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Janice Chen
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Canon offers locking mode dial upgrade for EOS 5D Mark II and 7D

By | December 8, 2010, 5:00am PST

Summary: Canon is offering a hardware upgrade that adds a locking mechanism to mode dials for its 5D Mark II and 7D digital SLR cameras.

In a somewhat unusual move, Canon has just released a hardware upgrade for its EOS 5D Mark II and EOS 7D digital SLRs.  According to a service notice for its dSLR cameras, as of yesterday the company is offering a locking mode dial modification for the two cameras, for a fee of $100. The new mode dial option provides a locking mechanism to ensure that the mode dial doesn’t get accidentally moved out of the position you’ve selected. With the new mode dial, you have to press and hold a center button before moving the dial to switch modes.

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Mode, Canon Inc., Hardware Upgrade, Hardware, Janice Chen

Janice got her hands on a Nikon Coolpix 900 back in 1998 and has been a digital camera enthusiast ever since.

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Janice Chen

Janice Chen has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted in this blog.

Biography

Janice Chen

Janice Chen is an editorial consultant and has been covering technology for over two decades. Serving as editor in chief at CNET and Computer Shopper magazine for many years, she oversaw product coverage for the CNET and ZDNet websites. She has appeared on most of the major morning TV news programs and was featured weekly on CNN Headline News' Hotwired segment recommending personal tech ranging from digital cameras to notebook PCs. Prior to that, she appeared with Anderson Cooper on a monthly technology segment for ABC World News This Morning. Quoted in numerous publications such as the New York Times, USA Today, and People magazine, Janice has also evaluated tech products for BusinessWeek, USA Weekend magazine, and Parenting magazine among others.

Janice got her hands on a Nikon Coolpix 900 back in 1998 and has been a digital camera enthusiast ever since. A graduate of Cornell University, she resides in Maplewood, NJ, with her husband (a professional photographer who shot his last roll of film in 2003) and their two daughters.

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RE:Canon offers locking mode dial upgrade for EOS 5D Mark II and 7D
three-shao 18th Sep
This is too fantastic for article.Thanks! Chanel Messenger Bags Chanel New Bags Chanel Shoulder Bags
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0 Votes
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Easier to have customers directly cover the cost to fix a defect
bstringy Updated - 8th Dec 2010
When the dial is turned by the shoulder strap while carrying the camera, it constitutes a design flaw and/or defect.
0 Votes
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Helpful !
geoffrey.langlois@... 9th Dec 2010
Good idea. The lack didn't create frequent problems for me but those problems that did occur could be serious when trying to capture a moment that cannot be re-shot.

OTOH, my Pentax K-7 and K-5 have this capability so I don't worry about it any more.

Was Canon's decision based on owner complaints or is it an experiment with mid-life enhancement via hardware?
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RE: Canon offers locking mode dial upgrade for EOS 5D Mark II and 7D
mainvision Updated - 9th Dec 2010
Good idea for the button, although I've never had problems with it (EOS 5dII), so I don't think I will bother. However, I would prefer an upgrade for the on/off switch. The stiff, sharp on/off switch worked several hundred times a day ends up by hurting your thumb. Multiply it by several days in a row, and you have a problem.
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RE: Canon offers locking mode dial upgrade for EOS 5D Mark II and 7D
ocabj 23rd Dec 2010
My personal take on this modification: http://www.ocabj.net/?p=1279

Whether or not you need the locking mode dial is personal preference. Some people have zero issues, while others do have problems knocking the mode dial.
0 Votes
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RE:Canon offers locking mode dial upgrade for EOS 5D Mark II and 7D
three-shao 18th Sep
This is too fantastic for article.Thanks! Chanel Messenger Bags Chanel New Bags Chanel Shoulder Bags

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