Congratulations Canon to another great Camera release!!

[Marsu42]

Most people who get Rebels leave the stock lens on - or at best, get a 50mm 1.8...

How would you know? Just because the people in this forum are so well-off that they don't use Rebels with L glass? If I'd had to decide, I'd use 550d+70-300L rather than 60d/7d+70-300 non-L.

I heard the 5D Mark IV is just around the corner. The question is, whether to buy that or wait for the Mark V which will be even better.

Hey, I usually write this :-> ... but actually I really don't expect the 5d4 to be as late as the 5d3, the af is great (with good/expensive lenses, that is) ... but once (and IF) Canon updates their sensor tech imho the profitable 5d line will be the second to get it ... along with an internal rt flash controller, I hope.

 

[Deleted member 7828]

Most people who get Rebels leave the stock lens on - or at best, get a 50mm 1.8...

How would you know? Just because the people in this forum are so well-off that they don't use Rebels with L glass?

Because 80-90% of the people I see shooting with Rebels out in the field are doing so with the stock lens...mind you, it's only from my own experience and I realize there are many that use much more expensive lenses with them. I was one of them (I used the 70-200 F4 IS with it)

 

[jdramirez]

Most people who get Rebels leave the stock lens on - or at best, get a 50mm 1.8...

How would you know? Just because the people in this forum are so well-off that they don't use Rebels with L glass?

Because 80-90% of the people I see shooting with Rebels out in the field are doing so with the stock lens...mind you, it's only from my own experience and I realize there are many that use much more expensive lenses with them. I was one of them (I used the 70-200 F4 IS with it)

I sold appliances for a while... so everytime I see an appliance on tv, I stop the dvr and try and see what kind it is... It always annoys me when they try to pass a $1500 4 piece kitchen frigidaire off as somethig someone who is REALLY successful might have.

As for cameras... I constantly lens peep. The 18-55 is predominant, but occasionally I see a Tamron superzoom or an 18-135... but I'm genuinely shocked when I see a MILF rocking a 5d mkiii and a 24-70 mkii... or mki... if I'm going to get that close, I'm checking out the fake boobs and not which iteration of lens she has.

 

[Random Orbits]

Most people who get Rebels leave the stock lens on - or at best, get a 50mm 1.8...

How would you know? Just because the people in this forum are so well-off that they don't use Rebels with L glass?

Because 80-90% of the people I see shooting with Rebels out in the field are doing so with the stock lens...mind you, it's only from my own experience and I realize there are many that use much more expensive lenses with them. I was one of them (I used the 70-200 F4 IS with it)

This is not far from the truth. In October 2011, Canon announced that the 50 millionth EOS cameras and 70 millionth EF lens was produced. 1.4 lenses to each body.

 

[elflord]

Hey, elford,
I see you got the 5D mark III.
Is the AF on this model really that much better than on previous models? What is the st. dev for it in Canon's units (if you know of course)?

Sorry it's confusing but the camera model that shows up beneath our names has nothing to do with what we own. I own a 5DII and a micro 4/3 camera. Before that I had an old Rebel (XS).

The standard deviation and the "tolerance range" in number of AFMA units are not fixed quantities -- variability of the AF will depend on things like subject distance, and available lighting (either ambient or flash/ AF assist). Then the range for which an object appears to be in focus could be 2 or 3 or 5 standard deviations depending on depth of field.

Roger at Lens Rentals had some tests where he looked at the variability of autofocus of some different bodies (including the 5DIII) with some different lenses. My recollection was that with many tested lenses, phase detection on the 5DIII is more consistent than older bodies. Contrast detect (used in live view and on mirrorless bodies) is more accurate but slower. I'd suggest searching lensrentals for the article if you are intersted, it was a good read.

 

[jdramirez]

Most people who get Rebels leave the stock lens on - or at best, get a 50mm 1.8...

How would you know? Just because the people in this forum are so well-off that they don't use Rebels with L glass?

Because 80-90% of the people I see shooting with Rebels out in the field are doing so with the stock lens...mind you, it's only from my own experience and I realize there are many that use much more expensive lenses with them. I was one of them (I used the 70-200 F4 IS with it)

This is not far from the truth. In October 2011, Canon announced that the 50 millionth EOS cameras and 70 millionth EF lens was produced. 1.4 lenses to each body.

There are some fine ef-s lenses (which also may not be in the calculation), like the 17-55... but that's a valid point. I personally have owned a 50mm f/1.8, a 50mm f/1.4, a 75-300mm, a 70-200mm f/4L, a 100mm f/2.8L, a 70-200mm f/2.8L, a 70-300mm f/4-5.6, and a 24-105mm f/4L. So that means that I have accounted for my share along with 15 ish other people's share as well... and that's not even including the ef-s lens I have owned at one time.

 

[Zlatko]

There's no reason features that don't add substantially to marginal cost of production shouldn't be included in cheaper products. Failing to put this there is just a way of crippling the cheaper products. In Canon's case, it seems to be a calculated move to prevent their low end products from cannibalizing sales from their flagships. Whether or not this will be a good business strategy for them is an empirical question -- but I would find it hard to recommend the rebel line to a serious user on a tight budget.

Let's look at this a different way. There's no reason features that don't add substantially to marginal cost of production shouldn't also be included in more expensive products. So failing to include them is just a way of crippling the more expensive products. And even if they do add a few pennies to the marginal cost, that extra cost is much more easily added to the more expensive product -- so why not add it?

For example, the 5DIII lacks the "Creative Filters" of the SL1. The creative filters offer a number of special effects: Toy Camera, Fisheye, Miniature, Grainy Black & White, Soft Focus, Art Bold, Water Painting and Miniature Movie. Not only that, but the 5DIII lacks special scene modes found on the much cheaper SL1, like Candlelight, Food, Kids, Night Portrait, HDR Backlight Control and Handheld Night Scene. See how the 5DIII is "crippled"! Yikes, the 1DX is "crippled" too!

Based on some arguments in this thread, we might conclude that it would cost "nothing" to have included such features in the 5DIII. And yet the SL1 has them, and the 5DIII doesn't. So why the heck did Canon "cripple" the 5DIII by omitting so many features? Why doesn't the 5DIII have fabulous built-in creative filters like Toy Camera and Grainy Black & White? Is Canon just being greedy? Or are they just being foolish, losing potential customers to competing brands?

Of course, different users have different expectations. So the 5DIII is not actually "crippled" by the lack of those creative filters, because the buyer of a 5DIII is not likely to want them or use them -- although a few buyers might. Many buyers might find such creative filters to be an annoyance on their advanced camera. But those few buyers who actually want Toy Camera, Grainy Black & White and other creative filters on their 5DIII can complain that it would cost "nothing" to add, and it would be of no consequence to add a "creative" tab to the 5DIII menus. Without it, they are "forced" to buy the SL1 or another camera that has such features.

So the argument works both ways. If basic cameras should have advanced features from advanced cameras, then advanced cameras should have basic features from basic cameras. That is, if you don't mind the added clutter that many buyers would find annoying and useless, and which might drive them toward a competing product that is more rationally designed to meet their expectations.

 

[Chuck Alaimo]

Always funny to see people complaining that the new low-end camera aren't focused on professionals users needs. The fact is that both these camera's target audience are amateurs who just what to make a few good looking picture easily. The great majority of them have no idea what are AFMA, DR or other. The thing they will see, though, is that they can get just as good picture from this camera that the last model but it is of smaller size, so it is more portable and more practical for them.
Although some might fell "cheated" by Canon, just remember that it is a corporation; its only goal is to make profits, just like any other corporation. They are making the products they think will sale best, and according to the success of those low-end camera, it seems they are doing a good job in it.

nonsense....

the complains are about that canon sells a camera as NEW that has barely anything new on it.

Said by many others, the rebel line is not about advancements, its about having something they can call new for the people who know nothing about photography (or little to nothing - the kind that will slap it in P mode and never change it).

You want new, wait for the 7d2, or wait for the big mp, but I really don't get how anyone would expect 2013's new rebel to be more than the old rebel with a new name plate on it.

 

[Chuck Alaimo]

Always funny to see people complaining that the new low-end camera aren't focused on professionals users needs. The fact is that both these camera's target audience are amateurs who just what to make a few good looking picture easily. The great majority of them have no idea what are AFMA, DR or other. The thing they will see, though, is that they can get just as good picture from this camera that the last model but it is of smaller size, so it is more portable and more practical for them.
Although some might fell "cheated" by Canon, just remember that it is a corporation; its only goal is to make profits, just like any other corporation. They are making the products they think will sale best, and according to the success of those low-end camera, it seems they are doing a good job in it.

nonsense....

the complains are about that canon sells a camera as NEW that has barely anything new on it.

What is funny is that people seems surprise. As stated before, the reason Canon does camera is to make profits. The low-ends body always get yearly release because this is how the market work. This is a bit like complaining that the Toyota Yaris 2013 is pretty much identical to the Toyota Yaris 2012; cars get yearly release, even though significant changes are only made every now and then. The same marketing logic is apply to consumers camera. The fact is it take lots of years of research to significally improve technology. Furthermore, I don't think lots of people upgrades from a XXXd camera to another one, and if so, I can only guess it can take quite a few years. Those camera aren't made for people who own a 600d or 650d, they are made for people who owns P&S and what something better. People who already own a XXXd are more likely to keep it for quite a few years if it fits there needs, or upgrade to XXd or Xd if not.

+1 ---a rebel user that actually knows what AFMA does, they would know enough and probably progressed enough to upgrade to XXD or XD lines. the rebel users upgrading to other rebels - that's the guy who brought his rebel to the bar and forgot it there, or dropped it. Like you said, you don't go sell your 2012 yaris to buy a 2013 yaris, that's not really an upgrade - a camry hybrid would be an upgrade!

 

[jdramirez]

Always funny to see people complaining that the new low-end camera aren't focused on professionals users needs. The fact is that both these camera's target audience are amateurs who just what to make a few good looking picture easily. The great majority of them have no idea what are AFMA, DR or other. The thing they will see, though, is that they can get just as good picture from this camera that the last model but it is of smaller size, so it is more portable and more practical for them.
Although some might fell "cheated" by Canon, just remember that it is a corporation; its only goal is to make profits, just like any other corporation. They are making the products they think will sale best, and according to the success of those low-end camera, it seems they are doing a good job in it.

nonsense....

the complains are about that canon sells a camera as NEW that has barely anything new on it.

What is funny is that people seems surprise. As stated before, the reason Canon does camera is to make profits. The low-ends body always get yearly release because this is how the market work. This is a bit like complaining that the Toyota Yaris 2013 is pretty much identical to the Toyota Yaris 2012; cars get yearly release, even though significant changes are only made every now and then. The same marketing logic is apply to consumers camera. The fact is it take lots of years of research to significally improve technology. Furthermore, I don't think lots of people upgrades from a XXXd camera to another one, and if so, I can only guess it can take quite a few years. Those camera aren't made for people who own a 600d or 650d, they are made for people who owns P&S and what something better. People who already own a XXXd are more likely to keep it for quite a few years if it fits there needs, or upgrade to XXd or Xd if not.

+1 ---a rebel user that actually knows what AFMA does, they would know enough and probably progressed enough to upgrade to XXD or XD lines. the rebel users upgrading to other rebels - that's the guy who brought his rebel to the bar and forgot it there, or dropped it. Like you said, you don't go sell your 2012 yaris to buy a 2013 yaris, that's not really an upgrade - a camry hybrid would be an upgrade!

when I got my xs I didn't know what afma was. when I upgraded to my 60d, I didn't know what afma was. when I found out what it was and that it was stripped from the 50d, I was super pissed. I grow into my gear as I get better, but it is annoying.

 

[Chuck Alaimo]

If anyone if worries about AFMA, then they aren't the target audience for this camera... The people who are the target audience are those who say, of look cool, it has video!

there are plenty of people who can only afford a xxxD body.
they spend more for lenses and AFMA would be usefull for them.

Of course I would love a lexus, but if I could only afford a Hyundai, I wouldn't expect to get high end lexus features in the Hyundai. If you can only afford this camera, save up like just about anyone has to do, or if your set on getting this level of camera, send in your camera/lenses to be calibrated together...

well that´s one way to see it.

in my opinion AFMA is there so canon can get away with higher manufacturing tolerances.

it would only be FAIR when canon offers AFMA in all bodys so we can correct canon manufacturing errors ourself.

in the end everyone pays the same for a 85mm f1.2.. not?
a 600D user does not get a lens cheaper then a 1D X user.

the "cheap body customers don´t own expensive glass" argument is no argument and it´s wrong.
when you are clever, you buy the best glass and a cheaper body... not the other way around.

Back to the car analogy, so the cheap car should get heated seats and a roll cage and turbo and etc etc etc just so its fair?

And this can be taken another way too. A pin hole camera can take some pretty creative shots with no lenses at all. Every upgrade has it's price and its compromise. If you buy that $2k lens for the $600 body, then you will be limited by that body. For one, the effective FOV won't be what it should be due to the crop, so you won't really be getting all you can out of the lens. And while you let in more light, your ISO range will still be limited. If your in the emerging photog camp, you gotta make due with what you got and plan your buying! Most people on this path end up with a mix of for crop and FF lenses. and there's nothing wrong with that! But, maybe if your buying 2K glass, just maybe, you can afford a slightly better body too?

"in the end everyone pays the same for a 85mm f1.2.. not?" Yes, the lens is the same cost, but all it takes is a day of reading to learn that you won't be getting all you can out of this lens on a rebel body. No rebel body has had AFMA. Save yourself the hassle and use the 85 1.8, then you can buy the nicer body. Optically the 1.8 IS very comparable to the 1.2 other than it's ability to shoot below 1.8 (stopped down the 1.8 may actually be better than the 1.2). If your on the tight budget and clever, yeah, you snag the f1.8 for $400 and a 7d. To me, if your buying specialized prime L series lenses your doing so because you have a body that can fully handle them, or because you plan to have a body that can handle them in the future.

"when you are clever, you buy the best glass and a cheaper body... not the other way around."

Allow me to reword that - when you are clever, you buy the best gear bag you can get with the budget allotted to you... not the other way around.

Back to the overall point, people have to get real! Most who buy rebels don't go body only, they get it with the kit lens and more times than not, that's all they go with! Kit lens, pop-up flash...whooohoooo.

 

[Loswr]

when I got my xs I didn't know what afma was. when I upgraded to my 60d, I didn't know what afma was. when I found out what it was and that it was stripped from the 50d, I was super pissed. I grow into my gear as I get better, but it is annoying.

I started with a T1i, 17-55/2.8 IS and 85/1.8. I knew enough to spend more on lens(es) than body, but nothing about AFMA. Then I bought a 100L Macro IS, which noticeably backfocused, so I did some research. I soon bought a 7D, and I'll never buy another AFMA-less body.

 

[Chuck Alaimo]

If anyone if worries about AFMA, then they aren't the target audience for this camera... The people who are the target audience are those who say, of look cool, it has video!

there are plenty of people who can only afford a xxxD body.
they spend more for lenses and AFMA would be usefull for them.

Of course I would love a lexus, but if I could only afford a Hyundai, I wouldn't expect to get high end lexus features in the Hyundai. If you can only afford this camera, save up like just about anyone has to do, or if your set on getting this level of camera, send in your camera/lenses to be calibrated together...

LOL...and Canon service will set AFMA in their service menus that can't be accessed by users...

The point is it costs them nothing to add it and it would be yet another sales bullet. Just think of all the buzz there would have been right here in this very thread if it was announced it DID have AFMA?

The point is, even a Hyundai has cup holders in it...

Skiltron, the point is the average rebel user isn't an above average photographer... it's a person who goes to costco and see's a rebel as splurging... It's the realtor that would rather do their own photos rather than pay for a pro to do them for them and wonder why the photos dont look right... It's that soccer mom who wants to take the photos of little jimmy and dont give a rats butt about the horrid noise... Then they read in the manual that oh yeah, it has afma, and has NO clue how to do it, or dont even read the manual in the first place and dont even know it's there... then canon has to deal with the morons who buy the camera, reads about afma, and then calls them asking how to do it, and have their employees on the phone with the people for 10-15 minutes at a time trying to talk them through it, wasting their time and money... It's stupid... it's advanced... It's like getting a hyundai accent and complaining it has a stick shift saying it should have pedal shifters instead. It's more than enough camera for what that target market is aimed for.

what are the sources for your claims?
you make this up out of the air i guess.

i know many photographer who only have a 550D or similiar entry level stuff.
some work in asia as pro photographer for magazines.
they borrow lenses as they need them.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/avikbangalee/

they just don´t have the money to buy a pro body!!
that does not mean they are all to stupid to know AFMA.

uggg...these users are like 1 out of every 100 though!

 

[Chuck Alaimo]

Does anyone remember the film days, when a new camera model was introduced every five years or more? Now anything over a year and people are freaking out. I started on the fantastic manual Pentax K1000 which had about a 20 year production run (and I am pretty sure is the best selling camera model of all time).

Yes, but as see below did they come out with an EOS651 and EOS652 just to put a new dial on them? No and look below:

OK, the t5i does seem unnecessary - why not stick with t4i?

Exactly this one is a total waste. Waste of time making all new info for it, tooling up new housings, etc. Just keep the t4i out there another year then (with firmware update to add AMFA). How on earth can it not have at least gotten the wifi/network stuff?

As for AFMA, I use a 5D2, I have large aperture lenses, and I have never had a need for AFMA. Plus, no one is using large aperture lenses on these cameras and it would just be another confusing menu item. I teach beginning photo classes at my lab and trust me, there are way too many menu options already - the average person does not want and will never use all those settings.

Well, I have yet to find a body+lens combo that has worked best at AMFA 0.
I have found many cases where it made a radical difference.
I think the average person finds it more confusing when they aim at something and find the darn focus 3' in front what they aimed at in 2/3rd of their shots no?

uggg...most rebel users...and yes i know there are some that know what they're doing...most rebel users i encounter don't even know how to handle the AF system, they have it set tot he same damn all point active setting that it was on when it came out of the box. I can't even count the # of times I've been confronted by one of these users at events, they all ask the same things but haven't even taken a peek at the manual. The kind that say, whats that?, when they hear the word aperture. Focus points? What are those...these are the people that drive the rebel market!

 

[jdramirez]

when I got my xs I didn't know what afma was. when I upgraded to my 60d, I didn't know what afma was. when I found out what it was and that it was stripped from the 50d, I was super pissed. I grow into my gear as I get better, but it is annoying.

I started with a T1i, 17-55/2.8 IS and 85/1.8. I knew enough to spend more on lens(es) than body, but nothing about AFMA. Then I bought a 100L Macro IS, which noticeably backfocused, so I did some research. I soon bought a 7D, and I'll never buy another AFMA-less body.

I walk around with the grand in lenses in my bag f1.4, f2.8, f3.5, and f4. I've gotten lucky more often than not and haven't had issues with back or front focussing. But Canon basically admitted that the xxd level owner it's proficient enough to warrant afma being in the camera. I could care less about the rebel series, but it does annoy me it was stripped.

I'm getting a5d mkii here shortly, so it hasn't annoyed me so much that I switched to Nikon.

 

[jdramirez]

Does anyone remember the film days, when a new camera model was introduced every five years or more? Now anything over a year and people are freaking out. I started on the fantastic manual Pentax K1000 which had about a 20 year production run (and I am pretty sure is the best selling camera model of all time).

Yes, but as see below did they come out with an EOS651 and EOS652 just to put a new dial on them? No and look below:

OK, the t5i does seem unnecessary - why not stick with t4i?

Exactly this one is a total waste. Waste of time making all new info for it, tooling up new housings, etc. Just keep the t4i out there another year then (with firmware update to add AMFA). How on earth can it not have at least gotten the wifi/network stuff?

As for AFMA, I use a 5D2, I have large aperture lenses, and I have never had a need for AFMA. Plus, no one is using large aperture lenses on these cameras and it would just be another confusing menu item. I teach beginning photo classes at my lab and trust me, there are way too many menu options already - the average person does not want and will never use all those settings.

Well, I have yet to find a body+lens combo that has worked best at AMFA 0.
I have found many cases where it made a radical difference.
I think the average person finds it more confusing when they aim at something and find the darn focus 3' in front what they aimed at in 2/3rd of their shots no?

uggg...most rebel users...and yes i know there are some that know what they're doing...most rebel users i encounter don't even know how to handle the AF system, they have it set tot he same damn all point active setting that it was on when it came out of the box. I can't even count the # of times I've been confronted by one of these users at events, they all ask the same things but haven't even taken a peek at the manual. The kind that say, whats that?, when they hear the word aperture. Focus points? What are those...these are the people that drive the rebel market!

But without them Canon wouldn't have nearly the profits to do all the necessary r&d... so think of them as the tax payer that helps to build the b2 bomber.

 

[Chuck Alaimo]

Skiltron, the point is the average rebel user isn't an above average photographer... it's a person who goes to costco and see's a rebel as splurging... It's the realtor that would rather do their own photos rather than pay for a pro to do them for them and wonder why the photos dont look right... It's that soccer mom who wants to take the photos of little jimmy and dont give a rats butt about the horrid noise... Then they read in the manual that oh yeah, it has afma, and has NO clue how to do it, or dont even read the manual in the first place and dont even know it's there... then canon has to deal with the morons who buy the camera, reads about afma, and then calls them asking how to do it, and have their employees on the phone with the people for 10-15 minutes at a time trying to talk them through it, wasting their time and money... It's stupid... it's advanced... It's like getting a hyundai accent and complaining it has a stick shift saying it should have pedal shifters instead. It's more than enough camera for what that target market is aimed for.

awinphoto i tell you a secret!

MONEY has nothing to do with intelligence, artistic vision or knowledge about a certain topic.

but MONEY does have much to do with what people can AFFORD!

what i want to say, there are A LOT of people who could make very good use of AFMA but can not afford a body with that feature.
or they wisely chose to invest the limited budget they have in lenses not bodys.

as mentioned before by someone, AFMA is a feature to fix canons own shortcomings in the manufacturing process. it should be a standard feature!

I can only go back to the car analogy - small cars can have AWD and anti-lock breaks. I live in the northeast, so I can get a lot of use of ABS and AWD. But to get those features, your buying something more expensive, and probably less gas efficient. Can you still stop your car without ABS? Yeah, just pump the breaks!

Limited budget means be savvy all around, not just on the camera body!

 

[awinphoto]

Yep, when clients are reacting when they see the photos from my 5d3, we ALL know they say "damn that's too bad you didn't have more DR or a 36 mega pixel camera". But, what one of my top models DID tell me that she hated my camera because it has too much detail and shows all her imperfections. Rebel is a rebel, no more no less. Whatever did we do when we had the 10d, 20d, 30d, 40d, 5d classic... The 60d has no reason it shouldn't have afma, but if the 70d doesn't have it, then panic

Yeah well maybe get out of the studio for once and shoot some giant landscapes that can't be lit with flashes or umbrellas....

You just dont get it [/shakes head]... The day landscapes pay me the money studio does, then I will look at things differently... then again, when I do go out and about, I know what i'm doing, i know what filters I need and I dont fret DR...

 

[elflord]

So why the heck did Canon "cripple" the 5DIII by omitting so many features? Why doesn't the 5DIII have fabulous built-in creative filters like Toy Camera and Grainy Black & White? Is Canon just being greedy?

This is the first time I've heard anyone complain about this feature, and it is in jest. I agree that it is possible for a feature to have zero or even negative marginal value, and that in-camera art filters on a pro body would have no or negative marginal value (if they were high enough in the decision tree to be accessible they would have a negative marginal value because of the resulting clutter, otherwise it would be about 0)

I don't agree that AFMA on rebel bodies is such a feature.

For one, AFMA is completely usable even if it's buried under layers of menus, because it doesn't need to be manipulated during day to day shooting -- it is only adjusted in controlled (e.g. non time critical) settings. Even on the 5DII (for example) it's buried in a 3 layer menu (go to the right tab, then select AF/other, then select micro adjust).

I don't understand why putting that in the Rebel would overly complicate things. They do already have equally confusing items (e.g. such as a two axis white balance adjustment which would have even many advanced users scratching their heads)

Art filters by contrast in cameras that have them tend to occupy spots close to the top of the decision heirarchy (sometimes they are actually hardwired into the manual controls which would be incredibly annoying for most 1D and 5D series users). They need to be done this way to be quickly accessible.

Of course, different users have different expectations.

Of course, but my point is that one of the reasons people buy inexpensive cameras is because of budgetery constraints, not because they are unsophisticated users.

I do agree with you that Canon's point of view seems to be that the Rebel line is unsuitable for the more sophisticated user. A savvy user on a budget probably shouldn't buy a rebel.

I simply don't believe your contention that Canon's reason for omitting this feature from their Rebel (or there XXD bodies from which it was removed) is to avoid adding "unwanted features". In fact on the contrary it looks like the point is to send a message to advanced users who might otherwise purchase rebel series bodies that they really should step up and buy one of their more expensive offerings.

 

[cccp80]

Sorry it's confusing but the camera model that shows up beneath our names has nothing to do with what we own. I own a 5DII and a micro 4/3 camera. Before that I had an old Rebel (XS).

The standard deviation and the "tolerance range" in number of AFMA units are not fixed quantities -- variability of the AF will depend on things like subject distance, and available lighting (either ambient or flash/ AF assist). Then the range for which an object appears to be in focus could be 2 or 3 or 5 standard deviations depending on depth of field.

Roger at Lens Rentals had some tests where he looked at the variability of autofocus of some different bodies (including the 5DIII) with some different lenses. My recollection was that with many tested lenses, phase detection on the 5DIII is more consistent than older bodies. Contrast detect (used in live view and on mirrorless bodies) is more accurate but slower. I'd suggest searching lensrentals for the article if you are intersted, it was a good read.

Found the article you were talking about. There are 3 parts and you were right, very good read!