Just bought Pro1- Have questions

Hi,

Newbie to the digital photography world here. I just got my canon pro1 monday and have been playing with it. Picked this camera because of all the many reveiws on the web, this one had the best pictures and features in one camera, combined with ease of use and portability. I bought the floor model because i got it for about $150 of asking price plus service plan and warranty. They told me if any problems, to bring it in to get fixed... but as it gose, i dont want to wait so long to get it back unless i absolutly have to.. so, my questions are-

About the focusing, it makes alot of noise when in continuous autofocus, and when using the manual its super noisy compared to other brand camera i tried out. Is this normal pro1 behavior or is something wrong with it? its like a subtle kind of clicking/grinding almost. as well, the LCD goes somewhat grainy when using the manual focus with magnification point.

Also, i understand the dust under the lens is a fairly common problem, mines got it... its not much at all, but its there. Will this affect picture quality and is there a way to clean it/prevent it?

What are some other frequent problems with this camera?

Thank you!

The noise you hear is the camera's autofocus mechanism, which continually "hunts" to keep the lens in focus. You can turn this off in the menu, however, Canon Service Center reports that keeping it in autofocus mode reduces the shutter lag time.

Dust on lens: I'm not a great judge. Mine has a little, but I can't find any indication that it shows up in the shots. Probably the only way to tell is to enlarge your pictures to see if there are spots...and if so, if they are in the same place on each shot.

Good luck with your new camera. I've enjoyed using mine.

Where did you get that idea from?

It is true that dust on the sensor is a problem of digital single lens reflex cameras (e.g. Canon 300D or 20D), because you can change the lenses on these cameras and if you do it in dusty surroundings, the dust can get into the camera.

It should not be a problem with fixed lens cameras like the Pro1 is. If you have dust under your lens, you should maybe talk to the seller what can be done about it. <deleted>

But then, you should do something about it.

Best regards,
Andy

Edit: I could not believe it at first ... but now I am definitely convinced.

Andythaler- i mean common problem on this particular model. And i understand its common because iv read many user reveiws saying they recieved thiers that way... not a user issue, but a bad quality control issue on canons part. i called canon and they say its a "factory defect". Its not on the sensor (i couldnt see it then), its on the lens just infront of the shutter and under the outermost lens. I have hear several people say that this could be a design flaw too because of the way the lens telescopes alowing dust to enter at full zoom... but i dont know.

It dosnt seem to be an issue in the pictures iv sampled so far (since the last post)...

if you go here: http://forums.dpreview​.com …rum=1010&messag​e=10271324

you will see what i am talking about, mine is not as bad as this gentalmens, but for what i paid, it is annoying.

rsnadel: thank you for your post.. wasnt sure, cause like i said, i got the floor modle and havnt seen another on display to see if it dose the same thing. I feel better now

Jujki,

thank you for the information, I was not aware of that problem so far. That definitely is something that should not happen
I would certainly also be pretty annoyed and ask Canon what they could do about it.

Good luck to you to get it sorted out.

Best regards,
Andy

I'm intrigued that you chose the Pro1 because of the many reviews.
Have any of those reviews given it more than very qualified praise? I've not read one.

The focusing is the most hesitant I've experienced in a camera for 15 years
The zooming ring moves the the lens... eventually
The body is small and flimsy compared to the G series
The chip should never have left the Sony factory

All you can say of the Pro1 is it has the best lens and best CA/ noise control of all the blighted 8mp bridge cameras. And that's not saying very much!

Now the G6 is out, I can't imagine why anyone would look twice at the Pro1.

(you guessed it : I'm a disgruntled Pro1 owner)

time to ebay your pro1 and get a g6.

Dust doesn't usually affect image quality unless you're shooting against the light, and there would have to be a LOT of it to have consequences. It's a pity the Pro 1 isn't living up to the standards Canon would have it be.

I have dust under my lens as well . . . I was going to post a question regarding same, but found this thread and will just make my note on this subject here. It does show when going into the light as noted . . .

long debate on dust in pro1 lens

please see the dust thread in this Pro1 forum:

http://www.powershotpr​o1.com …rum_posts.asp?T​ID=19&PN=1

I hope it helps.

now I do not know whether to but a Pro1 or not. It looks a great camera (appart from the small CCD which leads to noise at higher ISO, and this 'dust' issue)

Sir Andrew

price of a PRO1

£539.00 is the cheapest I have seen one (this translates to 989 USD, OR 775 EUROs)
has anyone seen cheaper somewhere else?

Pro1 is US $635 depending on where you get it.

And, of course, most of the negative auto-focus and focus lock arguments went away today with the release of Pro1 firmware 1.0.1.0.

I have a fair amount of dust inside the lens as well, as noted it is worse into the light . . . not sure what to do about it.