Awful lot of broadcast professionals using this camera every day might disagree with some of your conclusions.

I use it almost every day and do not agree with your summary of the camera, however if the quality of the image doesn't meet your expectations then perhaps you should have tried the camera before buying, I know I did.

Not bad. F23 is top drawer. That's like being third leg on 4x100 Relay team with Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin.

A videographer friend paid $20,000 for his lense alone ... his camera package cost him almost $150,000.

You and I paid under $10,000 for a camera that included the lense. I do not see how we can complain about something as cheap as the EX-3 is.

I have zero complaints about my EX-3. It is truly an incredible camera for the price.

My back yard consisted of a clothes line and a pergola.
 

So you are only shooting your back yard clothes line and a pergola?

This is a stupid complaint. I just spent 10 weeks shooting four hours every day throughout India and China - I can hardly see one bad shot caused by the Ex3. The only bad shots are usually due to the camera operator not compensating for their equipment. I suggest you spend an extra $100,000 and get the camera you need to shoot your backyard clothes lines.

Gotta add how much this camera saved my butt today. Had a shoot where we needed to shoot luma keys full body. We had to do it onsite as well and it definitely should have been a studio shoot. Without the massive amount of control under picture profile I would have not been able to pull it off. What was wild is I was able to drop out almost all sat inside the screen while where I'll garbage matte (the walls) still had all their color. Pretty awesome!

I have an EX1, not an EX3...but I can tell you the video I've taken in my back yard has been incredible. Try shooting in your front yard and see if that works better for you.

The photographer's art- his "trick" if you will, still or motion, is to get the viewer to look at what he wants you to see. Next time you're at a movie try looking where you're not supposed to- at the background, the edges of the frame, etc. It's hard to do, but you'll see all sorts of interesting junk- motion artifacts, distortion, and so forth. That's why it's called photography, not reality. You would seldom be filming clothes lines and poles without including a specific object of regard that advances your story. A little bowing goes without notice, because it is usually incidental to what the viewer is looking at. As has been stated, photography is an interpretive art, and the camera is just the tool. The Ex 1&3 are on a par with the best of these tools. I think that the more you use it, the more you will appreciate it.

Michael has not re-visted the site since making his post, but the 20-odd replies you've all given will hopefully assist other folks who might share his opinion for some reason. Thanks for your input; I think we're pretty much finished here. If Michael Lyas wants to respond, he should contact me offline and I'll re-open the thread.