Canon USA's written response re 1D MKIII focus issue (unacceptable IMHO)

If you are not currently experiencing this issue with your EOS-1D
Mark III then it will not happen in the future. Cameras with this
problem manifest it from the time the camera is purchased. However,
we will contact you as soon as the repair program is finalized."
Perhaps I am not interpreting the above correctly but isn't Canon saying that even if ;you have not had the problem the door will still be open for repairs and that Canon will accept your camera for repair?

That is how I read it but perhaps incorrectly
--
Shoot lots of pictures, always fill the frame
 
Most of the points made above are valid, for sure. I too will send in the camera, although I do not believe this failure is apparent frequently on our units; but who knows for sure, I'm not a factory teck.

To protect the investment, I will send in the camera for repair of this issue. The camera IS under warranty... plus, they will also test all the cameras functions...

The other question is who is paying for the round trip for repair. Normal warranty policy is you pay shipping to the Factory Service, they pay for return shipping,,, In this case, Canon will probably pay for the full round trip, since its tantamount to a "factory product recall."

Canon will probably attempt to stage the returns so they do not receive 30,000 in the first month of the recall...

A local shop owner just received a shipment and the serial numbers were 536xxx. So there are at least 36,000 units delivered out of the factory...

JimW
--
.
‹(•¿•)›

JimWilson, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
http://www.rumor-page.com
http://www.FAUdigital.com

 
All you have to do is call Canon Technical Support and make them aware of your problem and they will gladly give you a case number and tell you that you will receive an email around the end of October letting you know that they are sending you a package to ship your camera back to them, insured and free of shipping costs (basically it won't cost you a dime to get your camera fixed). Personally, I don't know what else you can expect from them. At least they are doing a recall which speaks volumes to me about the company. I went through the Leica M8 fiasco earlier this year when Leica knew what the problem was with the M8 (hot mirror) and instead of issuing a recall which would have let them replace the defective component on the sensor, they opted not to do a recall and to graciously allow M8 owners to choose two special screw on filters which have to be mounted on every lens instead. If an owner has more lenses that don't match the size of the filters that were initially chosen, then additional filters have to be bought, and they are not cheap. That's when I sold my M8, to a person aware of the problem and thought it was no big deal for a special filter to be mounted on a two or three thousand dollar piece of glass. If Canon had done something like this, then I would have sold my MK III and all my lenses and jumped ship, but they didn't. They are doing exactly what they should be doing, IMO.

As far as admitting to a problem and a fix, they first had to do testing, which was probably very extensive and then figure out the best way of fixing the problem which, in this case, is accepting responsibility and fixing the problem free of charge. Sure, it has taken awhile to get to this point but, can you understand what they are having to do? They have to modify assembly of all new cameras being manufactured as well as fixing the MK III's already sold. All I'm saying is it is more than problem identified, send camera in for repair, camera repaired, everyone is happy. I for one, am much happier to have waited this long for Canon to figure out the problem and come up with the best possible way for the consumer to get their camera fixed than to have them do something along the lines of what Leica did with the M8. But, I will admit that I was beginning to wonder if I was going to have another nightmare like I did with Leica's M8.

Let's hope that the fix will put to rest the AF problem, in Servo as well as single shot.
--
Mark-M
 
This is more like a recall or service advisory bulletin.
I've seen nothing in writing that warrants that statement. At this point we really don't know how Canon is going to handle this.
If you sold you camera in 18 months let's say...and the new guy needs
it for sports. He could still get it repaired.
That's not realistic. If you have ever sold used gear, you know most would not want to buy a used camera and then go through the hassle of sending it in to Canon. Moreover, there is not assurance what Canon would do at that point.
If there is a defect....Canon must fix it. I'm sure they log all the
serial #s of the units they fix and keep track of it...so if yours is
never fixed, it would be later.
What official statement from Canon so far would lead you to that conclusion?
If it doesn't bother you, then I would wait because there is going to
be a flood of sports shooters sending their in all at the exact
moment the repair program starts! You'll be waiting a while for your
camera.
You are probably right on this.

--
Phil Tower
 
All you have to do is participate in Canon's mitigation program,
REGARDLESS of whether your body has the problem or not.

It really is that simple. ;-)
My point was NOT based on an assumption that I could not participate.

My point had to do with the attitude reflected in the response and what I see as a not-so-subtle (and inappropriate) attempt by Canon to discourage people from sending in a camera that is already considerably stigmatized just because they themselves had not experienced the highly publicized problems with the camera.

And, BTW, I don't appreciate arrogant comments telling me I need to "think" and I don't appreciate being called "Man". I use my real name on this board. "Phil" works just find for me.
--
Phil Tower
 
What did you want. Canon to replace every camera with a new 1D Mk
IIIn???
I want my MK III cleared of the cloud that now hangs over it - primarily for re-sale value. Particularly now that they have publicly admitted that there is an identified problem - but yet a problem that they themselves cannot apparently identify by serial number.

And, I have no doubt that Canon will do that. I'm not concerned with what they will do - I know they will do the right thing. After all, I bought the camera knowing about the problem and was confident enough of what Canon would ultimately do to plunk down $4,500.

My point is not what Canon will or won't do. My point is disappointment with its effort to discourage people who have not had problems from doing what is absolutely necessary to preserve the resale value of the camera and obtain the peace of mind that ought to be associated with any new $4,500 camera.
--
Phil Tower
 
What did you want. Canon to replace every camera with a new 1D Mk
IIIn???
I want my MK III cleared of the cloud that now hangs over it -
primarily for re-sale value. Particularly now that they have publicly
admitted that there is an identified problem - but yet a problem that
they themselves cannot apparently identify by serial number.
What's the real issue? Send it in and be done with it.
 
also, I'm sure the the company like Canon must be able to match the
bad subassemby units mounted with the S/N ranges of the final
products. They must have the record of the particualr batches being
produced and distributed, so no guessing and user checking should be
allowed here.

Now in half of the world the summer is gone and no more high temps.
so we should not be left waiting half a year to check if the camera
does or does not act as affected.

Either you have the bad one or you have a corrected one and this
should be stated clearly by S/N range.
Bartek, read between the lines...It's ALL of them that are affected.

If it were just some units that were due to faulty components batches they would not be trying this "Song&Dance" they would cut right to the chase and provide the S/N.

..."Cameras with this problem manifest it from the time the camera is purchased...", c'mmon...we all know it did/does not work that way...

PK

--
“Loose praise may feed my ego but constructive criticism advances my skills”
************************************************************
-------------------------------------------------
http://www.pbase.com/photokhan
(Pbase Supporter)
 
Crybaby comes to mind.
And, BTW, I don't appreciate arrogant comments telling me I need to
"think" and I don't appreciate being called "Man". I use my real name
on this board. "Phil" works just find for me.
--
Phil Tower
 
If you are not currently experiencing this issue with your EOS-1D
Mark III then it will not happen in the future. Cameras with this
problem manifest it from the time the camera is purchased. However,
we will contact you as soon as the repair program is finalized."
Perhaps I am not interpreting the above correctly but isn't Canon
saying that even if ;you have not had the problem the door will still
be open for repairs and that Canon will accept your camera for repair?

That is how I read it but perhaps incorrectly
--
Shoot lots of pictures, always fill the frame
I believe you are reading it correctly. And I don't believe anything I have said in this thread would suggest otherwise. I'll leave it to you as to whether it is worth it to you to verify that last sentence.

--
Phil Tower
 
So far the only real area that I have experienced any problems with is with BIF captures. This is a difficult task to begin with, but I suspect that the focus issue has someting to do with it as well. Otherwise I have been very happy with the camera. I will send it in for repair when the time comes and then go out and have some more fun. With this news at least I know now that it is a hardware fix rather than a firmware fix. That is what I have really been waiting to hear so I know where I stand.

Thanx for posting this info.
--
http://www.pbase.com/mikesf
 
Canon knew the autofocus problem before the camera was released for production, they even told Rob Galbraith about it on the preproduction unit he used.

Then they did not find the cause of the problem but they released the flawed camera for production anyway willfully deceiving the customers.

They should recall all the cameras for correcting the problem, to me their attitude handling this problem is not acceptable.
--
Julius
http://www.pbase.com/jkovatch
 
you wouldn't make such a dumb post - the vast majority do not have an issue, not including those who don't photograph people running toward them on hot days with big fast lenses...

Does mine have a problem? No.

Am I going to send it to Canon for checking? Yes - why not?
 
From what new owners have posted here and on other forums, serial numbers are up into the 544XXX range. I have a camera on order with my local dealer, it was 'released' last week for shipment, but for a reason we didn't know of wasn't shipped. I'm guessing that maybe Canon stopped shipping out defective units when the af issue fix was clearly identified and an announcement forthcoming.

What I'd like to know before picking up the body I eventually get, does it include the fix or not? I really don't want to send a body in I just bought to be fixed. Hopefully they will announce what serial number ranges are effected. And when in the production cycle the fix was in place!
 
True they should in a perfect world not release the camera with a big problem like this but they do have internal market pressures and to remain no #1. However they are going to offer this service of recall and if I own own a pro camera like Canon 1d MK 3 then I would get them to look and replace the defective component to be on the safe side.

--



My Pictures & Web Site: http://www.dltp.co.uk
 
Most photographers buy cameras to take images, and buy stock, real estate, bullion, etc. for resale value.

If the camera works, go take some pictures and enjoy the experience. If it is not working as you require, ask Canon to repair.

All the best,

Steve
 

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