Fragile external mic mount clamp?
 

Did Canon fix the mic mount problem before the A1s started shipping?

I remember reading a review somewhere that said the mic mount was likely to fall off because Canon only used two tiny screws. However, I believe that reviewer was using a pre-production A1 provided by Canon.

If possible, can anyone take a picuture showing how the mic mount is screwed to the A1's body?

Thanks for any info!

It's not likely to "fall off" because of the small screws. You just have to be careful not to bump it too hard. Most folks are pretty careful not to bump their expensive cameras at all. If you think it's going to be a problem, then simply remove the clamp.

Click this link to see a photo of the clamp:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/attachmen...4&d=1159810999

I think the problem itself is not the screws but the mount not being able to take my octava mic without modification.

This is a problem for me. I have since modded it to work but not as well as I would have liked?

There is no problem with the mic mount on ours. It is sturdy. It is the same as the Sony's.

You may question the design, but it isn't and wasn't a problem before or after it started shipping. You should change the title to this thread.

The mic mount sits up well above the body. I would rather have it shear off if I dropped it rather than destroying the body. Canon's still cameras use the same design philosophy on their hot shoes -- better to sacrifice a hot shoe than the chassis.

chuck

Excellent suggestion, Chuck... the previous title "Did Canon fix the mic mount problem before the A1s started shipping?" was misleading in that it implied that there really is some sort of problem with the mount. I've now changed the title to "Mic mount question." Much appreciated,

The mic mount problem I thought the title was referring to was the "built-in" mic which is loose as I and several posters have noted. It looks to me a little bit more involved to take apart since you need a right angle screw driver lol...

Woah -- hold on there! The built-in mic isn't loose, it's slightly flexible. And it's *supposed* to flex... that's not a bug, it's a feature. The built-in mic is shock mounted and is fully intended to give a little in both axes of rotation. Canon is to be applauded for doing that. And don't try to fix what ain't broken... you'll void your warranty!

I was actually talking about this reviewer whose pre-production A1's mic mount fell off. Please see link below. :) Did Canon ever change or strengthen the mic mount on the final version of A1s shipped to consumers, or is it the identical from the pre-production A1s? :)

http://digitaljournalist.org/issue06...eracorner.html

(near bottom of page)
"The camera that I have had for review is a prototype. Often there are small problems that are discovered in this evaluation. In my case, while putting the camera in a bag into an airline overhead bin, the mic mount snapped off. I discovered that the mount is only held on by two small, jeweler-type screws, and can easily snap off. Canon discovered this themselves when one of the show display units at PhotoPlus also had its mic mount snap off. "

The answer is that there has been no change to the removeable mic mount. Hope this helps,