Am I the only one without 5D3 Problems?

[ScottyP]

I switched from Nikon to Canon (am I the only one doing this too LOL) last spring before wedding season and did some research online... Really dug the specs on the 5D3 as well as the 600EX-RT flash system. 

I made the jump and sold my Nikon kit which consisted of a D3s, D700, 3x SB-900, 24-70G, 70-200VR1, 14-24, and 50 1.4  I ended up buying a 5D2, 5D3, 5x 600 EX-RT, 35L, 85 1.8, 135L, 70-200L IS1, and 17-40.  I really haven't looked back since and shoot 85% of the time wielding two bodies with the 35L and 85 1.8. 

Here is what I love about the 5D3

The 600 EX flash system has changed the way I shoot, at any point during the day of a wedding I will have at least one additional light firing off-camera.  What a wonderful system.  It works flawlessly in group mode when I want to light up a reception hall with 2-3 lights.  My only gripe is that it doesn't work the same with the 5D2.  Canon claims it is the processor, but I think they just want to sell more new cameras 

The 5D3 files I have shot look indistinguishable if not slightly better than my old D3s as well, which is a blessing given the smaller size.  The ability to shoot smaller RAW files has also been a charm.  During the reception and other boring parts of the day, I shoot away in mRAW as very few wedding clients need a 22MP file.  Despite a smaller file size, I like to perfect WB and exposure (which usually needs very little tweaking)...

The focusing system is incredible in my opinion.  People complain about it being confusing, but once you sit down and really put all the different focusing patterns and modes into practice, I rarely get an OOF shot even with a prime at ~f/2.  Granted my keeper rate is much higher with the 70-200 f/2.8 IS, but I think that is just a function of focus speed with primes vs zooms, not anything to do with the camera.  I did notice the camera focused a little slower with the 600EX AF assist beam, so I did a little test.  I have my DOF preview button set to switch between SERVO>ONESHOT when I hold it down.  I noticed that the camera focused much faster in SERVO mode without the AF assist beam (which it doesn't use anyway) even in very dim lighting.  Now even in ONE SHOT, I only use the AF assist beam when it is absolutely pitch black which is almost never these days since video guys always have their annoying video lights on heh.  From my experience using zone focusing/tracking, the 5D3 tends to get "thrown off" by objects in the background much less than any of my Nikons, even the D3s.

Perhaps the one "awful" thing about the 5D3 is the dark AF points in low light.  My Nikon cameras always had a red square and it made moving AF points around in low light a breeze.  I have learned to adapt to how my 5D3 works in this regard, but I am hoping for a FW update to remedy this at some point.  Not keeping my hopes up, but it would be nice.

As far as dynamic range, maybe my exposures are just really nicely lit because of how often I use the off camera flash system.  I don't really ever need to push or pull my RAW files more than 1EV, so maybe I'm not seeing this lack of dynamic range so many people have complained about.  There are certainly merits to having more dynamic range, heck I wouldn't argue against it.  For landscape and studio shooters, I'm sure the D800 is a better choice, but right now the 5D3 is the best camera I have ever used for a wedding, right ahead of the D3s.

So overall I really have nothing bad to say about the 5D3.  I view it as a baby D3s.  I shot just over 35 weddings this past season and it took only a couple jobs (second shooting for another studio in April) to get fully accustomed to the Canon controls.  I actually prefer how ISO is changed on Canon bodies and I never even have to take my eye away from the finder.  Despite some minor quirks here and there, the overall value of the 600EX-RT system more than makes up for anything I could complain about. 

Am I just oblivious to problems or a lot of people just suffering from "the grass is always greener" syndrome because of the rave reviews the D800 gets on websites like DXO?

So, Mike, do you ever take your 5D3 waterskiing on Lake Success?

(Note to CR members:  that was actually a sneaky trick question designed to get Mike to admit he works for Canon!  Shhhhhhhhhhhhh!)

[MarkII]

HTP is disabled, but would this affect RAW files anyway?

HTP causes the camera to underexpose the image. When the RAW file is developed the exposure is automatically corrected. The result is a correctly exposed picture, but with more highlight headroom and more noise.

You might want to try to find someone else with a 5DIII and just check your settings with them before starting a return. While the camera is excellent, the manual is a bit lame. Try figuring out what settings affect the RAW files, for example...

[Shane1.4]

I couldn't be more happy! And I paid full price the day it came out. I now completely trust the AF when shooting at 1.4 whereas with my 60D I had to use liveview. The noise performance is awesome. In dimly lit churches, I can shoot a bride walking down the aisle at ISO 12,800 and not worry about how the shot will turn out.

[lintoni]

HTP is disabled, but would this affect RAW files anyway? I'm more and more convinced that I have a lemon and I'm seriously considering asking for a replacement. Unfortunately, the UK store I bought it from has gone into administration (i.e. Jacobs) so I'm not quite sure how to go about returning it or who to return it to!

Did you register your camera purchase with Canon?  If not, do it and your warranty will be good.

http://www.canon.co.uk/Support/Warranty/

[HoneyBadger]

My first 5dIII suffered greatly from stuck pixels. I couldn't take a picture at sunset without a larger purple dot. My second 5dIII has been great. No problems so far with it.

[cayenne]

HTP is disabled, but would this affect RAW files anyway? I'm more and more convinced that I have a lemon and I'm seriously considering asking for a replacement. Unfortunately, the UK store I bought it from has gone into administration (i.e. Jacobs) so I'm not quite sure how to go about returning it or who to return it to!

Did you register your camera purchase with Canon?  If not, do it and your warranty will be good.

http://www.canon.co.uk/Support/Warranty/

Is registration required in the UK?

I believe in the US, it isn't required for you to 'register' it to get the warranty coverage.....

[lintoni]

HTP is disabled, but would this affect RAW files anyway? I'm more and more convinced that I have a lemon and I'm seriously considering asking for a replacement. Unfortunately, the UK store I bought it from has gone into administration (i.e. Jacobs) so I'm not quite sure how to go about returning it or who to return it to!

Did you register your camera purchase with Canon?  If not, do it and your warranty will be good.

http://www.canon.co.uk/Support/Warranty/

Is registration required in the UK?

I believe in the US, it isn't required for you to 'register' it to get the warranty coverage.....

You'd normally just take it back to the shop you bought it at, but as Jacobs has disappeared from the High Street... you should be able to take it to a Canon authorised dealer, but  registering it with Canon should make things easier.

EDIT

19 June 2012

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/photo-news/538860/jacobs-shuts-remaining-stores-after-sell-off-plan-fails

Jacobs has today shut 11 stores with the loss of a further 87 jobs.

The Jacobs branch at London Road in Leicester will remain open to handle stock clearance, until a date yet to be confirmed, according to the firm's administrator PKF.

...

Customers should deal directly with manufacturers regarding product warranties, according to PKF.

[Kernuak]

The only real 'problem' I have with my 5DMkIII is that the RAW files seem very noisy even at base ISO (whatever the base ISO actually is - 100, 160 - I have read somewhere that 160 is supposed to be less noisy than 100). I always have to move the luminance slider in LR4 to around 50 to eliminate noise and that inevitably results in loss of some detail.

I'd be very interested to hear from other 5DMkIII users as to how much noise reduction they routinely apply to RAW images shot at base ISO and how the 5DMkIII compares with previous bodies that they have used in that respect.

I'm just wondering if the level of noise I'm seeing in my RAW files at base ISO is just a characteristic of the sensor or whether I have a dud and should return it to Canon whilst it's still within the guarantee period.

That doesn't sound right at all. I just sent back a 6D for other reasons, but ISO was very good and 400 required no noise reduction at all. My 5D3 arrives Friday and it had better be similar if it doesn't want to go back where it came from.  I'll post when it gets here.

Thanks - I'll be very interested as to what level of noise reduction you need to apply to the RAW files from your new 5DMkIII. Mine was one of the first available in the UK, so I'm wondering whether that might have anything to do with it i.e. whether later serial numbers have better sensor performance.

I've had mine since July and I have taken macro shots at ISO 6400 and some wildlife shots at ISO 5000, without any noise reduction. The noise is visible if you look hard enough in the darker areas, but certainly not what I would call distracting. At ISO 100, I can't see any noise.  Bear in mind, if I don't expose correctly, then I retake where possible, often even if it's only half a stop out, then do as little post processing as possible.

[Zlatko]

Here is what I love about the 5D3 ....

Am I just oblivious to problems or a lot of people just suffering from "the grass is always greener" syndrome because of the rave reviews the D800 gets on websites like DXO?

You've summed it up very well.  I don't have problems with the 5D3 either, other than the black AF points.  It is the best wedding camera I've ever used.  DxO doesn't shoot weddings, so their ratings don't reflect important camera features that matter to me.  I have lots of D800 files from a 2nd shooter and they are wonderfully detailed (if you make giant-sized prints), but the color is not as pleasing as from the 5D3.  And Nikon doesn't have the medium raw file size option or the new flashes with built in radio.