Focusing issue with 1DX3 after CPS repair

[CDD28]

(I'll save you from my rant about how bad CPS Virginia has been with incomplete repairs, shoddy work, etc...)

I'm having an AF issue with my 1DX3 after significant repair work was completed at CPS Virginia. AF is perfect when using Live View, however when shooting through the viewfinder the locked-on focus is significantly front-focused. I'm not understanding why the AF is perfect in Live View but not working with the viewfinder. Is this something I can adjust myself or will it have to go back to CPS? I don't want to attempt microadjustments as again the Live View focusing is fine. I'm wondering if there's some issue with the focusing screen.

 

[Nemorino]

I'm not understanding why the AF is perfect in Live View but not working with the viewfinder.

Live view uses DPAF and the viewfinder has a extra AF sensor. Maybe not well adjusted.

Edit
Have you tried auto focus micro adjustment?

 

[neuroanatomist]

AF microadjustment doesn’t affect Live View focusing, it only applies to viewfinder AF.

Personally, I’ve been very happy with Reikan FoCal for AFMA.

 

[unfocused]

Does the problem affect multiple lenses, or only one lens? Micro-Adjustment is intended to fine tune the camera to individual lens variations. If you are consistently having problems with multiple lenses, it may indicate a broader issue. Certainly you might be able to correct it with micro-adjustment, but if it is an issue with the camera's focusing system, it would be better to fix the actual problem, rather than simply compensating for it. I'd consider sending it back to Canon to see if they can find something wrong with the focusing system.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Does the problem affect multiple lenses, or only one lens? Micro-Adjustment is intended to fine tune the camera to individual lens variations. If you are consistently having problems with multiple lenses, it may indicate a broader issue. Certainly you might be able to correct it with micro-adjustment, but if it is an issue with the camera's focusing system, it would be better to fix the actual problem, rather than simply compensating for it. I'd consider sending it back to Canon to see if they can find something wrong with the focusing system.

Actually, the first menu option under AFMA is to apply it to all lenses. As a point of reference, I had AFMA’d lenses on my 5DII, all were within –7 to +7.

At one point, I dropped the camera a few feet to the pavement. It was cosmetically and functionally fine, with the exception that when I tested the a FMA values all of them had shifted 10 units to the negative. something in the camera body shifted to cause that, and it was easily correctable.

My understanding is that Canon calibrates camera body AF to a reference lens. They may have done so and that resulted in a different setpoint than when the camera was new. Sending it back is probably the best option, but I suspect they may test it again and find there’s nothing wrong.

 

[Sporgon]

At one point, I dropped the camera a few feet to the pavement. It was cosmetically and functionally fine, with the exception that when I tested the a FMA values all of them had shifted 10 units to the negative. something in the camera body shifted to cause that, and it was easily correctable.

I had exactly the same thing happen with a 5D. After dropping, the camera continued to work fine except AF was off by the same amount every time. Of course the original 5D didn’t have AFMA……..
Incidentally I had a real crash onto some rocks with one of my 5DS cameras and the AF on that didn’t alter - thankfully.

 

[Michael Clark]

Bu

Actually, the first menu option under AFMA is to apply it to all lenses. As a point of reference, I had AFMA’d lenses on my 5DII, all were within –7 to +7.

At one point, I dropped the camera a few feet to the pavement. It was cosmetically and functionally fine, with the exception that when I tested the a FMA values all of them had shifted 10 units to the negative. something in the camera body shifted to cause that, and it was easily correctable.

My understanding is that Canon calibrates camera body AF to a reference lens. They may have done so and that resulted in a different setpoint than when the camera was new. Sending it back is probably the best option, but I suspect they may test it again and find there’s nothing wrong.

But can you apply one setting to all lenses and then fine tune each lens as well? I don't think so. If one selects the "all lenses" option, then the second menu option is not available concurrently, is it?

 

[Michael Clark]

(I'll save you from my rant about how bad CPS Virginia has been with incomplete repairs, shoddy work, etc...)

I'm having an AF issue with my 1DX3 after significant repair work was completed at CPS Virginia. AF is perfect when using Live View, however when shooting through the viewfinder the locked-on focus is significantly front-focused. I'm not understanding why the AF is perfect in Live View but not working with the viewfinder. Is this something I can adjust myself or will it have to go back to CPS? I don't want to attempt microadjustments as again the Live View focusing is fine. I'm wondering if there's some issue with the focusing screen.

AFMA has nothing to do with Live View. AFMA only affects anything when using the viewfinder. Setting AFMA to any value from -20 to +20 will not change Live View AF whatsoever.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Bu


But can you apply one setting to all lenses and then fine tune each lens as well? I don't think so. If one selects the "all lenses" option, then the second menu option is not available concurrently, is it?

No, it's either-or.

 

[Michael Clark]

No, it's either-or.

Perhaps it is on the 1-Series bodies, but I've not been able to get it to work that way on a 5/7 series body, though I must admit the last time I might have tried was probably almost a decade ago.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Perhaps it is on the 1-Series bodies, but I've not been able to get it to work that way on a 5/7 series body, though I must admit the last time I might have tried was probably almost a decade ago.

To be clear, my ‘no’ was in answer to your first question. As in, no, you cannot apply one setting to all lenses and then fine tune each lens as well, it’s either apply to all or apply to each lens.

 

[Michael Clark]

To be clear, my ‘no’ was in answer to your first question. As in, no, you cannot apply one setting to all lenses and then fine tune each lens as well, it’s either apply to all or apply to each lens.

OK. I misunderstood you to be claiming the obverse. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Michael Clark]

(I'll save you from my rant about how bad CPS Virginia has been with incomplete repairs, shoddy work, etc...)

I'm having an AF issue with my 1DX3 after significant repair work was completed at CPS Virginia. AF is perfect when using Live View, however when shooting through the viewfinder the locked-on focus is significantly front-focused. I'm not understanding why the AF is perfect in Live View but not working with the viewfinder. Is this something I can adjust myself or will it have to go back to CPS? I don't want to attempt microadjustments as again the Live View focusing is fine. I'm wondering if there's some issue with the focusing screen.

My experience with CPS at Norfolk has been that if you give a detailed description of the issue and include a few sample images (I burn them onto a CD-R) you're much more likely to get the results you want. Back in 2017 my EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II suffered a fall that left the lens in a state of tilt. I described the direction of the tilt. I also included images shot to specifically show that in the lower left quadrant nearer things were in focus, in the center mid-range things were in focus, and in the upper right quadrant things further away were in focus until the focus point reached beyond infinity by the upper right corner. I got the lens back aligned slightly better than when I bought it brand new in 2010.


If you just give a generic "please check and adjust alignment of lens" you won't get anything different from the way it was when sent in. Been there and done that, too, a few years earlier.