How bad is the AF on 5DmkII really?

[TexPhoto]

I own both a 7D and a 5DII. When I shoot sports, the 7D is my primary camera.

My 5DII is an awesome camera, but it does feel like Canon went out of it's way to limit in a few areas to keep it from cutting 1D/1Ds sales. Now I sell stock, and the 5DII is my primary for almost everything I shoot besides sports. I have never been unhappy with it's AF system, I just don't expect it to be a 7D.

In any case if sports was my primary focus, I'd buy the 7D way before a 5DII. Strap the best 70-200 you can afford on it and you have a sports machine gun rivaled only by 5000+ camera, and then by only a small margin.

 

[Meh]

In my experience, the 7D is a big step up from the 5DII for AF, and a modest step up for metering. Although I've never used a 1-series, I know it will be substantially better at both, which is why my next body will be a 1D X.

Frankly, my fear is that the 1D X AF will spoil the 7D for me...

Agreed. I've only had my 5D2 a few weeks (although I've used one on occasion in the past) but it's AF simply isn't as good as the 7D. My bias though (and possibly yours since I think you also had the 7D first) is that once used to the 7D the 5D2 may appear much worse that it really is. And briansquibb (sorry to pick on you Brian) might have a similar bias after using a 1D4 in that the 7D AF, based on the comparison to 1D4, gets an artificial downgrade and "appears" to be not much better than the 5D2. There's a name for that in psychology (can't think of it right now) where human perception tends to bunch things together and minimize differences in the context of something much bigger/better.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

My 5D MK II has slower but more accurate af, particularly in low light, easily beating my 1D MK III and 7D. My 7D has faster AF which will track fast moving objects, which is what you want for sports. I've never actually used my 1D MK III to track rapidly moving objects, but it is better than the 7D all around, and only loses out to the 5D MK II in high ISO sensitivity and fast autofocus.

I'm considering picking up a used 1D MK IV, but am waiting on the 1D x to get some reviews from trusted sources. There are lots of camera reviews that may be less than accurate or objective, we all have our bias, so I usually look at reviews from sources I trust who have a track record of accurate reporting. This means that I do not take a review posted by a new camera owner with a unknown amount of experience as a trusted source.

 

[wickidwombat]

My 5D MK II has slower but more accurate af, particularly in low light, easily beating my 1D MK III and 7D. My

Is this the center point only? can you get any of the other points to achieve focus lock in low light?

 

[briansquibb]

And briansquibb (sorry to pick on you Brian) might have a similar bias after using a 1D4 in that the 7D AF, based on the comparison to 1D4, gets an artificial downgrade and "appears" to be not much better than the 5D2. There's a name for that in psychology (can't think of it right now) where human perception tends to bunch things together and minimize differences in the context of something much bigger/better.

I bought the 7D and then because it didn't meet my expectations I bought the 1D4. I am still using the 7D and the 5DII as well as the 1D4 - last Saturday I was using all 3 on my shoot - so it was real back to back comparison.

I have always said that the AF of the 7D is better than that of the 5DII. However (possibly because I only use the centre focus point and have had a long line of 9 pointers) I automatically work round the AF and dont hit the problems that others seem to hit - for example that little delay for the AF to lock. Where the 7D works for me is the use of the expansion point for tracking - it is quicker to lock, but there is still a delay. What may not be a problem for me may of course be a dealbreaker for someone else.

However as a package there are several downsides to the 7D which take the edge off the better AF. The first of which is the picture IQ, particularly when cropping ( that applies to all crop cameras) that the bokeh inevitably looks worse.

I can also see the difference in the picture quality too. Put two sharp A3 prints on the table and I can tell which came from the 5DII and which came from the 7D, particularly when low light is involved. This is my perception that the 5DII gives a smoother image, whereas the 7D seems more raw.

I find that people, who have never used the 5DII, are trashing the 5DII AF based on the street reputation alone as are the press. I believe you can only objectively comment on this after some experience of the camera.

The title of this thread is 'How bad if the AF on the 5DmkII really'. From where I stand the AF is not bad at all if you are using the centre focus point, however you will find that the tracking AF on the 7D does a better job for you and definitely the 1D4 is significantly better.

If the question was 'Is the 7D better than the 5DII' I would be much more hesitant. If the 7D was better than the 5DII why does the 5DII sell in such huge numbers? - there aren't that number of dedicated studio people around.

Here is a good example of what the 5DII can do - the A3 version of this is stunning IQ and the colours are sumptuous.

5DII, 24-105@92, iso50, f13, 1/15,

 

[Loswr]

My 5D MK II has slower but more accurate af, particularly in low light, easily beating my 1D MK III and 7D. My

Is this the center point only? can you get any of the other points to achieve focus lock in low light?

The 5DII's off-center points achieve a lock in low light with the effectiveness of...well, I can think of a sufficiently ineffective example, but the bottom line is that while the 5DII's center AF point is quite good, the rest of them pretty much suck.

 

[Loswr]

I find that people, who have never used the 5DII, are trashing the 5DII AF based on the street reputation alone as are the press.

FWIW, I have one, and I 'trash' it to some extent.

Here is a good example of what the 5DII can do - the A3 version of this is stunning IQ and the colours are sumptuous.

The OP was questioning it's capability for shooting sports...a lighthouse at f/13 might not be the most relevant example.

 

[wickidwombat]

My 5D MK II has slower but more accurate af, particularly in low light, easily beating my 1D MK III and 7D. My

Is this the center point only? can you get any of the other points to achieve focus lock in low light?

The 5DII's off-center points achieve a lock in low light with the effectiveness of...well, I can think of a sufficiently ineffective example, but the bottom line is that while the 5DII's center AF point is quite good, the rest of them pretty much suck.

yeah thats pretty much what I find, Have you used AI servo much with the 5D2? How does it go tracking after achieving lock with the center point?

 

[Loswr]

yeah thats pretty much what I find, Have you used AI servo much with the 5D2? How does it go tracking after achieving lock with the center point?

Ok - but not great - for subjects moving across the frame. Pretty poorly for subjects moving toward or away from the camera.

 

[briansquibb]

The OP was questioning it's capability for shooting sports...a lighthouse at f/13 might not be the most relevant example.

I have already posted the Kart going 40+ - I think that answers that question

The lighthouse is just an example of a 5DII photo.

 

[briansquibb]

FWIW, I have one, and I 'trash' it to some extent.

I didn't say the all people that trash it didn't have one.

If fact not all people that have one trash it as well.

The users that didn't like it are those that want to use the non central points, particularly in low light. The OP specifically stated that he was a central focus point user - there in the context of the question no one found fault with the AF in this thread.

 

[Loswr]

I have already posted the Kart going 40+ - I think that answers that question

Not really. It's a great shot, but you're panning to follow the car. I've had plenty of success doing that with manual focus lenses, so to me it says very little about AF capability. Stand at a curve in the track and use your 5DII to shoot an AI Servo burst of the car approaching you at 40+, then show me the keepers from that...

 

[briansquibb]

I have already posted the Kart going 40+ - I think that answers that question

Not really. It's a great shot, but you're panning to follow the car. I've had plenty of success doing that with manual focus lenses, so to me it says very little about AF capability. Stand at a curve in the track and use your 5DII to shoot an AI Servo burst of the car approaching you at 40+, then show me the keepers from that...

I think it was you that said that it followed well going across the frame - and there is the shot that proves it.

You will find motorsport shooters always take the photos from the side as it gives the impression of speed, so sorry a head on shot is not going to be available.

Kart tracks are tight and twisty and this shot was on the exit from a corner. Not really possible to pan on the angle using manual focus. Here is the exit of the corner from the entrance side - the other shot was taken from trackside of the exit of the corner. I was tracking all through the corner on servo.

(this shot was taken with the 1D4 - just here to show you where the other shot was taken coming out the corner rather than along a long straight)

 

[briansquibb]

This is the only wa photo of the track that gives a better view of where the kart was (sorry about the quality) - showing how I had taken it coming stright on and kept it locked in focus. Look for the RENAULT boarding on the right which is behind the kart in the first picture. For the first picture I was standing by the first pole and took the picture as it was past the apex (just moving away from me) To get that picture it is clear that the AF was locked on through the corner when the kart was coming straight on to me.

I think that answers the question about the AF locking on with real evidence.

 

[briansquibb]

I think the OP has his answer then - not bad at all

 

[wickidwombat]

thats in good light though I think the AF achieves lock in good light fine even on the other 8 points not in the center. The issue I have is in low light it just doesnt happen.

 

[Jamesy]

OP said: "How bad is the AF on 5DmkII really?"

My questions would be, how does the 40D (which I own) perform next to a 5DII in regard to AF? I have heard they are very similar, is this the case?

 

[briansquibb]

OP said: "How bad is the AF on 5DmkII really?"

My questions would be, how does the 40D (which I own) perform next to a 5DII in regard to AF? I have heard they are very similar, is this the case?

I have a 40D as well - I went to a 5D and then the5DII and I dont remember the AF having any differences

 

[briansquibb]

In my experience low light AF from the 5DII is good just a bit slow.

Perhaps this article might help you

http://www.canon-europe.com/Support/System/Search.aspx?TcmUri=tcm:13-607862&SearchType=3

 

[Loswr]

I think it was you that said that it followed well going across the frame - and there is the shot that proves it.

It was, but it doesn't. It wasn't the 5DII's AF that was tracking the car, it was you panning the camera, as the background blur attests. That shot very clearly demonstrates your skill as a photographer, but doesn't demonstrate effectiveness (or lack thereof) of the 5DII's AF system.