5D Mark iii focusing issues

[naterz]

Hi there!

I've had the 5D3 for 3 days and I'm loving it so far.  Despite one big major pitfall.  While the AF is lightning fast, it seems to produce soft images.  I had issues with 50-70% of my images turning out very soft, even in controlled conditions.  I decided to print out a focusing chart and see if my lens was back/front focusing.  Turns out in my test, it was severely backfocusing.  Corrected the probably (-15 af fine tune) and was in love with what I was getting with anything 4-8 feet away from me.  Then I took a picture of something further away, and now it severely back focuses.  As in, the camera/lens need the AF fine tune with close subjects, but not with far subjects.  So how do I calibrate for back focusing when I'm close to my subject, but then normal or front focusing when I'm far from my subject.

[dwischnewski]

Bring your lens in for calibrating. Best to do it together with the camera. But it might not be the camera after all. Check again with your old camera.

[peederj]

It would be useful if people posted their relevant settings when making complaints. So what AF mode and point selection are you using? This is a completely new and complex autofocus system and I wouldn't do manual calibration until I had mastered it completely. I have no idea if you've done that study from this post, but if you haven't fully understood the system, default away all those calibrations as they may just hang over your situation.

[JR]

Hi there!

I've had the 5D3 for 3 days and I'm loving it so far.  Despite one big major pitfall.  While the AF is lightning fast, it seems to produce soft images.  I had issues with 50-70% of my images turning out very soft, even in controlled conditions.  I decided to print out a focusing chart and see if my lens was back/front focusing.  Turns out in my test, it was severely backfocusing.  Corrected the probably (-15 af fine tune) and was in love with what I was getting with anything 4-8 feet away from me.  Then I took a picture of something further away, and now it severely back focuses.  As in, the camera/lens need the AF fine tune with close subjects, but not with far subjects.  So how do I calibrate for back focusing when I'm close to my subject, but then normal or front focusing when I'm far from my subject.

I experienced something similar with my 5DmkIII using even the single spot center focus point (hey, am still used to my old obsolete AF system from my mkII after all ).  I did not try MA because I decided to get a different unit and returned the one I had instead...

[naterz]

It would be useful if people posted their relevant settings when making complaints. So what AF mode and point selection are you using? This is a completely new and complex autofocus system and I wouldn't do manual calibration until I had mastered it completely. I have no idea if you've done that study from this post, but if you haven't fully understood the system, default away all those calibrations as they may just hang over your situation.

I'm on a tripod shooting at a tack sharp image on a wall using the center focus point on one shot AF.  There's not a lot you can mess up there. If I don't put in any AF fine tuning, the image looks somewhat great at distances greater than 10-12 feet.  But as soon as I get closer (4-8 feet), the image is badly soft and back focused.  Again...on a tripod, center focus point.  If I fine tune the lens, I get great results at 4-8 feet, but as soon as I move the tripod back to 10-12 feet, now the images are severely front focused. 

[naterz]

Hi there!

I've had the 5D3 for 3 days and I'm loving it so far.  Despite one big major pitfall.  While the AF is lightning fast, it seems to produce soft images.  I had issues with 50-70% of my images turning out very soft, even in controlled conditions.  I decided to print out a focusing chart and see if my lens was back/front focusing.  Turns out in my test, it was severely backfocusing.  Corrected the probably (-15 af fine tune) and was in love with what I was getting with anything 4-8 feet away from me.  Then I took a picture of something further away, and now it severely back focuses.  As in, the camera/lens need the AF fine tune with close subjects, but not with far subjects.  So how do I calibrate for back focusing when I'm close to my subject, but then normal or front focusing when I'm far from my subject.

I experienced something similar with my 5DmkIII using even the single spot center focus point (hey, am still used to my old obsolete AF system from my mkII after all ).  I did not try MA because I decided to get a different unit and returned the one I had instead...

I may end up doing this.     I don't want to.  Are you just returning it and re-buying it or did you send it into Canon? 

[peederj]

It would be useful if people posted their relevant settings when making complaints. So what AF mode and point selection are you using? This is a completely new and complex autofocus system and I wouldn't do manual calibration until I had mastered it completely. I have no idea if you've done that study from this post, but if you haven't fully understood the system, default away all those calibrations as they may just hang over your situation.

I'm on a tripod shooting at a tack sharp image on a wall using the center focus point on one shot AF.  There's not a lot you can mess up there. If I don't put in any AF fine tuning, the image looks somewhat great at distances greater than 10-12 feet.  But as soon as I get closer (4-8 feet), the image is badly soft and back focused.  Again...on a tripod, center focus point.  If I fine tune the lens, I get great results at 4-8 feet, but as soon as I move the tripod back to 10-12 feet, now the images are severely front focused.

So the different autofocus modes (available from the M.Fn button) you are using the leftmost spot focusing mode? because that is a very narrow pinpoint focus. I wonder if changing the mode to different ones (say expand or surround) will alter the situation.

[naterz]

It would be useful if people posted their relevant settings when making complaints. So what AF mode and point selection are you using? This is a completely new and complex autofocus system and I wouldn't do manual calibration until I had mastered it completely. I have no idea if you've done that study from this post, but if you haven't fully understood the system, default away all those calibrations as they may just hang over your situation.

I'm on a tripod shooting at a tack sharp image on a wall using the center focus point on one shot AF.  There's not a lot you can mess up there. If I don't put in any AF fine tuning, the image looks somewhat great at distances greater than 10-12 feet.  But as soon as I get closer (4-8 feet), the image is badly soft and back focused.  Again...on a tripod, center focus point.  If I fine tune the lens, I get great results at 4-8 feet, but as soon as I move the tripod back to 10-12 feet, now the images are severely front focused.

So the different autofocus modes (available from the M.Fn button) you are using the leftmost spot focusing mode? because that is a very narrow pinpoint focus. I wonder if changing the mode to different ones (say expand or surround) will alter the situation.

No I'm using the one right next to that.  Just the normal spot focus.  Not the "NARROW" spot focus that there's an option for.  The spot focus SHOULD be able to hand a flat image on a wall on a tripod in complete controlled environment with plenty of light...right!?

[JR]

I experienced something similar with my 5DmkIII using even the single spot center focus point (hey, am still used to my old obsolete AF system from my mkII after all ).  I did not try MA because I decided to get a different unit and returned the one I had instead...

I may end up doing this.     I don't want to.  Are you just returning it and re-buying it or did you send it into Canon?

I returned it and since my local dealer did not have other unit in stock and since I already decided to get the 1DX as well I decided to wait for the 1DX instead and also wait to see what happens in the next few weeks to be honest.  I am sure this camera is amazing, so no way I am switching because of this - BTW my dealer wanted me to try the D4 and D800 in the store before I left to convince me to pre-order them instead.  This is when I realized how much I love the ergonomic of the canon stuff!  For me in the end I decided that if I was going to have the 1DX, the sensor of the new 5DmkIII seem to close in real life use to the 1DX to justify having both camera.  Will keep my second body money for the 5DX!   

[peederj]

You scared me into doing the leaning ruler test (a'la the lens cal things they charge $80 for). On my 24-105L, 5d3, I tested every af mode without any prior calibration at a close and far distance...and I'm happy to report the focus was always dead on to the millimeter.

So there is at least one 5d3 in the world that with a 3 year old 24-105L focuses perfectly straight out of the box.

Sorry if your camera and lens fairs worse than this, but I am really impressed with the AF system!

[naterz]

You scared me into doing the leaning ruler test (a'la the lens cal things they charge $80 for). On my 24-105L, 5d3, I tested every af mode without any prior calibration at a close and far distance...and I'm happy to report the focus was always dead on to the millimeter.

So there is at least one 5d3 in the world that with a 3 year old 24-105L focuses perfectly straight out of the box.

Sorry if your camera and lens fairs worse than this, but I am really impressed with the AF system!

Thanks for Posting!  That's seriously great to hear.  I want so bad to love this camera, but haven't been able to yet because of that.  I need to test with another lens as well to see if it's just the lens or just the body or a bit of both. 

[JR]

You scared me into doing the leaning ruler test (a'la the lens cal things they charge $80 for). On my 24-105L, 5d3, I tested every af mode without any prior calibration at a close and far distance...and I'm happy to report the focus was always dead on to the millimeter.

So there is at least one 5d3 in the world that with a 3 year old 24-105L focuses perfectly straight out of the box.

Sorry if your camera and lens fairs worse than this, but I am really impressed with the AF system!

Encouraging.

[DanielG]

I did the ruler test as well.

Used mirror lock up and a remote shutter release and everything hits the mark. Canon 24-70mm, Sigma 50mm 1.4, ect..

Are you viewing these photos in DPP? When I import the photos from the camera DPP makes them look extremely soft. (I don't use DPP for anything other than downloading photos). So after I download them, I noticed they look very soft through the application. After I import to CS5 they are definitely not soft at all.

[PhilDrinkwater]

Hi there!

I've had the 5D3 for 3 days and I'm loving it so far.  Despite one big major pitfall.  While the AF is lightning fast, it seems to produce soft images.  I had issues with 50-70% of my images turning out very soft, even in controlled conditions.  I decided to print out a focusing chart and see if my lens was back/front focusing.  Turns out in my test, it was severely backfocusing.  Corrected the probably (-15 af fine tune) and was in love with what I was getting with anything 4-8 feet away from me.  Then I took a picture of something further away, and now it severely back focuses.  As in, the camera/lens need the AF fine tune with close subjects, but not with far subjects.  So how do I calibrate for back focusing when I'm close to my subject, but then normal or front focusing when I'm far from my subject.

I experienced something similar with my 5DmkIII using even the single spot center focus point (hey, am still used to my old obsolete AF system from my mkII after all ).  I did not try MA because I decided to get a different unit and returned the one I had instead...

I had a similar problem with my 5dii but it wasn't with all lenses and I didn't sort it until the warranty was out. After that Canon agreed to calibrate lens / camera combinations for free under CPS membership, but I really WISH I had returned the body and got a new one   It's been  the bane of my life every time I buy a new lens

[wickidwombat]

this sounds like what I am experiencing with focusing, vastly different results at different ranges