Canon Confirms Light Leak Issue in the 5D Mark III

[Steve Williams]

This is a "big" problem

http://www.petapixel.com/2012/04/13/canon-confirms-light-leak-issue-in-the-5d-mark-iii/

 

[Syntax]

This kind of problem is difficult to solve via Software Update.
Maybe Canon will give a significant rebate now...that bug makes the Camera unreliable.

 

[amirm]

It seems that this company never learns. Instead of either fixing their internal QA issues or using outside people for testing, they continue to make major changes to the camera and release them without proper testing. Having gone through a full round of recalls on my $8,000 and $4,000 camera bodies at the same time, due to the fiasco they had with autofocus on both, I will not ever buy a new Canon DSLR without waiting a while to see if these issues are there or not.

I mean this problem goes back to beginning of time with light going through the viewfinder to corrupt the metering. How could they forget it in the digital age?

 

[garylkoh]

Makes me glad I just bought the Mk-II just before the Mk-III was released. I remember the disaster with the F1's removable pentaprism and light leaks with one of them. In Singapore at that time, there were no recalls, and you kept what you paid for.

 

[Steve Williams]

I'm betting this will delay the availability by months

 

[rockitman]

There's always a risk being an early adopter..ie: Canon 1D3 and the jumping AI Servo focus issue (was a big deal for action photogs).

 

[ALF]

There's always a risk being an early adopter..ie: Canon 1D3 and the jumping AI Servo focus issue...

Yes, regarding early adopters, the second mouse gets the cheese...

Cheers,

ALF

 

[Steve Williams]

Does anyone know if people have been receiving their camera. Mine is still way off and knowing this is a good thing

 

[Steve Williams]

Canon 'examining countermeasures' for 5D Mark IIIs experiencing top LCD light leak problem

http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/14/5d-mark-iii-light-leak-incorrect-exposure-readout/

Here is a post from a user.....

As a 5D Mark III user I can confirm the issue not only involves back lighting but ambient and sunlight hitting the display. When sunlight hits the display it shifts also. If I use my desklamp it will shift when the display is placed under the light. There is a major light leak. CANON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM. I bought one of those 1D Mark III with a focusing issue. Sent it to Canon and it wouldn't even focus on a stop sign. I went back to a IIn and waited for this release. Now after nearly $4k this camera has exposure issues. What the hell is wrong with Canon? Do you just design and sell and no testing? I've reached the point of no return. Piece by piece I'm selling my Canon equipment and buying Nikon. After speaking with numerous Nikon owners they don't have these issues. They got good, reliable well built cameras that don't give them issues. The time is up Canon, I'm jumping ship and switching to Nikon. I will NEVER be able to think of Canon as a reliable product, EVER!

 

[amirm]

The man's sentiments are right. It was a pain to box up and send my two cameras to be repaired by Canon and have no idea if they screwed up other things. I have a Canon 85f1.2 lens. I dropped it and damaged the front element. They fix the lens and send it back to me. I look through the front and there is a thread that is about 1/3 of an inch long on the inside of the front element! I live with it because I didn't want the hassle of returning it. But expecting the repair place to be as good as the factory just isn't going to happen.

 

[Steve Williams]

I'm, not taking delivery on mine until I know that problem is fixed

 

[ALF]

Yes, simply hopping onto the ever-enlarging Nikon queue would seem to be the superior strategy...Nikon, a proven leader along with a unique and strong peace-of-mind component.

Cheers,
ALF

Disclosure, simply loving since 1980 what Nikon consistently brings to the field.

 

[DonH50]

Both have their strengths and weaknesses. From what little I have had time to read, it seems like Canon needs a light shield behind the top LCD display. Seems like someone would have taken a picture in low light with the backlight on and noticed... Or caught leakage from light shining on the LCD display messing up the meter readings.

I wonder if a glob of black goo to seal the back of the display would be enough... Or even a piece of electrical tape.

Unfortunately, my guess is any real fix is going to require something inside the camera. The most I can conceive FW doing is sensing if the backlight is on and turning it off during exposure... I don't see it being able to determine if the reading itself is from TTL or backlighting since all it has to go on is the one light sensor.

This is likely to hurt Canon with the Nikon D800 looking strong, available, and much less pricey. Increasing the price so much over the Mk II is likely to prove a mis-step IMO.

 

[Steve Williams]

Canon says EOS 5D Mark III bug just a mismatch, posts update

Read more:

http://www.electronista.com/articles/12/04/23/canon.details.5d.mk.3.light.bug.and.112.update/

 

[Steve Williams]

Canon EOS 5D Mark III's light leak fix found to be black tape
By Jon Fingas posted May 2nd 2012 5:13PM

When Canon promised a fix for the EOS 5D Mark III's preview LCD leaking light, photographers wondered just what the "countermeasures" would be to prevent the display from affecting exposure readouts. The remedy, it turns out, is a simple patch -- of the physical kind, not software. Roger Cicala at LensRentals was brave enough to tear down one of the DSLRs shipping with a fix already in place and found black electrical tape covering the LCD area that would otherwise spill light into the exposure meter. While basic, the solution does the trick, and will no doubt be a relief to shutterbugs who want to know exactly what exposure they'll get while snapping photos in the dark.

 

[DonH50]

Hope it is good tape or it will fall off over time and temperature (especially cold temperatures).

 

[DonH50]

So, I spent a little time wading through a few fora tonight comparing the 5D to the Nikon D800. I like the extended ISO range and low-light capability of the Canon, but the higher resolution and lower price of the Nikon is tempting. I'd also forgotten the 5D has no built-in flash, a drawback for me since it will be my take-along camera in most cases and I hate having to mount a flash (one reason I got away from my pro SLR so many years ago). The new smaller Canon flashes look pretty good, however.

Best I can tell, there is still no other fix for the light leakage other than the tape fix. I thought they might tweak it to build in a light shield, but I have no idea how hard that would be, nor if there are any plans to do so (probably not until the Mk IV?) I found a copy of emails to/from Canon tech support and the answer was "the problem has been resolved and all currently-shipping cameras include the light shield". Hmph.

The camera is now available again and I am considering it, but the price gives me pause, especially with the D800 so much less. Another option is to stick with my original plan, the 7D, though of course comparing review shots the full-frame advantage is clear. I wonder how clear it is in the real world? One catch is that I often use my camera for taking shots in low-light situations at school, e.g. concerts and graduations, so low-light and high-iso performance is important. My Canon SX-120 is pretty poor in these situations; the 7D or 5D would be a big step up, but is the 5D worth over 2x the price? Hmmm...

Ruminations - Don

 

[rblnr]

I'm very impressed with my D800. I find low light performance extremely good -- really shockingly good. Was shooting in a dark cafe awhile ago and the results were outstanding. Noticeably better than the 5DmkII based on my memory and experience of it, don't know about the mkIII. Can't imagine someone not being happy with the performance.

As a walk around lens btw, the 24-120/f4 is an extremely good match with the D800.

 

[vinylphilemag]

Don, I think part of the decision rests on how much you have invested in lenses. If you have a significant amount invested in EF lenses, it might make more sense to stick with a Canon body.

 

[DonH50]

Thanks Bob. Reviews have been mixed so it's good to get real-world feedback. I am sure either of these would blow awya most anything I have had in the past.

Rich, if I had a set of lenses it would be easy! I got rid of what little Nikon glass I had long ago; all I have left is some old Olympus glass for my ridiculously old OM-1. I worked with a photographer a little while and he used NIkon; I got some glass but never the top F-series camera, and ending up selling the lenses. I have piddled with Nikon and Canon DSLRs and their SW; I find Nikon generally fits the hand a little better but Canon a little easier to use (both the cameras and their SW). We have several little Canons in the house and we all like them, so it makes some sense to keep the SW consistent, but it is not a top priority. I had decided on a Canon 7D when Life intervened a year or two ago; now I am in a position to get something but it's hard to decide what. The outstanding image quality and low-light capabilities of the full-framers have been lusting mightily for one of them, but at 2x - 3x the price I am struggling.

I need to post this not in WBF but rather in the "Good-Enough-Get-By-on-an-Average-Budget" Forum! And quit looking at the reviews of the top-of-the-line cameras. Historically I have targeted one or two down from the top as the best balance of price and performance. I was unprepared for the huge price jump in bodies going from film to digital.

Yah, OK, old fart raving again about the $500 SOTA camera and walking to school uphill in the snow, both ways...