Canon camera and service.

I'd have to agree with the others. You're going WAY over the top here. I
note you are a surgeon, I'm a lowly, poorly paid scientist. Buying a camera
such as this for you is almost like me buying a disposable P&S.
It's new, get over it.

Your premise is not a valid one. An almost 10K camera (in my case more than
10K because of all the accessories) is a big purchase for anyone,
independent of how much money one makes.

I have seen too many "schemes" out there and don't want to be the next
victim. How would you feel if I were to operate on you and then transmit you
some infectious disease requiring hospitalization because my office failed
to follow the proper sterilization protocol for all instruments and
equipment used? I am sure you wouldn't be understanding with my neglect and
my failure to meet your level of expectation. As a customer you expect
certain things when you decide to acquire products or services. You are
within your right to receive the assurance that you haven't been misguided
or sold "promises" that were never materialized.

Above all I posted my message here to find out (1) if others had similar
experiences or any "positive" and "constructive" suggestions to share, (2)
if there were ways (I have actually found one from another forum) to tell if
the camera has been used more than the reseller claims it has, and (3) if it
was indeed acceptable to have that number of dead pixels considered within
the normal range for current manufacturing practices.

This was my first post and will certainly be my last.

Dude, the 1Ds Mark II sensor has a total of 17.2 million pixels on it.
11 "stuck" pixels is a ridiculously low portion of the total sensor:
0.0000639% If Canon is considering that to be the minimum number
required to send it back, their quality control and standards are FAR
higher than I would expect.

So, in short, get ****ing real dude!

This would have been a very good answer and the type of professional
feedback I was looking for. Too bad you spoiled the entire post with the
last line.

The language you used here on this last line isn't even acceptable in a
public Usenet forum such as this. I am too much of a gentleman to give the
answer you deserve. But I think you should honestly refrain from
participating in discussions with others until you have learned how to
respect others and to communicate with more courtesy, manners and
professionalism.

Douglas:

Thank you very much for your detailed and thoughtful reply to my questions.

My only concern is to make sure I haven't bought a lemon for a camera. This
is the time to find out since I doubt the reseller would exchange the
equipment if I brought it back 2 months from the date of purchase.

I was actually only concerned about finding ways to identify possible
problems and hoping to find others here who also owned this camera to obtain
some feedback based on their previous experiences.

As I have stated I have no reason to think that the reseller who sold me the
camera hasn't delivered me a good product but with so many schemes out there
one should always be prudent and try to find additional assurance in order
to avoid future frustrations.

I am going to run some tests this week and make sure that the images are of
good quality. I have also found a way to identify how many times the shutter
has been released as well as a way to test for the presence of dead pixels.
I am hoping and assuming everything will be fine.

Aside from the concerns I expressed which I feel are normal for a consumer
purchasing a product as expensive as this one, the camera is truly
outstanding in body construction, features, functions and overall
craftsmanship.

The issue with customer service and technical support has already been
covered but is something that should definitely be addressed by companies in
general.

Thank you again for the valuable and detailed feedback.

Best regards,

Joseph

---

Dr. Joseph Chamberlain
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

----------------------------------------------------------------------------


The issue of acceptable faults in products is one I find hard to tolerate.
Many years ago I bought a new car which I firmly believed should have
been replaced because it was a lemon. As it turned out, the faults it
had were documented and addressed by the maker under warranty. Not the
best outcome but a workable one.

Dead pixels have long been a manufacturing problem. Not just with
cameras but also computer monitors. I was disappointed to learn the new
LCD screen I bought had some dead pixels. I screamed long and hard only
to discover the maker had 2 types of screens. The lower cost one I
bought thinking it was on special and the zero dead pixel count ones for
quite a lot more. Viewsonic should have been more up front with their
product description to be sure but none the less, they refused to
address the dead pixels until it reached 7 of the same colour.

The problem you have is addressable with processing software. I don't
own any Canon cameras now but my current DSLRs all have a pixel mapping
ability built in to identify and obfuscate any dead pixels. Considering
the resolution of a 1Ds, I'd say the dead pixel allowance is quite
conservative and easily addressed. You shouldn't worry at this stage of
DSLR evolution.

You might be surprised at what other tolerances your camera has in other
areas too. Just because these cameras are the most expensive Canon sell,
does not in itself mean they are the 'best' they sell. It is very
subjective. Most sports Photographers using Canon cameras prefer the 1D
for it's high speed sequencing. Studio Photographers seeking as much
resolution as they can get buy the camera you have.

Why not just concentrate on taking photographs and see if they are any
good before blaming the equipment? You never know, it might be just what
the Doctor ordered :-)

"Joseph Chamberlain, DDS" wrote:

Dear colleagues:

Last week I purchased a Canon EOS 1Ds Mk II. I usually purchase my photo
equipment from BH Photo in NY and have come to rely on the equipment I
always receive from them since they maintain a huge inventory.

This week BH is closed for the Jewish holidays and I couldn't wait since I
needed to purchase the camera for an event this past weekend. On Friday I
purchased the camera at a large reseller in Los Angeles that shall remain
nameless for ethical reasons. I have no reason to doubt this reseller but
wanted to have some assurance that the equipment was new and not something
that had been opened before and handled by numerous customers.

I remember that a while back we had a discussion on this forum about a
feature available in many high-end pro cameras that allowed the owner to
have access through the menu of how many times the shutter had been
released.

I called Canon and was told that this feature is not offered for any of
Canon's cameras. I then asked the customer service agent to check the
camera's serial number to verify if the camera was indeed a new camera that
had let the company recently. The only piece of information the agent could
share with me was the fact that no call had been made to customer service on
that serial number, but this is hardly an indication of whether the camera
is new or not.

I am very happy with the camera and have no reason to doubt the reseller who
sold it to me. However, it is only natural for a customer to try to obtain
some form of guarantee or assurance when buying a product such as this. I
would expect Canon to provide better service and support to its customers
than that which I received over the phone. This type of support would be
reprehensible if one received it for an issue involving a point-and-shoot,
200 dollar camera. This is definitely not the way I would expect Canon to
stand behind me as a customer when I am buying from the company a camera
with accessories in the price range of a new car.

Another thing that concerned me was the statement made by the customer
service agent about being considered acceptable to have a certain number of
dead pixels on the sensor. I asked him what would be the best way for me to
verify if there were any dead pixels so I could exchange the camera for
another one if any were present. His claim was that Canon considers it to be
within the range of acceptability (meaning the camera will pass its quality
control inspection and reach the customer) if up to approximately 11 pixels
on the sensor are dead. This is not what I would like to hear from the
manufacturer after purchasing a camera as expensive as this one.

Any ideas ? What is your opinion on the dead pixel count ? Is this true and
the standard for the industry ?

Since the reseller had claimed that the camera was shipped to its store from
Canon's warehouse the day before I went to purchase it I also tried to
verify if it was indeed true. According to the reseller the camera came from
Canon's warehouse located in Lake Success, IL. I also asked the customer
service agent to verify this information but he informed me that he had no
means to verify if the camera had indeed left the warehouse on that
particular date. What kind of company is this that seems to have such poor
control over its own inventory and database ? I would expect a company such
as Canon to be able to track one of its products with the serial number and
tell where the camera was, the address it was shipped to and when.

I have contacted Canon's technical support department in the past and have
been quite disappointed. The "specialists" I spoke to were far from being
the true knowledgeable specialists I was hoping to reach. But the customer
service I've just received over the phone is insane.

Since I am discussing my new camera and Canon's service and support I will
try to avoid carrying the subject over to other areas but only wish to add
that it seems to happen to other companies as I just recently took a D70 I
own to Nikon's own service center for sensor cleaning and received one of
the worst services I have ever received for any product (with the possible
exception of Dell computers). What is going on with these companies ?
Whatever happened to good, quality support and service ?

Please forgive me for the longer post but I am "venting" here and wish to
get your feedback on how to make sure my camera is indeed a new one that
hasn't been played too much with.


You're paranoid.

I wonder if your customers (patients) can expect the same standard of
"service" as you appear to expect from Canon?

You're paranoid.

I believe you are the one who is paranoid as you attack someone who hasn't
done anything to insult you and whom you don't even know.

I wonder if your customers (patients) can expect the same standard of
"service" as you appear to expect from Canon?

No. They get much better treatment, way above what is considered today's
medical "standard of care". What I do does not allow "room for mistakes" and
I would be embarrassed if a patient came to my office and received the
service and treatment I received from Canon over the phone. More than 98 %
of my business is based on referrals from existing patients who refer their
friends and relatives to me. This is a sign that they must be happy with my
standards.

"Joseph Chamberlain, DDS" wrote:


You're paranoid.

I believe you are the one who is paranoid as you attack someone who hasn't
done anything to insult you and whom you don't even know.


You have unrealistic and, I would say quite unreasonable, expectations
of the information Canon should be obliged to give you about the
product you purchased.

Take that as an insult if you wish.

;-)

In article ,
says...

Dude, the 1Ds Mark II sensor has a total of 17.2 million pixels on it.
11 "stuck" pixels is a ridiculously low portion of the total sensor:
0.0000639% If Canon is considering that to be the minimum number
required to send it back, their quality control and standards are FAR
higher than I would expect.

So, in short, get ****ing real dude!

This would have been a very good answer and the type of professional
feedback I was looking for. Too bad you spoiled the entire post with the
last line.

The language you used here on this last line isn't even acceptable in a
public Usenet forum such as this. I am too much of a gentleman to give the
answer you deserve. But I think you should honestly refrain from
participating in discussions with others until you have learned how to
respect others and to communicate with more courtesy, manners and
professionalism.

Oh don't worry about Bird Brain. He's just the resident town drunk.
There are less abbraisive badgers than him.

--
DD (everything is temporary)
www.dallasdahms.com

In article ,
says...
Dear colleagues:

snip

Please forgive me for the longer post but I am "venting" here and wish to
get your feedback on how to make sure my camera is indeed a new one that
hasn't been played too much with.

I fully understand your anxiety.

Unfortunately it is endemic to mass market companies and not just
limited to any particular brand. One of the worst examples of apathy in
customer service I have ever experienced occurred when I purchased a
Samsung colour laser printer. From day one the printer was faulty, but
it took 6 months for Samsung (hereonafter to be known as "Singsong") to
even acknowledge my complaint!

These days execs hide behind call centres, many of which are not even
located in the same country as you, so in order to get some kind of
accountability you either have to know somebody in the organisation to
give you the phone number of the right person, or you have to hold
someone hostage!

Good luck with Canon though...

--
DD (everything is temporary)
www.dallasdahms.com

"DD (Rox)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...
Dear colleagues:

snip

Please forgive me for the longer post but I am "venting" here and wish
to
get your feedback on how to make sure my camera is indeed a new one that
hasn't been played too much with.

I fully understand your anxiety.

Unfortunately it is endemic to mass market companies and not just
limited to any particular brand. One of the worst examples of apathy in
customer service I have ever experienced occurred when I purchased a
Samsung colour laser printer. From day one the printer was faulty, but
it took 6 months for Samsung (hereonafter to be known as "Singsong") to
even acknowledge my complaint!

These days execs hide behind call centres, many of which are not even
located in the same country as you, so in order to get some kind of
accountability you either have to know somebody in the organisation to
give you the phone number of the right person, or you have to hold
someone hostage!

Good luck with Canon though...

--
DD (everything is temporary)
www.dallasdahms.com

Come on. His camera isn't faulty, there is a difference you know. My bet
is that the service staff thought he was just as paranoid as many of us do
here. This doesn't excuse poor, dismissive or slow service with faulty
products though.

"Joseph Chamberlain, DDS" wrote in message
.. .

You're paranoid.

I believe you are the one who is paranoid as you attack someone who hasn't
done anything to insult you and whom you don't even know.

I wonder if your customers (patients) can expect the same standard of
"service" as you appear to expect from Canon?

No. They get much better treatment, way above what is considered today's
medical "standard of care". What I do does not allow "room for mistakes"
and
I would be embarrassed if a patient came to my office and received the
service and treatment I received from Canon over the phone. More than 98 %
of my business is based on referrals from existing patients who refer
their
friends and relatives to me. This is a sign that they must be happy with
my
standards.


There is a HUGE difference between what is expected from healthcare
professionals. I'm one. To equate a poor service from a healthcare
professional to that from tech service personnel or indeed from their
quality assessment of a product where the degree of error is totally
negligible to the final result of the product is completely irrational and
over the top, not to mention lacking an essence of reality. You can't
compare apples with oranges. This is why people sate you are paranoid, not
because they want to actually insult you, quite the opposite. As a
healthcare professional, it should be expected that you put the patient
first, each time every time, no less. Sure, the level of service from Canon
etc may not be great, but then the consequences are entirely different.
Inconvenience versus lifelong injury or death.