Calling them CPS reminds me of "Child Protective Services", so remember... it's NOT that CPS.
This is the group you can join once you have collected enough professional equipment and are doing photography full-time. I have been putting off joining (no reason, really) but decided to go ahead and do so about two weeks ago. Boy, was I glad I did.
CPS is designed to cater to their members as true professionals who need/deserve better treatment than consumers. As a pro, if a lens malfunctions on the job... you can't wait weeks for a repair. You need it quickly. You ALSO need it repaired correctly. Sending it back and forth is simply not an option. CPS addresses this need and I have a personal experience to relay...
A week after joining CPS at the Gold Level ($100/yr), I am in the third-base line photo pit shooting the Pirates/Braves game at PNC Park for Icon Sports Media. Two pitches into the inning, I start seeing a faded band across my images. Normally, I don't have the "review" option on. I'm glad I did this time. I guess the photography Gods were looking down on me. Because of this, I noticed the anomaly... otherwise I would have not seen it until I started "chimping" halfway through the game.
WTF? Wasn't sure what it was, so I kept on shooting - it kept getting worse. Then, CLICK! The camera made an odd sound and NOW the images had a black stripe across the bottom. Not a straight stripe, mind you, but a diagonal one. I tried a few more frames and it just wouldn't go away.
SHIT! The camera I had become comfortable with is now toast. It took my a lot of time to get comfortable with the Canon 1D Mark II and now it's out of commission. It was only the top of the 2nd inning.
LUCKILY I had brought my Canon 50D mounted on my Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM lens for when I was going to be in the "on-deck circle" photo pits. At that distance, the 300mm f/2.8 is too much lens - in my opinion. So, I call CPS and they say that it's definitely a shutter issue and to send it in. Here's where the best part comes in...
I send it in to their NJ location. They get it in 3 days (I chose 3-day shipping) and the NEXT day I get an email with a summary of what is wrong and a price. Being a CPS member, I get expedited service and save 30% off the total cost. Let's just say that when I got the email yesterday saying that my camera had been repaired and it was being sent, little did I know that it would arrive at my door today. Talk about quick turnaround!!
It went from broken to fixed/cleaned (nice of them) in less than a week. For me, that is reason enough to love Canon. Customer service goes a long way in brand loyalty if you ask me. I can't tell you if Canon is better/worse than Nikon, but I am pleased with Canon's customer service - at least for CPS members.
UPDATE: I had a long Pirates home-stand coming up in July. I also have been thinking about adding a 1D Mark III or IV to my bag as my primary and retiring my Mark II to a back up role. I put in a "loaner request", which is a benefit of being a CPS member, and got an email the next day saying that I would be receiving a 1D Mark IV on "loan" from July 15th (two days before I asked) until July 27th (two days more than I asked). What did it cost me?? Zero. Just pay the shipping. How cool is that?
My conclusion, the differences between Nikon and Canon can be debated forever. For me, Canon has just earned a loyal customer. Not just because I think their gear is great, but they gave me GREAT customer service. If you qualify, join CPS. You'll be glad you did.
My next entry will be my review of the Eye-Fi SDHC card I just got. I'm going to try it with my Mark II and my home wireless network. Then, I'll try it over my iPhone's network (it's jailbroken, that's why I have that feature).
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