Yesterday I posted an e-mail response I received from Canon USA regarding the 1D MK III focus issue. I expressed some disappointment in the response. Many people took me to task for my criticism of the response.

In fairness to Canon USA I just received an updated response, which I reproduce here in full:

"My name is Ron and I am the supervisor of Canon s e-mail support group in Virginia. In conducting a review of e-mail responses to our customers, I noticed that our recent response to you regarding your EOS 1D Mark III was not entirely complete, so I wanted to take the opportunity to fully address your questions.

Not all EOS-1D Mark III cameras have issues with the sub-mirror mechanism, and Canon USA is waiting for additional information from Canon, Inc. regarding how affected models will be identified. Since we do not yet have this information, at this time we cannot conclusively let owners know if they have an affected unit. Also, since environmental conditions, particularly higher than normal temperatures, may increase the likelihood of unstable auto-focus prediction in AI Servo mode, it may be difficult for owners to tell if their camera is affected. So, given the situation, we anticipate that any EOS-1D Mark III owner who is unhappy with the focus prediction performance will be able to send in their camera for a no-charge evaluation and, if needed, repair. As we do not yet have all of the required information from Canon, Inc., this issue is difficult to fully explain via e-mail, but rest assured we are going to take care of our EOS-1D Mark III owners.

Since your request also involved the calibration of multiple lenses to your EOS-1D Mark III body, I will personally contact you when the repair program is finalized, which should occur by the end of October, so we can process your request. Our factory service team will get everyone taken care of as quickly as possible, and your patience and understanding is appreciated.

If at any time you need to contact me, you can reply directly to this e-mail and it will be routed to my inbox."

I find this response to be beyond satisfactory. It exhibits the level of concern for customer satisfaction I expected from Canon when I bought the MK III. I also think it exhibits a lot of class. This seems very encouraging to me.

--
Phil Tower