A few months ago, I was hired by COX communications to shoot a behind the scenes video of what it takes to get multi-camera live coverage of college basketball on the air. I normally operate a camera with this crew covering the action for regional television on ESPN or Big East college sports television.

The company is a big fan of my video blogs and asked me to create the mini-documentary in the same style I capture for fun on my website!

I made the suggestion that I shoot with the Canon 5dmk2 DSLR. I needed to shoot run-and-gun, with a single camera and be a one man crew. I found the DSLR to work very well in low light and the small form factor was easy to move around. I used a single Bogen mono pod for stability and tracking shots. I used only one lens, the Canon 16mm-35mm f2.8. I shot in manual mode and controlled exposure using the dial on the back of the camera. I tried to keep the ISO under 1600.

All audio was captured with a Rode video shotgun mic. This video was shot before the Canon 5dmk2 firmware upgrade, so I had to run the camera in auto audio gain with no metering. The sound is ok, not great. But keep in mind that it was just me, with the single DSLR to capture as much as I could. I asked all the questions and gathered all the footage.

The truck we used on this game is standard definition. It shoots 4:3 with Ikegami HL-59 hand held cameras and Ikegami HL-387 hard cameras with Canon and Fujinon box lenses. We use all Vinten pan heads. Cox also has a high definition truck for sports and is building an even larger HD truck with Sony HDC series cameras.

We also set a DVD to record the entire game with the director’s track. You will hear Mike Narracci calling the shots during the live broadcast towards the end of the video. Using multi-camera editing in windows on the screen helps to show you just how much is going on during the production.

Best part for me was storming the court with all the fans at the end of the game. I had the Canon 5dmk2 high up in the air on the mono pod!

Please post any questions below using the comment section of this page. I will try to answer them soon! Special thanks to John Parris, Ray Lepre, the Cox crew and editor Anthony Finucane.

You can read the Cox Sports blog with additional information be clicking here. If you want to see this truck set up from my point of view (using the ContourHD wearable HD camera) click here for the video blog.

I was going crazy, waiting in my idling carbon monoxide filled car, working on my astro-timelapse project. It was -18C or -1F outside, I can’t take that kind of cold. You see, to shoot timelapses, you must be patient. Or at least find something to edit while the earth rotates….very slowly.

A few notes about the above video:
I set up my Canon 5Dmk2 for three weeks in my kitchen pointed at two bananas. I used the Canon 50mm f1.2 L series lens and set the camera to shoot one full resolution picture every ten minutes. I left the kitchen overhead light on night and day and I used the a/c adapter to power the camera. The bananas did not smell, but they blocked access to the microwave oven…. for three weeks!

I wanted to experiment using the entire 21.1 megapixel (5616×3744) frame in post. I was editing in 1080p, so I had some room to play with. This is all one camera shot, but because I was shooting such high resolution stills, I was able to zoom into different portions of the frame to pick off tight shots (without losing quality) of the rotten bananas.

The resulting timelapse was cool, but I was not sure how to use it.

So, while sitting in my car with a headache I came up with this….I edited it together real fast but thought twice about posting it. The video has appeal. No pun intended.

I have been having a lot of fun lately. “Late” being the key word. And I am working on a new project.

I am very excited about the Canon 5Dmk2 DSLR, but not just because of the shallow depth of field people have been raving about. I am very excited about the low light capabilities of this camera. I have never used a camera that is able to shoot in available light in video mode or in near total darkness in still mode using long exposure. But now, I am producing video that requires nothing more than a table lamp as a key source. I am also snapping the shutter on the 5dmk2 all night capturing what most of us all sleep through.

Over the last few weeks, I have been experimenting with settings on the 5dmk2 trying to get the best night sky exposure. These settings differ depending on length of timelapse, moon cycle, cloud cover and what is in the foreground. As I master this tricky (and sometimes frustrating) shooting style I will share my settings and technique with you. But for now, I am still learning and getting help from people like Tom Lowe at timescapes.org and other insomniacs that use his forums.

Sorry, other than the experimental test I did a few weeks ago, I am not going to post any actual footage until the timelapse project is complete. But please keep reading…. please…. oh come on!

Setting up the camera is pretty easy. Basically, you just fire off a few test shots, take a look at exposure and focus and then let it go for the night. You can get more complicated and mount the camera to a step motor head, drag the camera across a dolly with a step motor, or use some crazy step motorized jib to get dynamic moving timelapses. For this project I will be using locked down shots (slow zooms in post), a motorized Celestron 114 GT telescope pan/tilt head (modified for 5dmk2) and a Mumford step motor to drag the pvc dolly using gravity as resistance.

I have found that it is best to go for just one long timelapse. The stars move pretty slow! You really want the camera firing off shots all night for best results. You get about 30 seconds of usable video setting the camera to snap a 20 second exposure every 30 seconds during the night. That is a lot of shutter clicks, like around 1400! Yes, you need a timer remote controller and enough power to make this happen with the 5dmk2.

I am not going to go that deep into this yet, but future blogs will contain information on what I have found useful and what is basically a waste of time. I will also talk about how to deal with leaving your kit in the wild at night and sleeping next to it. And if you did not know, you just take all these digital stills and place them on the timeline as frames. Resize, scale and then export the timeline. So easy with .JPGs, not sure with RAW files. That will be the next project.

My ultimate goal is to produce a three to five minute timelapse piece that will be a year in the making. I have about 5 percent of the project done and I have spent half a dozen nights outside under the stars (sometimes freezing my arse off) to get the elusive footage. Not every timelapse worked out. Frost, heavy wind and panning head malfunctions have burned me a few times. And I was very upset that a single leaf landing on PVC pipe at 3am while I was asleep could mess up an epic tracking timelapse shot.

Below are a few pictures from the last two days of shooting in the mountains of New Hampshire. It is starting to get cold up there and I will see just how far I can push the temperature limits of the Canon 5dmk2, the battery packs and myself!

Two nights ago, I set up the camera in a forested area in New Hampshire clear of any light pollution. I had the camera panning right to left and snapping a picture every 15 seconds with a 10 second burn (exposure). This worked out well, the sky is blue even at night and the moon lights up everything it touches like the sun during the day.

I will be testing this camera system out on the top (or near) the top of mountains in New Hampshire. This is from the summit of Mt Chocoura. The best way to attach this camera setup is to bring bags you can fill with rock to weigh down the tripod. Wrap the camera in a heavy plastic bag and make it tight so it does not act as a sail. Just hope the weather does not drive moisture into the lens. As far as making camp, never sleep in the alpine zone. I would say sleep just below treeline on the east side of the mountain. This way you are out of prevailing winds and the sunrise wakes you up! At least in this neck of the woods.

Another little trick is to car camp! There are many mountain roads in the state of New Hampshire that take you and all your kit up the hill with very little effort. I have a Honda 1000i generator in my car for just this “camping” technique. The pictures above are from a scenic pull out off the Kancamagus Highway (RT 112) between Lincoln and Conway New Hampshire. If you want to see my twitvid from that sleep-in-my-car-over-dramatized night, they are here and here. Turn the sound down for the first one, I am yelling for no reason.

The light in the above pictures is only from the moon. I was very surprised how much the Canon 5dmk2 can expose with almost no light. This is good in the video function, but absolutely insane in the still mode. Remember, I am new to the picture taking craft. Until four months ago, I never owned a SLR or DLSR! My first 30 second burn was quite memorable (say no to drugs, I’m taking exposure here).

And speaking of drugs, just how do I spend the time with me, myself and my 5d? I either sleep or read a book. If car camping, I have a generator, so if you think of it, I could power it. Perhaps a few of these little cosmolapse adventures will include friends who don’t mind staring at a cloud for eight hours.

I pointed my camera into the sky for many of my timelapses so far and I really like the effect of a slow twisting pan while the stars are moving in the opposite direction. In the shot above, I had the Celestron 114 GT set to “rate 1″ the slowest speed and just let the the panhead work its magic. With the moon full and bright, I was able to see what I was doing with out the need of a head torch.

One thing that I really do not like is clouds. Some are ok, but since the stars move so slow and the clouds whip by so fast it is a bit jarring. I am having trouble hitting a clear night with my busy work schedule. And the fact that light pollution is so prevalent where I live, I have to drive hours away for good sky. I hope to get some clear winter nights in the coming weeks and point my lens skyward.

I will keep you posted of my progress on this project. I am working with a music composer to create a custom score for the piece.

Thanks for reading and post any questions below…

Here are a few bonus pictures from the day light hours.

Thanks to my buddy Dave for his company and help over the last few days! I work with Dave in Boston television, but he lives in the north country.

I have been experimenting with a one second shutter and moving water. I have found I get the best results when using ND filters and a matte box. I did not have ND filters with me! These shots were taken with the 5dmk2 mounted on a rock with the Canon lens closed to f22! I shot “Falling Water“, “Water and Light” and “Champney Falls” at this awesome location. I use to climb these rock faces when I was younger.

Dave got this great shot of me on the summit of Mt Chocorua. The Mountain is just under 4000 feet above sea level and it rewards hikers with some bouldering and 360 degree wind blown views. This is one of my favorite mountains in New England. My dog Zac even made it to the top!

I am gearing up for a big job this weekend. Take a look at the gear I will be using!

I know I have the RED ONE, new Gamecreek MSG New York TV truck, Letus Mini and ContourHD video blogs to finish, but check out this one shot a few minutes ago!

Take a look at the new Letus Light Weight Support Rods! (LWS) I will be using.

I will be testing a demo version of the ContourHD “wearable” HD video camera. But I have not received it yet from the company. I have a shoot this weekend with a World Cup downhill mountain biker. So I had to come up with something!

I am going to be the “chase bike”. I will be trying very hard to keep up with a fast mountain biker as he rips down a mountain.

I wanted to mount my 5Dmk2 digital SLR to an old motocross helmet, so I did. I used corner brace metal as the mount and just bolted them to the helmet. I decided that a counter balance was necessary since the camera was a bit heavy. I used an old, dead Anton Bauer Hytron 50 camera battery.

I first tried a 24mm f2.8 Canon lens on the 5Dmk2. I found this was not quite wide enough. I next tried a 16mm Nikon (with Canon EOS to Nikon adapter ring) f2.8 fisheye. This worked great. Take a look at the video link at the bottom of the page for a test of the system.

The light was fading and I just managed to get this done late this afternoon. I hope to test this more on Thursday at the mountain in much better light. I will also experiment with higher shutter and closing the aperture on the fish eye for a deeper DOF.

This video blog is by no way endorsed by Philip Bloom of philipbloom.co.uk.

I decided to use the Canon 5Dmk2 DSLR camera because the director, Torey Champagne, wanted this shot in available light and with very shallow depth of field. I found it a challenge because “available light” in certain locations really meant, “no light”. I come from a television camera background where the biggest image sensor is 2/3 of an inch. It would be ridiculous to add 18dB gain into a television camera and expect usable results, but this camera is different. The Canon 5dmk2 sensor is much larger, that of a 35mm digital cinema camera. People across the internet are pushing the low light capabilities with this rig, so what the hell. Maybe it would be possible just to shoot it guerrilla style like this, after all, we were going for a grungy music video look.

Instead of me using my better judgment and telling Torey that it would be impossible to shoot in these locations without the help of a one ton grip truck and several people, I decided to take the Canon 5dmk2 and shoot at the dreaded ISO 6400. Not all the shots were at this nutty super high gain setting, just some of them. At this insane level of video amplification, I found noise and a bunch of dead pixels reared their ugly red eyes. In fact, whilst shooting at 6400 with a Nikon 55mm f1.2 prime lens, I said to one of the band members, “this is like shooting night vision!”

I used the Glidecam to shoot all the city shots with the band members/actress. I found pulling focus impossible to do whilst shooting so I just keep a specific distance between the film plane and the subject as I tracked them with the Glidecam. You will only find a couple focus pulls in this video. I later (or earlier in the morning) used Vinten tripods and my home made PVC dolly system during the music performance inside Union Station.

Take a moment for the video to load below and see for yourself. This camera is changing the way I look at a shoot location. It was simply amazing that the camera was even able to make exposure with little noise at the top of an dark parking garage or empty city alley without additional lighting.

This video is now on Vimeo. You can watch it by clicking here.

The Worcester Massachusetts band is called, “Sleep Alive” and this track is titled, “Put it on my tab”. Torey Champagne directed and edited the video. This video is copyright Torey Champagne Productions.

Use the comment box below to ask specific questions and let me know what you think. There was a behind the scenes doc crew (struggling with the low light conditions!) shooing with a Panasonic HVX-200. I hope to get that footage soon to post to this site.

During my days off, I enjoy videotaping nature, people and places. I mostly use this stuff for experimentation and testing of equipment, but I found out that some of my short “films” and narratives could be sold to companies interested in high quality stock footage. Those of you who have viewed the videos on this site understand how i spend my free time. This is just an extension of what I am already doing for fun. It would be nice to get a little gas money out of the deal!

When I say high quality stock footage, I do not mean 4k RED ONE digital cinema or Phantom 2k 1000 frames per second slow motion video. There are a few contributors working with digital juice right now acquiring that type of footage. I am bringing something different to the table with my own 1080p high definition camera equipment and shooting style. I will hike dolly track, jibs, and other equipment into the wilderness and down busy streets to bring back images that will be invaluable to people in search of eye-catching stock footage.

That all being said, if someday I get my hands on a camera that can shoot 4k at high frame rates, I will be able to offer something even better to the Digital Juice stock footage program.

My first project with Digital Juice will be shot in northeastern United States. I will be focusing on capturing small town living and the wilderness that surrounds them in the New England area. Farms, main streets, cities, people, animals, nature, landscapes, time lapses, and seasonal changes/activities will just be a sample of what I will be recording in the upcoming months.

The stock footage contribution program is on going at Digital Juice. This is the type of project that could feed their content library for years to come as Digital Juice releases new volumes.

The best part of this deal is that I can publish the footage to my own website to share it with all of you. The footage is not restricted to just Digital Juice.

I just got back from a quick couple days in the mountains shooting waterfalls and babbling brook footage. I will post a short video in the next few days, but first I must submit a few of the shots to Digital Juice to see if it is something they are interested in. Not all clips sell. Camera shots with a dynamic move like a jib or dolly will fetch more cash, but it is never guaranteed. So this brings me back to the “I’m doing this just for fun” factor.

If you are from the New England area and you have a few suggestions on what and where I should haul all my gear to, comment below. Also, if you want to help out, let’s try to match up our schedules and work together. Send me a message through the “contact me” page on this site expressing your interest and shooting location. I could always use an extra hand carrying the dolly or jib!

If you read this blog, you will know that I had a few problems with three dead/hot pixels on the Canon image sensor. You can read all about it by clicking here.

The guys in post have been busy logging footage and they have released a quick preview of the new video for a breakout Boston band who call themselves, “Sleep Alive”. This track is titled, “Put it on my tab”.

This video was shot with the Canon 5dmk2 camera and as you can see, the hot red pixel at the top of the fame has been cropped out. The final video will be presented in 1080p in the super wide 2.39:1 theatrical format.

I am posting this blog entry on my Blackberry whilst I set up my camp in the mountains. I will be shooting stock footage for Digital Juice’s new HD library in the remote Northeast for the next three days. Good thing there is a full moon tonight.

Here is the Youtube video embed:

OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO IS READY: click here to watch it.

I will be posting more from this band as the footage (and a behind the scenes doc) becomes available to the public. Enjoy!

My Canon 5dmk2 is headed back in for service! I am having bad luck with this great camera.

I just got it back after having the Compact Flash pin socket replaced. Read up on my broken pin blog by clicking here.

I worked on a music video shoot in Worcester, Massachusetts a few days ago and shot it guerrilla style. Using a glidecam 4000, I shot the “action” portion of the music video in 1080p 30p in available light. A few scenes were so dark, that I had the 55mm f1.2 Nikon lens wide open and the camera set to 6400 ISO!

I could have never shot this video project with any other video camera under these conditions and time restraints.

The client was very happy with the footage and the music video is in post production right now…. BUT… I was told by the editor that there are a three burnt pixels (or hot pixels) on my camera. I was taken by surprise. I did not notice them whilst shooting.

Below are a few screen grabs straight off the 1080p video. I cannot show you any footage until the music video is released.

There was also a behind the scenes documentary crew working this production, so I hope to post that video soon.

PRODUCTION UPDATE: August 5th: First look at “Sleep Alive – Put it on my tab” music video trailer. Click here to watch it.

VIDEO BLOG:
I shot a short little video showing you the bad pixels on the camera. I zoomed into the sensor 10x and could see the three red dots on the LCD screen. The Canon 5Dmk2 was capped and running at ISO 6400. The pixels got brighter as the sensor stayed on and heated up.

Dead Pixels on Canon 5dmk2 Image Sensor

I will be sending the Canon 5Dmk2 in for repair next week. I will keep you posted with a repair status (date and time) so that you can better understand the process to fix this problem if you are experiencing bad pixels on your Canon image sensor.

REPAIR UPDATE:

August 3rd, 2009 @9am: I contacted the New Jersey Canon Service Center via phone (732)521-7007 and spoke to a tech. I told him about my bad pixel problem and he quickly stated that this would be covered under my warranty. He told me that I would need to send just the camera body with a cap to the service center. He also told me to include a copy of the warranty card and the sales receipt. He suggested leaving a letter with the camera detailing the problem with my name, address and email address. He also added that it would be helpful if I included a cd with pictures showing the bad pixels. I told him I would include a link to this blog entry.

Now that my serial number is in the system, I will be sending the camera in via UPS for service Friday August 7th. I will keep you up to date as the camera goes through the repair process.

UPDATE AUGUST 10, 2009 @10am:
I have packed up the camera and sent it off to New Jersey using UPS GROUND. I included a note with details of the problem, a copy of my warranty card and Adorama receipt and a cd with pictures taken at high ISO showing the bad pixels. I just sent the camera body, capped, in a small Pelican Case.

UPDATE AUGUST 12, 2009 @5:30pm:
I got an email from Canon. They have accepted my repair.

Dear Thomas:
We have received your equipment for evaluation and repair. Based on our initial examination, we will start the necessary repairs at no charge to you. You can expect the repair to be completed and returned back to you within approximately 7 business days* from the date shown above. There is no need to respond to this notice.

Please note that in the unlikely event that any additional internal damage is found due to liquid/water, sand, corrosion, battery leakage or impact (such as dropping the unit), a revised estimate will be sent for your authorization, since these conditions are specifically excluded from warranty coverage.

Thank you for purchasing Canon products and for allowing us this opportunity to serve you.
Best Regards,
Canon Factory Service Center

UPDATE: August 13 @9:30am:
The camera has been fixed and is being shipped back to me via Fed Ex. This is the message that was emailed to me this morning:

Dear Thomas :
We are pleased to confirm that the service you requested on your EOS 5D MARK II has been completed and your equipment has been shipped to you on 13-AUG-09 . The tracking number for your package is xxxxxxx . If you wish to track the status of your shipment through Federal Express, click here, or visit www.FedEx.com and use the tracking number listed above.
Please note that a signature is required for delivery!

Thank you for purchasing Canon products and for allowing us this opportunity to serve you.

Best Regards,
Canon Factory Service Center

There was no charge for this repair. I am VERY happy with Canon Customer Support. I will let you know if they completely fixed the problem when the 5dmk2 arrives.

REPAIR UPDATE AUGUST 14 2009 @5pm
Fed EX just delivered the package to me via Express. Thank you Canon for sending me my camera back to me using a very fast method. This is what the paperwork said when I opened up the box.

“Service Details:
All adjustments and corresponding testing have been completed to Canon factory standards. Firmware was updated to latest version. Remapped dead pixels.”

Not certain why the firmware was updated, I was running the latest version. Happy to hear that the dead pixels were “remapped”. Now it is time to test it out.

REPAIR UPDATE AUGUST 14 2009 @9pm:
I have turned on the Canon 5dmk2 and capped the front. I set the ISO to 6400 and set the shutter to 1/30th. I hit record and let the sensor heat up for 10 minutes. At this point, I stopped the recording and zoomed into the black image 10x. I scanned the entire image and found it completely clean, except for a small dead pixel in the extreme lower left of the sensor. I am happy with the results of the repair! It cost me only to ship it to Canon, about $9 at UPS (ground).

BLOG UPDATE! BLOG UPDATE!
I have included a before and after picture of the capped sensor at ISO 6400 for you to examine. Please click on the below images and use the scroll feature on your browser to look closely at the dead and hot pixels. I increased the video levels in Photoshop to amplify the noise and problematic pixels to make it easier to see.

I was without my 5dmk2 for just four days. THAT IS INCREDIBLE SERVICE. I wonder if this blog thing helps?

I have used my Canon 5Dmk2 twice. Once to shoot a movie called “Burial Site” and the second time to snap off a few RAW stills while hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Things went well, I got the camera a little wet while hiking, but everything checked out fine.

I tried to use it for the third time and now the camera is a paperweight. NICE!

This has nothing to do with the light rain that I was shooting in while hiking in the mountains. It was something else all together. I slid the Kingston Compact Flash memory card into the socket on the Canon 5Dmk2 and found the camera to be malfunctioning. Nothing out of the ordinary, the card went in fine. The camera took about ten seconds to fully power up and it displayed the words, “Card Must Be Formatted” on the LCD.

I was surprised at this, so I went into the menu and selected “FORMAT”. Instantly, the camera stated on the viewfinder, “CARD CANNOT BE FORMATTED”.

I removed the card and looked at it. I noticed a slight indentation between two of the holes in the interface. I immediately thought that one of the pins in the camera must have bent and that was the cause of the mark. I did not force the card into the camera, I just pushed it in like I had done in the past.

Next, I grabbed a flashlight and a magnifying glass and looked into the CF interface cavity of the 5dmk2. I saw that one of the center pins was pushed down into the socket. I swore.

That is pretty much it. If you own this camera, be careful! I did nothing wrong. I did not insert the card incorrectly. I simply ejected it, used it in a external memory card reader and then reinserted it into the Canon camera. The CF card was carried inside the little plastic case so that it would stay clean. I tested the suspect CF card in my external reader and it works fine. I cannot explain why this happened, but I will be contacting Canon tomorrow and I plan to add updates to this page as I go through the repair process.

REPAIR UPDATES:
July 6, 2009 @11am – Called Adorama in NY at 800-223-2500. They told me to call 800-OK-CANON. Called Canon, they told me to call the service center in New Jersey at (732) 521-7007. I waited on hold for twenty minutes and when call was answered I was told I was in wrong department. The guy then told me that there was a long wait for repair. I told him I had been on hold for twenty minutes already. He said, then try registering for repair on Canon’s web site at http://www.usa.canon.com/repair. I am now trying that.

July 6, 2009 @11:15am – I have submitted a new repair request through the Canon website. I filled out all the info and this is what I posted when asked to explain the problem.

July 6, 2009 @2pm – I have packed up the camera and placed it in a small pelican case. I placed the peli-case inside a slightly larger box and sent if to the Canon Service Center in Jamesburg, New Jersey. It is due to arrive tomorrow.

Inserted a Compact Flash card into Canon 5D mark 2 for just the third time and powered up the camera, the camera did not initialize. Camera LCD stated that the “CARD MUST BE FORMATTED”. The card was already formatted.
I looked at the card and there was a mark between two of the contact holes.
I looked into CF camera cavity and found that one of the center pins in the interface was bent.
Camera will not format or recognize the CF card.
I posted pictures to my blog that might help you understand the situation better.
Link: http://bit.ly/OuIDd
Thanks and please help me get this fixed ASAP! I use this equipment on jobs as my source of income.

July 8 2009 @2pm – The camera arrived in New Jersey and I immediately received this email:

Dear Thomas :
We have received your equipment for evaluation and repair. Based on our initial examination, we will start the necessary repairs at no charge to you. You can expect the repair to be completed and returned back to you within approximately 7 business days* from the date shown above. There is no need to respond to this notice.
Please note that in the unlikely event that any additional internal damage is found due to liquid/water, sand, corrosion, battery leakage or impact (such as dropping the unit), a revised estimate will be sent for your authorization, since these conditions are specifically excluded from warranty coverage.
Thank you for purchasing Canon products and for allowing us this opportunity to serve you.
Best Regards,
Canon Factory Service Center

Great customer service thus far. Thank you Canon.

July 14 2009 @9am – Received this email:

Dear Thomas :
We are pleased to confirm that the service you requested on your EOS 5D MARK II has been completed and your equipment has been shipped to you on 14-JUL-09 . The tracking number for your package is 9************** . If you wish to track the status of your shipment through Federal Express, click here, or visit www.FedEx.com and use the tracking number listed above.
Please note that a signature is required for delivery!

Thank you for purchasing Canon products and for allowing us this opportunity to serve you.

Best Regards,
Canon Factory Service Center

July 15 2009 @1pm – Fed EX arrived at my home with Canon Package
I was not charged any money for the repair. The repair took just 12 days from the time of damage to the time of repair delivery.

The paper included with my repaired 5dmk2 stated:

BENT PIN. 1X COURTESY REPAIR. REPAIR TO GOOD WORKING ORDER.

Canon also added:

We have examined the product according to your request and upon close inspection the exact cause could not be identified but it was found that the memory card slot pins were broken. The internal component was replaced. Other electrical adjustments, inspection and cleaning and parts replacements were carried out. REPLACED MAIN PCB ASS’Y.

I hope this helps you if you are going through the same inconvenience. I have replaced my Kingston Compact Flash cards with Sandisk Extreme III cards. I am not sure if the camera had a bad pin from the factory or if my Kingston cards were to blame.

Based on what I have gotten back in writing from Canon, it appears that you get a one time “courtesy repair” on the PCB assembly. Not sure how much it will cost me if this happens again.