richard_markus

Where are you located? Kindly provide a full description of the camera body and lens condition. # of actuations? Age? Used professionally?

Suggest you reach out to a friend with a Canon or go to a camera store or pawn shop and see if the problem persists when you mount an EF lens. Check YouTube 5D Focus Screen Replacement to see if it is missing in your camera. You can check with Canon if the mirror arm upgrade has been done on your camera. It was done free of charge due to a manufacturer's defect, although that was a long time ago. You never know,,,. At the same time they can check the shutter count and do a cleaning. The 5D (original referred to as Mark 1) sensor frequently requires cleaning. Do not try to clean the mirror and sensor yourself. If your focus screen is missing I may be able to help, I may have a original Canon 5D Mark 1 focus screen from the time I upgraded my focus screen. For the cost of shipping and handling you may be in luck. If you are interested provide your contact details. I will have time next weekend to look for it. It is fairly straightforward to replace the focus screen yourself. Remember clean dust free surfaces when you take the lens off. Cheers, Richard

You have all the lenses in your kit that you require. I agree with most of the above comments, particularly getting a full frame body which will provide better coverage for landscape with your 50mm and provide a better aspect for portrait the 70-200mm, 85mm and 50mm lenses. An used 6D Mark 1 is the most reasonably priced full frame body, although the discount pricing on the 6D Mark 2 is quite attractive and may be a better leap forward. After obtaining a full frame body you may want to consider a wide angle lens for landscape. There are lots of Canon OEM options out there depending on your shooting style and budget. In my case when shooting landscape and street, I often bring along a Samyung 14mm and Canon 28mm IS.

Canon EF 70-200 f/4 IS lens, with tripod collar -- Mark 2 still available?

Jeff, I have had a battery drain problem both my 6D and found the issue to be the GPS. The battery drains when the camera is turned off. One solution is to turn the GPS off when I am finished using the camera for the day. The simple solution I use is to remove the battery when I am finished using the camera for the day. Appears the GPS keeps draining the battery even when the main on/off switch is in the off position. Try the above methods as see if it works. Also, I have found aftermarket non-Canon batteries to drain very quickly. Are you using original Canon batteries?

Did you ever sell the lens?

<p>You indicated: "I'll be travelling to London for a short business trip". Although have not provided information on what you are planning the visit / photograph. I will make the assumption you will be in the core downtown area of London and are planning to photograph historic and primarily architectural sights, and not people. Correct me it this is the incorrect assumption.<br> The two lenses you described are quite different. The 85mm is an excellent portrait lens and surprisingly sharp, as well as good for low light. It is relatively small and light. It is not a lens I would use to photograph monuments and architecture where I want to capture large structures in tight shooting locations. The 40mm is very light, small and a solid performer in good light situations. It will be good for photographing monuments and architecture in tight shooting situations where you can not step back a distance. I would not bring both lenses for a relatively short trip.<br> You posed the question with the limitations of one of the two lenses. If I were visiting London for just a few days on a business trip I would bring my 14mm Samyung and 35mm Canon IS for my full frame digital 6D or simply my Fuji x100T with a 35mm equivalent fixed lens. I would bring along a sling to relieve the weight on my neck and provide security from thieves.<br> Cheers.</p> <p align="left"> </p>

It really perturbs me to read this thread. As a society, especially in America (I live in Canada), we have an agressive litigations environment, when in reality the courts should be used as a last resort to deal with damages. You will not get what you want; the images if you sue at this point. In fact by posting public negative feedback within 4 months of the shoot, bring in the authorities (BBB, etc..), and threatening to sue significantly reduces the chance to acheive your objective, and shows a level of immature impatience on your part. Slamming the the photographer and initiating a law suit will only get you at best a result of having your money returned with no images. All the photographer has to say is "the hard drive crashed". Did you check out the photographer's portfolio and references before your hired him/her? Was this an outdoor shoot with high contrast sunlight and heavy shadows? Sounds like the photographer was inexperienced in this type of envirinment and as a result the images are sub-optimal. That said, you have to make a decision: do you want the less than perfect images taken at the time of the actual event or your money back? You do not get both. So, follow the forgoing advice and all you wll get back at most, is your money and do another staged shoot. I suggest you contact a reputable congenial professional photo editor, check out their references/portfolio, explain the situation, and ask them to engage the photographer with a written authorization from you to get copies of the RAW images. At that point you can meet with the photo editor to see what can be done with the images. Do not bring-up the threat of litigation, otherwise no one will want the hassle of delaing with you. You may also want to contact an associated of the photographer in a friendly manner to elicit their assistance in securing the raw images.