Canon, STOP shipping defective products!!!

[justsomedude]

I have yet to see an image where this supposed issue affected it, have you?

Plenty of videos on YouTube showing the problem when shooting at night, and auto-metering with the LCD backlight on...

Maybe you don't do a lot of night shooting - but the problem is certainly very real. Canon wouldn't offer a fix if it wasn't.

 

[tron]

I understand that this issue affects only a few people and the rest laugh at it since it does not affect them at all and enjoy the photos of a good camera. However, many EOS 5DmkIII owners will not laugh when in the future they will try to sell their cameras and the buyers will check the serial number!!!

 

[distant.star]

Seriously, what has this light leak thingie ever actually done to any one?

This light has apparently leaked into many bedrooms and stolen many hours of sleep.

This lack of normal rest has caused reduced productivity in many workplaces. This has caused stock markets to tumble across nations. Friends in high places have told me NASA is working on a scheme to reduce the output of the sun to accommodate this travesty Canon has unleashed upon the earth.

Anyone want to buy a good hand-held light meter?

Apologies to the creators of "Hair" and the 5th Dimension:

Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind's true liberation
Aquarius! Aquarius!

Let the sun shine, Let the sun shine in
The sun shine in
Let the sun shine, Let the sun shine in
The sun shine in
Let the sun shine, Let the sun shine in
The sun shine in
Let the sun shine, Let the sun shine in
The sun shine in
Let the sun shine, Let the sun shine in
The sun shine in
Let the sun shine, Let the sun shine in
The sun shine in
Let the sun shine, Let the sun shine in
The sun shine in
Let the sun shine, Let the sun shine in
The sun shine in
Let the sun shine, Let the sun shine in
The sun shine in
Let the sun shine, Let the sun shine in
The sun shine in
Let the sun shine, Let the sun shine in
The sun shine in

 

[MrSandman]

Ahh.. the righteousness indignation of the average user these days.

"How dare someone provide me with something that's not perfect. I mean, I know it'll never happen, but if it did my exposures might be a tiny tiny bit different".

Yep - well worth all of the fuss I'd say.

P.S If it's not clear, I've preordered mine and will lose not one second of sleep due to this complete non-issue.

Good for you.

The rest of us want cameras that didn’t have to be opened up and repaired to meet specs.

 

[MrSandman]

I have yet to see an image where this supposed issue affected it, have you?

Plenty of videos on YouTube showing the problem when shooting at night, and auto-metering with the LCD backlight on...

Maybe you don't do a lot of night shooting - but the problem is certainly very real. Canon wouldn't offer a fix if it wasn't.

This video makes it crystal clear that the “it’s-only-with-the-lens-cap-on” crowd is full of sh**.

....And yet, they keep repeating the same line, as if saying it more and more will make it true.

 

[markd61]

I am more concerned about the terrible CA I am seeing in both those images.

 

[mrmarks]

More of a case of defective usage than defective product. As the saying goes "Much ado about nothing"

 

[macrodust]

Good for you.

The rest of us want cameras that didn’t have to be opened up and repaired to meet specs.

Also those with the light leakage issue are within spec, as I understand it.

 

[awinphoto]

More of a case of defective usage than defective product. As the saying goes "Much ado about nothing"

exactly... of course on the affected samples it COULD be replicated if you tried, but in normal shooting situations, if your shooting through the VF odds are you set exposure through your VF with the dials... If you have it on tripod and using liveview, odds are you aren't using the top LCD because you can see the effect on screen. Also odds are you would be externally metering to nail exposure or if your using the cameras meter, you adjust it until it looks right. I could be in the minority, but I rarely use the top LCD except to verify the camera is "on" and not sleeping when shooting and the camera is in an idle state. Also use it to do the WB, ISO, etc... but exposure I do through VF... If your shooting workflow is such that it could be an issue, send it in to be fixed or return it if it bugs you that much. Otherwise it's not anything to get our panties in a twist.

 

[h4ldol]

First, I'v shooting Canon for 15 years. I have two 5D3’s. Neither of them showed any “noticeable” effect. Both of them are still within 30-day return period. I AM packing them up today and sending them back for full refund.

Canon’s response to this light leak issue is unacceptable. For a $3,500 camera for which many of us have waited and saved, Canon should STOP shipping the defective products immediately.

Remember iPhone 4? Apple ultimately paid the price by issuing $15 to all its owners.

Feeling a bit entitled because you own a couple 5D3s and some other Canon gear? You just said that the issue had no "noticeable effect" and then you said that the response is "unacceptable" and that the product is "defective", despite having no "noticeable effect". Unlike the iPhone issue, which did affect a large number of people -- you had to hold the phone in a certain way for goodness sake -- the 5D3 "issue" does not. You said it yourself.

It's because of s_____ consumers like you, who feel so entitled because of their small purchasing power and return expensive items for essentially a misplaced anger over a (mis)perceived matter of principle, that the cost of these products is elevated and spread out to all consumers.

 

[Robert Welch]

At least Canon does offer to do something if it is a problem for those few photographers who insist on shooting in very dark situations with the LCD light lit and find it affects their photos.

I know a lot of Nikon D700 users who just have to bite the bullet on annual $300+ hotshoe repairs because Nikon insists it's not a defect and refuses to fix what is obviously a design flaw in that camera unless the owner pays the repair fees. Not to bash Nikon here, they generally have an excellent product as does Canon, but the point is just that a company can handle a situation in different ways, and I think in comparing these Canon has done a better job of addressing the problem with the 5DmkIII, even if you want to find fault in the problem existing to begin with. Canon has had their fiasco too, mainly with the 1DmkIII autofocus, but they did at least try to fix that, even if it was with mixed success. Nikon won't even admit there is a problem with the D700 hotshoe.

 

[edawg]

Why would anyone take a pic with the top lcd ON anyways? What are you even looking at?? The only time Ive ever even used it was for star trails in which case it was only to set manual exposure. This is about the only situation where I'd imagine it could possibly be an issue, near total darkness. In which case you'd be kidding yourself to think you're gonna shoot it in one of the auto modes - especially with the LCD ON (wtf.)

 

[llcanon]

Some people are missing points here.

The fact is the light WILL leak through the LCD panel. Period.

Putting the lens cap or body cap on is just the easiest way to detect this leak. Apparently Canon USA is much smarter than Canon UK or Canon Japan by not listing the two "cap on" scenarios as examples for "extremely dark environments".

Whether it affects your captured image or not depends on the ratio of the light leaking through the LCD panel to the light through the lens and viewfinder.

Under "almost all shooting conditions", the light leaking through the LCD panel should be much smaller compared to the other two light sources (lens and VF), thus might not have "noticeable" effect (quite a subjective term anyway). Under some dark shooting conditions, as demonstrated in the screen capture above, the light leak could be significant enough to affect the exposure. But I don’t understand why you would press the shutter button when the LCD light is on. Just wait a couple of seconds and you should be fine.

Again, it is a real issue. It's your personal choice how to look at it and act. It's like everything in life, not just a camera. Using sarcastic language or laughing at other people who think differently is really not necessary. Be an educated grown-up please.

 

[Loswr]

Some people are missing points here.

The fact is the light WILL leak through the LCD panel. Period.

Whether it affects your captured image or not depends on the ratio of the light leaking through the LCD panel to the light through the lens and viewfinder.

Just to be clear, the light leaking through the top LCD panel will not directly affect the image. It's irrelevant how much light leaks in or what the ratio is - there is no direct effect, since the leaked light does not ever reach the imaging sensor.

The light leak affects the metering sensor only - that means the image is only indirectly affected, based on an incorrect meter reading.

 

[llcanon]

Some people are missing points here.

The fact is the light WILL leak through the LCD panel. Period.

Whether it affects your captured image or not depends on the ratio of the light leaking through the LCD panel to the light through the lens and viewfinder.

Just to be clear, the light leaking through the top LCD panel will not directly affect the image. It's irrelevant how much light leaks in or what the ratio is - there is no direct effect, since the leaked light does not ever reach the imaging sensor.

The light leak affects the metering sensor only - that means the image is only indirectly affected, based on an incorrect meter reading.

Thanks for the clarification. The imaging sensor should only receive the light through the lens, hopefully.

 

[sawsedge]

As a veteran of years of software quality assurance, I would not likely have thought to test this. I guess the folks at Canon didn't either. And it is hard to detect, apparently. If I'm shooting at night, I generally have the camera on a tripod. That means I'm not touching the camera, and I don't use the LCD light during the exposure.

In QA work, we frequently rate a "bug" in two ways... the severity of the issue, and the likelihood that a user will spot the mistake. The light that gets through during the day is far far less than what comes in via the lens. While it is is a mistake, the severity is quite low. Low enough that Canon won't recall the bodies affected.

We know about it thanks to the internet. But, how many of you would ever have found this issue without the 'net?

 

[itsnotmeyouknow]

If I'm doing a long exposure then my camera will be on a tripod. If the shot needs an exposure of 1 min or more then metering won't be being used in Amy case. Plus what's wrong with using the playback screen instead of the LCD screen? There are many ways around this "fault".

 

[Hesham]

I have yet to see an image where this supposed issue affected it, have you?

Plenty of videos on YouTube showing the problem when shooting at night, and auto-metering with the LCD backlight on...

Maybe you don't do a lot of night shooting - but the problem is certainly very real. Canon wouldn't offer a fix if it wasn't.

This video makes it crystal clear that the “it’s-only-with-the-lens-cap-on” crowd is full of sh**.

....And yet, they keep repeating the same line, as if saying it more and more will make it true.

Actually, no need for any videos to proof that there is a serious issue. The fact that Canon reacted by holding all stock, issuing the first statement, then the second where they list affected bodies, then offering a FIX,.. I am tired already,.... still all this is not enough for some who still invade those threads with their stupid statement, which they think is funny; "I don't take photos with the cap on" they just drive me nuts!!!

 

[rafaelsynths]

I still think canon should drop the price of the 5D mark iii.

 

[fstop]

Mine is being sent back without a doubt. I spent $4300 with the lens and I don't want a camera that has a problem. I'm not happy with how Canon is handling it either. I love the camera but I am not going to be stuck with a camera that has a known problem. In addition if I kept it I would have trouble selling it because it does have a problem and its resale value will be diminished because no one wants a defective camera. I'll miss my new camera, but I would rather keep shooting with my old camera then have a defective new camera.