Internal Structure of Canon 5D

Some days ago, I got an opportunity to disassemble a Canon 5D body as I’ve bought it almost nothing. (still fully functioning) — Then, what I found inside was rather disturbing — hence I made this post.  

As the people who has been using Canon DSLR may know, new 5DS, 5DSR are having not only 30 Mp large image sensor (for 35 mm full-frame) but also mechanically, structurally much improved design = that’s what they said.

—– While planning, designing, developing new camera, Canon must have a lots of tests and analysis to achieve their objective = at least twice better image quality than the predecessor with its big sensor.  

(Photo above is the inside of the 5D Mk-III)

(And this is the 5D Mk-IV = basic design is the same = plastic mirror box was connected to the tripod screw by a stamped panel and few screws.  — Photo from Lens Rental site)

Though my guess was, when they tested new sensor on the temporally adapted 5D Mk-lII body, they must be realized that the crispy sharpness was not there.  Even if the image of the lens alone on the optical test bench was good, it couldn’t  be replicated if the same lens was mounted on the 5D body —– it’s mean, 5D body structure was shaky and giving blur, deteriorating the image quality.  (Which was not so visible on the 22Mp sensor, but showing up on the 30 Mp.)

What Canon boasted about the New 5DS was, not only rethink of the mirror shock damping mechanism, but also much solid tripod fixing. —– But it was too funny to  hear that, when I opened and saw the inside of an old 5D body,  I almost dropped  my jaw, because the design of 5D was the remotest from the solid structure.  

—– I’ve been seeing the inside of cameras more than 40 years thus I know how they were designed and made.   (When Canon developed EOS 1, production team brought a prototype here and asked my advice.  When they asked me which camera was my  favorite, I answered “Contax” a man responded “You can’t have that quality any more” “Why ?” “The man designed the Contax was no longer there.  I am the Man”

= The man, Mr. Morota had been headhunted and came to Canon to develop EOS 1.

—– I guess, he must be pretty annoyed to see the design of 5D series cameras. ) 

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When I changed my 35 mm camera, from Nikon to Contax, it was not only I’ve encountered the  Zeiss 85 mm F1.4 lens but also I found that the structure and the way their camera was made, was such solid therefore reliable.

(Preceding to this, I’ve been utterly annoyed  by the erratic behaviour of the Nikon’s motor-drive = always at the most crucial moment, they stop to work. — but they  worked always perfect on front of the Nikon’s Service Engineer.  😦  and  😀  )  

The photo left here was the inside of 20 years old EOS RT body. = You can see the  metal frame of which all the mechanism was built-in and holding the lens mount.  And the tripod screw was directly fixed to this metal frame.  

In contrast, what I found the inside of 5D (photo center) was = the structure framefor Mirror Box and the Shutter was made by injection mold plastic and even a lens mount base was a plastic.  

The photo right shows the almost the same design of 5D Mk-III.

In all those 5D, a stumped 1 mm thin metal connecting the plastic mirror box to the 1/4″ tripod screw on the bottom of the camera. = I couldn’t believe my eyes, IS this plastic camera priced for £3000 ? ? ?  

(Photo left =Lens Mount base, on the plastic frame.

Photo center = Thin white metal alone connects the Mirror Box to the Tripod screw.

= Almostly, the camera body is floating on the tripod !

Photo right = Plastic frame is soft, hence so easy to cut.
— Plastic could be more resilient to the shock with its flexibility but the same flexibility is the enemy to hold the moving shutter and the lens solidly together.

Think about the situation when you use the camera on a tripod, like the photo left = even if a lens was firmly mounted on the tripod (therefore, the lens mount was solid) still, behind the mirror box, the shutter mechanism and the image sensor could be jumping and dancing, because the mirror-box is not rigid, even if its bottom side was having a metal plate.

Imagine a car, when the main chassis was made by plastic, I wouldn’t be impressed by the buzz-word that the outer shell was made by “magnesium alloy” = it’s a cover-up cosmetic.[]

—– (I remember, EOS RT body was not more than £400. = A camera body which has a film wind-up and rewind mechanism, all together  built onto a metal die-cast, was still £400, £500)    In comparison, just a shutter and a sensor were built into a plastic mirror box (+ a bit more electronics and the Memory) cost £3000 !

—– Oh ! C’mon it’s not fair.  = So, it was obvious, so-called new feature in 5DS, 5DSR = “improved anti-vibration and the solid connection to the Tripod” was not a new achievement but a necessary  patch-up against the old shoddy design.  Though, despite the patch-up work, the test report from Japan saying that 5DS still showing high susceptibility to image blur which would negate the crop use of the photo. 

( As a matter of fact, I haven’t checked the “claimed to be” improved 5DS yet.  And I’m not sure whether I would buy this camera in order to see their fix ! )  Reading the Tech Reports here and there —– I haven’t seen any report showing the superiority of New Canon 5DS or SR over Nikon D810 = even on the chart test 30Mp image didn’t show a difference over 36Mp Nikon image —– I wonder  what’s going on and why ?  = It seems better wait till the matter sorted out.  🙂

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PS:  Related post “Camera stability test” would be good to read.

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Jessop’s Fun-camera Lens

I found yet another fun-camera (One-time use Camera / Camera with Film)

in an Odds and Ends Box of a Camera shop. (for a couple of pounds)

This time it was a Jessop’s product though, since Jessops disappeared many years 

ago, this product was also pretty old.   Old enough to be rotten deep = supposed be 

an unused battery inside was completely corroded and the chemical has been leaked.

Branded Jessops though, it was a Chinese made = hence cheap battery was rotten.

This was an interesting product.   As a Chinese made, it could be a complete

Copy-cat product though,  the Jessops then was a well known English company 

= they could be an easy target of a lawsuit for a Copyright infringement.

So, they didn’t copy the lens by taking a mold —– instead, they put their own

Two-element Lens for this camera.     When Japanese film company, Konica,

Fuji, invented the disposable camera (one-time use camera), they designed the

omnifocus lens using pretty fancy aspherical design.

And to make the camera able to take photos under different lighting condition

with fixed shutter speed (about 1/60th second) on ISO 100~200 film, the

lens has to be about F4~3.5.  Especially after flash light was incorporated,

to have a reasonable picture for 3m, the lens can’t be smaller. = It’s mean,

pan-focus with smaller F-aperture was not an option, therefore, they had to

design sophisticated aspherical lens which could produce a reasonably well

focused image in any distance with F4 diameter (7~8mm).

—– But, without using aspherical lens, Jessops opted to the simple two lens

design with smaller F8 aperture setting, while taking advantage of the

higher ISO sensitivity of 400.

 The trick here was,

 F4 x2 = F5.6  F5.6 x2 = F8    while

 ISO 100 x2 x2 = ISO 400 (the same)

 —– and F8 can give much deeper

 depth of the field

 (= Pan focus effect using ordinally 

 lens though, F8 is not enough for

 close focus). 

 I tested this lens attached with rather

 heavy concave lens to extend the 

 original 27mm focal-length to 44mm, 

in order to use on the Canon EOS, (Photo left)

(thus, 3.5mm lens diameter, now gives F13 = pretty dark to see the finder image)

 

—– Not only that, the image produced by this lens was utterly rubbish. = when F13

lens could make only trash image while having no fancy fuzziness (F13 couldn’t 

have any chance of nice fuzziness) = there wouldn’t be any point to use this lens.

—– Well, not all the experiment has been a successful one.   😀

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Tanbo Art (Rice field Art) in Japan

————————————————— (Photo from Jiji news)

I’ve been seeing those news every year on this season.  This is a Tanbo-art,

exclusively in Japanese rice-field. (of course, not everywhere of their field)  

—– it was a picture drawn by the different colored rice crop.  And in here,

a famous medieval samurai Keiji Maeda (famous in his eccentric behaviour, 

called Kabuki-mono = origin of the name Kabuki) was depicted in Yonezawa. 

(You may better Google “rice field  art  japan” or watch this youtube.)

Amazing isn’t it ? !!!

( It is completely different from an on-the-spot, one hour prank = Crop-circle. — To do

this, four or five different colored rice crop has been kept many years and the seeds

were sown to exact position — and wait and see it’s grow ! = Typical Japanese Mind )

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Garden Flowers @ Greenwich Park

Lots of flowers from the Greenwich Park. (They were taken by the Homemade

Two Element Lens and the Homemade Gaudy Lens on Canon 5D Mk-III.)

Don’t see this as a botanical picture.  (If this one was for botanical use, it must be a

nightmare for the photographer = may be even beyond the  Hi Dynamic Range process.)

= So, see this as an abstract painting. —– black petunia kind and the white one.  

After green and the blue Chrysanthemum was created, next by next, rather fancy

colored flower has been appearing in the market.  

Another day, I saw an almost perfect black Tulip —– and started wondering, if the

flower industry managed to crack the genetic-code of black color or found the

chemical to tint the flower.  In either way, it is a very very uncomfortable situation. 

They are extra = I found a huge Tulip Tree in the park. = I may need to visit

again to see its ancient flower !

And realized, in fact there are lots of Chestnut tree = better come again

on October to pick the nuts.  🙂

It was a very hot day —– still some people like to enjoy the sun.

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Cosmos and Hydrangea @ Greenwich Park

While checking the photos I’ve taken this time at Greenwich Park,  I went

back to the post I did last year and found that it was one week earlier, yet still

I did shoot almost identical photo then.  = not only the tree, some of the plant was

perennial and stayed the same patch, keep flowering with the same face.  And the

approach to the same plant is the same = amazingly persistent as the same person.

(It’s mean not much fresh innovation or improvement.)  🙂

Two element homemade lens was the same though, this year I brought

“New” Gordy Lens. (Looks somewhat the same fuzziness, but Gordy Lens

can give close focus. = further background became out of focus ! )

Hydrangea was one week too early and having dry hot weather they looked

a bit withered. = I may come again and change the photos here.

Those heavily fuzzier photos were taken by the Double Density Pinhole.

But those closer images were taken by the Gaudy Lens.

(One more post of Greenwich Flowers would follow.)  🙂

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Riot of Colors @ Greenwich Park

Yesterday I went to the Greenwich Park to take picture of Hydrangea. (Its photos

may come next post, though, for the Hydrangea, it was a week too early.)

So, I start with other flowers photo of which I don’t know the name.  = some

of the readers must be more knowledgeable about them = I just put the images. 

The lens used here was, Homemade Two-element Lens or

Homemade Gaudy Lens on Canon 5D Mk-III.

Be like a fire.  I like it.

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Follow the Flow — Karma / Dharma

Those who, the kind regular reader of this blog might have noticed that the past

5~6 months or so, I seemed to become an intoxicated junky of junk cameras.

What happened on me ? = Give a thought or two, in terms of the flow in the life.

(= Follow the flow mean, not chase it, not cringing the mater or notion, let alone

obsessed.  It would just happen = so, just follow.)

I gave a glance to those cameras —– then, I found the serial number of the camera

I first disassembled, (which was given by my friend) was like this.

Oh my goodness, 8150 again ? !!! —– This sign appeared wherever I go, but

crucially, it will be sign-posted to the matter or thing which got “the concern”.

= May be concerned to the Dharma, and to my Karma hence I have to take the

matter serious. — to show some more hard facts, if you think it sound dubious.

Photo above left was Canon EF Macro 100mm F2.8 = the most useful lens to me.

And the Photo middle was the most frequently used Canon Fisheye Zoom 8~15mm.

Which got the number 2***1850*.   And the right, Zeiss 18mm for Nikon.

They are the numbers happened to appear onto my camera lenses.

They were in the shop purely by chance = as if they were placed there for

me to pick-up, though,in most of the case I bought it even without seeing

the number. —– Without any explanation of why it’s there = is the

natural flow of the fate or given task or opportunity to pick-up, whichever

the way we interpret.

—– as it comes.    So, I pick up and do what I can do, regardless whether it is

worthwhile or profitable, or please others — or NOT. (in a hindsight, at least

I can say “I did a lot” to respond what the moment required to me.)

I think, what comes is in fact, what was given —– for each of us to fulfil what we

were born to do. = It’s mean, my Karma think, that me to play with junk camera

suits me !   Or the Karma even like my way to play with the junk.  😀

—– And may be my Karma noticed that I’m not sensitive enough to see the

hidden sign, they started to put a noisy notice shouting 8150 to make me aware

that we are a part of the Dharma and they are watching us.

___/\___

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St Martins Degree Show

The art school, Central St Martin has been drifting place to place, like a 

hermit crab changing their shell larger to even larger.  Among the declining

English industrial, economical trend, they must be one of the few rags to rich

success story.  The first time when I visited their degree show more than 30

years ago, they were in a non assuming shabby building in the Covent Garden. 

(after the St Martin moved out, the place became to an art material shop =

London Graphic Center.  I wonder if they are having business connection ?) 

Then St Martin moved to a huge grey building in the Charing Cross Road.  

Then, next to the Back hill.  Now they are north of  King’s Cross Station,  

over the Regent Canal, place called Granary Square, a building called Granary 

Building.  As the name suggests, it must be an old day’s Granary, storing the

grain brought by the barges through the canal.

The inside of otherwise featureless big building, its courtyard has been

transformed to a huge shopping mall like space. ( gone too far !) 

It was an archetypal sample of the Capitarism.  Invest for a package, and use

it to create (or collect £9000 tuition fee) = profit to buy even larger property.

This is called the growth of enterprise !

This was a gimmick like exhibit to show a physical phenomenon.

Like an old fluorescent light, a cathode discharge lamp (used in a video light

or video projector) is flickering in very high frequency, — to see, it need to 

have a high speed moving screen.  —> Then, we can see the split colors.

Demonstration of phenomenon itself, like a fallen apple by the gravity wouldn’t

make an art.  The art has to show its apple fall in a very special beautiful way.

Likewise, the instrument makes sound is just a physical phenomenon.

When its sound was formed as an impressive melodies and composed in

harmony etc, we call it a musical art.  In Photography, the object makes its 

secondary image by the light through an optics, is a physical phenomenon.

= so that, unless the image showed the intentionally made interference of 

the author, it is not an art but mere reflection of the object.

While seeing every years work, what I found was that when the place get

larger, the works get smaller and boring.   Have look other’s, such as this;

https://tokyobling.wordpress.com/2015/03/24/godai-art-university-graduation-show-2015/

Once in a year event was in the same time, reunion with old friends or teacher.

And young graduates’ chance to meet the old boys, girls network.

(By the way, in this photo, the Left is the Top)

I think, a sweet on the hand must be a joke of a visitor.  🙂

This said to be an interactive performing space. (when something performed)

This was the Animation Corner. (Some were already in the professional level) 

The most funny story happened was,

on the last moment, I was told by this

woman that the photography was not

permitted, of which even the 

security didn’t mention so.  😀   😀

Hate crime or jealousy against a Japanese camera ?   🙂

There are chilling out spaces for chattering (or for serious discussion ? )

(but, £5 for a glass of apple juice was definitely a rip-off !)  

Out, out, — OUT !

It was a nice evening and a beautiful sky — at least.

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Still, Flower Patch — with Gaudy Lens + LED Ring Light

When I walked through a side of that flower patch in the evening, I found

there still quite a few flowers.   As it was already the dusk, I decided to go

there again with my camera and the LED Ring Light on Gaudy Lens.   🙂

I’m not convinced that this

combination suites for the subject.

(some shots were done while the

LED Ring Light was not fixed on

the lens-front but held separately,

aiming from above.) — This Ring 

Light was the same one I’ve made  

for the 100mm F2.8 Macro Lens,

and powered by 3 x 2500mAH-AA

battery (through a 5.6 ohm register) = it can work more than 120 min’ continuously !

= Not too bad !

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Zeiss and Zeiss — (Last shot on the Flower Patch)

It’s still a day before Summer Solstice though, the flower patch

I’ve been photographing was coming to the end.  So, seemingly this

was the last shot there and for this occasion, I used the recycled 

£1 Zeiss Talon lens and the genuine Carl Zeiss Planar 85mm F1.4 

T* lens on Canon 5D Mk-III for a comparison.

On the photos above, left was shot by Talon lens and the right was

by the Planar F1.4 lens.  Since Talon lens was F2.8, the F1.4 lens 

 at F1.4 showed much shallower depth of field.

And here, the left photo was taken by Talon lens and the right photo 

was by the Planar F1.4 lens, but as the modified Talon lens got quite 

long focusing helicoid (it was not a screw helicoid but a rotating cam) 

which allows the 1/3 close-up, against this, 85mm F1.4 lens can close 

only to 1m (1/12), hence the photo right was a heavily cropped image. 

—– still, they showed amazingly similar characteristics, such as

the type of Bokeh.

And the rest of the photos here were from the £1 Recycled Lens = “Zeiss Talon Lens”

In fact, I was rather impressed by this quality performance !

As this lens was designed for a projector lens, (= never used for infinity) 

it was pretty good in close-up work !  (Ordinary lens was designed to work 

best in the infinity and the macro lens was designed to be best in the x10

magnification.) — Then give a thought, if a lens of 2 or 3 lenses structure 

could give such good performance, why we DO need to have an elaborated,

heavy, expensive lens.  (Mind you, all those photos were taken at fully open

F2.8 = anyhow no Iris there.)  😀    

But, this last photo was by the Planar F1.4 lens at F1.4 (all photos’  

aperture were fully open). —– Recycled 50 years old lens costed me   

£1 and the 85mm F1.4 lens was £600 even for a secondhand.

= May be we should start to think about what we really need from

a camera lens.  Like a so-called HD sound (called Hi-Resi in Japan)

do we need such a high resolution —– Does it make any difference

on our life ? — Wasn’t that mere illusion created by the company and

a ploy to sell yet another new model to us ?

What the photo image meant to us ? — DO we ever watched the world

in 10MP details, let alone to remember in such a detail ? ? ?    😀

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