It is a little devil inside me that can’t help feel some satisfaction from the autofocus problems reported on Canon’s latest dSLR, the EOS 1D Mk. III. Since this camera is meant for Canon’s most demanding users I hope they will make a BIG fuzz about it.

I was in many ways forced into a heavy Canon investment in the beginning of my career. Nikon was just too arrogant at the time in terms of price and customer support, at least in Norway. Minolta was struggling for survival, and with the digital age dawning I could take a chance on them. We all know how that story ended.

I must say that the EOS 3 and 30, which I bought first, were superb cameras. I had few problems and used them patiently until an affordable full frame camera entered the market, the 5D. While the image quality on this 12+ MP camera still isn’t up to a perfect Fuji Astia or Provia slide, not to mention a Tri-X negative, I live with it, even the fringing and digital noise in the shadows. There are just too many clients that demand the use of a pure digital workflow these days. Developing and scanning film just isn’t time and cost efficient enough these days.

So why do I have this smug grin on my face? There are two significant reasons for my lack of patience with Canon:

1. The Canon EOS 5D has a serious dust problem. The filter covering the sensor must be made of dustmagnetic glass. I spend almost more time cleaning the inside of this camera than shooting, but I probably shouldn’t have said that. You aren’t allowed to clean the sensor filter yourself unless a void warranty is OK with you! Canon’s solution? Send the camera to a licensed repair shop for cleaning. Are they fucking kidding me? They actually want me to part with my cameras for 10-20 days after each shoot? This flaw is so serious that I feel the camera should never have been released on the market. At least it should have been made perfectly clear in the advertising of this camera. There are many solutions of course:

- Implementing software like digital ICE to remove dust;
- Change the materials used in the mirror house;
- Make the sensor easier to clean by making it detachable (think of a digital back for MF);
- Develop an effective cleaning system that is supplied with the camera.

2. Quality of Canon lenses is as inconsistent as the Bible. If your front element isn’t falling off while unscrewing a filter you struggle with a sharpness problem that you thought was optical, but no, it was the autofocus that wasn’t properly calibrated. And speaking of sharpness, buying a Canon L lens is like entering a lottery. You have to go through three or four of them to find one that is optically sharp.