Mr. Cool
Most of the tribal people in the Omo Valley allow themselves to be photographed only as a means of making money and their sense of violation often shows in their facial expression. This Karo tribesman, however, whom I can't help but call Mr. Cool, loved being in front of the camera. He never stooped as low as to negotiate a "photo fee", knowing that he would be richly rewarded anyway.
A NOTICE TO (CANON) DSLR OWNERS:
As I draw my Ethiopia series to a close, I would like to offer a better explanation of the camera problems I previously alluded to, as it offers lessons for all of us. I bought a new Canon Eos 7D from a local camera store in preparation for my travels. I took several shots to familiarize myself with my new camera and was pleased with the outcome of these few photos.
However, once I started to use the camera more extensively in Ethiopia, problems began to emerge. Despite the extremely bright, cloudless midday light available in this near equatorial country, my camera always seemed to need much more light than seemed customary. I often had shoot at ISO 320, just to get a reasonable f stop/aperture combination and avoid the flash firing.
When I returned home and downloaded my photographs, most were modestly overexposed and some were totally washed out and could not be rescued with post processing. On a closer examination, it also became evident that the focus was often off, leaving parts of the image blurred when they clearly should have been within the field of focus.
I took the camera back to the store where I purchased it and they gave me the option of sending it back to Canon myself or having them do so. I chose the latter (a mistake, as it turns out), thinking this was part of the service I should get when buying locally. When I picked up the returned camera a few weeks later, I was offered little explanation as to what repairs or changes had been made. Since I had begun to lose my confidence in my photography, thinking that the problem was with me rather than the camera (a concept totally reinforced by the jerk of a salesman at the store), I felt I needed a thorough explanation of what had been wrong with the camera.
I therefore called Canon repair but was utterly shocked that they would not talk to me. They considered the camera store to be their customer (since it was they who had sent in the camera) and would not talk to me, even though I was the owner of the camera. I actually had to return to the store and ask the salesperson to make a phone call to Canon Service. We then had a three-way conversation over the counter with me telling the store's clerk what questions to ask the Canon representative. It was an absolutely absurd experience!
What I found out, however, was that the autofocus assembly needed a total overhaul and I have since heard of MANY more reports of the autofocus malfunctioning on the Canon 7D. Additionally, the metering, CMOS sensor, shutter, AE and focus were all out of adjustment in my camera. By now I was amazed that I had been able to take any photos worth keeping, somewhat restoring my photographic confidence.
Based on this experience, I would like to offer the following advice to purchasers of Canon (and other) DSLR cameras:
- you cannot check out a camera enough before taking a major journey. A camera may work well under one set of (light) conditions, but not under another.
- don't doubt yourself. If there are even subtle problems with your photos, it is likely the fault of the camera. Canon admits that only random checks for quality control are made as cameras roll off the production line. Chances are that your new camera was not checked for accuracy!
- if something is wrong with your new camera, send it in yourself for repair. CANON WILL NOT SPEAK WITH YOU otherwise. (I hear this is not the case with Nikon, who is rumored to have a much more user-friendly customer service).
- beware of a company's (i.e. Canon's) online reviews. I twice submitted a review that Canon rejected, despite my having carefully followed their submission guidelines.
In closing, I would like to say that I like my Canon cameras (an AE1 in the old days, later an Eos 20D and now the Eos 7D) and I absolutely love my Canon L series lenses. I am, however, deeply disappointed in Canon's customer service and hope I will never again require their services.
Mr. Cool
Most of the tribal people in the Omo Valley allow themselves to be photographed only as a means of making money and their sense of violation often shows in their facial expression. This Karo tribesman, however, whom I can't help but call Mr. Cool, loved being in front of the camera. He never stooped as low as to negotiate a "photo fee", knowing that he would be richly rewarded anyway.
A NOTICE TO (CANON) DSLR OWNERS:
As I draw my Ethiopia series to a close, I would like to offer a better explanation of the camera problems I previously alluded to, as it offers lessons for all of us. I bought a new Canon Eos 7D from a local camera store in preparation for my travels. I took several shots to familiarize myself with my new camera and was pleased with the outcome of these few photos.
However, once I started to use the camera more extensively in Ethiopia, problems began to emerge. Despite the extremely bright, cloudless midday light available in this near equatorial country, my camera always seemed to need much more light than seemed customary. I often had shoot at ISO 320, just to get a reasonable f stop/aperture combination and avoid the flash firing.
When I returned home and downloaded my photographs, most were modestly overexposed and some were totally washed out and could not be rescued with post processing. On a closer examination, it also became evident that the focus was often off, leaving parts of the image blurred when they clearly should have been within the field of focus.
I took the camera back to the store where I purchased it and they gave me the option of sending it back to Canon myself or having them do so. I chose the latter (a mistake, as it turns out), thinking this was part of the service I should get when buying locally. When I picked up the returned camera a few weeks later, I was offered little explanation as to what repairs or changes had been made. Since I had begun to lose my confidence in my photography, thinking that the problem was with me rather than the camera (a concept totally reinforced by the jerk of a salesman at the store), I felt I needed a thorough explanation of what had been wrong with the camera.
I therefore called Canon repair but was utterly shocked that they would not talk to me. They considered the camera store to be their customer (since it was they who had sent in the camera) and would not talk to me, even though I was the owner of the camera. I actually had to return to the store and ask the salesperson to make a phone call to Canon Service. We then had a three-way conversation over the counter with me telling the store's clerk what questions to ask the Canon representative. It was an absolutely absurd experience!
What I found out, however, was that the autofocus assembly needed a total overhaul and I have since heard of MANY more reports of the autofocus malfunctioning on the Canon 7D. Additionally, the metering, CMOS sensor, shutter, AE and focus were all out of adjustment in my camera. By now I was amazed that I had been able to take any photos worth keeping, somewhat restoring my photographic confidence.
Based on this experience, I would like to offer the following advice to purchasers of Canon (and other) DSLR cameras:
- you cannot check out a camera enough before taking a major journey. A camera may work well under one set of (light) conditions, but not under another.
- don't doubt yourself. If there are even subtle problems with your photos, it is likely the fault of the camera. Canon admits that only random checks for quality control are made as cameras roll off the production line. Chances are that your new camera was not checked for accuracy!
- if something is wrong with your new camera, send it in yourself for repair. CANON WILL NOT SPEAK WITH YOU otherwise. (I hear this is not the case with Nikon, who is rumored to have a much more user-friendly customer service).
- beware of a company's (i.e. Canon's) online reviews. I twice submitted a review that Canon rejected, despite my having carefully followed their submission guidelines.
In closing, I would like to say that I like my Canon cameras (an AE1 in the old days, later an Eos 20D and now the Eos 7D) and I absolutely love my Canon L series lenses. I am, however, deeply disappointed in Canon's customer service and hope I will never again require their services.