Can we all send a complaint to Canon to fix the AF-Assist focusing on the 5D3?

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Great start! I really hope that Mike the product expert can do more than just provide an SME presence on the forum to assist with understanding and using the equipment. He needs to be able to influence or at least inform the individuals that can apply resources to address this issue, and not just talk about it.
 
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BTW -- I received this statement from from Canon sales/product support, when I asked specifically about the 5D3 utilization of the flash AF asssist, and if the 6D suffered from the same malady:

"... the camera does support the AF Assist Beam from the flash, so the EOS 6D should work the same as well."

interesting...
 
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Mt Spokane Photography said:
I've found that if you half press the shutter button and wait for the AF light to and point to flash, it takes 3 sec or more. However, if I just press the shutter button down all the way, it focuses in about 1 second or less and fires with perfectly sharp focus.
It does this regardless of AF-Assist or not. So, if you are waiting for the AF- Assist to stop flashing to take the image, just press and hold the shutter button. It fires as soon as focus is reached rather than delaying another 2-3 seconds before the focus points light up.

I noticed this too but never really paid attention until I read this. Seems to work.
 
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I tested my 580ex2 and 600ex-rt on my Rebel T2i/550D and the Rebel is focusing at least 1/2 a second to a full second faster than my 5D3 in near pitch black at a blank wall at 8 feet.

What I noticed was regardless which flash the Rebel would focus during the 1st to 3rd IR beam pulse whereas the 5D3 focused on the 3rd or 4th pulse. Most significant though is the Rebel pulsed the IR beam at a much faster rate than the 5D3.

Edit: Tested the St-e2 also with the same result. IR pulses and focus are faster on my Rebel than my 5D3.
 
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slow AF with the rebel 600D too

The assist beam of ex 580 seems to be weaker and the camera is hunting rather than my old 350D/450D which focuses INSTANTLY with the flash af assist beam.

It focuses with the 600D allright but way slower than my older 350D and 450D.
600D suffers from a terrible lag on locking the focus when the beam is on.
 
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Louis said:
Don't forget this forum guys for the problem also, Canon need to hear this,

http://forums.usa.canon.com/t5/EOS/5D3-AF-assist-beam-slower-focus/m-p/6391#U6391

+1. There is starting to be an active discussion on the Canon forum and there is a solicitation for some specifics that will help Canon evaluate the issue. Please post your experience(s) and keep the problem top-of-mind for Canon. This is more than a minor inconvenience (many of which we make lots of hay about); this is a problem with core functionality and needs to be addressed in the near term.
 
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has anyone done the "RustyTheGeek" method (return the camera and get a new one) or approached Canon service with specific repeatable test conditions using valid comparisons with bodies such as 5D2 and 6D? the more specific you get, the more likely we are to obtain a specific statment from Canon regarding this behavior. For example, if Canon service is asked to fix the issue where "the 5D3 AF takes 2 seconds to confirm and fire the shutter while the 6D appears instantaneous under the same conditions while acheiving accurate focus", then Canon has to confim yes or no that the Camera is performing up to its specifications.

There are a number of explanations that could apply, but given that RustyTheGeek is now satisfied, having acheived AF speed improvement with a different camera, one explanation is that the issue is addressed with newer hardware and that the issue just silently goes away with newer bodies. We have no proof that this is the case, mind you, but emperically this is valid postulation. the implications could be as interesting as a manufacturing defect or parts quality problem that was addressed and Canon chose not to recall any bodies but fixes them silently as they come in for repair. It could have been a consious decision based on the cost of warranty claims. Treat this postulation as CR0, naturally :D
 
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dlleno said:
has anyone done the "RustyTheGeek" method (return the camera and get a new one) or approached Canon service with specific repeatable test conditions using valid comparisons with bodies such as 5D2 and 6D? the more specific you get, the more likely we are to obtain a specific statment from Canon regarding this behavior. For example, if Canon service is asked to fix the issue where "the 5D3 AF takes 2 seconds to confirm and fire the shutter while the 6D appears instantaneous under the same conditions while acheiving accurate focus", then Canon has to confim yes or no that the Camera is performing up to its specifications.

There are a number of explanations that could apply, but given that RustyTheGeek is now satisfied, having acheived AF speed improvement with a different camera, one explanation is that the issue is addressed with newer hardware and that the issue just silently goes away with newer bodies. We have no proof that this is the case, mind you, but emperically this is valid postulation. the implications could be as interesting as a manufacturing defect or parts quality problem that was addressed and Canon chose not to recall any bodies but fixes them silently as they come in for repair. It could have been a consious decision based on the cost of warranty claims. Treat this postulation as CR0, naturally :D


Or....
Maybe someone "got to" Rusty. Maybe they roughed him up and got him to recant, or, maybe "Rusty" is no longer the one posting Rusty's last few comments at all. Hmmmm? (MA-niacal laaaaugh!) :o
 
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There must be 5 threads on this subject :)

I'm getting mixed results. Lsat night I threw my 600 on my 7D and it was pretty much normal. Then I put it on my 5D3 and I was getting great acquisition. Just about the same speed as my 7D. Tried again this morning and was good again. Last week it took 3 blinks to achieve focus quite a few times.

I'm testing both with half pressing the shutter and a full press. The full press is instant (before AF beep goes off) and I'm find all my images are in focus.
 
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I am a wedding photographer and have shot 25 weddings and receptions this year with the 5D3 and 600ex. I started a thread about this issue about a month ago and I finally sent my camera in to Canon to get the shutter replaced and the light leak issue resolved and I specifically complained about it the AF assist beam. When they sent it back they mentioned they made some "electrical adjustments" to the shutter and AF. They never acknowledged there was a problem or said that they did anything to fix it. I haven't shot a wedding since then so I haven't gotten a chance to really test it out yet but I did some quick tests and sometimes there appears to be some improvement. Other times it still seems slow. I don't think there is a way to know until I shoot a wedding again. I do think it is interesting they didn't even acknowledge there was a problem and always say it is the first they have heard of the issue.
 
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