Canon 1ds3 alignment problems

[Mike Chini]

I just think there are enough problems out there to justify waiting a bit.

[Josh-H]

I just think there are enough problems out there to justify waiting a bit.
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I SERIOUSLY  doubt it.

Just 2 be sure
I checked my 1DS MKIII this evening and its perfect - spot on. No problems whatsoever with Live view, geometry or anything else. I have done about a half dozen shoots so far - and everyone has been a joy.

Spoke to 4 other local shooters with 1DS MKIII's - same story - no problems and a joy to use.

I think u will find its the smallest minotiry making the largest noise [as usual].

Shoot over to DPReview [if u dare!] Where I have read several 'autofocus, over exposure issue thread in the Nikon Forums - there are a small minority making a noise there about their new bodies - and they are screaming pretty loud. Everyone else seems perfectly happy. No direct comparison.. just an observation.

Edit - forgot to add - my serial Number 614XXX

Tried again to find a geometry fault - even photographing graph paper. And its spot on.

Used a 50mm F1.2L Lens at F8 to try and avoid lens issues.

What are people testing this with? Wide angles and at what aperture?

I can show distortion - but its lens distortion using a 16-35mm F2.8L. And that is lens based - not camera.

[carl dw]

I SERIOUSLY  doubt it.

Just 2 be sure
I checked my 1DS MKIII this evening and its perfect - spot on. No problems whatsoever with Live view, geometry or anything else. I have done about a half dozen shoots so far - and everyone has been a joy.

Spoke to 4 other local shooters with 1DS MKIII's - same story - no problems and a joy to use.

I think u will find its the smallest minotiry making the largest noise [as usual].

Shoot over to DPReview [if u dare!] and have a look at the Nikon Forums - there are a small minority making a noise there about their new bodies - and they are screaming pretty loud. Everyone else seems perfectly happy. Just some food for thought...

Edit - forgot to add - my serial Number 614XXX

Tried again to find a geometry fault - even photographing graph paper. And its spot on.

Used a 50mm F1.2L Lens at F8 to try and avoid lens issues.

What are people testing this with? Wide angles and at what aperture?

I can show distortion - but its lens distortion using a 16-35mm F2.8L. And that is lens based - not camera.
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Mike Chini is absolutely right in my opinion.

I've tried and rejected FOUR myself. I'd like the camera to work and give me confidence that it will continue that way, at present it doesn't. I've used a 1Ds MkII for three years without a hint of a fault ...an EOS 1n before that.

There is undoubtedly a problem with quality control or design, personally seeing the same fault to varying degrees on FOUR bodies with widely differing serials is enough for me to come to the same conclusion as Mike - let them sort it out before taking the plunge.

Like most large corporations, Canon's business model is designed for growth in what is becoming a more competitive market (i.e. Nikon) they have to get the boxes out of the door and something has to give.... something they can maybe get away with addressing after the first feeding frenzy of sales.

To all you guys n gals out there who've got a 1Ds MkIII that to your eyes works perfectly - "Great!" I am pleased for you (whether it's actually perfect or simply doesn't effect your line of work) it is what I had hoped for as I passed the dealer my credit card back in early January.....

I would appreciate it if you could use the cameras as much as possible over the next few months to try and identify any other quality issues that might be lurking before I part with my money again!

Am I on Nikons payroll, dissing the uber-camera to dent Canons already tarnished reputation? - if I am they are a month behind with my pay cheque!!

[Ted Steppan]

Just wanted to add my 1Ds Mark III to the list of mis-aligned cameras.  Serial number 615XXX.  I'll be sending mine in for repair next week.  

Unless you own (or have owned) one of these defective cameras, I don't think you can properly judge whether those of us complaining are nit-picking or not.

[pfigen]

I spoke with Chris Canada at Canon Irvine today and he said that they should be finishing my camera tomorrow, so hopefully I'll get it back Thursday. According to him, they've only seen three 1DsMKIIIs so far in Irvine, and have not seen any cameras with viewfinder alignment, but then, we don't seem to have too many cameras out here yet.

[canon_uw]

According to him, they've only seen three 1DsMKIIIs so far in Irvine, and have not seen any cameras with viewfinder alignment, but then, we don't seem to have too many cameras out here yet.
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Then he lied to you (whether or not he meant to) - mine was in there, and they didn't fix the issue - see my earlier post in this thread...

Please let me know if yours is fixed! I've needed the camera too much to be sending it without knowing if they can actually correct the problem on the second try...

Edit to add angry face smiley

[pfigen]

I have no idea why he would lie on purpose, although I find it almost impossible to believe that a CPS representative would NOT know about any 1DsMKIII camera in for any type of repair. You've gotta believe that they all talk to each other about what problem each is taking in, especially when you've got such a new model. He did say he had read about the alignment problem on one of the forums. Has it been discussed anywhere else in as much detail? I can only hope that in dismantling my camera and putting Humpty back together again, they don't screw something else up. I guess I'll know in a couple of days.

[carl dw]

I noticed a couple of posts on DP preview and Northlight about problems people are noticing on their Canon 1ds Mark 3 that there is from a degree to 5 degrees tilt between what they are seeing on the viewfinder and what they get from the sensor or live view. The horizon seems to tilt and a correction ccw needs to be taken to line it up.

Being a portrait photographer, I don't think I would have noticed this and perhaps it was present in other DSLRs that I've had. On top of that I never print full frame 35mm anyway but prefer the 8x10 crop.

Has anyone else noticed this on their new or even their older DSLRs.
Michael
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"Canon admits fault?" - Title on the front of this weeks BJP magazine.

Has anyone read page 8 of this weeks British Journal of Photography? (V155 N7672)

A half page article titled "More grief for Canon" accompanied by a nice picture of a 1Ds MkIII.

I quote....  [span style=\'font-size:14pt;line-height:100%\']'We are aware of some issues relating to the viewfinder alignment,' a Canon spokeswomen tells BJP. 'The issues are currently under investigation. If any customers are experiencing such issues we are asking them to take their camera to their local service department for checking.' Canon says it will release more information about the problem at a later stage.
[/span]

When they update the page on www.bjp-online.com to this weeks issue you should be able to read the whole article.

So, are will still nit-picking, unrealistic photographers who don't understand that we're not living in a perfect world? - Looks like the "hired guns" were actually just photographers wanting to get what they'd paid for ..... what do you think Lester?

I agree with you 100% I got a 1ds Mk3 and it does not have any problem with it. It is working perfect. There are too many people nick pick at everything, a true photogragher has to make things works sometime, even if it might not be perfect, until repaired, things happens. The reason why large comsumer electronics manuf. don't believe everything on the forum is that many of the post is by other manufacturers using their hire gun to talk bad about their products.  And if you think your 1Ds Mk3 is junk, just sell it to someone else, people is waiting in line to get one.
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[keith_cooper]

Thanks for that info - I just happened to call Canon at Elstree this morning, since I might be working near there later in the month, and could drop the camera off for adjustment.

They said it would take 3-4 days and since I don't live nearby, they would courier it back to me.

Mine is 0.4 degrees out, which doesn't impinge on enough work that I wanted to get it sorted immediately.  It rates as a mild annoyance that I can usually work around, just I'd rather not ;-)

And lest the 'fanclub' think I'm moaning too much, I still rate it as the best camera I've ever regularly used :-) :-)

bye for now

Keith Cooper

[francois]

FWIW, I just receveid the latest issue of french mag Chasseur d'Image and on the EOS 1DS Mk3 review, they clearly say that a misalignment is present on the tested copy. They also say that this is quite frequent even on high end models.

[pfigen]

"FWIW, I just receveid the latest issue of french mag Chasseur d'Image and on the EOS 1DS Mk3 review, they clearly say that a misalignment is present on the tested copy. They also say that this is quite frequent even on high end models."

While it seems quite obvious that people are having alignment problems with the new camera, it's not so obvious that this is a common occurence on high end cameras in general. This is the third generation of full frame 1 series cameras from Canon and I'm pretty sure the MKIII is the only one generating these types of complaints. It's the type of thing where even the smallest degree of inaccuracy is readily apparent to anyone who composes critically, and you just don't hear these complaints about previous or even competing models.

[carl dw]

"FWIW, I just receveid the latest issue of french mag Chasseur d'Image and on the EOS 1DS Mk3 review, they clearly say that a misalignment is present on the tested copy. They also say that this is quite frequent even on high end models."

While it seems quite obvious that people are having alignment problems with the new camera, it's not so obvious that this is a common occurence on high end cameras in general. This is the third generation of full frame 1 series cameras from Canon and I'm pretty sure the MKIII is the only one generating these types of complaints. It's the type of thing where even the smallest degree of inaccuracy is readily apparent to anyone who composes critically, and you just don't hear these complaints about previous or even competing models.
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Yes, it's the first time I've come across this problem too, I'm still using my 1DsMkII as a result.

I understand others are suffering from focus issues and one guys 1DsMkIII has suddenly started drawing horizontal lines across his images!  I would of thought that getting a viewfinder to line up with a sensor would of been a well practiced art over in Japan - I can't see any reason except poor design and/or poor quality control.

Following the 1DMkIII focus fiasco and the way Canon treated it's loyal customers then... I would of expected a tighter ship this time around.

For me, for the time being, this is a no-sale. I'm going to wait a few months and continue working with my MkII - old faithful!

With all due respect to the Canon Service staff (bless there now overworked cotton socks) I don't want a new camera that's just been taken to bits - it's a recipe for further disaster (as has been demonstrated earlier in this thread).

I do hope that nothing else untoward comes to light with the 1DsMkIII, I would like to buy one....really! I tried....I tried four!!!

[pfigen]

Carl,

My camera had the horizontal lines. I don't know if there have been any others, but that's from a defective chip, which is something that's going to happen with electronic devices. That's a much different kind of problem than what appears to be a production line precision problem resulting in misaligned viewfinders.

[carl dw]

Carl,

My camera had the horizontal lines. I don't know if there have been any others, but that's from a defective chip, which is something that's going to happen with electronic devices. That's a much different kind of problem than what appears to be a production line precision problem resulting in misaligned viewfinders.
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I do appreciate that. Due to the fact that I have had four of these bodies with the same fault my view is pretty tarnished I suppose. Reflecting on the 1D3 focus problem it all adds up to something a bit sloppy going on at Canon HQ.

With the huge amount of cash being generated from these cameras I just think a little bit more care should be taken with testing etc.

I do agree though, it's the nature of complex electro-mechanical devices to fail...with time.

[dwdallam]

The one in the image. Sorry the website is only in german:
http://www.manufactum.de/Produkt/0/761690/...iff=wasserwaage

[attachment=4601:attachment]

You hold it to the front end of the lens barrel first for vertical alignment. Then you put it on the hot shoe for horizontal alignment, measure this a second time with the level turned 180° to find out whether the hot shoe is not in level.

Best,
Johannes
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=166553\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

This is about leveling, and not specifically about teh MKIII--so please skip this off topic post if you need MKIII information.

I have one of those hot shoe bubble levels and it's just as accurate as the bubble level on my Bogen Pro pan tilt head. The problem with those little hotshoe levels is that they have small bubbles and a very small tolerance. So if you are on one of the lines, which is suppose to indicate 'level enough" it will be off a few degrees. I have to be very precise when centering the bubble between the level lines. I thought it was off too and crap until I did some experimenting. It's dead.

In any event, what other options are there for leveling a horizon other than on head bubble levels or on hotshot? Nothing in the viewfinder will accomplish leveling a horizon unless you are dead square facing the horizon, since when you move away from the line, you get one point increasingly further away than the other--in other words, the horizon begins to take on perspective--like shooting a curb at an angle.

[dwdallam]

Maybe that's why there is a shortage of MKIIIs right now--they stopped shipping them so they don't ship anymore bad one; are testing the ones they do allow out; etc.

I think I will wait now also. I don't care what people say about nitpicking: An 8, 000US camera should not need tape in the viewfinder or workarounds regarding viewfinder line up. Bullshit. That's something you might expect if you bought a 149US Casio point and shoot.

I know I'd be really pissed having to deal with that--and having to send the damn thing in to be torn apart.

I am so glad I listened to myself in another thread when I explained that " Since there is a shortage, maybe the ones on the shelves right now in smaller shops are an older build, and maybe it's a psychological thing with me, but I think I'll wait for the 'new' models."

I will wait now. Not ony that, but I found out something else today on teh 5D, which will be in a new thread.

[Mark D Segal]

In any event, what other options are there for leveling a horizon other than on head bubble levels or on hotshot?

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This one: [a href=\"http://www.zig-align.com/]Zig Align[/url]

[Yakim Peled]

With the Olympics getting nearer, with the new Nikon offerings and with Sony's announcement about its FF I think this problem comes in a very bad time for Canon.

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

[Josh-H]

Well more news to hand..

Apparently its only a small batch that have this issue and its easily rectified.

See
Canon Alignment

14th In a comment on DPR, the supposed cause of the viewfinder alignment is revealed:

"The problem is a mask in the viewfinder. It's fitted with four screws, that should be tightened in a certain order to fix it correctly, just like the bolts on the wheels of a car. Apparently, some guy used the wrong order on a certain batch of cameras, and the result is that the mask shifted a little. It explains why only some cameras have this problem, and why the degree is different in each one."
The BJP article I mentioned yesterday is now online

[dwdallam]

This one: Zig Align
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That allows you to align the horizon horizontally in teh view finder?