Having issues with focussing. I use Combo (50mm f1.4 & 5D Mark III)

[davidiskander]

I had Canon 5D Mark III for almost a year and mainly I was using Canon 24-105mm f4. I didn't like the lens in the night shots, even mornings when I'm taking shots in shade or so. Friends recommended the canon 50mm f1.4, so I got it and I love the fact that it allows me to shoot in side home or outside without even bother of carrying a flash however, I HAVE BIG ISSUE WITH THE FOCUS. The only sharp part of the photo is where I place the focus point and every other part of the photo is blurry.

I don't like the fact I can't even shoot a photo for couple because only one of them will be in focus but not the other.

Am I making something wrong?
Or that's how the lens is?
Or I should return it and get another one?

Please advise and upload for me photos you took with the same setup (If you have)

 

[Menace]

I had Canon 5D Mark III for almost a year and mainly I was using Canon 24-105mm f4. I didn't like the lens in the night shots, even mornings when I'm taking shots in shade or so. Friends recommended the canon 50mm f1.4, so I got it and I love the fact that it allows me to shoot in side home or outside without even bother of carrying a flash however, I HAVE BIG ISSUE WITH THE FOCUS. The only sharp part of the photo is where I place the focus point and every other part of the photo is blurry.

I don't like the fact I can't even shoot a photo for couple because only one of them will be in focus but not the other.

Am I making something wrong?
Or that's how the lens is?
Or I should return it and get another one?

Please advise and upload for me photos you took with the same setup (If you have)

Are sure you not getting mixed up with shallow depth of field of a fast lens versus out of focus image?

 

[cpsico]

It sounds like it works well, what aperture are you using?

 

[StoneColdCoffee]

I have the same problem with the 5D mk II & 50/f1.4. I bought Focal or lenscal awhile back and tried to do the AFMA adjustment with my computer. one surprising thing is how hard it is to get enough of the correct lighting in your living room. The result wasn't much better. ive even just gone outside and adjusted it manually in camera and taken shots to see which appears the most in focus. Even that really didn't solve the focus problem. but now it is better than the back focusing I had when I put the center dot on the subject. One solution is to buy the 50 art lens. but I liked having something more compact and small. the other solution would be to send it to canon PS. but I think it just needs a new home

 

[cpsico]

I have the same problem with the 5D mk II & 50/f1.4. I bought Focal or lenscal awhile back and tried to do the AFMA adjustment with my computer. one surprising thing is how hard it is to get enough of the correct lighting in your living room. The result wasn't much better. ive even just gone outside and adjusted it manually in camera and taken shots to see which appears the most in focus. Even that really didn't solve the focus problem. but now it is better than the back focusing I had when I put the center dot on the subject. One solution is to buy the 50 art lens. but I liked having something more compact and small. the other solution would be to send it to canon PS. but I think it just needs a new home

On my 5d mark II it's the same, the center point is golden, the rest not so much

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

It sounds like you are using the lens wide open, and have discovered depth of field. There are numerous on-line depth of field calculators that can help you get control of your images.
The advice you were given to use a wider aperture lens for low light shooting also requires that you pay close attention to the distance to your subjects.

If you are 4 ft from your subjects, for example, at f/1.4, the depth of field is 0.16 ft or 1.9 inches, not enough to get two people both in focus.

Get back to 10 ft, and you will have about 12 inches, which can also be a problem unless you understand it and make sure the subjects are both in that 12 inch field.

http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

 

[ashmadux]

For all you guys having issues- send it in to canon. I sent it without the body, they fixed it up real good. Now its accurate on AMF of ZERO. Yup, no adjustment necessary, on a 6d that originally had loads of Af issues. It is fantastic, worked great for 2.5 weeks in japan.

with the fixed 50 w/hood on a gripped 6d, this is now my most reliable shooting lens. makes my 24-105 look pretty bad now, though i suspect that one needs to go back for a tuning.

 

[Khalai]

There is a rule of thumb I've been using for shooting multiple people at once. I don't know where I discovered, for the web is vast and full of info

If you are shooting a couple, your f/n should be at least 2.2 (greater than 2)
If you are shooting three people, your f/n should be at least 3.2 (greater than 3)
...

Basicly I set my f/n to a greater number than is the number of people in the group (up to approx. f/8, when it does not matter much anymore).

It's not scientific it's not precise, it's just a guideline (which served me quite well).

You just simply can't shoot a couple with f/1.2-f/1.6, unless their faces (and eyes foremost) are both strictly in the parallel plane to the sensor (even a slight shift will cause one of the people to be blurred as a result of ultrathin DoF).

 

[YuengLinger]

It does sound like it's working (because you get good focus on your AF point) but that, after a maximum aperture of f/4 on your 24-105mm, you are just now learning the delights and challenges of shallow depth of field.

Also, while this lens is a good performer, as you get down to the max, f/1.4, things tend to soften a little dead center, and significantly out to the edges of the frame. And don't expect the sharpness to be perfectly symmetrical--that is, even with a great body, good AFMA, and an excellent copy of the lens, there might be one edge or corner of the frame at f/1.4 that is somewhat sharper or softer than others.

But the lens is TONS of fun, can produce awesome images when all things (exposure, composition, focus, lighting, subject) align, and is so light and convenient. I tend to use mine on a 60D and can get some very cinematic types of results.

And my AF is accurate and super-quick. I really do need to use it on my 5D3 more often, but I will admit I'm in the queue for the Sigma 50mm Art, chasing that slightly better image quality and edge to edge sharpness like a junkie chases a high (some might say...).