Pro grade AF (not 7D like)

[kenraw]

In a recent post regarding a new camera possibly a new full frame body, the spec list read Pro grade AF ( not 7D like ). Is this an admission that the 7D AF is rubbish as I have two 7D's and have sent one away twice due to focussing issues and the second will be getting sent in too as it has froze on me 3 times ( once during a wedding )  where nothing but removing the battery has got it working again. And it cant seem to focus on a person at a distance zoomed right in at 200mm on my 70-200 2.8 IS II. There seems to be a focus shift and it always front focusses which means using it at 2.8 is out of the question unless im really close to my subject.
Is anyone else experiencing anything similar. Also I'm sure the IS is causing fuzziness in the photos.
Thanks.
Ken

[neuroanatomist]

And it cant seem to focus on a person at a distance zoomed right in at 200mm on my 70-200 2.8 IS II. There seems to be a focus shift and it always front focusses which means using it at 2.8 is out of the question unless im really close to my subject.

Is anyone else experiencing anything similar. Also I'm sure the IS is causing fuzziness in the photos.

Nope, tack sharp.  My 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, in particular, delivers extraordinarily crisp images.

Have you tried AF microadjustment?  Nearly all of my AF lenses have some degree of AFMA applied, and for fast lenses (especially the 85mm f/1.2L II and the 135mm f/2L, that adjustment is critical for getting sharp images with AF.

[samthefish]

I haven't had problems with the focus, have a 7d w 70-200mm is II as well.  Amazingly sharp photos.   I looked into microadjusting my lenses but so far all of them have been right on, have the 24-105, 100mm macro, 17-55 2.8. 

[Forceflow]

Mostly I am very happy with the AF of my 7D. Although I did have some troubles last weekend when I used the 24-70 in a lower light environment. I had to use the 9 center focus points to get it to focus. The edge selection of focus points would not work. (Even though the light wasn't that bad...)

[unfocused]

I laughed when I read that spec: "Pro Grade Autofocus (Not 7D Like)."

I thought, "Geez, I hope they don't come up with something MORE sophisticated than the 7D, it's already way smarter than I am."

I've had mine for over a year and a half now and I have to admit I still don't think I've mastered the autofocus system. No complaints about the camera, just the user.

The longer I own the 7D the more I learn about the autofocus. In my opinion it's one of the most sophisticated features of the 7D and it takes some real work to master. That doesn't mean you can't get good, sharp shots easily, it just means that if you don't use it properly, you can get misfocused shots.

I'm not saying in your case it's user error. But, I know in my case, almost all problems I've had with focus have been my fault, not the camera's.

[TexPhoto]

I took  "Pro Grade Autofocus (Not 7D Like)." as indication this was nonsense, or more likely someones dreams more than a real spec sheet.

My 7D has pretty amazing autofocus, and seems to vast outperform my friends shooting 60Ds when we shoot sports.

[awinphoto]

I laughed when I read that spec: "Pro Grade Autofocus (Not 7D Like)."

I thought, "Geez, I hope they don't come up with something MORE sophisticated than the 7D, it's already way smarter than I am."

I've had mine for over a year and a half now and I have to admit I still don't think I've mastered the autofocus system. No complaints about the camera, just the user.

The longer I own the 7D the more I learn about the autofocus. In my opinion it's one of the most sophisticated features of the 7D and it takes some real work to master. That doesn't mean you can't get good, sharp shots easily, it just means that if you don't use it properly, you can get misfocused shots.

I'm not saying in your case it's user error. But, I know in my case, almost all problems I've had with focus have been my fault, not the camera's.

Haha I felt the same way when I got the 7D... on prior upgrades from the 10D through 50D I felt secure and had a good grasp of how those cameras worked and the upgrade was pretty seamless, just grasping new bells and whistles and layouts from model to model... The 7D was the first camera I had to break open the users manual to learn because it was so sophisticated... 95% of my single shot photos are tack sharp with a margin of error for user error and the rest other burst shots which depending on the situation may or may not be 100% tack sharp or not.  I was able to shoot at the Reno Championship Air Races prior to the major incident which shut down the races with the 7D and 70-300 L Lens and clearly at those speeds and so close the ground, the majority out of 600+ images were acceptable focus with 1/6 being 100% tack sharp and even fewer being portfolio quality in my opinion, but that's based on other factors outside of the camera/lens... Given the tough nature of jets racing nearer the speed of sound, that's not a bad ratio in my opinion shooting in burst modes. 

[kenraw]

And it cant seem to focus on a person at a distance zoomed right in at 200mm on my 70-200 2.8 IS II. There seems to be a focus shift and it always front focusses which means using it at 2.8 is out of the question unless im really close to my subject.

Is anyone else experiencing anything similar. Also I'm sure the IS is causing fuzziness in the photos.

Nope, tack sharp.  My 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, in particular, delivers extraordinarily crisp images.

Have you tried AF microadjustment?  Nearly all of my AF lenses have some degree of AFMA applied, and for fast lenses (especially the 85mm f/1.2L II and the 135mm f/2L, that adjustment is critical for getting sharp images with AF.

Yeah I think I'll try the micro adjust again. What do you put your focus point on when photographing a subject from a distance filling the frame at 200mm?

[neuroanatomist]

Yeah I think I'll try the micro adjust again. What do you put your focus point on when photographing a subject from a distance filling the frame at 200mm?

Do you mean in general, or for the AFMA procedure?  In general, the eye(s), assuming the subject has eye(s)...

For AFMA, I use a LensAlign Pro (the MkII, an upgraded LensAlign Lite, will do fine).

See this recent thread for a discussion of some aspects of AMFA, and I also posted a DIY version of the LensAlign in that thread. 

Hope that helps...

[kenraw]

Yeah I think I'll try the micro adjust again. What do you put your focus point on when photographing a subject from a distance filling the frame at 200mm?

Do you mean in general, or for the AFMA procedure?  In general, the eye(s), assuming the subject has eye(s)...

For AFMA, I use a LensAlign Pro (the MkII, an upgraded LensAlign Lite, will do fine).

Yeah I meant focus on the eyes etc. Thats what I do too but never seem to get many tack sharp ones. I know the lens and camera can do it because some come out unreal for sharpness. Do you have an images from your 7D I could see at 2.8 to see if I'm just being too picky with mine?
Thanks
Ken

See this recent thread for a discussion of some aspects of AMFA, and I also posted a DIY version of the LensAlign in that thread. 

Hope that helps...

[neuroanatomist]

Yeah I meant focus on the eyes etc. Thats what I do too but never seem to get many tack sharp ones. I know the lens and camera can do it because some come out unreal for sharpness. Do you have an images from your 7D I could see at 2.8 to see if I'm just being too picky with mine?
Thanks
Ken

I don't actually have too many shots with the 70-200 on my 7D.  Personally, I didn't use the 70-200mm all that much on the 7D - I found the focal length a bit awkward, too long indoors, and too short outdoors when I needed the reach (I have the 100-400mm as well).  A search in Aperture turned up only 11 images with 7D + 70-200mm at f/2.8.  By comparison, I find the focal length extremely useful on my 5DII (Aperture shows >250 images with 5DII + 70-200 at f/2.8 ).  But, here's an example from the 7D.  Full size image with a 100% crop attached below.


EOS 7D, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS USM @ 200mm, 1/250 s, f/2.8, ISO 200

[FrutigerSans]

d the second will be getting sent in too as it has froze on me 3 times ( once during a wedding )  where nothing but removing the battery has got it working again.

I can help with the freezing! For me it was caused by the 7D’s auto power off mode. Mine was set to 5mins then. Given that I use it as a backup camera, while snapping away on my 5D, when I finally switch to the 7D i would find that it has locked up and required a battery reboot.

Something to do with AF servo and auto power off. My advice is to disable auto power off. That solved the problem for me.

[dgsphto]

"Pro grade AF (not 7D like)"


What does that actually mean? Not as good as 7D, as good as 7D OR better than 7D?

The way it's worded, I give zero credibility to this rumor.

[nesarajah]

honestly I could not take the 5DmkII autofocus anylonger. When i ended up replacing it after it got stolen (no insurance    ) i replaced it with a 7D and I have never been happier. The 7D is tack sharp and fast . if they put this in a the 1D Mk5 I would consider upgrading in a year.

ps. complete hobbyist so please take my opinion with a giant pinch of salt. I mostly shoot my cats. LOL