5Dmkiii difficulty focusing with flash infared at receptions

[speirsphoto]

looking at upgrading from orig 5D & 580ex flash to 5Dmkiii & 600ex , reading folks having problems due to very slow locking in focus in low light with infared beam from flash . Would like to know if this is what most photog are finding b4 I commit to purchase. Thnx Pete

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I have no issue unless I wait for the red focus light to blink.  I just use 1-shot center point, and a full button press.  The camera focuses and captures the shot quickly.
If I wait for the red light to blink, it takes a long time.
There are some settings like spot AF which Canon warns about in the manual that make it difficult to AF, but just read the manual about those.
BTW, I do not see any difference in the time it takes for the AF light to blink if I use the AF assist light or do without.  In both cases, I've learned not to wait.

[speirsphoto]

Thanks Mt Spokaine,  am I correct in saying that the black focus points (which my 5D has ) light up & indicate the point of focus by lighting up red to confirm focus (which is what the 5D & 580ex does) so is the issue that it is still the same system as the origional 5D ? or has something else changed that I'm not aware of. My appologies if you have already explained this & I'm not understanding.  At present at receptions & low light my method is to only use the center focus point which is assisted well by the IR beam.many thanks Peter

[echelonphoto]

There is already a very long post about this on this forum...about 14 pages worth. Check it out. I can tell you
that the 5d3 is totally disfunctional in this scenario. My last reception...I gave up and went back to the 5d 2 in
my bag. The delay is excruciating and if you override the focus confirmation...you will be rewarded with oof
photos. If you turn of the infrared...it is slightly faster, but def not as reliable.

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Thanks Mt Spokaine,  am I correct in saying that the black focus points (which my 5D has ) light up & indicate the point of focus by lighting up red to confirm focus (which is what the 5D & 580ex does) so is the issue that it is still the same system as the origional 5D ? or has something else changed that I'm not aware of. My appologies if you have already explained this & I'm not understanding.  At present at receptions & low light my method is to only use the center focus point which is assisted well by the IR beam.many thanks Peter

There is a short red flash which happens after the camera has achieved focus.  When using one shot focus, the camera will not open the shutter until focus is achieved.  My point is that focus is achieved well before the light flashes, and I always get a sharply focused image by just doing a full button press.
Note:  If You use AI servo focusing, the camera will fire as soon as you do a full button press, and you will get oof images.  This is user error, don't use AI servo in extreme low light.
Many of the issues that are posted about are the result of incorrect camera settings.

[speirsphoto]

Really, that sounds terrible, thankyou for the info,I'll go find the thread, much appreciated. Cheers Pete

[RustyTheGeek]

speirsphoto - I highly recommend that you rent the 5D3 before you buy.  Maybe rent a 6D after that.  See what you think.  I am a low light shooter who has used (and loved) the 5D Classic for years.  (Along with the 30D, 40D and 60D.)  My first 5D3 didn't focus worth a damn in low light.  4+ second avg (some shots up to 7 sec).  By 'low light' I mean normally lit indoor rooms at a party.  Probably a stop or more above a reception.  I returned that 5D3 and the replacement I received worked a LOT better.  Fairly normal AF performance and what is expected but not necc 'blow me away' performance.  Better than the 5D but not as better as you might think.  I'm a Center Point + One Shot shooter, always have been.  You really need to find out for yourself.  The 5D3 is a great camera but for $3K I'm not sure I'm as impressed as the hype suggests I should be.  Maybe after the next firmware update??  The true value of the 5D3 for whatever you use it for (stills, video, showing off, whatever) is a highly debated topic all over the web.  Many 5D3 owners take it very personally if you mention anything negative about their baby.  Sigh.    Myself, I just see the 5D3 as a tool and an expensive tool at that.  I'm trying a 6D soon and if it works for me, I'll sell the 5D3.  Good luck in your decision process!

[ScottyP]

Check out Canon's own forum.  Thanks mostly to CR members, it has a LOT of chatter on this subject addressed at Canon asking for answers.  It is in fact, THE post with the most "kudos" (likes) on the entire Canon forum.  And this is VERY conspicuous, as Canon has a list of the top 5 right on the home page of the forum, and people have made it clearly the "number one".  All the top 10 slots, and many of the top 100 slots, depending on when you are looking at it, in fact.

Some Canon rep named "Mike" initially responded asking for details, but has not uttered a peep for quite a while now.

See what you think.  Add your comments.  Give Kudos to other good posts in the thread.  Keep this in the forefront of Canon's collective mind.  Hopefully this gets addressed in a FW update, or at least formally acknowledged by Canon.

http://forums.usa.canon.com/

[MichaelTheMaven]

Ill post some of my info there. Sounds like the engineer wants some specific information.

M

[speirsphoto]

Thanks Rusty & Scotty for the info, Rusty I'm the same ,center point & one shot, always have been. I have owned AF cameras from when they  first appeared & that is the only way I find I am sure I have focused on the point I want. Great idea to hire one to see if it works for me, well worth the peace of mind. After 25 years of shooting weddings I am always reluctant to change my system unless it absolutely going to make life easier or provide a better result. I have 3x orig 5d bodies & never had a problem & shoot with 24-105 lenses, which I love  for simplicity, used to have lots of primes & F5 bodies ext but really have concerns with newer bodies having so many short falls for regular tasks & purchasing now & 6 months later the short falls have been addressed in an updated model. I just want a body that does the expected tasks & confident fast focusing is one of those in reception low light.Onloc I am very keen to view images on a larger screen in harsh light & see if fill flash has done its job. Think I will hire a body & have a play, thanks again,cheers Pete

[EYEONE]

I recently shot at a very dark wedding reception too and I had an issue with the 5DIIIs outer points with a 430EXII.

I switched to the center column and it worked fine. *shrug, it didn't really bother me.

[RustyTheGeek]

Thanks Rusty & Scotty for the info, Rusty I'm the same ,center point & one shot, always have been. I have owned AF cameras from when they  first appeared & that is the only way I find I am sure I have focused on the point I want. Great idea to hire one to see if it works for me, well worth the peace of mind. After 25 years of shooting weddings I am always reluctant to change my system unless it absolutely going to make life easier or provide a better result. I have 3x orig 5d bodies & never had a problem & shoot with 24-105 lenses, which I love  for simplicity, used to have lots of primes & F5 bodies ext but really have concerns with newer bodies having so many short falls for regular tasks & purchasing now & 6 months later the short falls have been addressed in an updated model. I just want a body that does the expected tasks & confident fast focusing is one of those in reception low light.Onloc I am very keen to view images on a larger screen in harsh light & see if fill flash has done its job. Think I will hire a body & have a play, thanks again,cheers Pete

Glad I could help.  I'm rushing out now but my 6D just arrived and I gave it a quick 20 minutes.  It's a little simpler to use than the 5D3 and smaller body feel/grip aside, works a little more like the 5D Classic.  Be aware that it warns and punishes you with no battery status info if you aren't using a genuine Canon battery.  Joy.  Still, coming from the 5D Classic myself, you might want to rent the 6D first to see what you think, then try the 5D3.  Just a thought.  You'll need some new UHS-1 SD cards however to get the best write speeds, otherwise any SD card will work.