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Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR camera. Courtesy of Canon USA, with modifications by Zig Weidelich. Canon: statement on 5D Mark II
By
(Friday, December 19, 2008 - 10:03 EST)

Canon USA has today released a statement commenting on issues that some users have reported in certain images captured with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR.

According to the Canon statement, the company is currently investigating the phenomenon, which can lead to black "dots" adjacent to point light sources, as well as vertical banding noise in certain conditions. Canon is currently ascertaining if it will be possible to reduce or resolve the impact of these issues with a firmware update for 5D Mark II owners, and a further announcement is expected to be made once the investigation has been completed.

Original Source Press Release:

Safety Notice: Image quality phenomena that appear under certain shooting conditions.

Thank you for using Canon products.

We have learned that some users of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR camera have identified two types of image quality phenomena that appear under certain shooting conditions.

  1. "Black dot" phenomenon (the right side of point light sources becomes black)

  2. Vertical banding noise

We are currently investigating and analysing the causes, and examining measures to reduce or eliminate these phenomena by providing correction firmware. An announcement will be made on the Canon Web site when such measures have been determined.

Details of the phenomena and shooting conditions under which they are likely to occur are as follows.
  1. "Black dot" phenomenon (the right side of point light sources becomes black)
    When shooting night scenes, the right side of point light sources (such as lights from building windows) may become black. The phenomenon may become visible if the images are enlarged to 100% or above on a monitor or, if large prints of the images are made.

  2. Vertical banding noise
    If the recording format is set to sRAW1, vertical banding noise may become visible depending on the camera settings, subject, and background.

    • Vertical banding noise is not noticeable if the recording format is set to sRAW2.

    • Vertical banding noise does not occur if the recording format is set to RAW or JPEG.

    • Noise can be reduced if C.Fn II-3: Highlight tone priority is set to 0: Disable.

Canon always strives to provide the highest quality products to our customers. We apologize for any inconvenience these phenomena may have caused. We appreciate your kind patronage and support.

This information is for residents of the United States and Puerto Rico only. If you do not reside in the USA or Puerto Rico, please contact the Canon Customer Support Center in your region.

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