vbirke

<p>Hi mr marks,<br /> I'm really grateful to you for this post, because I faced the very same problem!<br>

What a mess, mr marks - Canon replaced your sensor and the new one yet contains a speck? Terrible...<br /> I wanted to upgrade from my MKII to the MKIII recently. I've meanwhile tested 9 MKIII bodies at 3 different shops / retailers (taking shots of a white sheet of paper at f/20 -22, adjusting the tonal range afterwards etc., I guess, everyone knows the common test procedure...). Result: they ALL(!) showed 4 - 8 clearly visible non-removable specks / dirt and, regarding 3 bodies 2 - 3 hot pixels as well, each! "Non-removable": neither the automatic removal function (regarding all bodies) nor a sensor brush nor a liquid such as Sensor Clean or Eclipse were able to remove the dirt I've viewed (the latter manual procedures I applied to one body of them).<br /> Hence, I can confirm what mr marks posted here.<br /> I believe this very serious issue cannot be downplayed. I'm against such an idea of simply mapping out this mess using the firmware.<br /> I own two 5D bodies, one 5D MKII body, moreover, a 50D and a 20D and think I know a lot about sensor dust, its effective removal and so on. I've never seen before such a dirt / mess on the sensors of my own Canon cameras when I was purchasing them / they were brandnew - they were simply absolutely CLEAN (otherwise I wouldn't have purchased them at all at that time)!<br /> Note that I frequently take landscape shots using ND filters or in available light at high aperture numbers, hence, a clean sensor is very important to me (although I can easily delete it during PP). I've meanwhile realized / concluded Canon must have a massive QC / QA problem here (maybe due to the fact that the price of the MKIII dropped over the last year significantly?)! Since Fred Miranda had published his remarkable results on the poor performance of the MKIII regarding noise in shadows I already pondered to switch to Nikon's D800.<br /> If I don't find an entirely clean new MKIII (sensor) soon, I will be switching, for sure! However, if Nikon has got the same problem (what could be read about the D600) I will be holding on, that is, don't buy anything.<br /> Volker</p>

<p>I purchased a EOS 5D in autumn 2006, after I had switched over from Zeiss and Yashica SLRs (I am an amateur photographer for appr. 40 years now) and an EOS 300 to two small digital cameras and then to an EOS 20D. I was not entirely satisfied with their ISO performance at low light conditions (however, it is a very good DSLR re many other aspects), hence I got interested in what was being reported on the 5D in 2005/2006.<br>

When I first tested this jewel I was simply blown away - absolutely stunning images, amazing IQ and colours etc. Consequently, I have been in love with this marvelous, outstanding device since then. It is really an actual example for outstanding and highly sophisticated scientific and engineering skills (in my opinion).<br>

The only two drawbacks I see are:<br>

1. Dust issue, but one can cope with it effectively by regularly using sensor brushes, sensor cleaning liquids etc. - however, the dust issues associated with DSLRs should entirely be resolved within the next 1-3 years (it is simply annoying/time consuming - and consumes additional money)!<br>

2. Only 3 frames per second.<br>

The new EOS 5D Mark II is supposed to have a dust problem yet, too - despite its new sensor cleaning system provided by Canon. Anyway, sooner or later, I will upgrade (may be not until a 5D Mark III equipped with more AF points and 4-5 frames per second will be available or so), but the IQ of the 5D MK I will remain outstanding for a longer period, I think. And IQ is the most important thing I do expect from an excellent SLR/DSLR.<br>

Hence, I have purchased a 2nd 5D Mark I body as a backup device. This camera will surely become an everlasting member of a "hall of fame" of excellent DSLRs, no doubt.</p>