So I sent my brand new Canon 5D mk III to CPS after noticing several dust spots within the first 12 hours of shooting (that I could not dislodge with auto-clean or a Rocket Blower). I had also noted issues with AF when in AI servo mode and asked them to evaluate this. I sent in my 70-200/4 IS lens with it as I had the most severe AF issues with that lens.

The good:
Sent out on Monday AM and received it back Wednesday at 2:30pm - incredibly fast service
AF is worlds better

The bad:
Sensor is still dirty...wtf
And my previously unmarred and beautiful 70-200 lens has a scratch extending from the base to the zoom ring. Looks like someone took a sharp knife to the bubble wrap and cut into the barrel

Just got off the phone with CPS who were apologetic but not all that helpful otherwise. I know have to send the camera and lens back to them and hope that they properly fix things this time. If they don't offer some sort of compensation for this, I'll be royally pissed off. A complementary extra year of CPS gold membership would seem to be the least that they could do for f'ing up a $1000 lens. Just glad I took photos of the camera and lens before I sent them (including shots of them in bubble wrap).

I was ready to sing the praises of CPS but in a matter of one hour I went from being thrilled with the AF (and ok with having to send it in once) to being really mad at the whole affair.

Just venting...

There's a good chance this is just one of those rare occurrences. I would demand proper compensation though, especially for the productivity lost during which you don't have your tools. A year of CPS gold as recompense would be cheap or basically free for them, but it would only be to your advantage if they repaired or replaced the lens the scratched up. But that turn-around time is really impressive, I wouldn't be surprised if you get everything you want in recompense, I'd think Canon would be obliged to do so.

Just sent a long letter to the contact person at the NJ service center. I'm planning to send it back on Tuesday after using it this weekend. Just really pissed off - at having to send it again (and be without the camera) as well as the damage to a previously perfect lens.
So glad I thought to take some quick snaps of the lens as I packaged it up.

Before


After

Ouch... So sorry... I think you'r entitled to the compensation + free fix (or a new lens).

Oh wow, that sucks, big time. I hope Canon gets word of this thread and acts accordingly. I am holding off on my CPS gold membership until you get a resolve and compensation. For the record, my brand new 5D3 has some very nasty dust spots on the sensor too, and trying to blow them off with my huge Giottos rocket blower has done nothing.

Thanks David.
Can't believe you have dust spots too - what are they doing, building these in a factory with the windows open?

Also, if anyone has a 70-200/4 IS, can you please confirm something for me? I had noticed that my zoom ring felt much looser when I got it back (no zoom creep, just really loose). However, yesterday, I gently shook the lens and felt something 'moving' inside. If I had to imagine, it was as if the IS mechanism or some other large part was 'sloshing around' in there with very gentle movement. I can't remember ever feeling that in the lens before but have no way of confirming that that was a 'normal' finding on the lens.

Here is the full letter sent to the manager of CPS NJ:

Dear Mr. DiMauro,
I felt the need to write you and express my disappointment with the service my new camera and lens have received at your facility. I purchased and received the Canon 5D mk III on Tuesday May 15th as an upgrade from my Canon 50D. I was excited about this camera and thrilled with the first images I took. When I returned home from a shoot on Wednesday morning, I noted dust spots at f/16-22 (with some even visible at f/11). I confirmed the dust spots by shooting a blue sky and found that neither the auto sensor clean nor using a Rocket Blower was able to dislodge them.

I contacted CPS and was offered free shipping to the nearest service center for a sensor cleaning with sincere apologies for this happening with a brand new camera. I had plans to use the camera for my son's football game over the weekend so the camera was only slated to go out on Monday morning. In the interim, I found there were issues with the auto focus module in AI servo mode. I tried numerous combinations of 'cases' and settings but could not achieve reliable focus. As I did most of my testing with my Canon 70-200/4 IS lens, I thought it worthwhile to send this in and confirm there was not an issue with the lens rather than the body.

I carefully packaged the camera body and lens - each in two layers of large bubble wrap and then covered both with an additional 3 layers of bubbles on all sides of the box. The package arrived in the service center on Tuesday and, amazingly enough, was back in my hands today, May 24th at 3pm. I was very impressed by the quick turnaround and even more so with the AF abilities of the camera. I was again using the 70-200 and it seemed significantly better at focusing using AI servo mode.

On a whim, I decided to shoot the sky before uploading photos and was dismayed to find the very same dust spots still present on the sensor!

Then my eyes fell upon the lens barrel where a new scratch had appeared. At first, I couldn't believe my eyes and immediately checked photos I took of the lens before shipping and confirmed the flawless barrel. It looked as if someone who unboxed the lens took a sharp knife to get through the bubble wrap and managed to cut into the lens barrel.

I called CPS immediately and was told they would send another prepaid package slip. I have to tell you that for someone who just spent $4300 on this camera (purchased the kit version), I am beyond disappointed with my first week of ownership. I cannot understand how the camera's sensor could arrive dirty from the factory and even less so how it arrived in the same condition after being sent to CPS for cleaning. Not only do I now have the privilege of sending the camera in again for the same reason but I now have damage to a previously unmarred $1000 lens.

The camera body and lens will be returning to your service center on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week (I again have activities to photograph this weekend). I expect the highest level of attention and care be taken with both and that each will be returned to me in like-new condition.

Sincerely,

Eyal Oren
CPS Gold #######

His reply:
Hi

Sorry for the condition you received the equipment back in. We will replace the parts that are scratched and clean the sensor. Our goal is to provide fast and quality service. This email will be forwarded to my manager.

Sincerely

Awesome letter, Eyal!

They sure do sound concerned in their reply...

I hope everything works out, bud. That's really just unacceptable about the scratch on the lens.

Hope you get it fixed / replaced to your satisfaction.
I did check the sensor on my 5DMIII and found just one or two dust spots. I ran the "dust delete data" and it got removed. I am always hesitant to use dust blower in fear of actually making things worse. I have had 7D for over 2 years and never seemed to have problems with dust. I got my 5DMIII a couple of weeks ago.....

Eyal, my copy is UV0403. Both rings turn smoothly with a nice feel of stability/inertia. When I gently shake it with my ear up close I *hear* (don't feel) a faint but definite rattling, which sounds like some small mechanism is moving, only so long as the shaking accelerates it momentarily. HTH

Neil

Can you convert into a beer mug now?

Thanks Neil - it does. The zoom is definitely looser than it was. Much more a 'large loose' piece in there than just a faint rattle. All boxed up and ready to ship out today. We'll see how this round goes...

Originally Posted by eoren1 Thanks Neil - it does. The zoom is definitely looser than it was. Much more a 'large loose' piece in there than just a faint rattle. All boxed up and ready to ship out today. We'll see how this round goes...

Here's hoping for the best outcome for you!

Neil

The saga continues...
Sent in the 5D and 70-200 on Tuesday AM by next day air (Monday was Memorial Day). Called them Thursday to check status and was informed camera was done (it better have been, how long does a sensor cleaning take ) but that they were waiting on parts for the 70-200.

Not sure why no one thought I might want the camera back ASAP but I promptly requested they send it to me separately. I was told it was going out that night. Turns out it just got picked up an hour ago (it's now Friday). And the promise that it would be here no later than Saturday? Apparently that note in the CPS system was not seen in NJ and the camera is slated to arrive Monday.

That means in my first 21 days of ownership, Canon would have had the camera more days than I will. Oh and my desire to shoot my kid's post season game of flag football with the 5D's fantastic AF system...

This camera better be in absolutely perfect condition or heads will roll...

The camera is back and I have a new question.

Here's a summary of what has been found/done to date:
1. Due to 'other cause' in af assembly causing inaccurate auto focus from time to time. Electrical adjustments were carried out in the AF assembly. Product functions were confirmed.
2. Due to 'other cause' in imaging sensor assembly, dust particles were found in the part. Imaging sensor assembly was cleaned. Product functions were confirmed. Replaced screen.

So the camera has now been found to have two major problems and both have been corrected. But I can't but feel like this camera is a lemon having so many problems in the first three weeks of ownership. I'm within the 45 day replacement window so, the question is, do I:

1. Call it a day, consider the camera now perfect as it has been closely inspected (twice) and go on shooting
2. Feel that the camera never should have had these problems in the first place and is essentially a 'refurb' now so go ahead and get a replacement from place of purchase.

Appreciate your thoughts.

I hope all works out for you. I just wanted to add a comment with regard to sensor dust. I have read many complaints about sending out cameras to have the sensor cleaned only to receive it back with a dirty sensor.

I do my own cleaning and having a sensor loop allows me to see any dust and smears clearly and immediately. No matter how clean the camera is when leaving the manufacturer or after cleaning once in use it's exposed to all kinds of dust and foreign materials. Not all of it ends up on the sensor. Some is lodged in the nooks and crannies of the cameras interior. While in transport it's not hard to dislodge these particles and have them move around inside the camera, eventually landing on the sensor.

So no matter how well the cleaning is done you can receive your camera with dust on the sensor. Grease and smears are of course a different matter.

Sam

Thanks Sam. The repair info sounds like they had to remove the AA filter to get at the debris. Makes me nervous about the original assembly and what might have happened to the sensor if dirt was on it rather than the typical spot on the screen.

So would you keep the body or replace it?

Originally Posted by eoren1 Thanks Sam. The repair info sounds like they had to remove the AA filter to get at the debris. Makes me nervous about the original assembly and what might have happened to the sensor if dirt was on it rather than the typical spot on the screen. So would you keep the body or replace it?

Tough question. If possible I think at this point I would prefer getting a new body if only for my piece of mind. It's not like these are disposable cameras. While issues do happen I think my mental outlook and piece of mind would be much improved with a new body.

That said the camera could be good or better than new.

Sam

Hey Sam
Thanks for chiming in again.
Turns out I had a chance to speak to the manager at CPS-New Jersey this afternoon. He was great about explaining exactly what was found and done at each visit and relayed that the tech who handled the camera had over 25 years experience. The focus screen was replaced in an effort to dot every i and cross every t as he put it. The dust was never on the sensor - only on the AA filter. I put the question of replacement to him and, while he obviously has a bias, seemed genuine when saying the camera should be absolutely perfect now.
I plan on getting the Focal microAF program now that I have the camera in-hand. The pro version has a AF consistency test as well as dust test. Will run the camera through those and see how it does. If it performs as expected, I plan on keeping it.

Originally Posted by eoren1 Hey Sam Thanks for chiming in again. Turns out I had a chance to speak to the manager at CPS-New Jersey this afternoon. He was great about explaining exactly what was found and done at each visit and relayed that the tech who handled the camera had over 25 years experience. The focus screen was replaced in an effort to dot every i and cross every t as he put it. The dust was never on the sensor - only on the AA filter. I put the question of replacement to him and, while he obviously has a bias, seemed genuine when saying the camera should be absolutely perfect now. I plan on getting the Focal microAF program now that I have the camera in-hand. The pro version has a AF consistency test as well as dust test. Will run the camera through those and see how it does. If it performs as expected, I plan on keeping it.

Yep, right track I reckon. Agree with Sam too. All else being equal.

Neil