Canon Confirms “Light Leak” Issue in the 5D Mark III

[Bitter Jeweler]

So in the Nikon it's a feature, and in the Canon, light entering the viewfinder is a problem?

Sorry I am not tracking.

 

[Derrel]

So in the Nikon it's a feature, and in the Canon, light entering the viewfinder is a problem?

Sorry I am not tracking.

Apparently, you're misreading what I wrote...the idea that stray light can enter through a single lens reflex camera's eyepiece has been known about by camera designers for literally decades. Nikon has built something like one dozen camera models that have a simple "eyepiece shutter", with a small mechanical control located to the left of the finder eyepiece, to **ensure** that, in situations where light can enter the camera from the rear, through the eyepiece, and the camera is used remotely or with the user's eye NOT at the eyepiece, the photographer can simply close the eyepiece shutter, and prevent ANY light from coming in through the back of the camera. This is just really simple, basic, rudimentary camera engineering,and it probably adds about $20 to the cost of a professional Nikon body.

The idea that the LCD's own bacjklight illumnation is causing the meter reading to be off by 2/3 of a stop to 1 f/stop was discovered by numerous individuals who were TRYING to do tripod HDR work.

READ Ron's experience with doing HDR multi-exposures at night...whenever he'd turn on the LCD illumination to check the camera's settings, it would 'eff up the exposure values...

For the people who like to do star trail exposures, or night-time cityscape photos, using electronically-timed exposures, this represents kind of a serious design issue with getting the exposures messed up, either by light coming in through the eyepiece, or by daring to turn on the LCD illumination to check settings.

This isn't some Nikon vs Canon thing...it's just that Canon elected NOT to put an eyepiece shutter into a professionally-oriented camera that many people are going to want to do tripod-mounted or timed-exposure work with, which has virtually always,always,always meant shooting with the photographer's eye NOT anywhere near to the eyepiece.

As Ron 's tests showed, indoors, with two 60 watt bulbs, even THAT level of illumination moved the indicated exposure from 1/6 second with his eye at the finder, to 1/10 second with his eye away from the finder. As on can see by his video demonstration, that is not exactly the "strong daylight" some are implying is needed to influence the meter's light reading...if two 60-watt bulbs in a ceiling fan can mess up the exposure by 2/3 of a stop, the problem seems to be pretty easily-seen. Again...this is that $380 EOS ELAN body feature set the 5D series has always been plagued with rearing its head. The fact that the LCD screen's illumination can also affect the metering seems like a second screw-up. So there are TWO problems actually, not just one.

Canon will probably be able to figure out a fix though. Just like when the original 5D cameras had their mirrors fall off because the GLUE that held the mirror in its carriage failed...Canon designed a retrofit with two 25-cent metal clips to hold the mirror in place, and offered a free installation of the two, two-bit parts they SHOULD have used in the original design. Or the 1D Mark III with its AF system that refused to AF properly...they got that fixed in 18 months, then brought out a new model...or the 5D II with the black speckled dots all over the images shot in low light...this is yet another screw-up at launch. Found by paying customers. Not by beta testers or the factory's own engineers.

This issue seems to me like it would be the most damaging to tripod-based type of shooters doing long exposures, or those who photograph without their eye to the finder eyepiece, such as people shooting with remote releases.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

I get what's going on with the LCD thing. But as far as the viewfinder, mine came with a cover. Albeit a seperate part that you can lose if you are not careful.
I just don't understand that last bit in your post where the guy is complaining about a known issue with all SLR's


I will admit that I am glad I am not an early adopter. I bought a $3000 air powered hand engraver instead. LOL
New camera can wait.