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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
I love Canon....
Andrew Wilz, Photographer
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Aspen | CO | USA | Posted: 11:26 AM on 07.03.09 |
->> I love how, when shooting an International Campaign for a major shoe company... none of my 1ds Mk3 bodies w/L glass... can deliver a sharp shot... focus doesn't track accurately, and... then i get an fatal/permanent error 99 on one of the bodies... (an issue that Canon is in denial about, still...). When you spend WELL over $40k on pro-glass, bodies that cost $8k, and you get around a 50% usable-image count... something's wrong.
Canon... seriously....? Is this the best you can do? |
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Patrick Meredith, Photographer, Assistant
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Caryn Levy, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Ponte Vedra Beach | FL | USA | Posted: 12:49 PM on 07.03.09 |
| ->> It's terrible, but you just gotta switch. They've had a couple of years to figure this out & in the process, have alienated many diehard Canon pros. I NEVER thought I'd switch after using Canon for over 25 years exclusively. The Nikon system rocks. If you switch, you'll never look back. |
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Jeff Martin, Photographer
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wellington | OH | usa | Posted: 12:59 PM on 07.03.09 |
->> " If you switch, you'll never look back."
Hopefully, you're knocking wood like a wood pecker right now. |
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Andrew Wilz, Photographer
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Aspen | CO | USA | Posted: 1:25 PM on 07.03.09 |
->> thanks Bert... Canon needs to update their website with the new firmware update... latest one i have loaded is 1.1.4, and maybe that'll help. Little late now, but for the next round with this client... should help.
cheers! |
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Robert Hanashiro, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | | Posted: 1:32 PM on 07.03.09 |
->> "Q. Does the revised AF calibration or firmware v1.2.5 bring an improvement in tracking autofocus?
No. The EOS-1D Mark III with these changes does not capture a greater proportion of properly focused or nearly focused frames when continuously tracking a moving subject..."
http://tinyurl.com/l5sxm8
What's the "client" have to say? |
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Andrew Wilz, Photographer
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Aspen | CO | USA | Posted: 1:47 PM on 07.03.09 |
->> ...and what i just noticed is that i have the DS bodies, not the 1d bodies... no fix announced for them.
Images are SOFT, but with a load of post, i can save some of the crucial ones. 6400 frames shot over about 5 days, and i'm still doing post... they haven't seen anything yet, so i have some time to work on stuff... but for the amount that people are investing in Canon-systems... you shouldn't have this level of out-of-focus frames... not w/a 'pro-level' system. Shooting wide open with all their prime lenses should be a great experience... especially when you spend at least $1500/lens... not a 'hold-your-breath-and-hope-for-the-best' experience... don't u think? |
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Michael Fischer, Photographer
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Spencer | Ia | USA | Posted: 7:16 PM on 07.03.09 |
->> Like a lot of people, I switched to Canon because it appeared Nikon would never get it right.
Nikon used a technological long bow to get back in the game, and I'm sure that Canon got wind of it before the D3 was introduced and rushed the MIII before it was ready.
Classic marketing error if that was the case.
Make the switch Andrew, and as Caryn points out, the Nikon system does rock. I am way happier being back with Nikon. Shot a image last weekend with no flash and just a whisper of light at ISO 4000 and the D3 handled it like it was no big deal.
Tried out a 14-24 f2.8 today at a camera store. Man, that lens is frigging INSANE.
Pain in the butt to get rid of the Canon stuff, but.. it was well worth it to me. It will be to you as well. |
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Joe Winn, Photographer
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Tampa | Fl | USA | Posted: 8:21 PM on 07.03.09 |
->> I actually do love Canon.
Fantastic service, fantastic photo quality...what can I say? All the imagery equipment (video, photo and printing) I own is Canon and I love it. |
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N. Scott Trimble, Photographer
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Lake Oswego | OR | USA | Posted: 9:02 PM on 07.03.09 |
->> I switched from Nikon have never regretted the decision. I think both make great products, and both and screwed the pooch without so much as at least spiking the water bowl first too.
Face it. the Mark III body is a lemon. Firmware won't fix it. It needed a better motherboard with a dedicated CPU just for autofocus, something that the IV better be equipped with, or else a completely different architecture altogether.
Bottom line, for both Nikon and Canon, when you are on top too long, complacency is sure to follow. And both have had dark, guilty moments of that.
Incidentally, I have not had a single fault with my 5D Mk 1 or two, besides the model limitations of speed. Fantastic images and range from both still. |
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Alex Menendez, Photographer
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Orlando | FL | USA | Posted: 9:47 PM on 07.03.09 |
->> Andrew,
I am sending my MarkIII back for the 4th time next week after I finish shooting Nascar this weekend.
Its a lemon no doubt and I feel your pain. No matter how much they try to get it right they always seem to fail with this camera. I think I got a bad camera for sure and would like to encourage Canon to offer some type of credit or deal on a new camera purchase in the future. My 5DMKII has been flawless but just too slow for sports.
Not sure what else to say but "you are not alone"!
alex |
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Mike Brice, Photographer
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Ogden | UT | USA | Posted: 10:09 PM on 07.03.09 |
->> Funny thing that when I first joined SportsShooter, and went to the luau I was almost embarrassed to be a Nikon shooter.
Amazing how times change. |
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Kent Miller, Photographer
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New York | NY | USA | Posted: 11:42 PM on 07.03.09 |
->> Mike,
That is a funny thing. I was in the same boat a short time ago. Now I feel it was worth sticking with Nikon. The best flash system, The best glass and now the best bodies!
Let's hope they keep moving forward! Fast glass please....
k |
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Scott Serio, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Colora | MD | USA | Posted: 11:43 PM on 07.03.09 |
->> I was a Canon user for my entire photo existence until last year. Everything. Then last year I got back-to-back Error 99's a week apart on NEW bodies. When I called Canon and was asking for a little love considering how much money I had lost on back-to-back shoots (one died at a swim meet with 900 kids), I was told by the Canon customer service rep, "We are not in the business of compensating photographers, we are the business of repairing cameras."
My response, "Business appears to be brisk then." All of my gear was on EBAY the next day, I took a bath, but I have never had an issue with my new Nikon gear and love it. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 12:00 AM on 07.04.09 |
| ->> I know I know I'll get flamed (again) for this, BUT I've had two Mark III's for two years this week. They are without a doubt the BEST digital cameras I have ever used. I was really irritated when FORCED to switch, in fact I begged the boss to make me last in line.....I wasn't BUT I was the first to be given Mark III's (2) They changed my life. Well crap I'm being melodramatic by saying that but I'm sticking up the my tools. They are awesome. Perfect autofocus in every situation, exposures great, I know I'm in the one percentile group but I stand by the equipment I've been issued. I'm old school, not a techno guy at all....honestly I don't even know how my camera is "set" up. I shoot. I just hate all these threads bashing equipment (for two years now) and I have to ask...andrew, when did you buy the mark III's? did you buy them after all the bruhaha which started two years ago? did you buy them last year? if you did (last year) what the hell were you thinking after all the negative publicity? I think it's total bull$h&t to start a thread and trash a camera system. just mho but I just don't get these kind of threads |
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Matthew Mullen, Photographer
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Brick | NJ | USA | Posted: 11:07 AM on 07.04.09 |
->> Chuck,
I'm with you I have a 1D Mark II a Mark IIn and 2 Mark III's and I love them all but pick up the Mark III every time. We take 10,000 frames a weekend and while we certainly get out of focus frames I never have felt like it was out of the ordinary. While the Nikons are great cameras (and its about time Nikon produced cameras that were up to the standard Canon set) there is no way I would switch.
Andrew, the 1DS shows so much detail your glass has to be perfect. I joined CPS and had the Jamesburg NJ facility check my 70-200, 24-70 and my 300 2.8 and 400 2.8. When I got them back it was like I had new equipment. The 300 2.8 and 400 2.8 had the lens mount replaced and the 24-70 and 70-200 each had a lens group replaced. The 70-200 had the IS replaced also. The 24-70 and 70-200 had over 150,000 frames shot on them. The 300 and 400 probably triple that number. The turnaround time was 3 days and the service was excellent. The only limitation is 3 day turnaround is guaranteed for 3 pcs of equipment or less. Give it a shot, or let me know I'd love a good deal on another Mark III. Matt |
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Andrew Wilz, Photographer
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Aspen | CO | USA | Posted: 11:36 AM on 07.04.09 |
->> Matthew... The Original Mk3 didn't even give me 100 frames before i got the fatal-error99 code, so i'm pretty sure you don't want that one.
Chuck.. i waited because of all the hype, and DIDN'T get one when they first came out. For this client, i wanted more resolution than my Mk2 had, so i got one 3 days before the project started. When you have ALL L-Glass, and mostly brand-new stuff (50 1.2, 85 1.2, 35 1.4, 400 2.8 etc), then your stuff should work RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX. You shouldn't have to go thru all your stuff and calibrate everything. Are you freakin KIDDING ME? I've been a Canon-guy since the beginning (film), and NEVER had issues like this. If autofocus can't track a human, running... then i REALLY feel for the guys shooting F1 or Moto GP, who need a tracking-shot now and then. I don't flame people or companies for no reason. I know how to focus a shot (yes, believe it or not, you're not the only one)... and no, their autofocus doesn't work accurately... not even most of the time. Files look great when they are sharp... but that's pretty few and far between. I shouldn't have to send in all my stuff to see if all the parts (lenses) 'work together'... it's part of a system... that's SUPPOSED to work together. |
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David Harpe, Photographer
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Louisville | KY | USA | Posted: 12:50 PM on 07.04.09 |
->> With the MkIII I really think there are good cameras and bad cameras out there. I had two MkIII's and they were great even before the first fix. But I made the mistake of trying out a Nikon D3 in low light and it really set the hook in me to switch. I was a reluctant convert to Canon anyway, and I never really liked the ergo on my Canon bodies. I had always planned on switching back when Nikon came out with a camera as good/better than the Canon cameras. It took 'em awhile, but the D3 is definitely the best camera I have ever used (so far :-). But it's not because of autofocus that I say that...it's the high ISO performance, the ergo, and the quality of the files you get out of this sucker. They're just outstanding. I'm also very happy to be back with Nikon lenses.
If I ended up in a situation where I had to shoot with a Canon MkIII, I'd be comfortable with it based on my own experience. But there are a lot of really well respected people saying the camera has problems, so it's hard to say that all MkIII's are created equal. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 12:59 PM on 07.04.09 |
| ->> David, that about sums it up. Obviously the Mark III's had some serious quality control problems, some very good cameras and according to a lot of people a LOT of very bad cameras...but man this poor horse is dead. Let's stop beating it.... |
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Alan Look, Photographer
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Bloomington | IL | United States | Posted: 1:53 PM on 07.04.09 |
| ->> 2 MKIIn's and I wouldn't part with them. They are likely the best and probably the last best completely still digital camera that Canon will make. I feel for anyone with a MKIII, but the IIn's are solid. |
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Rich Cruse, Photographer
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Laguna Niguel | CA | USA | Posted: 2:13 PM on 07.04.09 |
->> We could all just dump digital altogether and go back to film!
No more transmitting from the venue and you could keep a camera for 10 years or more and actually wear it out before you have to replace it!
I miss running to the FedEx office! I miss scanning! I miss carrying around 40 rolls of film in my pocket and being depressed when the skies were dark and gray and all I had was 100 ISO slide film in my pocket!
Ah the good old days!
;-) |
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Louis Lopez, Photographer
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Fontana | CA | USA | Posted: 4:07 PM on 07.04.09 |
->> "but man this poor horse is dead. Let's stop beating it...."
If Canon would have the funeral already and stop trying to resucitate this failed camera the healing could begin.
Put a DNR order on this camera system already and have a new baby...
Yes, I watched a few medical dramas this past week. |
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David Harpe, Photographer
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Louisville | KY | USA | Posted: 7:19 PM on 07.04.09 |
| ->> Film days were worse. Guys would square off in the parking lot over Fuji vs Kodak... :-) |
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William Maner, Photographer
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Biloxi | MS | USA | Posted: 7:25 PM on 07.04.09 |
| ->> David Harpe.. Those Agfa boys could be just as mean!!! |
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Rich Cruse, Photographer
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Laguna Niguel | CA | USA | Posted: 7:32 PM on 07.04.09 |
->> I started with my Dad's Minolta, then Olympus OM1 and OM4T, then Nikon FE2 and 8008 and N90, then Canon EOS 1 and onto the 20d and then to Nikon D80 and D200, then D300 and D90. Now I use D700 with D90. Whew!
Favorite film was Kodachrome 64 then 200, Fujichrome 100, the last slide film I liked was Kodak 100VS. It was like Kodachrome- but E-6.
What goes around comes around! |
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Derick Hingle, Photographer
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Hammond | LA | USA | Posted: 8:50 PM on 07.04.09 |
| ->> I guess I am one of the lucky few my Mark III has been great, I use it for everything, I have had some out of focus images but nothing out of the ordinary. I really love mine and use it over my Mark II. Sorry to hear people have had so many problems with their mark III's. |
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William Purnell, Photographer
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Wichita | Ks | | Posted: 4:48 PM on 07.05.09 |
| ->> The more and more I see these threads I feel more and more lucky. I have had hardly any issues from my canon equipment. |
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David Seelig, Photographer
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Hailey | ID | USA | Posted: 7:21 PM on 07.05.09 |
| ->> My mk 111 ' shave been great as well. I shoot pro sports concerts and general work and have had nothing but good things to say about the mk 111 and 1ds mk 111. |
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David Harpe, Photographer
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Louisville | KY | USA | Posted: 11:03 PM on 07.05.09 |
->> Those Agfa boys could be just as mean!!!
Very true. And we won't even BEGIN to talk about The Ilford Gang...
Keep it COOOOL, boy...REAL cool... |
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Trevor Brown, Photographer, Assistant
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Denver | CO | USA | Posted: 11:23 PM on 07.05.09 |
| ->> Did any of you hear that Michael Jackson died? |
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Daniel Putz, Photographer
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Jefferson | MD | USA | Posted: 12:52 AM on 07.06.09 |
| ->> no tell us more |
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Duane Burleson, Photographer
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Sterling Heights | MI | USA | Posted: 1:23 AM on 07.06.09 |
| ->> who is Michael Jackson? |
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Jeff Jones, Photo Editor
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Gallup | NM | USA | Posted: 1:35 PM on 07.06.09 |
->> Andrew -
this is a "not very likely" thing, but it happened with my Nikon D200 - I was getting images that were always looking soft, and maybe only about 20% were usable. (By comparison my Nikon D80 was over 85% shooting basketball). So I pulled out one of the sensor cleaning swabs and oh-so-gently wiped the sensor with only a single drop of fluid - it worked wonders.
Turned out I had this thin layer of dust/dirt/grit/whatever on the sensor. I immediately got good results and did not have to post process the living daylights out of every frame...
Wouldn't hurt to check your sensor and see - and be careful with the cleaning fluid, as it can leave a residue that is just as bad.... |
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Marcell van Aswegen, Photographer
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Pretoria | GP | South Africa | Posted: 3:34 PM on 07.06.09 |
| ->> Sorry to hear about your bad experience with Canon, I still use the older mark 1 and mark 2 bodies, and really havent had any problems ever. Canon really screwed up with some of the mk3's |
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Diego James Robles, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Athens | OH | U.S. | Posted: 11:43 PM on 07.08.09 |
->> I have a Mark III and it's my favorite camera. I'd use it in a pinch or to save my life. I'd use it over a D3 and my 5d Mark II even though I think the former is better overall.
Every time Canon announces a fix or adjustment, I send it in. I do so because I have other bodies and really appreciate the complimentary sensor cleaning. I've always been a Canon guy and when I got in the business, not very long ago, they were THE company.
However, in the last year or so, I've had so many problems with them and their customer service has really gone down hill. Maybe it's because they've gotten so many angry calls over the Mark IIIs but they've really dropped the ball.
I'm not going to get into details but part of their system is simply broken. I always fill out their forms and explain in detail what needs to be done and I am usually disappointed to open the box and easily see they've completely ignored the requests I have asked to pay for. Calling them does not seem to help much either.
I recently went to Irvine, California, myself and tried to talk about some issues but instead I got somebody that was rude and didn't understand that I lost time, money and photo opportunities because I didn't have my workhorse with me.
I cannot afford to switch and I don't want to but I always have young students ask me what brand they should go with and this fall, I am not going to say Canon.
This is just my personal experience and feelings after cooling off and thinking about it for some time. |
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Michael Myers, Photographer
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Miami Beach | FL | USA | Posted: 7:48 AM on 07.21.09 |
->> Just checking for a friend of mine, who seems to think this problem is all fixed now. Is it? If so, what was the cure? If not, any thoughts on when (or if) it might be taken care of?
I guess I shouldn't even ask the second part, as it would be just rumors. |
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Yamil Sued, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Peoria | AZ | USA | Posted: 11:09 AM on 07.21.09 |
->> Michael,
According to Rob Galbraith...
Q. Does the revised AF calibration or firmware v1.2.5 bring an improvement in tracking autofocus?
No. The EOS-1D Mark III with these changes does not capture a greater proportion of properly focused or nearly focused frames when continuously tracking a moving subject. As before, the camera has a tendency to spontaneously focus in front of where it should - though it will at times shift the focus behind for several frames too, especially when Assist AF points are enabled - and it happens often enough to produce an unacceptable number of missed peak action moments.
Read the whole story here:
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-8740-9068-10086 |
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