I think it was to be deliberately provocative...... in any case, I don't know what such remarks are meant to achieve... mingulay, I particularly like the second shot.
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Please listen to neuroanatomist. I don't always agree with him but, when it comes to technical issues, the guy really knows his stuff.
I see three possibilities:
1. You have had numerous bad bodies over your career
2. You have not done AFMA correctly
3. You have an incorrect understanding of how Canon AF works, and your technique causes the problem
Bad bodies happen, but at a small rate. A simple probability calculation tells us that some random people will see more than one bad body; however, it's now time to consider the other two options. I work in computers (cameras are now computers) and I can tell you that when I find myself frustrated and wanting to scream "but it works for everyone else, why not for me...." that's my cue: I'm probably doing something wrong. When it comes to computers I'm really good at what I do, but I still make mistakes. You're a very good photographer, but you may be making mistakes.
Please see if there are other pros in your area who would work with you on AF technique, or search the web for all the info you can get. Do a bunch of careful test shots. At this point it's likely something you're doing.
I like your photos, and hope you can resolve this difficulty.
I see three possibilities:
1. You have had numerous bad bodies over your career
2. You have not done AFMA correctly
3. You have an incorrect understanding of how Canon AF works, and your technique causes the problem
Bad bodies happen, but at a small rate. A simple probability calculation tells us that some random people will see more than one bad body; however, it's now time to consider the other two options. I work in computers (cameras are now computers) and I can tell you that when I find myself frustrated and wanting to scream "but it works for everyone else, why not for me...." that's my cue: I'm probably doing something wrong. When it comes to computers I'm really good at what I do, but I still make mistakes. You're a very good photographer, but you may be making mistakes.
Please see if there are other pros in your area who would work with you on AF technique, or search the web for all the info you can get. Do a bunch of careful test shots. At this point it's likely something you're doing.
I like your photos, and hope you can resolve this difficulty.
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I am sorry that you are having these issues.
I am sure that you are a fully capable photographer (and your work is very nice) however the fact that you have been having such difficulty with AF on several different bodies leads me to suspect that there is more user error here or lens issues rather then camera hardware error.
I have a 1DIV and shoot wildlife. I shoot all the time and have fired off tens of thousands of frames and I must say that it has the most responsive and accurate AF system I have ever experienced. It is dead on with birds in flight even when the birds represent a small portion of the center AF point. Even when I stray from the Center AF point the camera locks onto subject extremely fast and reliably.
I also own the 5DII which in my opinion does have a poor AF system. However, this is only an issue when shooting fast moving subjects. For event photography I find it to be 100% reliable. The AF is not the fastest, but it is very reliable.
To answer your question about the 5DIII, I just bought one and have only taken about 1000 images. I will say that it is much advanced over the 5DII and as good as my 1DIV.
Do you notice that you have more problems with one specific lens? Maybe that is the problem.
Have you ever sent in your camera body to be serviced by Canon?
Good luck!
I am sure that you are a fully capable photographer (and your work is very nice) however the fact that you have been having such difficulty with AF on several different bodies leads me to suspect that there is more user error here or lens issues rather then camera hardware error.
I have a 1DIV and shoot wildlife. I shoot all the time and have fired off tens of thousands of frames and I must say that it has the most responsive and accurate AF system I have ever experienced. It is dead on with birds in flight even when the birds represent a small portion of the center AF point. Even when I stray from the Center AF point the camera locks onto subject extremely fast and reliably.
I also own the 5DII which in my opinion does have a poor AF system. However, this is only an issue when shooting fast moving subjects. For event photography I find it to be 100% reliable. The AF is not the fastest, but it is very reliable.
To answer your question about the 5DIII, I just bought one and have only taken about 1000 images. I will say that it is much advanced over the 5DII and as good as my 1DIV.
Do you notice that you have more problems with one specific lens? Maybe that is the problem.
Have you ever sent in your camera body to be serviced by Canon?
Good luck!
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vuilang said:
I agree. My 24-70 is the worst lens in my bag for AF. With that being said, my 1DX nails the focus 98% of the time after I learned how to use it properly. My 1D4 nails the focus about 75% of the time. All of my lenses are calibrated using ReiKan FoCal software which also validates all of my focus points (a few points are not that good). I also have determined where the sweet spot is for the aperture on my lenses by using this software. Most are around f/8 and no higher.
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Orangutan said:
+1
With what you've described, the odds are in favor of user error. With that said, it's obvious that you are a great photographer(I went to your website - very nice) So the conclusion is that you are just "missing" something (from a technical standpoint) about the AF system/capabilities that when combined with a certain situation (group in low light) leads to OOF shots.
My 5d3 AF works very well....fast and accurate.
I'm curious though...when you took these photos, did you use single point? And if yes, are you saying that you locked on a subject with single point and then the AF system selected the wall behind?
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Thought I would chime in... As far as the mis-focus, there are so many possible things going on... First of all, the 5d2's AF isn't the best, in fact, it's just not even average... Granted, Back in the day when I used to shoot xxd cameras that had the same (similar) 5d2 AF and configuration I thought it was OK... but really the latest generation of AF in the 7d, 5d3 and 1dx are really hands down, to me, superior. They do require some relearning as they are vastly different beasts and takes practice to master, but once you do, they are hard to miss with. As far as the 1d bodies, and in general, you mention specific situations where focus was off, but what percentage of shots were off? Was it merely in specific situations on challenging lighting conditions and so on and so forth where every camera you used just bad in, or was certain cameras better than others, or...? You give a rough idea of your plight, but really if your getting 70-80% keepers and the tough situations let you down, then it may be your asking for too much... for what it's worth, 5d2 isn't the best low light camera, 1d4 have had complaints of low light tracking, the same with 1d3 and 5d classic... The 1d3 had a recall on the AF if my memory serves me right... The 1d4, in low light with single shot and manual point select, to me, should AF quite well... but I would suppose if you have it in Ai Servo in low light, It might be tough going... Also some lenses focus faster than others, which means they can lock focus faster but then if the camera for a split seconds breaks contact with the point it was focused on, could, in ai servo, quickly jump off the focus plane.. As far as my advice, if your pocketbook can afford the 1dx, get it... worst case scenario, if you dont like it, you can sell it for almost no loss in $$... If your budget is a big tight, get the 5d3... give either or both a chance for you to test, learn and relearn the system... you dont know how many threads have been started here with 5d2 and 1d series shooters moving to the 5d3 and 1dx and not being able to figure the AF out... There is a learning curve so take your time. Once mastered take them on a paid shoot and sink or swim... I think you would be blown away, but then again if you go into the shoot halfway jaded, you may leave the shoot just as critical. So anyways those are my suggestions from an honest user of Canon bodies who earns their living with photography for the last 10 years.
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neuroanatomist said:ishdakuteb said:
Sounds like a test method problem, in this case. As I mentioned above, the actual AF point is larger than the little box representing it in the viewfinder, even with Spot AF:
So...while you may think you're focusing on a specific letter, the camera can't read your mind - it's going to grab onto the feature with the greatest phase difference (contrast) along the proper orientation for the sensor line, within the actual AF area, even if that's outside the little box you placed squarely over that specific letter.
This is one reason why I always ask how people have done the AF Microadjustment, because if you do it wrong (as you would have likely done with the newspaper test as described), you get an incorrect adjustment, and that leads to a high proportion of OOF shots.
that is the reason why i am saying "a big newspaper", which also means that the newspaper must have big letter for me focus on. yes, you are right... i was using AF microadjustment method to test my camera. i do not have enough tools during that time, so i choose that way for a quick test to find out my camera problem (missed focus all the time).
note: many thanks for the picture, this is the pix that i have been looking for... to know about spot AF and single spot AF dimensions (need to know this to perform accurate measure light instead of zoom in). however, i am still in learning time...
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Richard Lane
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mingulay,
Absolutely stunning images!
Lets try and sort this out, between AF settings vs. faulty equipment.
1) Were you using AI Servo or One Shot Mode?
2) If you were using AI Servo, then what is the tracking sensitivity set too?
3) Were you using Single AF Point or Single Spot AF point?
4) If you use regular Single point AF, then do you have AF expansion on or off?
5) Do you use half shutter-button press to focus or AF-On back button?
6) Were your red AF points on the subject or on the wall when viewed on your computer?
7) If the red points were on your subject, were they on a low contrast solid color, or on a higher contrast edge, or transition area?
Rich
Absolutely stunning images!
Lets try and sort this out, between AF settings vs. faulty equipment.
1) Were you using AI Servo or One Shot Mode?
2) If you were using AI Servo, then what is the tracking sensitivity set too?
3) Were you using Single AF Point or Single Spot AF point?
4) If you use regular Single point AF, then do you have AF expansion on or off?
5) Do you use half shutter-button press to focus or AF-On back button?
6) Were your red AF points on the subject or on the wall when viewed on your computer?
7) If the red points were on your subject, were they on a low contrast solid color, or on a higher contrast edge, or transition area?
Rich
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Richard Lane said:mingulay,
Absolutely stunning images!
Lets try and sort this out, between AF settings vs. faulty equipment.
1) Were you using AI Servo or One Shot Mode?
2) If you were using AI Servo, then what is the tracking sensitivity set too?
3) Were you using Single AF Point or Single Spot AF point?
4) If you use regular Single point AF, then do you have AF expansion on or off?
5) Do you use half shutter-button press to focus or AF-On back button?
6) Were your red AF points on the subject or on the wall when viewed on your computer?
7) If the red points were on your subject, were they on a low contrast solid color, or on a higher contrast edge, or transition area?
Rich
If i'm not mistaken, he doesn't have the 1dx or 5d3 so the single AF or spot AF/ expansion doesn't apply.
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Richard Lane
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awinphoto said:
The MKIV does have Single AF point, Single AF point with expansion and Spot AF, however the 24-70mm f/2.8L doesn't allow Spot AF to be enabled, so you are correct that Spot AF will not apply for his lens. Thanks for pointing that out.
My 300mm f/2.8L IS (has Spot AF) is permanently attached to my MKIV, and both my 7D and 1DX also have Spot AF, so it seems that whichever camera/lens combo I pick up, I always have Spot AF. For those that are interested, the only other lenses that do offer Spot AF for the MKIV are the (200 f/2 IS, 300 f/2.8 IS, 400 f/2.8 IS, 400 f/4 DO IS, 500 f/4 IS, 600 f/4 IS and 800 f/5.6 IS)
As far as I know, no Canon Camera offers Spot AF with expansion, as that would defeat the purpose of the precise Spot AF.
Cheers,
Rich
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mingulay
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Today I prepared a wedding that I will join from 9 am until 2 am Saturday/Sunday and now I need to get some sleep to be ready for that task. I want to thank you all for your supporting comments and contributions to my problem. There are some open points and questions and I will come back to them on Sunday, when I will be back at my computer again.
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Richard Lane said:awinphoto said:
The MKIV does have Single AF point, Single AF point with expansion and Spot AF, however the 24-70mm f/2.8L doesn't allow Spot AF to be enabled, so you are correct that Spot AF will not apply for his lens. Thanks for pointing that out.
My 300mm f/2.8L IS (has Spot AF) is permanently attached to my MKIV, and both my 7D and 1DX also have Spot AF, so it seems that whichever camera/lens combo I pick up, I always have Spot AF. For those that are interested, the only other lenses that do offer Spot AF for the MKIV are the (200 f/2 IS, 300 f/2.8 IS, 400 f/2.8 IS, 400 f/4 DO IS, 500 f/4 IS, 600 f/4 IS and 800 f/5.6 IS)
As far as I know, no Canon Camera offers Spot AF with expansion, as that would defeat the purpose of the precise Spot AF.
Cheers,
Rich
Thanks for the clarification... I haven't shot with the 1d4 and only played with it shortly after it was first released. After reading reviews and a brief hands on, I assumed it was like the 1d3 and prior cameras to date just with much better tracking. That being said, with the latest rendition of AF modules, I've heard and believe both the 5d3 and 1dx has better AF engines and performance than the 1d4?
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mingulay
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To round up: I questioned the AF capabilities of Canon cameras in general and asked for experiences in this regard - particularly from users of the 1DX and 5DIII.
In the meantime a dared going for a 5DIII and can say that the autofocus problem is indeed solved. Tests with different lighting situations and most of the time very open apertures (2 and less) led to sharp images in nearly every case. Very convincing. It is a joy to TRUST your tool (and not need to shoot every situation 10 times just to make sure to hit at least once.
So thanks to all who convinced me going for this camera Apart from the well working AF system it may be mentioned that the camera as a whole is a very good piece of work. Maybe somewhat pricey but very reliable and well equipped.
In the meantime a dared going for a 5DIII and can say that the autofocus problem is indeed solved. Tests with different lighting situations and most of the time very open apertures (2 and less) led to sharp images in nearly every case. Very convincing. It is a joy to TRUST your tool (and not need to shoot every situation 10 times just to make sure to hit at least once.
So thanks to all who convinced me going for this camera
Apart from the well working AF system it may be mentioned that the camera as a whole is a very good piece of work. Maybe somewhat pricey but very reliable and well equipped.
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Sorry, bro, but this seems to be some sort of technique issue, or something... I cannot figure it out otherwise...
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mingulay said:To round up: I questioned the AF capabilities of Canon cameras in general and asked for experiences in this regard - particularly from users of the 1DX and 5DIII.
In the meantime a dared going for a 5DIII and can say that the autofocus problem is indeed solved. Tests with different lighting situations and most of the time very open apertures (2 and less) led to sharp images in nearly every case. Very convincing. It is a joy to TRUST your tool (and not need to shoot every situation 10 times just to make sure to hit at least once.
So thanks to all who convinced me going for this camera
I am happy that your problem was solved, albeit in a fashion that made you aquire new gear, thus circumventing the original problem.
I have nothing to contribute with that have not been mentioned by these very skilled commentators.
However, I just wanted to say that I love your work (from what you posted in this thread, and from your portfoliopage). Apart from brilliant compositions and creativity on your shots, I am particularly impressed with your lighting (and particurlarly in your akt/seminude shots), and I would love to see you open a thread on lighting, or even a youtube video for us other to learn from
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