Teardowns and Disassembly

The Fix is In

Published May 2, 2012

We got our first “new” Canon 5D Mk III cameras today, the ones with the light leak fixed. You know me, I thought perhaps it would be a good idea to take one apart and see what was different. I had photos from the ‘prefixed’ 5D IIIs from a previous post, so comparison would be easy.

Let me say it here first: I knew this was going to be the fix since the first time I took one apart: Canon has this very cool black tape they used to cover circuit boards (I’m assuming either water resistance or electrical shielding or both) and I figured they’d just slap another piece over (or under, depending on your point of view) the top LCD light. Which is exactly what they did. Yes, I’m making fun, but it’s a perfectly good solution and it works flawlessly.

Top assembly from original shipment of 5DIII
Top assembly from new shipment 5D III

And because I know you have enquiring minds: I did power the camera up with the shell off in a dark room. There is no more leak.

Addendum: for those who notice there is a black plastic piece over the shutter button that was removed in the first photo, but not this one.

Read This Please!!!

Sometimes I forget that other people don’t spend most of their days looking in cameras and lenses. Some people seem to think tape is bad or cheap fix. It’s not. Actually, I can’t think of any SLR camera that doesn’t have a bunch of tape inside. Nor can I remember any high quality zoom lens that doesn’t have tape inside (some of the cheaper consumer grade lenses don’t). This stuff lasts for the life of the camera and then some. Trust me, I’ve taken some water soaked equipment apart where the only thing still working was the tape.

In a previous post, I praised the broad sheets of the same tape used to cover all of the circuit boards: it obviously provides added protection. This solution seems silly, but it’s logical and effective.

Roger Cicala

Author: Roger Cicala

I’m Roger and I am the founder of Lensrentals.com. Hailed as one of the optic nerds here, I enjoy shooting collimated light through 30X microscope objectives in my spare time. When I do take real pictures I like using something different: a Medium format, or Pentax K1, or a Sony RX1R.

Posted in Teardowns and Disassembly
  • Roger Cicala

    Sigh. . . . It’s not two different cameras – it’s two different 5D IIIs. Shot with different lenses, different lighting, even slightly different angles on different days. But spend, say, oh, 0.5 seconds and look at the detail on the opposite side from the tape. There are days the paranoiac rantings of fanboys do try my nerves.

  • Venus

    Seems like 2 different cam model casings to me.. is tis a prank from N camp?

  • Francesco

    This seems a sensible fix to me.
    My question is: the two casings seems a little different, not only for the angles or the black plastic piece under the shutter, but also for the serial numbers: I can read 41159 (or 2) on the fixed one, while the unfixed ends with a 32. There is also a bluish sign in the small circle under the serial number which is vertical in the fixed and horizontal in the unfixed.
    Was another piece of casing present in the first photo or did the Canon repair involve the substitution of the case, too, in addition to the black tape? Or maybe I am misreading the numbers ?
    Thanks for your blog which I’ve discovered only recently.. and keep up the excellent work 🙂

  • TGIF

    @temporary remedy,

    Disappointing? Why?

    Oh, You are such a amateur, who never seen inside a mobile phone.
    Look at the iPhone. They use a same type of an insulating stuff on the electronic circuit inside.

    Please stop making yourself so idiot.

    FYI, even D7000 from Nikon, it use the black film around the AF sensor.
    Thanks,

  • temporary remedy — black tape

    a temporary remedy — black tape

    Canon ought to employ black flexible film to cut a molded film, and fixed with original screws.

    a piece of adhesive tape the behavior is unlikeness Canon’s craft manner, but is like cottage workshop.

    in eos5d3, now Canon already habituated to paste adhesive tape everywhere? Look at here, more adhesive tape,
    http://www.eoshd.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/canon5dmk3_olpf_004.jpg
    http://www.eoshd.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/canon5dmk3_olpf_005.jpg

    http://wordpress.lensrentals.com/media/2012/04/IMG_0007sml.jpg
    http://wordpress.lensrentals.com/media/2012/04/IMG_0013sml.jpg

    some viewpoints:
    “cannot think of any SLR camera that doesn’t have a bunch of tape inside”.
    “tape is now effective” in 5d3.

    However, is Canon ought to use the more tape? Did you like tape manner everywhere? Did not like a better craft and design?
    In a camera its inside having a fewer of tape to be good “logical”, but habitual action is everywhere tape would be disappointing.

    a temporary remedy — black tape

  • Kev

    Well it was pretty obvious to me, as soon as i read about the “light leak” i thought i bet canon will fix it will some insulating tape or something like it. I actually have a roll of the tape they use, its very strong and durable and like you said, its not a cheap fix. I took a Fuji S1 pro DSLR apart about 6 years ago, and the whole back of the CCD chip was covered with the same kind of tape that actually held the CCD in place, at the time i thought was a rip off, an expensive camera held together with sticky tape!!! but it worked.

    This has always been my argument, all the development has been done with these cameras with the past models, these are all upgrades, so why oh why do they charge so much for there cameras.

    Im waiting until August, i hope then the 3 grand mk3 will be around £2200

  • Geoff_K

    PDCM .. used equipment is sold AS-IS when bought from a person. You do not have to disclose a MOD or nonMOD since this is not a safety issue. At least in the US anyway.

  • Can anyone confirm that 5D Mark III’s that are now starting to ship with the sixth digit of 0 either have received the fix or do not exhibit this issue?

  • PDCM

    If fyou sell your camera, haven’t sent it Canon for modification, you will have to advise your potentional buyers that it is not modified. Otherwise, you could yourself in court under the sale of goods act.And of course, the camera’s value would be a lot less.

  • Mark

    Interesting point about only having it done “to protect the resale value”.

    Firstly, I find it amazing that you believe anyone will even remember there was ever an issue 2 or 3 years down the line when some of you pixel peepers sell your 5D3 to get the 5D4 with its zillion megapixel sensor.

    Secondly, if you do get a potential buyer who is anal enough to remember this storm in a tea cup, chances are he/she will ask if the ‘mod’ was done and when you proudly say yes, he will say, sod that then, I am after one that hasn’t been stripped down and bodged up.

    He/she will then go and buy a secondhand one that hasn’t had the ‘mod’ done in the full knowledge they will never actually be effected by the non-issue that is generating this short term hysteria.

    Mark

  • Richard

    Is that $3600 Canon body weather resistant? I don’t see any gasketing. Also, I’m amazed how thin they can make the magnesium casting. Makes me wonder how strong it is.

  • Antiquity

    One would have hoped they would modify the LCD so it would not emit light into the body and/or mold a nice rubber light shield in a $3500.00 body. This is Rube Goldberg expediency. With all due respect a “duct tape” fix is a patch not a fix.

    Do you think in the 5DmkIV this “fix” would be acceptable or perhaps that canon is working on a real fix.

  • Jesse

    Obiwong,

    It could affect your wedding photos. If the overhead light is brighter than what comes in from the lens, then it’s an issue.

  • John

    I like simple fixes. It reminds me of my very practical grandfather the engineer.

    And, does this truly affect anyone at all? How many people have the LCD light ON during an autoexposure in the dark???? Raise your hands so I can see you…

  • Peter Dove

    The problem isn’t that they need to add tape to fix a light leak. Isn’t it obvious that they left the tape out in the first place to save weight? Now, how are you supposed to lug the thing around with that great honkin’ glob of tape digging the strap into your neck?

  • Jeff

    ^its the principle. Its a $3500 camera. Whether its a big issue or not its something. I dont see anyone complaining about it for D800.

  • Fred Schenck

    Thanks for the info and Fix, havwe a 5D2, will wait a couple of months b4 getting 5D3

  • Rob Wilson

    Such a lot of fuss over nothing. The light leak on long exposures, first you have to keep the light on
    while you take the picture and as some have already said, would you use auto exposure on night shots anyway.
    Some clever dick testing the camera purposely to find a fault. Use the camera, don’t play with it.
    Many other camera do this anyway, even light entering from behind through the eyepiece have an effect on the metering. Anyone that knows what they are doing will not be worried about this.

  • No big deal, and it shouldn’t be a surprise. After all the slogan sais it all:
    “Canon, delighting you always”

  • Obiwong

    Awesome article and thanks for pulling apart the “fixed” camera! Just wondering if any of you know if direct sunlight into the LCD screen affects metering, if the LCD light is not on? I’m just thinking in wedding photography, where ur moving around a lot, if light is falling directly onto the LCD screen is this going to affect ur metering?

  • I do prefer orange tape instead of black….it looks more stylish…. 😉

  • peet van den berg

    Love the article – love the writing style – you’ve just gained a follower! Cannot wait to get my hands om me own MKIII

  • Hi guys,

    Won’t send in my 5D3, at least not right now: the issue does not affect me and I guess the original design went through much more testing than the fixed on. The previous mention of overheating might have been a joke, but you never know the side effects such a thing could have.

    Cheers, Robert

  • Ernie

    Hi Roger,

    I still have the option of returning mine to the place of purchase. I do shoot long exposures and I know mine is affected. Do you think I should return it for a new one?

  • Jim Wiltsee

    Hello all,

    Excellent research on the 5DMK III. A further condideration for all regardless of each user’s particular camera use habits, or needs. Are you willing to possibly void your individual Manufacturers warranty by doing any opening and self tinkering – taping on you own or by having it done by someone than an authorized Canon warranty repair shop?

    In my own case I will not need to have the taping job done at all. Yet this is a question all
    shooters must think about before making a rash decision they might regret further down the
    road.

  • Rob

    I like the solution, sometimes the simplest fix is the best…

  • Edson

    I came to this blog through a link to the “hammerforum” post just the other day.

    Since then I can’t help but read every past entry in this site!

    The style is clever and the exposition clear. Moreover, the humour is never absent!

    Can you recommend other photography sites with similar excellent writing?

    Best regards,

  • Gordon

    Jesse, don’t you know that “3 is a magic number” or so the song says.
    I can’t wait for people to start questioning the reason for every type of electrical tape in a camera body as if Canon are trying to cover a multitude of sins.

  • Oops. I just re-read what I wrote above and I meant to say that I don’t have to test this issue now that the problem is fixed, and tested by you guys.

  • Ross Lewis

    Hi, I would not trust myself to attempt a repair myself and I would also try to avoid accepting a repair to a new camera if I could.

    I would seriously consider returning for a refund. I would then re-purchase a new unit that is known to be good factory sealed etc. This would hopefully mean no waiting time usually associated with a repair and assuming that a fixed new camera was available off the shelf. This would simply be for peace of mind now and in the future when I upgrade the outgoing camera which may hopefully realise good realistic resale values (to put towards a new Mark 4… if an when it happens).

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