Canon 5D Mark IV error lost confidence in product

[AMCLARSSON]

Hi all, This is my first post!

I got a new 5D Mark IV which I began using today.

1.) On the top LCD screen it displayed an error code 'err cr2d..' it flashed very quickly before disappearing and the main LCD screen was blank. The retailer is collecting the camera for a refund as they only have them available on a 5-7 day delivery now. Are there widespread issues with this model?

2.) I am opting for a 5D Mark III instead, simply because I have always thought the longer a model has been out the more likely it is to be fault free'. This episode kind of proved that to be true. What are your thoughts on that?

3.) I have one more question - the menu is dramatically different from what I came from (6D, upgrading for several reasons - build quality for one) and I began noticing things like 'Electronic lens MF' which isn't mentioned in the manual. I began thinking whether this error may have been to do with this feature and I may not have set up the camera to lens correctly. Or is there something else I am not considering?

I have never experienced an error with Canon cameras so this made me lose confidence in this product.

(FYI - I switched between a Canon EF 24-70mm 2.8 L II to a Canon EF 50mm 1.4 during shoot)

Thanks in advance.

[Waddizzle]

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@AMCLARSSON wrote:

Yes, memory cards I use are new and formatted before shooting with.

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I should have been clearer.  New memory cards need a LOW LEVEL format, not just a quick format.  

[AMCLARSSON]

I performed a standard format - there was no need to perform a low level format. I have also been told that if using fast cards there is no need. I have never condiered doing one and thus, never looked into what it does. Please can you enlightened me?

Can we have a 35mm revolution? 

[RobertTheFat]

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@AMCLARSSON wrote:

San disk from Amazon - in their white packet cards sold by them on behalf of San Disk. 

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What's a "white packet card"? And what does "on behalf of SanDisk" mean in this context? It smells like it means they're "seconds" (I'm assuming that term has the same meaning in the UK!) that SanDisk doesn't want to sell under their own name.

My opinion is that good memory cards are cheap enough, and a bad card's potential to ruin a shoot great enough, that a serious photographer should stick to name-brand cards sold by highly reputable vendors. Those "white packet" cards may be perfectly fine, but it's a risk I don't think I'd be prepared to take.

BTW, you're not using micro-SD cards with an adapter, are you? Those things often cause problems.

[Waddizzle]

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@AMCLARSSON wrote:

I performed a standard format - there was no need to perform a low level format. I have also been told that if using fast cards there is no need. I have never condiered doing one and thus, never looked into what it does. Please can you enlightened me?

Can we have a 35mm revolution? 

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New memory cards are tested during production.  Performance testing is how they determine how to rate cards.  What may seem to be a fully formatted card is actually residue from production testing, and needs to be completely wiped.

[AMCLARSSON]

Robert:

This is the link to the exact product I purchased: https://www.amazon.co.uk/SanDisk-Extreme-Class-Memory-Ratings/dp/B01469QEK0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1...

Amazon, as you may or may not know, fulfill orders for companies with large turnovers. As a consequence they distribute them in their own packaging see attached photo I took just for you! 

[AMCLARSSON]

Thank you Waddizzle. So you recommend I perform a low level wipe upon every use instead of a general format? Thanks for your help, appreciate it!

[AMCLARSSON]

Waddizzle!

Which camera do you think I should get as a stills photographer working in photojournalism. Much of my work is in arid environments and I embed with armed forces occasionally. I may do film, but its not something Ilean towards much if I am honest. Its nice to have just in case.

5D Mark 3 or 5D Mark 4?

[Waddizzle]

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@AMCLARSSON wrote:

Thank you Waddizzle. So you recommend I perform a low level wipe upon every use instead of a general format? Thanks for your help, appreciate it!

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I don't think it is necessary to perform a low level format before every use.  I would compare a low level format to bull dozing a piece of land and paving it over.  A regular format would paint lanes and parking spaces on that paved surface.  Your data would be stored in those parking spaces.  

So, a regular format is sufficient to erase a memory card.  It probably would not be a bad idea to perform a low level format from time to time, especially as your memory cards age.  A low level format should identify weak areas on the card, and mark them as unusable, although Canon DSLRs do not seem to spend enough time during a low level format to actually test every memory location on the storage media.

As far as choice of camera goes, it sounds like you need to place a priority on build quality and weather sealing against dust and moisture.  Canon's flagship 1D series would be a natural first choice.  The 5D3 and 5D4 are very good camera bodies, too.  

Another factor to consider is what type of post processing software you would use.  It is my understanding that Adobe is only supporting the 5D4 through their subscription based products.  Their older stand alone products may not be compatible with 5D4 RAW files.  I really do not know one way or the other, but there have been a couple of posts here reporting it.

[AMCLARSSON]

Thanks Waddizle. So maybe a low level format after using them and a format for new cards?

I have always waited until a product has been on the market for a while before I use them. I used to work for an electronics company and know most new products are full of bugs. I am not aware of this being the case with cameras though can imagine it being true. Thats why I thought it might be a smart move to get a 5D3 now and maybe upgrade to a 5D4 in a couple of years.

I don't do much post processing. I am pretty old school. Standard darkroom techniques to digital, contrast boost etc. I may use clarity. But newspapers do not like retouched photos. Thats a good idea, I shall check with Adobe today asI use lightroom quite a bit.

I like the look of the 1DX though the price tag puts me off. The only times I have seen them used is by people with a lot of money, or in the army where its provided to their staff photographers.

[TCampbell]

Sorry to hear you are having troubles with your 5D4.  I do not think there is any issue with the "model".  I have a 5D4 and it's working great.  I also own a 5D3 and given the choice, I'd definitely go with the 5D4 (it's a nice upgrade over a 5D3). 

The 5D4 has had a smooth launch - no real complaints have surfaced on it.  The Internet will latch on to any excuse to declare a product a failure.  They did that with the 5D3 claiming it had a "light leak" problem that impacted the accuracy of the metering system.  But when you read what people had to do to reproduce the "light leak" problem you'd probably roll your eyes (you would never be able to replicate the issue under normal use).  Nonetheless, Canon added some light-proof tape around the metering system to make everyone happy.  

As for the format...

The memory card, just like a disk drive, isn't useful unless it has a "filesystem" on it that is recognized by whatever needs to use that filesystem.  But the media itself isn't build with any kind of "filesystem".  It's just unorganized space.  If it were a physical disk you would need to format it to work on a Mac, or a Windows PC, or a Linux box, etc. and all of these would use a different type of filesystem format.

But there's also the notion that the media itself may have a defect (even brand new media)... attempting to write to an area with a defect would fail.

So the 'format' operation normally establishes some sort of organization for the media, puts a filesystem on it, and writes to each block on the media to verify that it works (most filesystems have a notion of being able to mark blocks as 'bad' if it finds an issue so that they wont be used.)

A high-level format is really a bit of a cheat.  It just sets up the filesystem organization but doesn't test it (it assumes it's ok.)  If there actually IS a problem with the media then this would cause an error.

You do not need to do a low-level format every time you format a card, but you SHOULD do a low level format at least once with each new card you buy and that format must be done in the camera itself (don't put the card in a reader connected to your computer and have the computer do the format.  Make the camera do it.)

As for the memory cards... 

I am extremely fussy about what cards I buy and use.  I'm even more fussy because I see numerous complaints about "camera model x stops recording video after just a few seconds".  And invariably... they bought some budget card and trusted that just because the label says its a fast card it must obviously not be a card problem.  And of course... it's almost always the card and not the camera.  It's extremely common to see complaints here on the user forums that are really caused by use of a bad card but the consumer thought it was a problem with the camera.

I refuse to buy from an Amazon Marketplace seller and you really have to be careful.  Amazon Marketplace is as bad as buying from eBay.  Sellers defraud buyers and while Amazon will shut them down as soon as they find out (with enough complaints) those sellers simply create an account under a new name and keep right on selling.

If you want a genuine SanDisk brand card then I would go to the Sandisk website, click the "where to buy" and they'll get you a list of authorized retailers so you can be sure you're getting a SanDisk product from a retailer who is actually getting their supply direct from SanDisk and not a forgery with a convincing looking label (the counterfeiters are very good at making these).  If you buy from Amazon, make sure it says "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com" in the seller info to make sure it's really Amazon and not an Amazon marketplace seller.