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Any problems with the new Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II?


al larson

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Rob,

 

My point is (let me repeat here for the sake of clarity so that your selective quotes do not mis-state it):

 

While a seasoned Nikon user is saying that a complex camera like D2X demands more than several weeks of getting used to to extract the best out of it, how is possible (with or without the help of another seasoned user of Canon gear) to test it in an afternoon to come to any definitive conclusions?

 

I am still sticking to my view that I will have to wait for some more views on this to draw my own conclusions.

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I'll just wait until Canon brings the price of full frame down to more affordable levels. Full frame still has trememdous benefits: bigger viewfinder, shallow depth of field, your lenses give the perspective that they're supposed to. And now that Nikon finally might have something to compete with, I think we finally have a race. Before the D2X, Canon had it all to themselves and could charge whatever they wanted. Don't expect Canon to take this lying down. They are still the larger, faster, wealthier, more responsive company. This is merely a wake up call to Canon to remind them that they still have someone out there who can provide competition for them.
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The problem I have heard about is around 4G Microdrives. See the text below from Michael Reichman's site.

 

"In my article published yesterday, Bangladesh: What Worked ? What Didn't, I wrote at length about a problem that three members of our workshop experienced with the Canon 1Ds MKII and Hitachi 4GB Microdrives. It now appears that the problem isn't with Hitachi 4GB Microdrives, but possibly with any and all 4GB cards and this camera. It may even be a problem with any cards over 2GB. There is a long thread on this on the Galbraith Forums, and it seems that people from all over the world are now experiencing this problem with the 1Ds MK II, and some as well with the 1D Mk II.

 

Canon has been advised of the problem. It's now a matter of waiting until they do something about it. In my experience, Canon won't say a thing until it's fixed, and a firmware update is available. Till then, I would avoid the use of any 4GB cards with these cameras."

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"I'll just wait until Canon brings the price of full frame down to more affordable levels" - that may never happen as Canon are likely keep this format for their high end pro cameras. What will be (and is affordable right now) are very good APS sized sensors and more EF-S lenses to go with them.
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Don't know about the Canon EOS 1D, but I have problem with my Olympus C-5050 CCD sensor, it broke down in 18 months. Another fellow Henry Chan on this forum have the same problem too with his Olympus C-5050. CCD sensors are not supposed to break down in so short a time and Olympus company refused to replace my CCD free of charge. These are obviously quality control problems which the Japanese are trying get away with.

 

There should be Recalls in cameras too just like in the auto industry.

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Just realised that the D2X is not a full frame sensor! - DOH! Therefore comparison with a 1Ds MK2 using the same lens is meaningless. Do the same test with a 20D and a 1ds MK2 and the 20d would win as it has a greater pixel density. Any test of a camera system resolution must be done with lenses of equivelent field of veiw NOT focal length.
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I've just had an intensive week of use with my newly purchased 1Ds mk2, in freezing conditions mostly, and on several occasions in heavy snowfall. This was the first real use of the camera. It worked faultlessly, battery life was excellent, image quality is unbelievable, mostly with a 300 f2.8 IS, and also using 1.4 and 2x converters. Metering is accurate, frame rate good enough for most uses I need it for (landscape/wildlife/people outdoors). If theres a sensor/chip problem it doesnt show in my body. Lens problems though! It shows up the shortcomings of your lenses in a big way. So far I am happy (but poorer!).
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Hi John, Hope its better than the EOS 1ds Mk 1...I was in Glencoe last week

and met a chap who had purchased a mint one on Ebay. (40 acutations only)

He was extolling the virtues of the Canon 'weatherproofing' on the camera

and a lovely looking 16-35mm . As i chatted to him at Laggangarbh we had

snow, hail, rain, sleet in the space of 10 mins. all the time the camera was on

his tripod, i was much impressed! untill we wandered down to the river in

Etive to show him a nice spot, when he was set up to shoot, the camera just

'died! no warning, no alarm, nowt! i dont think if i had my 7K investment out in

that weather id feel too comfortable about it! think ill stick to old Nikon gear!

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Hi Derek - sounds like a dead battery perhaps? Did he sort the problem?

 

The group I was working with last week had three 1Dmk2's amongst them and all worked just fine in the cold and snowy conditions. To be fair it wasnt the worst of weather and I wouldnt have expected any problems. Most modern kit is capable of coping with a reasonable amount of weather, but not for too long. EOS1 bodies are very good, as are all the Nikon F series. I have only ever had one failure, and that was with an Eos1n which I was using in Glen Affric with a group two autumns ago and it got a real soaking - so bad that there was water inside my Canon zoom lens. The camera started to fire off all by itself and got through a whole roll on its own, and none of the controls would stop it. It had an overnight on the radiator with the back open and the lens sat beside it, and both functioned fine next day, and ever since.

 

The EOS1v I have is more robustly sealed than the 1n (it seems)and has not let me down in all sorts of weather and the digital EOS1 bodies are built in a similar vein. They should withstand a good amount of bad weather - provided you are sensible with them and dont expect too much from them (like surviving a whole Scottish summer day of rain!!!).

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John, to be fair i think the battery just died on him, he did return to the car and

load another, but the first one was fresh he said. What was a bit concerning

(to me) was simply the melting snowflakes onto the body and moisture finding

its way into the circuits, i take your point the new models are better sealed

with rubber O rings . I found it quite funny the workshop from light and land

were all standing on the Coupal bridge at Etive in the p***ing rain and sleet

with tripods lined up like a papparzzi waiting for the Buachille to put in an

appearance through the storm clouds! i reckon half the folk had digital and the

others were medium format and the odd LF...i had to drive carefully over the

bridge!!:-) Your mention of the radiator reminds me of years ago a French film

crtew were on Ben Nevis making a documentry of Godfrey Perroux the ice

climber. the team had been filming all day in wintery conditions (minus 5 say)

and came into the CIC hut for some "Scots character "shots, Immediately the

the big Canon video camera 'fogged' up between the elements and that was

filming over for the day, watching the crew stripping it and dry it out on the old

gas fire was a sobering sight..i dont think the moisture left the camera for a

few days after that, so any sealing is a great thing as far as im concerned,

Canon seem to be ahead of of Nikon in this respect having L lenses sealed

as well as bodies?!

Regards

Derek

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"8mp APS sensors can now comfortably match practuical 35mm capture in resolution terms and outpace it in every other area - what is is so punny about them"

 

Long, cold winter nights for star trails. The pixelcams can't do it. Instead they try to compensate by cheating with a bunch of exposures & layering. The old Nikon F still works at forty below just fine.

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  • 2 weeks later...
My original question was about the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II not a Nikon D1x! If you want to write about your D1x go to a D1x thread. I find it hard to odd that Canon would have to de-tune the 1Ds so that buyers would "accept" it. What motivation would Canon have to de-tune a camera when there is so much competition? Does anyone have any addtional information on the limited 1Ds mk II inventory?
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There is only one 'problem' that I have seen any mention of on the various reviews and test sites and that is the so-called 'Red' problem.</p>

<a href="http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/E1D2/E1D2A8.HTM" >The "Red Problem," Description and Workaround </a></p>

That said, many other cameras have the same issues with certain 'reds'. I have seen it mentioned with the Canon G6 as well as the Sony V3 point and shoots...but they don't cost $8,000!

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  • 1 month later...
I bit the bullet and bought a new 1Ds Mark II. It is an awesome camera...so awesome that I am thinking of giving up my digital back and medium format sytem. The issue was with the firmware which Canon has addressed. Apparently some of the CF cards from select manufacturers didn't work well in the camera resulting in very noisy or even lost images. I use Lexar WA and San Disk Extremes (including an SD Extreme III for back up) in my 1Ds II and they work great. The camera is not as fast as my 1D II but the image quality...rocks. The only bad part is that I have no excuses now. If my work sucks...it's me! Ha Ha
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