Canon Professional Services Keeps Professional Sports Photographers Ready For Action

[mb66energy]

Hey, that's a photo of my spare room!

No wait... I dreamed that.

I thought it was Neuro's closet in his clean room. ;D

Holy cow, look at that lens in the corner. Is that a 300mm f/1.0?

No, this is the version with elliptical lenses and diaphragm to simulate the anamorphic (e.g. Cinemascope) out of focus highlights without postprocessing.

 

[RGF]

Like to have this level of service when I shoot a major event (wildlife in Africa)mm :

 

[Etienne]

Awfully thin on rumors about the 5D4. Hoping for a grand-slam but the wait is excruciating.

 

[sportskjutaren]

Forget kidnapping someone for a quick dollar, just ransack the CPS room...

And don't forget to take the security cameras too

When it comes to sport events att this level.
There are a extreme amount of security around it.
First of all. You need to have the right kind of "accreditation" a.k.a. "credential" to get to the MPC (Main Press Center). And it´s practically impossible to fake these accreditations. In order to get there. You will also have to pass thru several stages off security checks. Including having your gear X-rayed, and you also need to pass thru metal detectors. And there are police and security people in crazy amount all over these places. Some are heavily armed.

 

[sportskjutaren]

...
Like how "today" a Russian diplomat in Rio shot dead someone that tried to rob him while he was traveling in his car? The security in Rio is that good?

Well, that´s outside the MPC and the arenas.
Trust me, it´s a totally different thing around the MPC and the arenas.
I know by personal experience.
See my answer to Don Haines above.
That answer is written from personal experience, since i have covered some international tournaments. Including the European soccer championship that was played earlier this year.

 

[hubie]

Give me 5 minutes alone in that room and a tissue ;D

 

[iaind]

Sent in 5D3 and 100-400lfor service during Wimbledon.
CPS platinum turnround was met.
Elstree gets full marks

 

[Shameless]

I think Canon has one of the WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENTS EVER. From CPS local to Worldwide the company is a joke. ABSOLUTE WORST!!!!! CPS is just another way for them to make a buck off the consumer. It's such a let down because I have been such an avid Canon user (that is changing monthly as I sell my gear) I will just never push anyone in their direction if there is a close competitor which now their are tons. Besides Canon seriously falling behind in every arena and crazy price points for the lack luster final products (besides their cinema zooms). How is it Sony & Lumix are trumping this giant? I hope Canon gets their act together on many fronts from their vision to customer service. No wonder they are spending so much on advertising, tv shows and polishing their turd of a reputation with their "olympic pro services" Wish they treated a 23 year loyal customer that is a pro shooter the same. I guess Beyonce isn't a big enough name for them to warrant sending me a replacement body when CPS screwed up a basic sensor cleaning. I mean how do you screw something that basic up? Not only was CPS Hollywood, the epicenter of entertainment industry and Canons big push not willing to go to bat for me and send a replacement camera body while I was on tour but neither was any CPS worldwide locations (including Brazil) Did I have a back up body? Yes? Did everything turn out OK? Sure. But when you pay to not only have your camera serviced as a pro but for a "Membership" that is supposed to support you then that is what I expect. HUGE FAIL. Thats where they lost me and god forbid that camera body went down.

Then we talk about Canons last couple offerings. The last interesting camera they came out with was the XC10 and its a toy, does not even support RAW imagery. Every product that is dropped you have to wait for firmware updates for the camera to be decent. Canon's turn around time on new bodies is FOREVER and they still lack majorly and have huge flaws. I know there isn't a perfect camera but at least get 80% of the way there if you are going to take years for an update. Don't even get me started on the Canon 1DX Mark II, you wanna add some pro options for a 6K price point? C LOG maybe?? No peaking, no zebra, 800MBS codec but no RAW out?

Sorry for the rant but the olympic post really struck a cord. So awesome of Canon to do something when it benefits their image as a company. No where else in the world do un paid users of a product get support on products they know will have problems before they do. Its like hey, we know our products are gonna fail. Lets avoid looking worse than we are lol. Never seen a zeiss or leica booth, oh wait they make amazing products.

Cant wait for the Mark 4 lol Im sure it will be half of the Lumix GH5.

 

[Jack Douglas]

No one will take this first post seriously. Sorry.

Jack

 

[Shameless]

Why is that? Because I am new to the forum? I have never had an interest in posting here because I had no need to. I know what I want to purchase from research. I don't need conversation to keep me inspired. If I have a question I do the homework. But seeing that Olympic post though struck a cord and I want others to know. Weather or not you agree is your opinion much as I have stated mine. It's very simple to make a pro's & con's list and see where Canon as a company really sits. You can google my name, Nick Farrell. You'll see my images from South America with the Beyonce tour & her album packaging. I can also post a screen cap of Canons responses but what I can't do it replay the $600- worth of phone calls from Brazil I had to Canon to try and resolve my problem. Or the lack of attention I received from Frank Freni at Canon personally to help me with the dilemma. What you will never see is me supporting Canon as I will never support Melrose Mac again. Once someone does not stand behind their products, service, customer support or word I'm done. Why are creators / consumers livelihood on the line while the companies that make millions give us the finger?

 

[Mikehit]

So tell me how Canon CPS fails in comparison to Sony and Panasonic? Nikon ain't too hot, either from what I've heard.

 

[expatinasia]

No one will take this first post seriously. Sorry.

Jack

I agree.

 

[Shameless]

So tell me how Canon CPS fails in comparison to Sony and Panasonic? Nikon ain't too hot, either from what I've heard.

Canon just fails. It's $500- USD for the membership I had. For that amount of money plus the amount I spend on lenses, bodies and paying to still use their pro service for repairs that aren't correct I would say that is a good starting point. Im not saying anyone else is better. Better products? Maybe? Listen to their consumers more? Definitely!!!!! Listen to working professionals about that they want in future cameras? Definitely? Know how to keep customers? I don't know because I have never had a beef with any other company where I needed help on a professional level for an additional service I payed a premium for. All I can tell you is that the CPS program did not live up to the standards. What they should of done was refunded my my $500- for a failed service. They should of over nighted me a loaner body since a standard sensor clean rendered my body un usable. There are a lot of things a huge company can do to keep a customer. That $300- in a loaner camera & fedex cost them probably 100K over the next 5-10 years. Not a big deal to Canon but these reviews matter. I'm just letting you know about my experience with Canon as a working professional that makes my living from my cameras.

C300 Mark 2 = FAIL - FS7 6K cheaper and shoots 4K 60 FPS. I mean where do I even start with this brand. It's like the Japan earthquake knocked all the sense out of the developers too!

Cant wait for the 5D lol - watch 4K, 30fps, no C LOG, 8 Bit if our lucky internal, probably a lame codek and it won't be full frame 4k... Dying over here. People stuck on a name.

 

[Mikehit]

So tell me how Canon CPS fails in comparison to Sony and Panasonic? Nikon ain't too hot, either from what I've heard.

Canon just fails. It's $500- USD for the membership I had. For that amount of money plus the amount I spend on lenses, bodies and paying to still use their pro service for repairs that aren't correct I would say that is a good starting point. Im not saying anyone else is better. Better products? Maybe? Listen to their consumers more? Definitely!!!!! Listen to working professionals about that they want in future cameras? Definitely? Know how to keep customers? I don't know because I have never had a beef with any other company where I needed help on a professional level for an additional service I payed a premium for. All I can tell you is that the CPS program did not live up to the standards. What they should of done was refunded my my $500- for a failed service. They should of over nighted me a loaner body since a standard sensor clean rendered my body un usable. There are a lot of things a huge company can do to keep a customer. That $300- in a loaner camera & fedex cost them probably 100K over the next 5-10 years. Not a big deal to Canon but these reviews matter. I'm just letting you know about my experience with Canon as a working professional that makes my living from my cameras.

C300 Mark 2 = FAIL - FS7 6K cheaper and shoots 4K 60 FPS. I mean where do I even start with this brand. It's like the Japan earthquake knocked all the sense out of the developers too!

Cant wait for the 5D lol - watch 4K, 30fps, no C LOG, 8 Bit if our lucky internal, probably a lame codek and it won't be full frame 4k... Dying over here. People stuck on a name.

I am not doubting that they failed in this case, just questioning your assertion that Panasonic and Sony provide better service.
I would say Canon has an excellent history of listening to what working professionals want - and while pros want a myriad of different things I would say Canon is particularly good at prioritising developments so they concentrate on what truly makes a difference not what every Tom, Dick and Harry thinks is funky.

What I can't understand is why you are with Canon at all if they have such an apalling history.

That $300- in a loaner camera & fedex cost them probably 100K over the next 5-10 years.

That's some assertion. Are you saying you would spend 10-20k a year with canon?
Good luck with your (not too far in the) future Nikon/Panasonic/Sony. Let us know how it works out.