# Finnish wearing on my 5D Mark III



## NYCPHOTO (Oct 5, 2012)

Hello There,

The finnish on my 5D Mark 3 is wearing away around the bottom left edge of the camera.

It looks like it's 5 years old..not 5 months old.

I have no idea what wore the finnish away.

Anyone else have this issue?

Thanks..Arnie


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Oct 5, 2012)

I have not had a problem, but I did read one complaint about the finish wearing rapidly.


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## bbasiaga (Oct 5, 2012)

Was that posted by this same guy on another forum? He's signed up recently on a few asking the same question. No other first hand experience has popped up yet. Mine is just a few weeks old, but looks fine.

-Brian


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## tbrand (Oct 5, 2012)

Actually, I'm having the exact same problem: I bought at the end of April and the finish on the bottom left is wearing away already.

I don't have it on me right now, but I'll post a pic sometime tomorrow. It was really bugging me too.


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## ck5dmkiii (Oct 6, 2012)

My paint on my battery grip is wearing off on my 5DMK3 

According to Canon (sent it in 2 weeks ago) its considered normal wear and tear and is not covered by warranty. Glad I pay $500.00 a year for tha CPS membership


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## Menace (Oct 6, 2012)

Mine has about 15,000 clicks but no major wear and tear yet. Would be interesting to see an image though.


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## NYCPHOTO (Oct 6, 2012)

Here are some pics of the wear..remember...this is a camera i got in May.


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## CharlieB (Oct 6, 2012)

Some folks would call that a badge of honor... not quite as bad a Willie Nelson's guitar....

I've had black Nikons back in the day... much much worse. I remember one Nikkormat FT2 that was... way more brass than black.... I kept that camera with me daily with 35/2.0 on it "just in case"

First wear is always the hardest to stomach. Just keep goin' with the flow.


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## NYCPHOTO (Oct 6, 2012)

yes..when it represents years of hard shooting...but in less the 6 months....??


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## bbasiaga (Oct 6, 2012)

Stinks when you don't have a nice camera to take a nice picture of your...camera...doesn't it? lol.

Looks like that one took a pretty good scratch there. Abrasion damage of some kind. Maybe something in your bag is rubbing against it? Did someone borrow it and send it skidding across the table or something? 

-Brian


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## DB (Oct 6, 2012)

What kind of usage has it had? I mean if you've had 50,000 actuations then I'd sat it was just wear n'tear, but if you'e only taken 5,000 shots (approx. 1,000/month) which would be normal (but still high use) then I would have to say there might be either a design flaw or your specific body is somewhat defective. Or alternatively, you're throwing the camera around e.g. into your car/boot without keeping it in a padded case (unlikely though given the cost).


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## NYCPHOTO (Oct 6, 2012)

aprox 4 weddings a month...some months 8...at 1000 shots plus per wedding

It's just I've been using Canon since the orignal F1 and have never seen a body show wear this quickly.

And no..never lent it out...


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## albron00 (Oct 6, 2012)

it look like my 8 years old jeans


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## ijohnsson (Oct 6, 2012)

Only the Finnish? What about the Norwegian?


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## NYCPHOTO (Oct 6, 2012)

Feel free to take your word association game to Fred Miranda...there's 4 pages of it based on my typo.


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## hippoeater (Oct 6, 2012)

Is this the only picture you have of the issue? Any pictures of the rest of the body? Just curious what the rest of it looks like.


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## macrodust (Oct 6, 2012)

I also noticed that the paint on my 5DIII is scratched much easier than on my 7D. Especially the edges of the bottom plate (likely when placing the camera on rough surfaces when I don't have a tripod, and tilting and turning it to frame my shot)

I bought mine end of March, but it doesn't look remotely as bad as that pic, but it already looks worse than my much older 7D.


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## Viggo (Oct 6, 2012)

Same here, it wasn't as bad as yours but the worst i've ever experienced with a body. It takes nothing to scratch it. In fact my 1d x is way better but also show marks muchmuch easier than any other. Think only my 5dc showed any wear, and I more than frequently used it as åfootball..


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## CharlieB (Oct 6, 2012)

NYCPHOTO said:


> yes..when it represents years of hard shooting...but in less the 6 months....??



You're doing 4 to 8 weddings a month. Shutter actuations have nothing to do with finish wear. But in six months someplace between 24 and 36 weddings.

Jeeze, I've been there, and weddings are rough on equipment. You're a one man whirlwind, with hopefully an assistant to help carry stuff, arrange shots, and keep an extra eye on security matters. It is a photographic zoo doing most weddings. I hated them at times, but never once regretted coming home with sore back, sore legs, sore feet, soaked in sweat..... and having to sit down and clean equipment of grunge, sweat and grime, and at times icing, and champagne... it is hell on photographers AND their equipment.

You're shooting weddings with the camera. You no doubt have a backup as well. you're making money, as I did. Equipment at that point was, not expendable, but it was depreciated. I got good life out of brand H medium format, but... did manage to go thru a body and a few backs just due to wear.


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## TommyLee (Oct 6, 2012)

yup..
I noticed right away..
I am pretty gentle with my gear.
the 5D3 hung from neck so it touched my jeans just below my belt or the soft leather belt..
I noticed 'paint' worn on the edge between LCD surface and bottom tripod socket surface..
it was 1/8" wide worn thru on the rounded corner..
1. I adjusted the strap so the camera hits my SHIRT now......a little higher..
AND
2. laundry black marker ...subtle cover-up.. for the moment...

BUT
I was waaayyy more heavy on 5D2.. no wear over 3-4 yrs since it was first released...everyday hanging there on walks..

my gear has no marks ..because I think befor 'tossing into a bag of tire-chains..etc

but THIS CURRENT FINISH
this is a notch ...or three.... lower quality finish
yes
I can testify to that.. solid true

sad

so that is the trend I suppose...
toward a schlock pile

I am a fan....but not of this stuff

TOM


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## pakosouthpark (Oct 6, 2012)

NYCPHOTO said:


> Here are some pics of the wear..remember...this is a camera i got in May.



OMG even my old 5 years 350d been around the world, beaches, lots of camping and now is property of my lil sista looks better than that!! -_- do you have a dog?? is it his new toy??


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## ZEROrhythm (Oct 6, 2012)

Nothing a can of black spray paint can't fix.


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## Fishnose (Oct 6, 2012)

ijohnsson said:


> Only the Finnish? What about the Norwegian?



My thought exactly, lol


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## TexPhoto (Oct 6, 2012)

I sold my Mark II with 220K actuations, and it did not have wear like that.


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## jimtron (Feb 25, 2013)

I'm having this problem too--major brassing on the bottom of my 5D3. The rest of the camera is almost pristine--very little if any wear. And before this body I had a 10D, 20D, 5D, and 5DII. Never saw paint wear off this fast with such light wear. 

I was hoping to get CPS to take care of this but saw the earlier post that they didn't. At least I saved the shipping.


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## RS2021 (Feb 25, 2013)

ijohnsson said:


> Only the Finnish? What about the Norwegian?



You beat me to it lol...i was gonna ask about the Swedes


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## candyman (Feb 25, 2013)

I did not notice this on my 5D MK III
Is it possible that you use some fluid / cream on your hands or other? Just guessing..


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## kaihp (Feb 25, 2013)

I don't see the brass yet, but the paint do come across as significantly softer and more easily worn off on my 5D3 too.

I had chippings in the paint of my 50D, but the 5D3 has fine lines across the body from something brushing against it.
And I'm not a pro and I'm quite picky about protecting the camera and lenses.


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## Hector1970 (Feb 25, 2013)

My 5D Mark III is definately showing this type of wear. I can see the metal along the back bottom part of the camera. I do wear a Black Rapid and I don't think that helps. I have a 500D for about 3 years using this strap and it had no wear on the same edge. It looks like the outer coating is not very good and wears away easily.
I'm amazed such an expensive camera is wearing away it's outside coating so easily. 
It's more that a little cosmetic, it's a bit ugly and probably greatly devalues the camera.
It will be interesting over time whether this problem becomes more common


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## Rienzphotoz (Feb 25, 2013)

Fishnose said:


> ijohnsson said:
> 
> 
> > Only the Finnish? What about the Norwegian?
> ...


+1 ... the first thing that came to my mind was, what about the Swedish? ;D ;D


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## Rienzphotoz (Feb 25, 2013)

NYCPHOTO said:


> Hello There,
> 
> The finnish on my 5D Mark 3 is wearing away around the bottom left edge of the camera.
> 
> ...


No problems on mine ... I bought it 7 months ago ... most of the time I use it in dusty desert conditions.
You sure you are not using it to hammer nails into wood work ;D


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## Hector1970 (Feb 25, 2013)

The black gaffer tape is definitely something to consider for the future. I'll be interested over time whether this grows as a problem or whether its just bad luck. I don't know how the camera is made but it looks like metal covered by clear plastic , coated then in black plastic. The black plastic layer seems very thin.
You wouldn't expect the plastic to wear so quickly. In my case the camera has been minded carefully but using the Black Rapid strap might speed up wear (although looking at it is not obvious if would rub that much on that side ). 
Maybe people should check for wear at the base or whether its starting to look translucent . If so gaffer tape would be a good protection method.


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## J.R. (Feb 25, 2013)

dilbert said:


> The 5D Mark III is a magnesium-alloy body.
> 
> That means to make it look black it needs to be painted.
> 
> If you rub any metal that has been painted for long enough against clothing, the paint will eventually wear away and show metal underneath.



The pic posted in this thread looks like the camera's been rubbed with sandpaper. Looks like a QC issue - I'll be careful with mine if something similar appears to be developing.


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## motorhead (Feb 25, 2013)

The 5D Mark III is a magnesium-alloy body.

That means to make it look black it needs to be painted.

If you rub any metal that has been painted for long enough against clothing, the paint will eventually wear away and show metal underneath.
[/quote]

I would expect them to have a black anodised finish which is what all my Canons have had. Certainly a simple painted finish will never last long.


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## insanitybeard (Feb 25, 2013)

Interestingly Canon's own brochure for the 5D MKIII states that the base plate itself is steel to withstand 'the rigors of professional use' (I thought I read in another source it was infact stainless steel) whereas the rest of the body is mag. alloy, I'm not sure if this differs from other canon DSLRs, but I wonder if the different material has caused issues with the black finish not adhering as well compared to the mag. alloy sections- hence the uneven wear pattern with the base plate worst affected?


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## TexPhoto (Feb 25, 2013)

That looks bad! But I'd say it also looks like you are rubbing it somehow when carrying it.

I touch up the black on my cameras with a permanent magic marker. It's not perfect, but it looks bette than the bare scratch.

In your case i might look into some kind of paint. maybe even a ruberized paint that would be thick and protective.

You might also consider a vet0cile grip, Canon or 3rd party. That would take the punishment you seem to be giving it.


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## kirispupis (Feb 25, 2013)

Try the Swedish version. ;D


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## Studio1930 (Feb 28, 2013)

Wow, that does not look good for that young of a camera. I have used my 1DX for about 1 year and have 150K+ actuations on it and it doesn't have a single mark on the body. I am not overly careful with my equipment either as the shot is more important to me than insured equipment but I still don't have wear like that. 

Even my well abused Lumedyne battery packs don't look that bad and they get the crap beat out of them swinging wildly on straps, banging on everything and tossed to the ground on every shoot.


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## echelonphoto (Feb 28, 2013)

I have had at least 14 different Canon professional bodies and I do about 35 weddings a year...never had anything even this close happen...in fact most of my cameras by the time I sell them still look pretty minty..I 
use straps and now a spider holster for carry and often set them down in less than pristine surfaces. I would
definitely complain to Canon higher ups...this should not happen this easily...I did have a mark 3 for a short
time and notice the paint is quite delicate compared to other models. You can always get that rubberized 
camera armor that covers the whole camer.


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 1, 2013)

echelonphoto said:


> I have had at least 14 different Canon professional bodies and I do about 35 weddings a year...never had anything even this close happen...in fact most of my cameras by the time I sell them still look pretty minty..I
> use straps and now a spider holster for carry and often set them down in less than pristine surfaces. I would
> definitely complain to Canon higher ups...this should not happen this easily...I did have a mark 3 for a short
> time and notice the paint is quite delicate compared to other models. You can always get that rubberized
> camera armor that covers the whole camer.


I agree that Canon cameras still look pretty minty by the time I sell them (while I did not have 14 professional bodies like you, I did have/sell 6 Canon DSLR's and all of them were used in dusty desert conditions but every one of them looked good by the time I sold them).
What I don't agree though is about the MK III's "paint is quite delicate" ... while I agree that it could have been the case in the particular camera you used, but for the vast majority I do not believe that is the case.


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 1, 2013)

dilbert said:


> There's every change that the camera is rubbing against a metal stud on your jeans or belt or jacket or ... and that would account for the scratches.


+1


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## RLPhoto (Mar 1, 2013)

My dying 250,000 actuationed 5Dc with heavy use didn't look that terrible. It has to be rubbing on something to wear like that.


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## JPAZ (Mar 1, 2013)

If the camera is no longer under warranty, you might consider this "fix" I learned with my mountain bike. Color over the scratches with a black "Sharpie" to make the area less obvious. All in all, this wear is just a sign you are using the camera.


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## Rat (Mar 1, 2013)

This is a known problem, check this topic: http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=11571.0 . You should take this up with Canon


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## K-amps (Mar 1, 2013)

Yet another way Canon is crippling the 5D3


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## Viggo (Mar 1, 2013)

K-amps said:


> Yet another way Canon is crippling the 5D3



We just need to do what all the Leica people did, realize that it's not a fault, it's a feature..

Noise doesn't exist in the Leica world, it's the beautiful graaain.

It's not worn off finish, it's charming brassing.

It's not horrible batterylife, it's enough for the few quality images you need to shoot.


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## cliffwang (Mar 1, 2013)

Rat said:


> This is a known problem, check this topic: http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=11571.0 . You should take this up with Canon



Thanks for the information.

My 5D3 also has minor peeling problem. However, that won't affect the IQ of the camera. Since I am not going to resell the camera for years, I am fine with the issue.


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## K-amps (Mar 1, 2013)

Viggo said:


> K-amps said:
> 
> 
> > Yet another way Canon is crippling the 5D3
> ...



Agreed Viggo! 


BUT!

Does the D800 suffer from this Peeling? ;D


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## DigitalDivide (Mar 1, 2013)

Interesting that all the replies are saying this never happened with a 5D mk 2 or other earlier body. I have owned my mk 2 for just over a year, and I have similar wear in an isolated patch on one of the bottom corners. It appeared rather suddenly a few months after I got the camera, and it does not seem to be getting much worse since I noticed it. I'm glad to have found this thread since I was wondering if this was normal.

I had assumed that I had somehow managed to jam the camera against a lens or something in my bag, although I'm always very careful when I put it in there. This 5D2 replaced a 20 year old EOS 10S and represents several times what I have ever paid for a camera before, so I tend to be rather protective of it.  I have around 4000 actuations on the camera, which gets used mostly for travel photos and at home. It is certainly not subjected to heavy professional use.

The references to BlackRapid might explain how this happened. Now that I think about it, the wear probably appeared a while after I bought a BlackRapid RS-4 (which I love by the way). So my best guess is the bottom corner of my 5D2 is brushing against my clothing as I walk or hike with it hanging by my hip. Its not really a big deal - my only concern is that I have been rather tempted to sell it and buy a mk 3, and it might have some impact on the resale value. But I've decided to stick with it for a while until I feel I have a better handle on digital technique after decades of shooting film. I want to be ready when I step up to a 5D3, 7D2, or whatever Canon has out there in the future. 8)


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 2, 2013)

K-amps said:


> Does the D800 suffer from this Peeling? ;D


Don't know about peeling but the D800 images are known for *green*ing ;D


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## Robert Welch (Mar 3, 2013)

I've had mine since the week they first were available, so it's almost a year old. Shot ~50 weddings, and I see no signs of wear, not even a scratch. I try not to treat my gear rough, of course, so with care I'd say the 5D3 won't look like the photo on this thread. But it would appear from that photo that if perhaps handled roughly, it might not resist wear as much as would be ideal.


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## annoyingzhang (Mar 3, 2013)

Same issue happened twice so far. Happened with a 3rd party battery grip. First time I panicked - then I calmed down and pulled the battery and disconnected the grip and reconnected everything and it was working again. Still saving $150 on a grip is worth it though.


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