCD on my 5D Mk II. It's the white tape (used to prevent leaks in 5D Mk II)peeling off, I suppose. Geez, I will have a leak (=the light will leak from the camera)! Solution: Call 911! :D :D :D

0 upvotes

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/04/5d-iii-strip-tease

The insulating material used is not tape ... Is black foil....
As you can see is already on the machine to isolate other parts.

2 upvotes

Wow, guess duct tape really DOES fix everything. Sad really, that such an expensive piece of camera gear has to endure being taped up like that just to make it near perfect. This is definitely not a case of "you get what you pay for", but more a case of "if it ain't really, truly, honestly broke, fix it for as little as possible, and hope no one notices".

A product's defect is a defect, whether it affects the vast majority of that product's users or not. Tape is the poor man's solution, and the new 5DIII is NOT a poor man's (or a poor manufacture's) camera.

I sincerely hope the 5DIII doesn't get too hot inside during extensive use, or that tape is going to be losing its adhesive all over the insides of the camera.

B

0 upvotes

Canon sells a defective product and it seems everybody is satisfied except some photographers who really care what they' pay for.
Fuji sells X-Pro1 with crappy AF and people who bought it call it raving success.

So, who to blame? The manufacture or forgiving customers who keep their eyes closed on half-baked products...

5 upvotes

You; for being so utterly insulting to so many types of people and manufacturers.

1 upvote

The show-stopper problem:

http://www.canonrumors.com/2012/04/canon-5d-mark-iii-light-leak/

My Goodness!!! How could I possibly risk loosing that once-in-a-lifetime photo of the camera BODY CAP to possibly being slightly mis-exposed?!?! Oh, the humanity!!! why, Why WHYYY!?!?! The horror, the horror... I see the light! I must purchase a Nikon D800E immediately, don't care if the battery might blow up! All Canon 5D mark 3s MUST be sent to the crusher!!! THANK YOU!!! I was so close to imminent catastrophe... Canon Corporation might as well pack up the tent, it is all over now but the tragically sad sobbing. sniff...

5 upvotes

I am so dissapointed. I was expecting all 5D mk III cameras to be recalled for immediate replacement with a new, "5D mk IV dpreview edition". To find out this horrendous disaster can be fixed with a piece of tape and from what I can see, most current owners are not going to bother.

0 upvotes

a minor fix for a minor function used only by folks still using AE metering sensors.
it's no surprise that beta testing would never look at this; except next time round, assume AE metering sensors still included in the next update (most likely).

one improvement that would eliminate future issues would be to allow the top lcd which is currently a fixed one facing only up be capable of tilting up and face back toward the viewer and even a bit downwards. At least then, one can read the lcd (even better a thinner stronger more robust OLED) when standing behind the camera mount on a trip set well above eye level. An OLED wouldn't need to be side-lit at all. And if it were at least a lit tilting top lcd, past light leaks on an AE metering sensor would never be possible.

I never use AE metering sensors anyway, under any lighting conditions.

I prefer using realtime fulltime full FOV image area live exposure evaluation instead. It's much more accurate than any AE meter sensor by any Mfr

0 upvotes

ExpSim LV
:D

0 upvotes

I have to admit i'm still using the AE, and only the ExpSim LV occasionally.

OLED would be great, i agree...but Canon would exact at least another $500 from us "poor" people..and i cant even afford a 5Dii, let alone a 5D with OLED...tho it will be mainstream someday i believe.

yeah, yeah..you are one heck of camera woman, arent ya? (yeah smile in delight all you want..coz you really deserve it ^_^)

I've read quite a few of your comments..all of em great stuff. Good to have thinking people like you around in DPR..and for such a long time too.

Cheers! :-D

0 upvotes

Lame attempt at headline grabbing. This is a non-issue and the fix works. Who cares how it gets done.

2 upvotes

Can not make it right the first time, after all the beta testing it had??? Why?? Maybe a little exposure error is more artistic !!!! Is this the Holga camera effect? It really does not surprise me. The russian roulette focus system they have had for five years is good enough. I loved boken, every where on all images. Some photographers that got tired of this creative feature and had just had to switch to Nikon. My new Nikon system is really INSANELY GOOD,with its 36 Mega PIXELS !! Thank you NIKON

0 upvotes

Canon probably didn't test using auto metering for long exposures in the dark with the iluminator on because they did not think anyone would be stupid enough to do it.

I'm off to test my 7D metering while shining a torch in the viewfinder so I can see it better.

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

6 upvotes

Yeah, those stupid Canon people, out there, in the dark, taking long exposures with their cameras that are designed to do just that ... what are they thinking?

3 upvotes

Hey, make sure that's a British torch and not an American.

2 upvotes

"Yeah, those stupid Canon people, out there, in the dark, taking long exposures with their cameras that are designed to do just that ... what are they thinking?"
Specifially, if you bothered to read it, long exposures using auto exposure. Another idiot.

2 upvotes

"Hey, make sure that's a British torch and not an American."... yes, 'flashlight' for our cousins across the water.

0 upvotes

If I pay $3,000 for a body, I expect the camera put together right and works without any leak the first time. Regardless whether or not the tape was cheesy fix.

5 upvotes

you pay $30k for a car yet I'll bet you when you drove it off the lot it had bugs in the software or something wrong with it. The fix works for a minor problem.

3 upvotes

Mitch, How many cameras you had ever bought have bugs the way cars do? I had not run into not even one over dozen bought! Yes, including P/S.

3 upvotes

A quick selection of some of day-one issues that have led to recalls or returns of units;
NEX3 and NEX5 - Battery drain when switched off
5D mk2 - Loose bottom plate on some units
1D mk3 - Autofocus problems
D3 - Lubricant on sensor
D800/V1/D7000 - Bad batch of batteries
D5000 - Bad batch of batteries
X10 - Orbs (cue massive argument...)
X100 - Sticky aperture blades
Plenty of cameras have had problems when first released that were hastily (or not so hastily, Fuji) rectified. Heck, half the time when there's a new major release we play "guess what the fault will be".

0 upvotes

Are these the problems you had personally experienced with or are they things that you have heard? I have bought over dozen cameras over the last 30 years and nothing fell out at first uses. I would not call firmware updates on modern digital cameras defective...

0 upvotes

My user name should be a hint - I (well, we - a bunch of us use this login) work in a large camera shop. They're all problems with cameras that have been present when they went to market, and the various manufacturers have either recalled stock from us, or at the very least made a public announcement.

0 upvotes

Lessons are learned everyday, some the hard way.

Not only for Canon, but to all high end DSLR makers like Nikon and the rest.

They will take attention to this phenomenon.

Be sure when making your so called magnesium alloy chassis and your poly plastic skin covering, remember to ISOLATE the penta prism from the rest of the innards.

This not only protects it from light but also from the pesky dust bunnies that come from everywhere within the cavity.

1 upvote

When I dissasembled one of my canon X0D camera the prisma had a black paint avoiding light from the outside.

0 upvotes

In the case of the 5DMk3, the light meter sits on top of the penta prism, almost at the bottom of the hot shoe for the external flash, a fair distance from the top LCD. It is a challenge to bend the light like Beckham from the LCD to the top of the camera hot shoe area.

1 upvote

I wouldn't ever use sticky tape in the internals of such an upmarket camera. I would either live with the "flaw" (if I hadn't known) or I wouldn't buy it in the first place (if I had known).

4 upvotes

Bald Col seems to think that everyone except itself (him/her? doesn't specify) is an idiot. A bit like, "The whole world is out of step except for me". Perhaps said person could actually CONTRIBUTE an opinion, rather than another slur on people whose opinions (s)he doesn't, apparently, comprehend?

Brian

5 upvotes

My opinion is that there is a minor problem with a new model. A fix has been found for anyone that wants to fix the problem. Anyone that has read the whole article referred to and others by LensRentals showing disassembled equipment would realise that the 'tape' being used is a normal component of any or even all electronic devices. So to bang on about 'sticky tape' is just ignorant.
One can question the quality control processes for sure. One would not expect a camera from any company, to be released with a problem however the problem has been fixed.
I own a Canon but my responses would be the same if this problem was with a camera from any manufacturer. I own a Canon because many years ago I started with a 1000FN and I could not afford to change horses now.
I spend a lot of time reading this forum but rarely post because so many of the querys end up with the same X is best Y is crap arguements that are so pointless. The comments on this news item just irritated me more than usual.

2 upvotes

BaldCol: probably another one person who sleeps with its camera in his bed... Insaulting someone just because he/she made a comment you didn't like regarding your favorite brand (like, say, your favorite football team or political leader), now THAT'S idiot...

1 upvote

Thank you for proving my point.

0 upvotes

...that you're an idiot...

0 upvotes

Strange that DPreview is putting this non official Canon solution on. Does DPreview start showing any technical solution on problems with camera's now. Do we get more of this ? If so than I turn DPreview off.

0 upvotes

"non official Canon solution"?

The picture you see is exactly what Canon did. And as a consumer, I need news like this.

8 upvotes

Which idot ?

0 upvotes

That solution what is showing has glue at the site where 1 chip and some connectors are mounted. This glue can have effect on the chip (legs), connectors, components like resistors and capacitors in long term. As former camera technician from another brand they often use hard plastic and fix it on spots the are not related to to electronic circuit.

2 upvotes

deleted

Comment edited 9 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

This is not even "official Canon solution" this is the inside of a brand new off the shelf 5D Mark III. This is not something Canon is suggesting users do at home!

0 upvotes

A good solution is a simple solution. Why bother with something else if simple tape takes care of the problem. Plus it's inside the camera, means it's not changing aesthetic of 5D3 at all.

1 upvote

My only problem with this is the certain knowledge that most generic sticky tapes have a glue which eventually fails, either through drying out, moisture absorption or melting in the heat of sunlight. Furthermore, in the latter two cases, adhesive may seep its way into places where it is not entirely welcome - such as around the pentaprism.

Fine as a bodge, but a simple custom-moulded part would be much preferable here. Canon have cut a corner too far.

Brian

11 upvotes

You're ignoring the fact that this same tape is in use throughout the body.

It's a non-issue and it's fixed. Get over it.

2 upvotes

Disagree. There are some amazing adhesive tapes out there that you would be blown away by their characteristics. It's all about choosing the right one. Hopefully Canon have not gone for the cheap and cheerful type. Otherwise all your fears will come true.

3 upvotes

Perhaps a little too much testosterone around this forum for the general good ... if you want to think me and idiot, fine, that's your loss. And where, exactly, is the rest of this tape? Evidence, rather than loudmouth hot air might be a positive contribution. And of course, there are some great adhesive tapes ... but do we know this is one of them? With several camera bodies and lenses that I own from assorted "top shelf" manufacturers, there are all to many body coverings and suchlike that have worked loose over as little as 5 years - but which at least are all on the OUTSIDE, and so can be stuck back down. I wonder why these didn't use those "amazing" adhesives?

FACT: bodging with (even hi-tech) Gaffa is still bodging.

Brian

2 upvotes

@Biowizard

Very true what u said...believe it or not, i just got my 550D rubber grip replaced by my local Canon service centre as it came out (wth a year plus of warranty left, so paid nothing for it all..hehe), along with replacing the silver tape on my 18-135mm lens which also detached itself, and glueing back a peeling light absorbing rubber lining at the rear end of my 55-250mm...yes, three STICKY TAPE related problem in one visit...tho they did a quick (only 2 days) and good job (gave me a new grip and silver tape) without any fee and with absolute politeness.

Well, the people in the country i live in usually are mild mannered..so, it will be a different story perhaps for an American Canon service centre, no offense ya, where i read lots of rudeness and incompetence going on for non-CPS customers, that is.
Yep, a bodge is still a bodge, like it or not..either people will overlook it, or stand up against it. For me personally, i'm learning hard to live in the "overlooking" camp ^

0 upvotes

Dear dpreview fans:

Has anyone else here noticed that all of the hyperventilating camera engineering experts on the various forums here do not seem to ever have any actual photgraphs posted to their gallery? Just a feeling, that if their pasty faces were to ever to emerge from their mom's basement, and someone actually put any one of these high-end cameras into thier trembling hands, that they would be 'challenged' just trying to power up the machine, much less actually take a half-decent snapshot? Just sayn'

4 upvotes

Go 7D! Now that's a trusty body.

0 upvotes

I did!

0 upvotes

LOL

Thanks for saying what needs to be said more often. DPR is a haven for technogeeks with little ability to use a camera for what it was intended for.

0 upvotes

Wasn't the Nikon 24-70 light leak also fixed with tape?

0 upvotes

No: http://image1.nphoto.net/news/image/201008/b132b358125117d2.jpg

0 upvotes

Ok the tape was the temp fix and a longer band was the real one. Never had the need to have mine done.

0 upvotes

Canon to release Firmware update.....Black tape 1.0.3

2 upvotes

I'm still using the 550D...probably will never be able to own a 5D..mk ii or iii...but what i said is definitely what i felt initially when scrutinizing Roger's pictures.

The bottom line is this, if we learn to be SO MUCH less fussy with such things in life, like the tape issue, then life would be SO MUCH more enjoyable.

Yours sincerely,

A guy still learning sth new everyday...

^__^

2 upvotes

550D is already an awesome machine! don't switch unless you get paid for assignments. i miss my 550D~~~

0 upvotes

Thanks...i wont, for sure...and for a long time to come too.

I've got a Celestron C5 and it works awesomely with my little fella. ^__^

Well, i suppose you can get another one back on the cheap, if you want...rgt?

0 upvotes

i thought about it....but i won't because i am using FF and don't wanna go back to cropped sensors. but i honestly would take T2i/T3i out for fun any day.

0 upvotes

Yeah, i understand your intention well...with the added FOV, more Bokeh, lower noise performance, probably heftier investment in FF lenses and a bunch more of advantages, surely you wont be taking a step backwards to crop sensor...

Well, this is what i heard frm others..."dont buy and use Canon "L" lenses (or any similar high end glass), coz once u use it, there's no turning back...no more EF-S or lower grade glass for you..as you will be totally intoxicated by its image quality!"

Till now, I'm still using my 18-135mm as standard kit lens..i'm very happy and fine with it, even though many photogs in my country try to sell it off from their 550D kit lens package. :-P

0 upvotes

I dont blame those people for "fussing" over this tape thing...

Though the tape solution is very cheap & practical...esp. for Canon themselves...it is done in SUCH a cheapskate, unprofessional-looking, crude, and almost rude & offensive manner for those buyers, who paid a high premium price for an equally premium product like the 5Dmkiii...at least this is the kind of "feeling" that i got, when looking at Roger's uploaded pictures.

Did he tampered with the tape itself? Did he peeled it off to have a look and put it back? i dunno...

Canon should AT LEAST get some of their brainy engineers to come up with a simple, cheap molded plastic made of ABS or sth else to cover it up. They could easily appoint any company anywhere in China, which specializes in plastic manufacturing. After all, things can be done very cheaply over there..well, like as if we dun know tat ^__^

But of course that will consume lots of time...thus loss ..not in production, but lots of loss in sales around the world

5 upvotes

I don't think you're realising that the tape is actually an engineering solution that seems like it will work perfectly.

You're also neglecting the comment that explicitly says that exact tape is used elsewhere in both the 5D3 and many lenses

4 upvotes

You don't want to look at the interior of any product if you value your sanity.
It's a bit like looking into the kitchen of a famous restaurant and realising that they aren't that much cleaner than your own kitchen ...

0 upvotes

@Thorbard

Of course i know my friend...that's why i said its "practical". Did you not read that part for yourself? Hmm? ^_^

Yes, i know its used elsewhere..go read Roger's other link on 5D mk iii Strip Tease..cool and daring attempt by him and his mate..tho i know there are many others who took apart DSLR for modding.

No, i did not neglect that remark deliberately..."smart & intelligent" readers like you should be able to read and comprehend that part for themselves. Furthermore, Roger said this too, "I HAVEN'T SEEN this on other cameras.." in the Strip Tease article regarding the extensive usage of tape in 5Diii.

Yes, he did "his best" too to say lots of good stuff about the tape later on..for surely he doenst wanna do a disservice to a giant like Canon, rite? ^o^ ...go read the whole article for yourself. ^_^

Still, its just my honest opinion and personal feeling about the whole issue. As i also mentioned, in case u overlook that too, the less you fuss, the better you'll live.^

0 upvotes

@ JaFO

Actually i dont wanna reply to ur comment...no offence, but its just a waste of my time. ^o^

Nevertheless, i think i need to enlighten u a bit on urself..

No 1 - U shld go tell people like Mr. Cicala to value his sanity..since he's the one who dissected and enjoyed the "inside" view regularly...the other person, as i can think of at this very moment, with the same level of "insanity" as you said..would be Kai frm DigitalReview.com and his "bloody" producer, whom he "affectionately" refers to. U will do very well to advice them thru email on staying sane. ^_^

No 2 - Famous Restaurant analogy u saying? People pay for the food they eat...not for the cleanliness of the kitchen they DON'T own...well, not so for customers who paid $3000++ for a platter of "expensive, high quality" fish and 'FF CMOS' chips..lol ^_^

As i said, the less fussy you are, the more enjoyable life will be..that's why i'm still using my 550D happily. Geddit?

Cheers! ^__^

0 upvotes

On another note, is there a serious flaw somewhere in the design of the mkiii circuitry (or many flaws) which may cause the internal components to interact disruptively with each other, and that's why they are practically slapping on layers of those tapes everywhere, just to prevent that? I dunno...after all, Roger said Canon almost entirely redesigned the innards of the 5D to the point it shld be renamed 6D, lol...but he did say "it’s one of those where I want to compliment the engineers. This camera is beautiful inside, logically laid out and well built" just to be fair....did canon reveal the reasons behind it? Any who knows?

I'll try googgling first...hehe ^_^

0 upvotes

There were overheating issues with the batteries of the Nikon D800 and some others.
How many of you whingers have a 5D Mk III?

2 upvotes


Canon acknowledges 'light leak' in the EOS 5D Mark III Apr 16, 2012	Roger Cicala compares Zeiss and Canon 135mm f/2 lenses Apr 29, 2013	Roger Cicala investigates Canon's AF marketing claims Aug 1, 2012	Roger Cicala looks at the Canon 40mm F2.8 STM pancake lens Jun 21, 2012

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