Canon 5D Mark III Light Leak?

[xaviesta68]

Mine is experiencing the same issue, too
Made me worry for a while :p
Then, I tested my D3s... the same issue showed up!!
Am I doomed or it's just a negletible issue?

[magus424]

Here are my observations: with the body cap on, I get shifts in exposure based on LCD backlight, or shining a bright light into the LCD.

With the Canon 50mm f/1.4 on, lens cap off, in place of the body cap, in the dim room I'm currently in, I can't make it change unless I shine a light into the viewfinder - no angle or brightness into the LCD makes any difference whatsoever.

To me, it looks like the leak is so small it has no impact unless the sensor is receiving no other light at all.

I can't even get a picture of the leak with ISO 25600, 30 seconds, and shining a bright light on the LCD (or using the backlight).

[Hesham]

Probably it depends on what lens cap has been used! I searched the net and there seems no information on what lens caps are used most by photographers..

So please before you (i mean everybody) publish your test results, let us know the brand of the lens cap used, how old is it?..etc. Try using multiple lens caps and record your results (if possible)

[altenae]

Mine is experiencing the same issue, too
Made me worry for a while :p
Then, I tested my D3s... the same issue showed up!!
Am I doomed or it's just a negletible issue?

And the Nikon D300 also.
Terrible now I can't take any good pictures with the lenscap on !!!!!

[magus424]

Probably it depends on what lens cap has been used! I searched the net and there seems no information on what lens caps are used most by photographers..

So please before you (i mean everybody) publish your test results, let us know the brand of the lens cap used, how old is it?..etc. Try using multiple lens caps and record your results (if possible)

If you're referring to the body cap, my tests don't care about that, I also wrapped the camera up in a T-shirt I had handy to further block out light from all external sources (I also had the VF blocked once I figured out that it made a difference)

Though FTR it was the official Canon cap, brand new that came with the camera

[JR]

I was too curious now and tried it with my 5DmkII and found no issue.  I don't think this issue would prevent me from buying a mkIII body since I usually shoot with the lens cap off!   

[ro-b]

I have also tried it with a lens (24-70 L) with lenscap on. And it was the same, also for av mode. And it was also when I pointed a flashlight on the upper lcd, while the rest was covered to be not influeced by the light...also the viewfinder was covered all the time!

I could only registrate that issue between exposuretimes of 1/13 and a few seconds (up to 10" or so)

cheers rob

[fegari]

Hi all

First post here.

Tried that in my 7D and no problem there. I was courious as i'm interested in the MarkIII and can't believe a 3500USD camera has this problem. In my point of view is not acceptable. For example, that would have ruined some of my long exposure pics (ex Auroras) and I don't understand how so many people call this a non-issue. For a 500USD camera maybe but for a 3500USD one...?

On my side I guess I'll wait a bit more then before commiting to the MarkIII.

br

[cinema-dslr]

indeed no problem on a 7d
could it be that they switched the amber backlight position from the right(7d) to the left next to the mirorbox?

when you look at the lcd at an angle you can make out the led.
i believe that one side of the lcd is mirrored off to reflect the backlight back.
the ledside isn't so sunlight can sliptrough and the ledlight itself will have a more profound effect when placed next to the mirror box

can someone check the position of the backlight led on the markIII?

[bp]

Mine is experiencing the same issue, too
Made me worry for a while :p
Then, I tested my D3s... the same issue showed up!!
Am I doomed or it's just a negletible issue?

And the Nikon D300 also.
Terrible now I can't take any good pictures with the lenscap on !!!!!

Well, fortunately now people have something to blame underexposures on.  I too was concerned at first, until I did a lot of testing in/out of shade while changing the variables (the biggest of which seems to be the viewfinder in my testing with a tripod, pointed at the same scene, and covering/uncovering various parts of the 5d3). 

Frankly I find this all ridiculous.    Exponentially more light leaks in through the viewfinder, even with your eye up to it.  I get no change in exposure with lens cap off and the viewfinder completely covered, and allowing sunlight directly on the LCD vs. in shade.  However, if I uncover the VF, I see tiny changes - as with every other camera I've ever used. 

[altenae]

Hi all

First post here.

Tried that in my 7D and no problem there. I was courious as i'm interested in the MarkIII and can't believe a 3500USD camera has this problem. In my point of view is not acceptable. For example, that would have ruined some of my long exposure pics (ex Auroras) and I don't understand how so many people call this a non-issue. For a 500USD camera maybe but for a 3500USD one...?

On my side I guess I'll wait a bit more then before commiting to the MarkIII.

br

Do you take pictures with the lenscap on or off ?

[altenae]

Hi all

First post here.

Tried that in my 7D and no problem there. I was courious as i'm interested in the MarkIII and can't believe a 3500USD camera has this problem. In my point of view is not acceptable. For example, that would have ruined some of my long exposure pics (ex Auroras) and I don't understand how so many people call this a non-issue. For a 500USD camera maybe but for a 3500USD one...?

On my side I guess I'll wait a bit more then before commiting to the MarkIII.

br

Do you take pictures with the lenscap on or off ?

All these YouTube light issue on the 5D mark iii is with lens cap on !

[Etienne]

Dan Chung reported that the 5DIII consistently under exposed by about 2/3 stop compared to the D800. Could this be why?

[Fleetie]

Dan Chung reported that the 5DIII consistently under exposed by about 2/3 stop compared to the D800. Could this be why?

Very unlikely. Plus, what is "over/under-exposed" is very subjective.

Personally, I prefer to slightly "under"-expose relative to what my 7D and my 5D3 "think" is the correct exposure, because I think it results in better colour saturation. I find colours tend to "wash out" slightly at the exposure levels that the camera indicates when exposure compensation is set to 0.

IMNSHO, there's NO WAY that in real-life shooting scenarios, this effect could cause an exposure deviation as large as 2/3 of a stop.

[bp]

Dan Chung reported that the 5DIII consistently under exposed by about 2/3 stop compared to the D800. Could this be why?

That's not entirely accurate.  Saying it "underexposed" would imply that the Mk3 made a mistake, but that's not what he said.  What he said was "To make it even harder to do direct comparisons the 5D mkIII seemed to be around a stop to 2/3 of a stop darker than the D800 at any given ISO setting."   It's not really surprising that two cameras with different metering systems interpret the same scene differently - but he never inferred that one camera had it right while the other was wrong.  Just that in comparison, one tended to darker than the other.

Also, one of the comments below the article, a user reports that in HIS comparisons, the Nikon tended to be darker than the Canon.