What to look for when buying a 5d mkiii

[davet4]

Going to finally go and get  the 5D mkiii the weekend , just want to know from any one that has one, is there anything i need to look out for when checking the camera over in the shop? It's a lot of ££££££ so want to make sure its ok before I walk out with it.....any advice would be great..thanks I advance

The reason for asking is that i am not in the UK at the moment, so i do not have the comfort of being able to return it if things go wrong, this is why i want to make damn sure everyting is ok....

[JerryKnight]

Is it new? Look for a warranty card. There's no guarantee that a camera body will work 100%, new or used, but a new camera at least has the protection of a warranty.

If it's used, all you can really check standing there is whether or not the camera works right now. There's no magic checklist - just check "everything". Test as many functions as you can, and look for the particularly fragile things. ie. The focus screen isn't (easily) replaceable, and it's easily scratched if cleaned improperly.

Some people demand a shutter count (you'll need a computer to get that) but it doesn't tell you a lot in most cases, only whether or not it's a pro's abused work camera that's on its last leg, which would show up all over the camera anyways.

[Marsu42]

It's a lot of ££££££ so want to make sure its ok before I walk out with it.....any advice would be great..thanks I advance

You should look for the af focus assist lag with a speedlite - it seems this bug is different between camera bodies and can be a real problem if shooting in lower light where the af lock with assist is faster or more precise than without. A lot of people are sorry they cannot exchange their 5d3 anymore for another copy.

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=10275.msg223642#msg223642

[RLPhoto]

A good deal. I scored one for 2499$ and another for 2999$. 

[tolusina]

Test for sensor dust, sensor hot pixels.
Best if you can review test shots on a computer monitor but you can get by using the camera's screen.

For dust, aperture preferred or manual, ISO lowest, stop down to the smallest possible, focus at infinity. Shoot a clear sky, 'white' (color is not critical) computer screen, like a blank notepad in full screen, even a clean sheet of paper. Screen or paper shots may meter too slow for hand holding, no matter, shoot anyway. Dust or other foreign material on the sensor will be very apparent when reviewed.

For hot pixels, min ISO, shutter preferred or manual, 1/15th or faster, aperture doesn't matter, I forget but I think you want infinity focus, lens cap on, you are after a black frame. Hot sensor pixels will show as blue specs that move as you scroll.
Hot pixels on the camera's screen will also be blue specs but those won't move as you scroll and won't end up in your photos. Annoying but not critical.
 
For both, use full size and scroll all around if viewing on a computer, maximum zoom and scroll all around if viewing on the camera's screen.
 
 
 
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[smithy]

Test for sensor dust, sensor hot pixels.
Best if you can review test shots on a computer monitor but you can get by using the camera's screen.

For dust, aperture preferred or manual, ISO lowest, stop down to the smallest possible, focus at infinity. Shoot a clear sky, 'white' (color is not critical) computer screen, like a blank notepad in full screen, even a clean sheet of paper. Screen or paper shots may meter too slow for hand holding, no matter, shoot anyway. Dust or other foreign material on the sensor will be very apparent when reviewed.

For hot pixels, min ISO, shutter preferred or manual, 1/15th or faster, aperture doesn't matter, I forget but I think you want infinity focus, lens cap on, you are after a black frame. Hot sensor pixels will show as blue specs that move as you scroll.
Hot pixels on the camera's screen will also be blue specs but those won't move as you scroll and won't end up in your photos. Annoying but not critical.
 
For both, use full size and scroll all around if viewing on a computer, maximum zoom and scroll all around if viewing on the camera's screen.

Good advice.  I had to return my first 5D3 due to a cluster of hot pixels.  Fortunately my local camera shop was very understanding and replaced it immediately with a perfect copy.

[Mt Spokane Photography]

You really can't do a test of the more subtle things, dust is the last thing to worry about, its easy to clean.  Checking for hot pixels without a computer is not going to work well either, but if its a gross issue, you might spot it.
I'd recommend that you make sure that your camera can be returned or exchanged in the event you find a issue later. 
That said, I've had probably 30 DSLR's and none had serious issues that required service. 

[davet4]

Thanks for all the reponses, i will keep these in mind....just three days to go before i pick it up

[Etienne]

I returned a 5DIII that had stuck white pixels and stuck red pixels. They showed up in every shot at ISO 800 until about ISO 6400. The stuck pixels went away at ISO 6400 due to the high ISO NR.

Turn off NR when looking for stuck pixels. Obviously stuck pixels will always be in the same place on the image, so they can be distinguished from noise. I wouldn't be too concerned about behavior over ISO 6400.

Look for dead (black) pixels by shooting a white space, wide aperture.

[davet4]

  Pick up the 5dmkiii today..i went for the 24-105 'kit' lens in the end, i am like a kid with a new toy...

I have only had chance to take a couple of test pic's so far but that is enough to know this is the camera for me...I am off to Harbin in North China next week, where they have the Ice Festival, so will give the camera a real test there....will post some shots on my return.

thanks again for all the advice...let the fun begin!!!!!