Messages

16

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 5D3 & 600ex-rt + AF assist beam = slower focus

« on: November 20, 2012, 04:12:07 PM »

This issue is a strange one..... I have tested a 5DIII (paired with a 24-70 MII) with the 600rt in a very dark indoor environment and found it to be equally fast (or slow) in acquiring and confirming focus on either single or multiple focus points with and without the aid of the assist beam.

I have one of the first produced 5DMIII's with the light leak (6th digit is 1)

Do you have any other lenses you could test?  My 70-200 f/2.8L IS II is the one that gives me issues.  My 24mm 1.4L does just about the same with or without the AF assist beam.  With the 70-200 there is a very noticeable difference.   

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 5D3 & 600ex-rt + AF assist beam = slower focus

« on: November 20, 2012, 08:58:34 AM »

Happens on the 1DX too...
They didn't care tbh - it's not a problem apparently.

Not on my 1D X.  One flash of the AF assist lamp, then the AF confirm beep happens immediately (and the focus is accurate).  Does that in low light with a low contrast subject, does it in a pitch black room with the camera pointed at a blank white wall.  Works with the center AF point selected, works with an edge AF point selected (only difference is the center point just projects a thin, vertical red strip whereas with an off-center point the full grid is projected).  Same behavior, same fast AF lock with the assist lamp on both a 600EX-RT and a 430EX II.

Do you happen to have a 5D3 as well that you could test?

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 5D3 & 600ex-rt + AF assist beam = slower focus

« on: November 19, 2012, 03:58:22 PM »

Not of specific relevance to the thread, but, I recently got some 600EX-RT's and because of this thread I tried the AF assist beam with my 1Ds MkIII and my slowest focusing lens, the 100mm IS L Macro with the limiter switch to full range. This is normally an invitation to hunt for what seems like several seconds as it racks from infinity to MFD and back.

 So I went into a completely dark room with a popcorn ceiling and couldn't believe how fast the AF was! MUCH faster than in normal light even when I started the focus at MFD or infinity, I also tried selecting edge points on the AF, all shots were perfectly focused too, seriously, it focused like the 70-200 f2.8IS in normal light, practically instantly.

So that means it is the 5d3 with any kind of AF assist beam that is causing the issue. That is so frustrating because the camera is great in so many ways and this almost ruins it. 

19

Lenses / 70-200 f/2.8L IS II focus issue

« on: November 18, 2012, 03:12:05 PM »

I have had my 70-200 for almost two years now and it has performed flawlessly up until now.  I have shot about 50 weddings with it and no issues.  Now it it having problems focusing at 200mm.  70-185 it is very sharp but at 200 it almost looks like slight motion blur or just plain out of focus.  I can get it to focus accurately sometimes but most of the time it is just off.  I am sending it in to Canon but do lenses get out of calibration like that?  It has never been dropped or mistreated.  On another note how often should you just send your lens it to get it checked over and professionally cleaned?   Especially if it is used a lot. 

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 5D3 & 600ex-rt + AF assist beam = slower focus

« on: November 16, 2012, 02:16:24 PM »

I have shot several more weddings since I originally started the post and I still have the problem but have found ways to "live" with it.  First, I shoot with the 70-200 f/2.8L IS II, the 50mm 1.2L and the 24mm 1.4L and both the 50mm and 24mm seem benefit (or at least are not negatively affected) from the AF assist.  The 50mm just plain sucks in low light though so there isn't much helping it.  However, the 70-200 has serious problems with the AF assist beam so I just turn it off when I use it and I almost forget there is a problem.  I simply added the AF-assist enable/disable to MY MENU so I can access it quickly when I need to.  The flash still works fine I just doesn't use the AF-assist.  Just as long as I focus on an area that has some contrast I am fine even if it is really dark.  I usually focus on a white shirt collar or another area that has contrast.  At 2.8 if you focus on the shirt color the face almost always falls into focus as well.  I have also adjusted the setting towards release priority instead of focus priority and I find that really helps me get a shot quickly.  It seems that the camera does focus quickly but sometimes it just hesitates a little before it confirms with the red light.  Overall I am very happy with the camera I am just so frustrated that the AF assist beam makes focusing a lot worse with some lenses.   I am also frustrated that CPS says they have never heard of the problem which means they are lying to me.   

21

EOS Bodies / Re: Official DXOMark Sensor Score for the EOS-1D X

« on: October 31, 2012, 11:26:47 AM »

How can they rate the D800 better at high ISO noise?  Is anyone else saying the same thing? 

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / 5D3 & 600ex-rt + AF assist beam = slower focus

« on: October 18, 2012, 08:08:49 PM »

I am sure this has been discussed before but I just can't figure out why the 5D3 focuses so slowly when the AF assist is enabled on my flash.  Many times I have been at a wedding reception and I get frustrated with very slow focusing issues related to the AF assist beam.  I have messed around with turning it on and off and there is a very noticeable difference.  For example with my 70-200 as long as I find an area of some contrast it will focus almost instantly even dark situations.  As soon as I turn it on it sometimes takes a full second or two to lock focus.  I remember my 5D2 having improved focus with the AF assist from the 580exII.  Is it a flash issue or a camera issue?  I know there are a lot of you who have the same problems.  Anyone find any solutions?  Most of the time I don't need the AF assist but when it is pitch black and I need it it would be nice if I could focus a little faster.  I just don't understand how the AF can be so great in almost all situations except this one area.  Of course when I call CPS they claim they have never heard of an issue.     

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Lighting / Re: ST-E3-RT & 600RT with Canon 5DIII

« on: October 05, 2012, 04:06:21 PM »

with the ST-E3 and 600RT, can you sync at any speed using the flash off camera?

I use 580 with pocket wizard but not happy :/

You can utilize high speed sync up to 1/8000 in ettl but not manual.

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Lighting / Re: ST-E3-RT & 600RT with Canon 5DIII

« on: October 05, 2012, 03:32:46 PM »

I switched from the pocket wizard system to 3 600ex-rt flashes.  I love them and the options they provide.  They are very consistant and I enjoy being able to control almost every setting on my off camera flashes from the master.  Using the 5D3 you can also utilize group mode where you can assign all flashes to up to 5 groups and change the mode of each group.  So mixing manual and ettl is made easy.  I would consider getting 3 flashes instead of the St-E3-rt it would only be $300 more and you have an extra flash if you need it or you can shoot with one on camera flash and two off.  I do that during wedding receptions and I can make my own light in very difficult situations.   

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / BG-e11

« on: September 28, 2012, 11:21:07 AM »

I am having issues with my grip.  I have used it quite a bit and it has worked just fine until recently.  During a wedding the battery indicator was flashing showing both my batteries were almost dead.  I found it strange since I had only been shooting for about 3 hours and normally they last me all day.  Later after I charged both batteries it did it again with fresh batteries.  Going into the menu to battery info it said they were both at 100% even with the indicator flashing that they were about to go dead.  Sometimes it will show a message that the camera cannot communicate with the batteries.  After pulling out batteries and disconnecting the grip and putting everything back together it usually works fine for a while.  Do you think the grip is going bad or there is a connection issue?

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Lenses / Re: Any Wedding Lens Advice?

« on: September 11, 2012, 09:09:40 AM »

The 24-70 is a boring lens and you already have some wide angle lenses.  Go for the 70-200 f/2.8L IS II it is a must have and will be on your camera most of the day.

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Shutter Question

« on: September 09, 2012, 09:17:24 PM »

I have been thinking a lot about shutters lately and I know I should know the answer to this question but why is a shutter even necessesary?  Obviously it is necessary for film but why for digital?  Why can't the power to the sensor power on and off according to the "shutter speed"?  Why isn't that possible?

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Speeding up 1DX foc lock... Any tips?

« on: August 26, 2012, 06:59:44 PM »

I have shot almost 20 weddings with the 5D3 this year and I used to have the same frustraiting problem. I agree there is a big problem and it should be addressed but in the meantime I have discovered a couple things that has made me almost forget there is a problem. First off a good lens is very necessary. I almost always use my 70-200 or 24L which both focus fast in difficult lighting. The 50L completely falls apart as does the 85L. The AF assist is of no help unless it is very dark. I have found focusing without the AF assist on my 70-200 to be fairly easy even in really low light. The 24L seems like it does a lot better with the AF assist. I have also discovered that the camera does actually focus fast but the red conframation blink is often delayed. I changed the settings that allow me to take the shot without a focus lock and I have found that 9 times out of 10 the initial split second focus is in perfect focus even without the red conframation blink. Hope this helps. I seriously think there is something wrong with the AF assist on the 600ex or a combination of the 600ex and 5D3.  I hope the fix it.

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 5D3 for sports/action?

« on: August 11, 2012, 11:15:25 AM »

I owened a7D for over a year and I currently own a 5D3 an I always hated the image quality of the 7D. The colors are not accurate and you spent so much time trying to adjust the white balance.  The details are often lost in too much  noise. The 5D3 has a better, faster AF and the image quality will blow the doors off the 7D. Auto WB on the 5D3 is really good even in bad, mixed light.  You can crop in an image from the 5D3 and still have more clariy and less noise than the 7D so the extra reach it provides is almost a non factor.

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EOS Bodies - For Stills / 1DX or 85mm 1.2?

« on: August 08, 2012, 08:11:04 PM »

I am a wedding photographer and have two 5D mark IIIs, a 70-200 f/2.8L IS II, a 50mm 1.2L, a 24mm 1.4L, a 100mm f/2.8L IS and three 600ex-rt flashes.  I have more than what I need to take amazing pictures in almost any situation but I after I buy something I find myself looking to the next thing to buy.  I don't know what is wrong with me it is like a disease.  I know I am crazy and should just be content with what I have.  So if you were in my situation and you were going to buy something new would you sell one of the 5D3s and get a 1DX or would you buy the 85mm 1.2?  I am a little afraid the 85mm 1.2 will be a little slow focusing at receptions similar to the 50mm 1.2.  I just don't understand that my 70-200 and 24mm are able to focus really well in almost no light but the 50mm is very slow and unreliable.  If the 85mm is anything like the 50mm in that regard it may change my decision.  I would love to use it for portraits and almost always shoot at very large apertures.  As a matter of fact I love a shallow DOF so much that I usually shoot two or three Brenizer method images each wedding to get the effect of f/0.5 or f/0.6.