-Official- 1D MK III AF Thread.

I've read over 10 pages in this thread because I am thinking about purchasing one in the next day or two. Are the new ones fixed already? (blue dot?) I see a lot of people complaining but I can't tell if they have one of the first ones with the sub mirror problem or one of the new ones. Any help is appreciated as I sleep on the purchase tonight.

Canon "says" they're fixed.

thatkatmat wrote in post #5351725
Canon "says" they're fixed.

But in reality...still problematic?

ceehjayem wrote in post #5351843
But in reality...still problematic?

For some, I think there are still problems. For others, no.

If you buy one, you make sure you have return privileges. As soon as you get it, test the heck out of it, and if there are any signs of improper focusing, ship it straight back, and get another one.

belmondo wrote in post #5351861
For some, I think there are still problems. For others, no.

If you buy one, you make sure you have return privileges. As soon as you get it, test the heck out of it, and if there are any signs of improper focusing, ship it straight back, and get another one.

This is why I will not spend another 4K on the mkIII (and believe me I've tried to convince my self otherwise), why are we taking chances on a pro body, don't get me wrong, I loved mine but if there's a misfocus, I want it to be user error and I'm not convinced my OOF shots were user error. when I get OOF shots on my 1DmkII and 1DsmkII there seems to be good reason.....me

BTW ceehjayem....Mine was a blue dot, bought it Dec 23rd, 07

Guess I feel like writing a little more on the subject.....When I got the mkIII I thought it was the best body I'd ever used, I wasn't and still am not an expert Servo shooter. Up to the day I traded it for the DsmkII I wasn't sure I made the right decision. It really is a body that combined the image quality of the 5D (or 1DsmkII) with the speed of the mkII and the easy menu style of the 40D with high ISO IQ about a stop better than anything I'd used...For me the high ISO IQ is very important, I shoot a lot of available light shots and live in permenantly overcast and dark Seattle.

Anyway, I tested it almost daily for 3 months, as many situations as I could and for the most part it performed well. It's just that a couple times here and there in different shooting modes and with various lenses it would misfocus BAD....But I figured it must be me I guess, but in the back of my mind I'd think about these threads and test and retest with good results?

It wasn't until I spent about a month with the 1DsmkII and 1DmkII that .......>I started to think my mkIII did, in fact, have something wrong with it....not sure what, or in what situations because it was variable, but I know my current 1D bodies don't act the same way and are reliable in just about every situation besides user error situations....
I want another mkIII bad, but until this is all cleared up, I'll keep away

i do realised this is a sensitive topic in this thread, especially when someone asks if the issue has been fixed. my 2 cents - if you're not a hardcore sports/high-speed action shooter, its likely that you won't notice any problems. i've used AI Servo and i did get a few OOF shots between frames, but i know its just ME. but i haven't used it that intensively in continous focus mode to comment on whether the issue is fixed (i have a blue dot/latest firmware purchased in Jan08). if you're a working pro shooting sports/action, i think its wise to try out both the 1DM3 and D3 before making a purchase. brand wars are so passe, just get whichever works for you.

Thanks for the help guys. I know it's a sensitive issue as you can tell with the amount of pages. It will take forever to read each and every reply and put together if they have fixed the problem or not. I've noticed a lot of people griping about their cameras but I wasn't sure if it was an earlier release or one of the newer blue dot releases. Thanks again for your help and I'll sleep on it. I'll come up with a decision in the morning. If anyone else has anything to add, I'm all ears. Thanks guys.

Yesterday i tested my MKIII in football [not sure if it was my second time or third time], and the results really are amazing, and now my MKIII loving my 300 more and i love them more too
Now i have to increase my spending and get 600 or 400 not sure, always when i see 400 shots in sports i feel i would like to do more sports now, and i found my MKIII focus is great now than before, even i feel it is better than MKIIN, but i hope it is not just a luck that yesterday match only, and i didn't go to another match today as i don't feel fine today, but i hope i will do another shooting soon in a match, and i will give my MKIII more chance to prove that it is great camera and no issue anymore.

ceehjayem wrote in post #5352680
Thanks for the help guys. I know it's a sensitive issue as you can tell with the amount of pages. It will take forever to read each and every reply and put together if they have fixed the problem or not. I've noticed a lot of people griping about their cameras but I wasn't sure if it was an earlier release or one of the newer blue dot releases. Thanks again for your help and I'll sleep on it. I'll come up with a decision in the morning. If anyone else has anything to add, I'm all ears. Thanks guys.

It really depends on what you are going to shoot. I think if its birds / sports you are going to push the camera in areas where people have noticed the camera being more susceptible to the discussed known issues. For me, I've had mine since Aug and not shot much in the way of fast moving subjects (note some have also reported problems in one shot mode). What I have shot - landscapes, travel and some wildlife, the camera has performed very well.

There are some basic and simple things to keep in mind here...
1) the name of the thread is -Official- 1D Mark III AF Thread (page 104)
--this implies not that the camera has a flawless AF system and everyone should post their experiences. IT IMPLIES THERE IS A PROBLEM! 104 pages of problems being sited.(with a taste of the redundant)
2) Canon has acknowledge the problem
3) Many top pros have criticized the camera for the problem
4) a lot of regular guys like us have seen the problem and suffer the pain of shelling out 4 to 5 thousand dollars for a camera that doesn't always perform and is unreliable in certain situations.
5) a number of shooters have switched platforms due to the problem

Now in my book - thats a series of problems for Canon to deal with.

Whether people like reading complaints or not - isn't the issue. It seems to be the purpose for this thread. I say - stop whining about the purpose of this thread and instead start a thread extolling the Mark III's many virtues. As long as nothing is moving in the frame - its the best camera on the market next to the 1Ds Mark III.

Of course that little "movement in the frame" thing is the reason for the Mark III's existence. So if we whine about it not performing - we do so with good reason.

btw - mine came back from Canon's 2nd attempt at fixing it in less than 4 days. It looks like they changed a few custom settings and sent it back. I have yet to shoot with it on anything moving for a real test. It does shoot statics quite well though...

jBear2000 wrote in post #5382064
There are some basic and simple things to keep in mind here...
1) the name of the thread is -Official- 1D Mark III AF Thread (page 104)
--this implies not that the camera has a flawless AF system and everyone should post their experiences. IT IMPLIES THERE IS A PROBLEM! 104 pages of problems being sited.(with a taste of the redundant)
2) Canon has acknowledge the problem
3) Many top pros have criticized the camera for the problem
4) a lot of regular guys like us have seen the problem and suffer the pain of shelling out 4 to 5 thousand dollars for a camera that doesn't always perform and is unreliable in certain situations.
5) a number of shooters have switched platforms due to the problem

Now in my book - thats a series of problems for Canon to deal with.

Whether people like reading complaints or not - isn't the issue. It seems to be the purpose for this thread. I say - stop whining about the purpose of this thread and instead start a thread extolling the Mark III's many virtues. As long as nothing is moving in the frame - its the best camera on the market next to the 1Ds Mark III.

Of course that little "movement in the frame" thing is the reason for the Mark III's existence. So if we whine about it not performing - we do so with good reason.

btw - mine came back from Canon's 2nd attempt at fixing it in less than 4 days. It looks like they changed a few custom settings and sent it back. I have yet to shoot with it on anything moving for a real test. It does shoot statics quite well though...

I say "KEEP IT UP". My life in photography has been mostly limited to static subjects, but I lust to shoot BIF. I purchased a 1D Mark 3 to have what I thought would be the best! Until the experts are happy, I won't be happy even though I have some of the nicest images I have ever made!

That may seem a little harsh, but I think it is a reasonable response!

At the risk of irking the Canon supporters on the thread... let me say - "it could be user error"
But just playing around today down at the park... i thought I'd bump up the settings to 1/1000 just for xxxxs and giggles.
This is what Canon says is up to specs...
all 100% crops

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HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

don lavange wrote in post #5280221
JOE! What the heck are you doing with a new avatar? I wondered where you went! Don't do that to me! Us old guys gotta stick together and not contribute to confusion. ( the second bad thing that happens with age)

Hey Buddy, thanks for realizing I was gone. first, I have been AWOL for two reasons, minimum. My Mom, who turns 80 tomorrow had a double mastectomy plus removal of most of her right upper side where some lymph gland or something is) a couple of months ago and has been undergoing chemo therapy (ugh, how horrible.) I am the youngest of three and the only one in the area where my folks live. I also have been not doing well with my back which seems to just get worse every month/year so I am pretty much an indoor dog now so haven't been shooting nearly what I'd LIKE TO DO. THE DRUGS KEEP ME ASLEEP ALMOST 24/7 SO i HAVE NO LIFE. next MONTH i SEE AN ACTUAL PAIN THERAPY DOCTOR TO SEE IF i CAN'T GET SOMETHING THAT WILL BOTH WORK AND STIL GIVE ME A LIFE.

aS FOR THE AVATAR, i DID LIKE MY THREE STOOGES ONE, BUT WHEN i SAW THIS ONE, i HAD A CHOICE, ASK belmond IF HE .........

Sorry. damn key cap thing. I thought I removed it but it's back somehow and I will have to hack it again. too long a post to redo, so sorry for yelling.

Anyway, when I saw the avatar, it looked just like I felt all winter. I also thought about asking Belmondo if he wanted it. Seems like he like he might like it, not sure why, but it struck me it might be one he'd like to put the hex on us with. All said with my heart Belmondo!!! But would you agree that if you say it you might have chosen it? Just ask, and I'll go back to the three stooges or something. Speaking of avatars, I thought by now I'd have one of those sayang below my name. Post count is up and I have been a good boy lately! Lol.

I better quit while I am behind. thanks for thinking of me Don. It's nice to know that my absence was noticed.

Joe

Oh, unless the back improves some Belmondo, I wont be down anytime son. Seems like prices are still dropping on homes, so that is god. My daughter has also been accepted to law schools at UC Davis and Pepperdine, among others, but those are looking like she may choose between these for law school next year. If she picks UC Davis, about 40 miles from us, we would try to buy her a small home in a nearby city, as Davis is overpriced also. If it is Pepperdine, which includes a $23K scholarship per year, forget homes in that area... (Malibu...... I couldn't afford to rent a Port-A-Potty there!) WAY to expensive! If we get her a starter home, good bye Joe's winter condo, more than likely, as the well wold be pretty much dry! I am rooting for UC Davis even at the extra costs for us, since we are footing the bill 100%.

Oh, to keep within the rules, I have sent my M3 back yet. Will contact them this week to see if my return sticker is still good. Sorry all for disjointed post, meds sometimes has this effect if I don't eat beforehand.

Nap time again.

Tareq wrote in post #5355748
Yesterday i tested my MKIII in football [not sure if it was my second time or third time], and the results really are amazing, and now my MKIII loving my 300 more and i love them more too
Now i have to increase my spending and get 600 or 400 not sure, always when i see 400 shots in sports i feel i would like to do more sports now, and i found my MKIII focus is great now than before, even i feel it is better than MKIIN, but i hope it is not just a luck that yesterday match only, and i didn't go to another match today as i don't feel fine today, but i hope i will do another shooting soon in a match, and i will give my MKIII more chance to prove that it is great camera and no issue anymore.

GREAT news! I want to get out too and take some action shots.

Joe - glad you're back. Hang in there, don't let your dauber down (as Roger Craig always said)!

-js