nathanlake wrote:
Figuring out what the problem is, and figuring out how to fix it, are two very different issues. I would not expect Canon to make any announcment until they know what the problem was and had a fix nearly ready to go. That could easily take months. That would be even more true if they intend to say this is the "real" fix...something they never said about the sub-mirror change.
Contrary to 'unpopular disbelief', they've already been working on it for months, and as you indirectly suggested, I sort of doubt they'd be saying anything to anyone about it unless they were relatively close to getting things moving.
I bought a 40D Friday. I was waiting for a couple of things - the full functionality of the 1D3 or the 5D2. Neither has appeared. I'll sit on my 5D and 40D for a while and contemplate my next move. I'm a little frustrated with Canon right now.
nathanlake wrote:
Even some of the booth reps at PMA were hinting at something like this. I have said ever since I got my "blue dot" that is was not right. Funny how some people will swear THEIR 1DMIII is working perfectly in spite of the obvious problems.
Not really funny.. I have gotten great performance out of mine and I am not going to change my story just because there are acknowledged defects. I literally have been having great luck...BUT...I don't shoot BIF....or runners sprinting directly towards me on a regular basis. I do believe there definitely is a possibility that my camera suffers these problems, but for everything I have shot with it (which includes football and soccer) I have had very good results.
Anyway, I don't want to rehash the rehash.... I am ready for them to fix the darn thing so that we can all sit in a circle and sing kumbaya and once again restore our faith in these flagship Canon bodies.
Now.. I wonder when I'll get mine back from Canon now...
Tom_W wrote:
I bought a 40D Friday. I was waiting for a couple of things - the full functionality of the 1D3 or the 5D2. Neither has appeared. I'll sit on my 5D and 40D for a while and contemplate my next move. I'm a little frustrated with Canon right now.
I think them Canon boys are a little frustrated with themselves too. Their reported insistence on "finding/correcting the ROOT CAUSE" means one thing in techno-speak:
"We promise this is the last fix needed to make the camera good."
So, Tommy, instead of getting all vexed, why not go out and take some pictures with your nice new camera. oke:
Alistair Watson wrote:
RG did indeed utter words that he still didn't think the AF performance was on par with a 1D2N and that he had given all his test results to Canon to do further research.
Having first hand experience of all these 1D3 problems I imagine that alot of the frustration here is that Canon told us that this was the fix and would hear none of the negative comments from owners saying they still weren't happy....
Still, after the fire of frustration dies down and if this does turn out to be the final fix which allows the 1D3 to perform as per specification and marketing then most people will be happy yet as always there will be some who threaten never to buy a Canon product again but oh well... each to their own. ...Show more →
What's probably going on is that over the last year Canon has been "discovering" the various issues with the MkIII AF and every few months we hear about their "best solution" to the issue which comes across as "the fix" (partly because they announce it as the fix.) The problem is that we don't know (and never will) what their engineers do know about the problem and what they don't know about the problem (and it seems obvious the Canon engineers themselves "don't know what they don't know," to use an intelligence phrase.) So Canon keeps making progress towards finally resolving the problem and, as you say, when they get things functioning properly it will be a kick-ass system (already is in terms of image quality from what I see people saying.) Unfortunately, we don't know (and maybe Canon doesn't either) whether this is the final be-all and end-all fix. Like the other announcements, this may just be another "point-in-time" best view from Canon about fixing the system. And I'm not saying Canon is acting maliciously, just that they're working their way through a bunch of AF issues that may take some time to fully resolve. Unfortunately, the people in the service and sales centers--who are probably at the end of the line in terms of getting the real poop from the engineering staff on whether a given fix works--don't help things much when they do stuff like telling people to send all their lenses in for adjustment because it's "obviously not" an issue created by the latest fix--after all that solved the problem, right?
Brent Ward wrote:
At this point with the 14-24 and 24 TS from Nikon, all they have to do is come out with a great high res FF camera and I'm done with canon.
Yep, I think many thousands of people are poised on the fence waiting for the D3X.
Hrow wrote:
Nathan, most of the time I agree with you but Canon indicated that the fix was "The Fix". These folks are being cut way to much slack. They knew they had a camera that had problems before releasing it and now, more than a year later the damn thing still doesn't work correctly. Bad business.
Reread the official Canon announcement about the submirror issue. It does not claim it is the only problem. It states they found "a" problem and will fix it for free. Much of what me may remember Canon saying may not be actual Canon announcements.
PetKal wrote:
I think them Canon boys are a little frustrated with themselves too. Their reported insistence on "finding/correcting the ROOT CAUSE" means one thing in techno-speak:
"We promise this is the last fix needed to make the camera good."
So, Tommy, instead of getting all vexed, why not go out and take some pictures with your nice new camera. oke:
Oh, I will when it shows up. I expect to enjoy a little NASCAR next month with the 40D. The 5D did well there the last 2 years, but I think the little cropper is better suited for such an event.
There's be no 1D3 in my stable any time soon. The sooner Canon gets rid of this model, the better. Seriously. They fumbled. Time to move on, even if it costs a bit. Better to spend a few dollars today to retain tomorrow's customers than to give competitors the hammer with which nails will be driven in ones' own coffin.
I'm guessing this fix will be ready around Photokina and the official fix will be called 1D mk IV. The fix will be free but the service charge will be $4495
Pixel Perfect wrote:
I'm guessing this fix will be ready around Photokina and the official fix will be called 1D mk IV. The fix will be free but the service charge will be $4495
That could be, though at that I would also expect a bonus of 12 fps, FF, and 18MP for your service charge.
nathanlake wrote:
Reread the official Canon announcement about the submirror issue. It does not claim it is the only problem. It states they found "a" problem and will fix it for free.
"After a thorough investigation, we have found that some EOS-1D Mark III cameras may have an issue with the mirror mechanism, which is part of the autofocus optical system. This issue may cause inconsistent focusing accuracy or inconsistent focus tracking with moving subjects when using AI-Servo AF and continuous shooting modes, particularly in high temperatures."
DavidP wrote:
"After a thorough investigation, we have found that some EOS-1D Mark III cameras may have an issue with the mirror mechanism, which is part of the autofocus optical system. This issue may cause inconsistent focusing accuracy or inconsistent focus tracking with moving subjects when using AI-Servo AF and continuous shooting modes, particularly in high temperatures."
Sounds definitive to me.
Yea, OK, so you guys are right but it is still not making me feel all warm and fuzzy.
so, non of the markIII on the market are good. I just got a special deal on the camera. I am about to pick it up. i am glad that i read this. but, too bad, i guess i have to wait few more months.
Feb 03, 2008 at 11:45 PM
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Pixel Perfect wrote:
I'm guessing this fix will be ready around Photokina and the official fix will be called 1D mk IV. The fix will be free but the service charge will be $4495
I know you are not being serious, but I would bet if there is any way possible they will make sure they have the camera fixed by the Olympics. I feel for all of you with a Mark III. It must suck to have to think about sending in the camera again. I hope they have finally solved the problem and you can have the camera you were hoping for as soon as possible.
DavidP wrote:
"After a thorough investigation, we have found that some EOS-1D Mark III cameras may have an issue with the mirror mechanism, which is part of the autofocus optical system. This issue may cause inconsistent focusing accuracy or inconsistent focus tracking with moving subjects when using AI-Servo AF and continuous shooting modes, particularly in high temperatures."
Steve Spencer wrote:
I would bet if there is any way possible they will make sure they have the camera fixed by the Olympics.
I agree - the Olympic Games is the biggest sporting event on the planet and I am sure that the Canon techies are working day & night to get the 1DMkIII fully reliable well in advance of the August 8th.
If the 1DMkIII focussing is not 100% reliable soon, Nikon is going to sell a lot of D3's & pro lenses.
PierreB wrote:
If the 1DMkIII focussing is not 100% reliable soon, Nikon is going to sell a lot of D3's & pro lenses.
I'll re-phrase that - they are going to sell a lot of D3's & pro lenses whatever Canon does with the 1DMkIII. The D3 is a good camera and a lot of people are going to buy one.
What I meant was - if you were due on a plane to Beijing at the start of August and your 1DMkIII's were not 100% reliable, what would you do? Try and get some 1DMkII's or switch to D3's?
The news from what Rob is reporting from PMA Canon is that we are about to hear some intresting news from the R&D CANON JAPAN. Unfortunately the old submirror Fix procedurewas not sufficient and it was a petty for all the people that they gave back their cameras to get the Fix since that Fix was not going to be sufficient. On the other hand is clear now that Canon is working hard to catch the Olympics train and we hope that they will catch it. MarkIII is a great machine and some of us are making great work with its fasteness so we hope that this camera will be even better.
MarkIV and 5DII or whatever its going to be on scene sometime later but I do not think this year.
I guess we can't blame Canon, afterall the Olympics has just sprung up out of nowhere and there's no way Canon could have forseen their coming. Damn they'll have to really put some major resources into the problem now.
oke: 
