Canon Quality Control SUCKS, Part II – Judgement Day

April 27th, 2008

After receiving a lot of feedback from my previous post on Canon Quality Control sucking bigtime, I thought it would be good to write an update. Before you read on, please read my previous post including the comments to make sure you know where I’m coming from.

A day after my previous post, I noticed that I got banned from the forums at DPReview. And my thread on that forum where I discussed my blog post got deleted as well. Apparently the moderator(s) there, whoever they are (Phil Askey?), don’t like the fact that I seemed to have enough courage to question the many issues Canon seems to have with their DSLR products. Even though I mentioned that the basis of my post was not only because I had experienced issues first hand, but also that I had noticed a trend on the forums where you had posts discussing focus issues every day. And to this day, this trend continues, as I have shown in the comments section of my previous post. Click here to check for yourself. As you will also notice from the feedback I got in the comments section of my previous post, there are many who have issues and agree with me, and you will find many more posts with similar issues by just searching on Google. Today I even noticed a thread on DPReview, where the poster said:

Seems every other thread you read here is about a camera and/or lens not focussing properly or some other issue that results in lousy photos. I’ve had lots of good examples of bad photos

I’m glad I am not the only one who noticed.

I also got feedback from a few professional photographers operating some of the popular digital imaging sites online today, and they also wrote to me in agreement. I noticed however that very few of them talk about these issues openly. And indeed it seems many are afraid to speak up, perhaps afraid to hurt their relationship with Canon or others. Who knows? I was surprised to find photographer Lloyd Chambers courageous enough to post a comment on my previous post where he just honestly admitted to the many issues with Canon lenses, even mentioning:

I would estimate based on my own experience that somewhere between 30-50% of brand new pro-grade lenses have at least mild optical issues, and some, like the 70-200/4 have moderate to severe ones-.

The 30-50% estimate is roughly what I thought myself based on what I have seen online. And I don’t know about you, but that’s A LOT. If this is true, it proves Canon’s quality control is bad. When I browsed around Lloyd’s website, one thing made me understand how he could speak his mind so freely:

Diglloyd.com accepts no manufacturer advertising. Much content is free [free articles, blog] , but paid reviews help finance the site. Equipment used for paid reviews is purchased through normal retail channels; manufacturer discounts are not accepted.

It’s easy to be honest when you don’t accept ads or other gifts from manufacturers. You don’t have to worry about losing income, losing deals or hurting your relationship with them. I wish more people could be like this. It’s easier to trust Lloyd’s reviews on his website because of this.

But on DPReview? I mentioned issues and got banned. Perhaps there are things we can conclude from this. But I’ll leave that to your own imagination.

But again, what is very clear is that Canon has a major quality control issue on their hands, and every day users write to complain about it, as I have shown here. And again I have to remind you, this is just on one site, searching on Google reveals lots more.

Pingbacks

Karel Donk » Archive » Nikon D700 Announced, Canon in DEEP SHIT (01/07/2008)
Karel Donk » Archive » Canon EF 135mm F2.0 lens samples (14/07/2008)
Karel Donk » Archive » Canon EF 50mm f1.2 L - Defective by Design (16/07/2008)
Karel Donk » Blog Archive » Canon has lost it (03/12/2008)
Karel Donk » Blog Archive » Canon EOS 5D Mark II: Barely worth it! (22/12/2008)
Karel Donk » Blog Archive » The-Digital-Picture.com deletes “anti-Canon” post about the EOS 5D Mark II (30/12/2008)
To Canon and Loeb & Loeb: Thanks for the traffic! « Fake Chuck Westfall (16/02/2009)
Karel Donk’s Blog » Blog Archive » Canon EOS 7D Review: Noisier than 40D (08/11/2009)
Karel Donk's Blog » Thoughts on the Canon EOS 1DX (26/01/2012)
Karel Donk's Blog » Canon EOS 5D Mark III Review (13/07/2012)
Karel Donk's Blog » I am Fake Chuck Westfall (09/06/2014)

Comments

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Lloyd Chambers April 27th, 2008 at 12:59 pm

It’s not as easy to be honest as you think! With the 7 Zeiss ZF Lenses in my review, not accepting the rather substantial “VIP discount” hurts, but it’s a slippery slope once one goes down that path. Who wouldn’t want such discounts?! I pay the lowest publicly available price (usually B&H photo) and/or I buy elsewhere and/or buy used after I return any evaluation units.

You won’t find objective information in the manufacturer marketing brochures (oops, I mean photo magazines might have “O” and “P” in their names). Follow the money. Yet some people think that paying $20 for stale and rehashed printed content is a better deal than real objective analysis. You do get what you pay for.

Reply
Jeremy February 24th, 2009 at 1:41 am

One of the screw on the bottom of my 20D just fell off recently. You can imagine the rest.

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Rick Pepper May 18th, 2009 at 12:45 pm

My Canon experience has been a living hell. My Rebel XTi went into “service” 5 times within 3 months for the same issue (that was present from day 1 but since I had no idea QC was in shambles, I never looked for issues until it became glaringly apparent.) The third, fourth and fifth times my L 70-200 F4 non-IS accompanied the XTi body to “service” (my 18-50 lens is a Sigma.) This combo produced consistently back-focused images. That was summer/fall 2007. It was a wearisome process, I had no idea I signed up to be Canon’s field-service engineer!!! While reviewing some images in January ’09 I was confronted with the fact that things had not changed at all. I contacted Canon, and they *finally* agreed to do something *different*, swap my body (for a refurb of course.) The first weekend in May I got a good opportunity to test the setup again and it was STILL back-focusing. This time they swapped the lens (for a refurb again) and this copy may be front-focusing, the jury is still out. My main gripes: Canon’s own “system” (what system?) should have escalated my issue to customer service on the third pass through “service.” I had to dig and dredge the ‘net for a number that would get me to someone who could do something *other* than tell me “send it in to service.” And even then that was the first thing I was told, after 4 passes to “service”, I received no such thing. My other gripe: if this was some other electronics product bought from a brick and mortar store, they would have swapped it, for a NEW one, long ago. I worked electronics retail for almost 4 years, and if I would have put someone through what Canon put me through I would be minus a few teeth – no customer in their right mind would put up with this, yet Canon’s “system” doesn’t know how to do anything else, just send you through ONE MORE TIME. Wash, rinse REPEAT REPEAT REPEAT REPEAT.

I can’t imagine relying on this gear for a living, and it’s a darn expensive hobby, too expensive to just flush it all and go with Nikon.

Thanks for making the truth known to the masses. RANT OFF.

Reply
- teut November 24th, 2010 at 11:09 am
  
  I bought a canon battery grip (BG-E6) for my canon 5d mark II and noticed after a few weeks that the plastic gear inside the grip broke, yes, canon installs a plastic gear which drives a metal gear, needless to say after x amount of tightening and loosening the plastic gear strips.
  I Send it back under warranty and was told it will be returned fixed or replaced within 7 days.
  …Nothing for three weeks…
  i called and was told they did not have a grip in stock and that i would receive my item before friday that week
  …Nothing…
  Called the following week and was told the phone lines are down in all of California
  
  “Andrew” from the canon factory service center in irvine, ca. called me later that day and said that a replacement grip was never ordered !
  he than patronizingly told me that i don’t have to pay anything as if that should make me feel good now.
  (May i remind you that this was a warrant claim)
  (There is always a certain arrogance and incompetence about these people.)
  
  I asked him to keep the defective grip and send me a check for reimbursement since i did not like the fact that it had a design flaw and that i can get ripped off for much less (2 1/2 $ less)
  …he had to go and talk to someone i assume…
  after he came back he told me it is not in the canon policy to do that.
  (Seems like that canon does not have the decency to make good after they rip you off with an overpriced and flawlessly designed product)
  
  I like my camera but canon is doing a really bad job with its service ! I find it flat out insulting !
  
  Seems to be a repeating pattern: Ones they have success and built a huge customer base they don’t care anymore, because they know exactly that if just a few customers switch to nikon (and what makes me think nikon is going to be a better experience anyway) this is not going to hurt them so they can afford to stay ignorant and cut corners.
  
  By the way, as i am writing this it’s 5 weeks now and i don’t really now if i get my grip back at all, thinking about of ordering me an aftermarket grip for about $100, at least you feel less ripped off when you noticed the plastic parts inside.
  
  This is my experience with the pathetic canon factory service ( I think they not so responsive on warranty claims and it perhaps works better if the have a repair order where they make money )
  
  Reply
someguy6481 May 25th, 2009 at 11:36 am

Canon fanboys use certain tactics when the integrity of their equipment or their deity (Canon) is put into question. I have compiled a list of the most common apologetics and accusations:

– you don’t know how to use your equipment.

– error 99’s are a normal feature.

– Nikon have errors as well, so it’s normal for Canon to have them.

– there is nothing wrong with the auto focusing system, it’s your fault.

– quality control costs money (as mentioned previously).

– it’s normal to recalibrate your lenses, even from a “L” range lens.

– lens hood are additional accessory and should be sold separately.

as we can see, circular reasoning and lying is a trait of the Canon fanboys and of Canon executive.

what I find most insulting is that a once great leader in photography will sell faulty DSLR cameras in exchange for your hard earned cash. Canon are seriously taking you for a bunch of fools, wake up people, there are alternatives.

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KK November 18th, 2009 at 8:44 am

Karel, I’m not surprised to hear that dpreview banned you for speaking the truth. I have also spoken out about Canon’s horrible quality control and I was banned too. The gangs of fanboys at dpreview are allowed to attack and insult anyone who reports any problems with Canon gear, so of course many people are afraid to report problems.

I have started a blog to expose some of the things going on at dpreview and Canon and at least I won’t be silenced there by the fanboys at dpreview. When those fanboys don’t like something that someone says about Canon they complain to dpreview and often get the person banned. Dpreview is complicit because they have a monetary interest in keeping interest high in camera gear, and especially the gear from Canon and Nikon since they’re the two biggest sellers and are virtually certainly the companies that pay the most for advertising on dpreview. Dpreview wants their free loaner gear too.

I’m glad you have the guts to speak up about the awful QC at Canon. The problems are way bigger than some people want to believe. How Canon even stays in business is a mystery to me.

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KK November 18th, 2009 at 8:52 am

This is my new blog. I put in a different post in case you don’t want to publish it.

dpreviewsucks.blogspot.com

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Alwyn April 9th, 2012 at 6:28 am

I can’t understand the brand loyal fanboys from both Canon and Nikon. Yes I shoot Nikon at the moment, but that doesn’t make me a Nikon fanboy nor does it make me a Canon hater. I am a customer who expects a certain level of service from a manufacturer. Once I invest money in your product, it damn well better do what you claim it does or I’ll send it back. My choice to go with Nikon was made for me by Canon with their arrogant attitude when I purchased a 60d and it went faulty straight out the box. Now the unit I had could just have been a dud, but the attitude when I called them was the deciding factor. (thanks Jan and Roger from Jhb head office for your appalling attitudes respectively. It made my decision an easy one). Now you Canon fanboys can say what you want, but this was MY experience thus I can say it out loud. When I chose to spend R12 000 on a Canon product I expect it to last at least two years without any major issues and when I do have issues I want the manufacturer to show a bloody interest similar to the interest they showed the day they took my money. But that seems to be the underlying problem here. Arrogance has crept in and now we are expected to accept sub standard products and service. And brand fanboys out there are not helping a bit. When a product or service is sub standard it should be highlighted, not be defended by people who care more about the brand than actual service excellence.

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