Carl,
When people have teething problems with an 8000 dollar camera they naturally ask questions about whether they should look elsewhere and it becomes a slippery slope once the discussion meanders into related issues such as the qualities of the options. But you are correct, this thread has slid down the slope a bit more than it should have. But if only all of life's problems were so.
Now as for the camera, let me put it this way: I have now made about 2000 captures with this camera. I just returned from a wonderful 9 day field shoot in Yellowstone National Park and the Tetons (with "Travel Images" led by John Baker). It was really cold outside and the camera performed flawlessly. Focusing is fine and mine does not appear to have an alignment problem. The battery performance was astounding. A colleague with a 1Ds2 (Ni-cad battery) was having frozen battery problems while mine (L-I battery) just kept performing with tons of capacity to spare - which I can read to the accuracy of 1 percentage point on this camera - a new feature. My fingers froze (even wearing gloves) long before this battery ever will. The camera's useability is simply tremendously improved over the previous models. Everything is so much more accessible and easy to adjust. I am persuaded that the image quality is superb. For example, I've used it outdoors at night during a snowstorm at high ISO here in Toronto with low shutter speed and IS lenses and I think the results are fine Toronto Winter With My !ds3 . I haven't had a chance to seriously review the Yellowstone shoot yet, but based on testing I've done with a range of other more usual subject matter here in Toronto, I think the image quality is fine.
Now whether you should buy this camera or not, at this point in time I would say is hard to advise about. There are a number of questions which only you can answer to your own satisfaction, so the only help I can legitimately offer is to suggest what those questions are about: (1) How many MP of resolution do you need for the output you will be producing, remembering that you can get commercially acceptable inkjet print quality for large prints at output PPI in the minimum range of 180-240 PPI. For many people 12 MP is more than enough, and there is a growing number of good choices in this size range. I like the 21 MP idea because it gives me much leeway to crop and still print big, but not everyone would find that important. (2) What are you using now and how urgent is it to up-grade? (3) What's your investment in Canon lenses and how much budget space do you have to contemplate a system change, considering that if you were to sell Canon and move to Nikon you will get about 50 cents on the dollar for the lenses. (4) If you want full-frame at the "bleeding edge", you have a choice between the 1Ds3, the Nikon D3 (still in even shorter supply than the Canon), and perhaps later in the year, a speculative Sony 24 MP camera, and a Nikon D3 successor speculated at 24 MP. Who knows when these last 2 cameras will appear, what they will cost and how they will perform compared with the Canon, but if you have time to wait and are prepared to switch systems, why not wait and have an expanded range from which to select once enough comparative performance data emerges. The Nikon D3, from what I've seen, seems to be a fabulous product, but 12MP.
As for Canon's quality control issues, this alignment problem seems to be on the course of resolution. The evidence suggests that they are repairing them and returning them to their owners in fine condition. Perhaps they will have now tackled the problem at source, so for future purchasers this will be an irrelevant "early adaptor" issue with no longe-term consequences. It would be good if Canon came out of its shell and told people the status of the problem, but others have given-up trying to tell Canon things that are in their own interest, so I have no illusions about any announcements. Nonetheless, they aren't dummies and if they've solved the problem silently under the hood, in the final analysis that is what matters.
Hope this helps.
Mark
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Mark,
Thanks for taking the trouble to respond in such depth.
My only issue with the camera was the alignment problem and then subsequently the slow trickle of focus problems and dodgy sensors... but I am realistic about the value of on-line forums and I do appreciate that people tend to sway to them when they themselves have or foresee an issue. For me, the problem seems very widespread and that makes me question the whole assembly/quality-control process Canon have chosen to adopt for this particular model.
I spent a few days with a 1DsIII in my studio before returning it with the alignment issue - I agree, the
usability is a major step forward from the MkII I'm working with at the moment.
With regard to image quality, i did a few tests which I repeated on both bodies as a comparison with controlled lighting in my studio. (Here's when I reach for my flack jacket!) I interpolated the MkII images up to the same size as the MkIII (just with Photoshop) did a little subtle sharpening on both...... and could see only the slightest perceptible visual difference at pixel resolution on a nice Lacie CRT. I think we are both experienced enough to realise this would make sweet-fanny-adams difference on a double page spread spewed out of a four+ colour press. I have to stress this was in a studio with over 15KJ of flash on tap, so maximum usable ISO or Nikons 25,000 ASA D3 don't keep me awake at night!
I could see no difference in the colour with regard to the increased bit depth (I used the same RAW calibration settings I produced for the MkII using a hybrid of the Thomas Fors script) I think the advantage would only be evident if you're the type to get the exposure badly wrong or simply like crunching the colour around in Photoshop.
When the water settles I will upgrade to a MkIII later this year for two reasons.
1. My MkII is 3 years old and at that age needs to be relegated to a back-up
2. I don't want to give all my profits to the tax man!
For the time being I've started to experiment with more exotic lenses and adapters to see the effect on both image quality and feel....
Cheers,
Carl