6D- Focusing

May 15, 2014
918
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rfdesigner said:
abcde12345 said:
Luds34 said:
rfdesigner said:
3. Get an Eg-S focus screen (but only use F2.8 or wider lenses thereafter).. then you could manually focus at any point in the field of view.

+1 While the focus screen is quite helpful for manually focusing, I really like it as more of a focus confirmation when shooting. If the focus misses almost at all, I can see it with the viewfinder.

This sounds interesting. What's a Eg-S focus screen and is it easy to use on the run?

It scatters light more which means you get the benefit of the whole light cone from fast lenses, this makes the viewfinder brighter (a little) and gives you accurate DoF.

However it also means that slow lenses lose out as that same scatter reduces their light compared to the slightly see through Eg-A screen your camera came with.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/590458-REG/Canon_3357B001_Eg_S_Super_Precision_Matte.html

Changing the screen on the fly is not a good idea.. if you use slow and fast lenses and you really really want this then either put up with a darker viewfinder on slow lenses or get a second body.

Thankfully almost all my lenses are pretty fast (mostly primes). However I do have a 17-40 f/4L and the Tamron 150-600. I just put up with the darker screen.

I recommend the focus screen for anyone who is shooting fast glass, narrow DOF. It definitely is an added tool helping give that confirmation that the shot is in focus. I'm sure many others can manual focus better then I, however I've been pretty impressed with being able to nail focus even at f/1.4. Of course I rack back and forth a tiny bit at that point point of exact focus, looking to see what is the "most clear". Kind of at an eye doctor "A or B? Which is clearer?". My only regret was owning the 6D for nearly a year before swapping out the focus screen.
 
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Luds34 said:
rfdesigner said:
abcde12345 said:
Luds34 said:
rfdesigner said:
3. Get an Eg-S focus screen (but only use F2.8 or wider lenses thereafter).. then you could manually focus at any point in the field of view.

+1 While the focus screen is quite helpful for manually focusing, I really like it as more of a focus confirmation when shooting. If the focus misses almost at all, I can see it with the viewfinder.

This sounds interesting. What's a Eg-S focus screen and is it easy to use on the run?

It scatters light more which means you get the benefit of the whole light cone from fast lenses, this makes the viewfinder brighter (a little) and gives you accurate DoF.

However it also means that slow lenses lose out as that same scatter reduces their light compared to the slightly see through Eg-A screen your camera came with.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/590458-REG/Canon_3357B001_Eg_S_Super_Precision_Matte.html

Changing the screen on the fly is not a good idea.. if you use slow and fast lenses and you really really want this then either put up with a darker viewfinder on slow lenses or get a second body.

Thankfully almost all my lenses are pretty fast (mostly primes). However I do have a 17-40 f/4L and the Tamron 150-600. I just put up with the darker screen.

I recommend the focus screen for anyone who is shooting fast glass, narrow DOF. It definitely is an added tool helping give that confirmation that the shot is in focus. I'm sure many others can manual focus better then I, however I've been pretty impressed with being able to nail focus even at f/1.4. Of course I rack back and forth a tiny bit at that point point of exact focus, looking to see what is the "most clear". Kind of at an eye doctor "A or B? Which is clearer?". My only regret was owning the 6D for nearly a year before swapping out the focus screen.

Sounds interesting. Is it only usable for manual focusing?
 
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Valvebounce

CR Pro
Apr 3, 2013
4,555
450
57
Isle of Wight
Hi.
Just a thought, have you disconnected the AF from the shutter button in the menus or did you just start to use the AF on button?
Have you checked since AFMA if you use FoCal, I missed the "failed to restore settings" message after a flat battery during AFMA and found the AF was back on the shutter button, of course the back button still focuses so it took a moment to suss the problem.
Can the 6D outer focus points be that bad, I was using the outer focus points on my 20D earlier to shoot bodged up wiring on a car I'm working on, (3 additional circuits all wired in red twisted and taped connections, one being for the add on radiator fan, and bundled together) black carpet, black heater box, red wires, all in the shadows under a dash. I was using a flash but the focus assist didn't appear to reach the outer points, it took 2 tries to get a lock in single shot but it did lock once I moved slightly to get an edge under the AF point.
Also even Canon recommend not to use AI servo for static subjects in their manuals.

Cheers, Graham.

abcde12345 said:
Dear all,

I have been using 6D for quite a while now. I pair it with the 135mm F2 L USM lens. I use the center AF point all the time. I also set it so I use the back button focus technique. However, I realize using this technique, my focusing seems to be rather inaccurate to speak - like I will focus on the eyes, move slightly for framing, take a shot and to my dismay it focuses on spectacles or whatsoever. Is this the right technique to use, or should I use a different (limited) AF point to focus, and not to reframe my shot?
 
Upvote 0
Valvebounce said:
Hi.
Just a thought, have you disconnected the AF from the shutter button in the menus or did you just start to use the AF on button?
Have you checked since AFMA if you use FoCal, I missed the "failed to restore settings" message after a flat battery during AFMA and found the AF was back on the shutter button, of course the back button still focuses so it took a moment to suss the problem.
Can the 6D outer focus points be that bad, I was using the outer focus points on my 20D earlier to shoot bodged up wiring on a car I'm working on, (3 additional circuits all wired in red twisted and taped connections, one being for the add on radiator fan, and bundled together) black carpet, black heater box, red wires, all in the shadows under a dash. I was using a flash but the focus assist didn't appear to reach the outer points, it took 2 tries to get a lock in single shot but it did lock once I moved slightly to get an edge under the AF point.
Also even Canon recommend not to use AI servo for static subjects in their manuals.

Cheers, Graham.

abcde12345 said:
Dear all,

I have been using 6D for quite a while now. I pair it with the 135mm F2 L USM lens. I use the center AF point all the time. I also set it so I use the back button focus technique. However, I realize using this technique, my focusing seems to be rather inaccurate to speak - like I will focus on the eyes, move slightly for framing, take a shot and to my dismay it focuses on spectacles or whatsoever. Is this the right technique to use, or should I use a different (limited) AF point to focus, and not to reframe my shot?

Definitely my shutter button is not focusing. Only AF-on focus is working. It's easy for me to detect if shutter is focusing as when I lock-focus and press shutter again focus area will change. I've been only using One-Shot
 
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Valvebounce

CR Pro
Apr 3, 2013
4,555
450
57
Isle of Wight
Hi.
Sorry I thought I read in one of the replies that you were using servo, it must have been someone else.

Cheers, Graham.

abcde12345 said:
Valvebounce said:
Hi.
Just a thought, have you disconnected the AF from the shutter button in the menus or did you just start to use the AF on button?
Have you checked since AFMA if you use FoCal, I missed the "failed to restore settings" message after a flat battery during AFMA and found the AF was back on the shutter button, of course the back button still focuses so it took a moment to suss the problem.
Can the 6D outer focus points be that bad, I was using the outer focus points on my 20D earlier to shoot bodged up wiring on a car I'm working on, (3 additional circuits all wired in red twisted and taped connections, one being for the add on radiator fan, and bundled together) black carpet, black heater box, red wires, all in the shadows under a dash. I was using a flash but the focus assist didn't appear to reach the outer points, it took 2 tries to get a lock in single shot but it did lock once I moved slightly to get an edge under the AF point.
Also even Canon recommend not to use AI servo for static subjects in their manuals.

Cheers, Graham.

abcde12345 said:
Dear all,

I have been using 6D for quite a while now. I pair it with the 135mm F2 L USM lens. I use the center AF point all the time. I also set it so I use the back button focus technique. However, I realize using this technique, my focusing seems to be rather inaccurate to speak - like I will focus on the eyes, move slightly for framing, take a shot and to my dismay it focuses on spectacles or whatsoever. Is this the right technique to use, or should I use a different (limited) AF point to focus, and not to reframe my shot?

Definitely my shutter button is not focusing. Only AF-on focus is working. It's easy for me to detect if shutter is focusing as when I lock-focus and press shutter again focus area will change. I've been only using One-Shot
 
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May 15, 2014
918
0
abcde12345 said:
Sounds interesting. Is it only usable for manual focusing?

No, that was my point. I rarely manual focus (static macro work would be an exception). With the new focus screen I can now notice when the shot isn't in focus, aka the AF maybe missed, etc. With the standard screen, one can focus a fast prime (like my 35mm f/1.4 Art) and it could be off by a bit, but would look "good enough" or "in focus" via the viewfinder. And it wouldn't be until zooming in on the image after the fact that one could see it missed, or was a little soft. With the new viewfinder, I can now see the subtle, out of focus before taking the shot.

Does that help? Make sense? I'm sure someone can explain it more eloquently then I can.
 
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