1dsmkII firewire issue...

[marcwilson]

Hi guys,

I'v been trying out a 1dsmkII this weekend.
Great except that the one I have is troubled by the known loose firewire connection...bad for me as I shoot a lot tethered.

A couple of questions that surprisingly I can't find answers to:

Did Canon ever find a fix for it...i.e. via repair or was it a problem that was just there, and even when repaired would come back?

And was it the same with the original 1ds or did that use a different connection?

Thanks,

Marc

[francois]

Hi guys,

I'v been trying out a 1dsmkII this weekend.
Great except that the one I have is troubled by the known loose firewire connection...bad for me as I shoot a lot tethered.

A couple of questions that surprisingly I can't find answers to:

Did Canon ever find a fix for it...i.e. via repair or was it a problem that was just there, and even when repaired would come back?

And was it the same with the original 1ds or did that use a different connection?

Thanks,

Marc

I'm not 100% sure but I remember that Canon has a special plastic bracket that's supposed to address this issue. On the Mk 3, Canon includes what they call a Cable Protector (MK3 uses USB and not FireWire).

[Craig Lamson]

Hi guys,

I'v been trying out a 1dsmkII this weekend.
Great except that the one I have is troubled by the known loose firewire connection...bad for me as I shoot a lot tethered.

A couple of questions that surprisingly I can't find answers to:

Did Canon ever find a fix for it...i.e. via repair or was it a problem that was just there, and even when repaired would come back?

And was it the same with the original 1ds or did that use a different connection?

Thanks,

Marc

No, they never fixed it on the MKII, if it went bad they just replaced it.  I shot mine for a good two years almost totally tethered usage (locked down camera) before I had to send it in for repair.  Then I dropped the camera  and smashed it to bits .  

I had the original 1Ds and the 6 pin firewire connector worked flawlessly.  I have the MKIII now and since I shoot to a windows machine the USB works great, I find it very solid.

[francois]

Got more info from this article: http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_p...cid=7-7885-7973

Specifically: The EOS-1D Mark II N is to ship with a black plastic locking cap meant to keep a cable inserted in the FireWire port from slipping out accidentally. The cap will attach to the EOS-1D Mark II and EOS-1Ds Mark II also, and it may become an accessory available for purchase by existing camera owners.

I've also seen a non Canon accessory but can't seem to remember where (Amazon?). It was a simple rubber/plastic cap.

Another work-around would be the TetherGrip: http://www.tethergrip.com/Site/Product%20Details.html

[marcwilson]

Thanks for the replies and links.
So the story basically seems to be it will work fine..until it one day stops and the tetherd connection becomes flaky, mid shoot...then you fix it...and the cycle begins again...that is also what the canon repair centres told me.

I do like to have full confidence in my equipment, ans shoot tethered interiors so camera is always moving around / cables in and out during a shoot so perhaps I'll stick to the 1ds for now and go straight to the mkIII later in the year bypassing the mkII! (1ds resolution has been enough so far and I can always rent a mark III if necessary!)

Like the look of that tether grip though...may use one on the 1ds just to be sure.

Cheers,

Marc

[Craig Lamson]

Thanks for the replies and links.
So the story basically seems to be it will work fine..until it one day stops and the tetherd connection becomes flaky, mid shoot...then you fix it...and the cycle begins again...that is also what the canon repair centres told me.

I do like to have full confidence in my equipment, ans shoot tethered interiors so camera is always moving around / cables in and out during a shoot so perhaps I'll stick to the 1ds for now and go straight to the mkIII later in the year bypassing the mkII! (1ds resolution has been enough so far and I can always rent a mark III if necessary!)

Like the look of that tether grip though...may use one on the 1ds just to be sure.

Cheers,

Marc

I shoot interiors of rv's and boats so I understand your needs a bit.  I used a simple velcro cable tie looped through the neck strap and wrapped around the firewire cable to eliminate some of the torque on the firewire port and it works pretty well (MKII) I was pretty well pleased with the MKII and had planned on using it for a few more years until it got broken.  My insurance was replacement so I got a new MKIII.  I must say the MKIII is a much better camera, at least in my opinion, and they are going for a decent price used these days.  You should consider one, its a huge step up from the MKI.  Or the 5dMKII altho I've never used one. (I have the 5dMKI)