Canon 1DX - AFMA reset when I turn off the camera (workaround found)

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#21
neuroanatomist said:
Thanks again, Trowski!
Click to expand...

Your welcome Neuroanatomist!

Long time lurker on this forum, but as you can see I haven't posted much. I may have to change that.

It seems that the camera firmware isn't doing the steps necessary to recognize the lens when the camera is initially powered on, but does when you switch lenses while the camera is on. Sounds like a simple firmware bug to me, something that can easily be fixed in an update. In the meantime, once you enter an adjustment, the camera uses the value for a lens of the same model, even though it initially thinks it's a new lens. I can see where this bug could have been overlooked. Most testers probably didn't micro adjust their lenses, and if they did, the value entered is still used when you take a photograph, even it doesn't show up correctly in the AFMA menu.

Does anyone know a good way of reporting this subtle problem to Canon so they can get this fixed in a firmware update?
 
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#22
trowski said:
Does anyone know a good way of reporting this subtle problem to Canon so they can get this fixed in a firmware update?
Click to expand...

FWIW, I emailed Canon tech support yesterday. Heard back from them today with the statement that they could not reproduce the issue on their two 1D X bodies, and asked me to provide the detailed steps I took when trying to set an AFMA. I chuckled a bit at the implication that I don't know how to set an AFMA (especially given the fact that I've written a tutorial on the subject!). I replied to the email, and when I got home I took a short video clip documenting the issue, and I've just sent that to Canon as well.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dr_brain/7600237574/#secretb2c81b5680
 
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#23
Great video, but it is somewhat confusing because the adjustment values change when you remount the lens. You're entering +4 and -6 for lens 21. When you remount the lens, it recalls the lens and uses a previously entered set of values (+2 and +6). If you went one menu level deeper, it would show a different lens number.

You might want to clarify that the bug doesn't relate to the camera forgetting the adjustment values for a particular lens, but rather the camera failing to recognize the lens upon power-on or wake as a previously used lens, thus the camera registers a new lens with adjustment values and serial number of zero.

EDIT: I posted the following comment on the video better explaining what I mean.

"Great video John, but I wanted to clarify what is really happening here. Upon power-on or wake, the 1D X is failing to recognize the mounted lens as a previously used lens, thus numbering the lens 21 (in this example) and giving it AFMA values of zero and a serial number of zero. You then enter values of +4 and -6 for lens 21. When you unmount and remount the lens, the camera then recognizes the lens and recalls a previously entered set of AFMA values and serial number. The recalled values are now +2 and +6 because the camera is treating it as a different lens (since it correctly recognized it as a previously used lens). Going one level deeper would have shown a different lens number."
 
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#25
neuroanatomist said:
After watching the video, Canon tech support has asked me to send my camera in for service. >:( >:( >:(
Click to expand...

It's a very bad news... for you and for me too :(
Why Canon did not offer a new camera ???

What will you do ?
Send the camera or wait a new maybe fix firmware ?
 
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#27
So I called CPS this morning, thinking maybe I could have some luck with the issue. The lady I spoke with said they were aware of the issue from dealing with Neuro, and that they were not able to duplicate the issue on the three 1D X that they had tested it on. She wanted me to send the camera in so they could examine and document the issue. Since the problem is so subtle, I have a feeling that the problem wasn't conveyed correctly and they didn't test those cameras properly (the camera has to either go to sleep or be power cycled all the way, not just turning off then immediately back on, you have to wait a second since the camera doesn't actually immediately turn off). Otherwise perhaps we just got a bad batch at B&H that has a problem in some component. I'm guessing that Neuro, ThomasBX, Bryan at TDP, and I all got our cameras from the first batch at B&H, is that true? Are there 1D X owners here that really can't reproduce this problem?
 
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#28
trowski said:
I'm guessing that Neuro, ThomasBX, Bryan at TDP, and I all got our cameras from the first batch at B&H, is that true?
Click to expand...

It's not really true because two friends have received their camera 2 weeks before me and they don't have problem with Af MA...
And I have not bought my camera at B&H (because I don't live in NYC)...

Question : Is that the problem would not the lens mount rather than a firmware problem... ??????
 
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#29
ThomasBx said:
It's not really true because two friends have received their camera 2 weeks before me and they don't have problem with Af MA...
And I have not bought my camera at B&H (because I don't live in NYC)...

Question : Is that the problem would not the lens mount rather than a firmware problem... ??????
Click to expand...

Are your friends sure they don't have the problem? It's subtle, so it might be easy to miss, since you really have to go look in the menu to see that the value isn't being shown, since the camera still applies the adjustment when taking photos.

Well its interesting to know it wasn't just some cameras from B&H... not sure if that means anything.

If there is a hardware problem, I would think it would be in a chip somewhere, not on the lens mount.

We might just have to wait until there's more 1D X's in the wild so others can either show there is a problem or show that we are truly a minority. If so, then I guess it's off to service to have some components replaced.
 
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#35
This is odd. I tried it on my 70-200 IS II and I'm not getting it to happen. I watched the video like 8 times and followed the same inputs/key-presses and it saves fine.

I'm not sure if this has anything to do with it, but before the 70-200, I tried it with a 16-35 II and it saved as well. My firmware is also 1.0.2
 
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#38
neuroanatomist said:
After watching the video, Canon tech support has asked me to send my camera in for service. >:( >:( >:(
Click to expand...

Oh no! This is unfortunate. I just check on mine and luckily I dont have the issue. I even checked with my 70-200 2.8L II IS lens like yours and I dont have the problem.

Good luck...
 
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#39
neuroanatomist said:
trowski said:
Does anyone know a good way of reporting this subtle problem to Canon so they can get this fixed in a firmware update?
Click to expand...

FWIW, I emailed Canon tech support yesterday. Heard back from them today with the statement that they could not reproduce the issue on their two 1D X bodies, and asked me to provide the detailed steps I took when trying to set an AFMA. I chuckled a bit at the implication that I don't know how to set an AFMA (especially given the fact that I've written a tutorial on the subject!). I replied to the email, and when I got home I took a short video clip documenting the issue, and I've just sent that to Canon as well.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dr_brain/7600237574/#secretb2c81b5680
Click to expand...

this is like a CMOS battery dying and forgetting your settings, or pretty much a coding error. they held off a long time to release the camera and amazingly forgot to QC the whole batch. does it have a little battery like the 7D?
 
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#40
sephknite said:
This is odd. I tried it on my 70-200 IS II and I'm not getting it to happen. I watched the video like 8 times and followed the same inputs/key-presses and it saves fine.

I'm not sure if this has anything to do with it, but before the 70-200, I tried it with a 16-35 II and it saved as well. My firmware is also 1.0.2
Click to expand...

Did you turn the camera off/on too fast? The camera doesn't actually turn off for about 2 seconds after you turn it off, so you might have turned the dial too fast. The most repeatable way I've found to make the bug show up is to let the camera go to sleep. The mounted lens is always unrecognized as a previously registered lens after this, but un- and remounting the lens always fixes the problem.

stringfellow1946 said:
This is crazy, I have just left the camera off for 10 minutes & tried it again and NOW its remembering the AFMF settings for both len's. WIERD :-[ ??? :-\
Could it be dirty lens connections???
Click to expand...

Could you try again? I notice sometimes it does recognize the lens when powered on... not sure why yet, maybe there's a reason for this. Try letting it go to sleep like I mentioned above.

Looks like a few others will be getting their cameras from B&H soon, maybe they can test for this problem as well. I still think it's a firmware problem, but if it is, then I would think everyone would be affected and we'd see more threads on other sites about this problem.

I wish I could reinstall the firmware, just to see if that did anything, but I don't see it available for download on Canon's site.
 
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