p.1 #1 · Shot the 5dIII at first event, compared to 1DmkIII
So maybe it's just me, but I found in extreme dark environments, the 5DIII with expanded center point seemed to focus more slowly than the 1dmkIII. In fact, as many others have mentioned, it was often damn hard to tell when the thing was focused. I do so very moss the old style light up AF point. I even felt that the VF illumination was hit and miss - I swear it wasn't noticeable half the time.
Of course servo is useless in the dark. I need the af assist from the flash.
In looking through the images shot (about 800 or so on the 5dmkIII) - yes, the 'miss' rate is extremely low. Everything looks fine focus-wise. It was probably focusing way faster than I thought it was. I can't even hear the damn beep with all the music playing. I hope I get used to this thing.
p.1 #4 · Shot the 5dIII at first event, compared to 1DmkIII
Kittyk wrote:
beep?
I've been shooting a long while and never used the AF confirmation beep until I watched a couple of CL workshops where the photographers used the beep .. Zach Gray, Don Gianitti, and I also think Sue Bryce.
So I figured if they use it then why not? .. but be warned once you start it's hard to stop although I'm not sure I'll use it during weddings or not but I have on a couple of esessions. I find it handy, and not at all distracting but I'm sure others will.
All it does is confirm the AF but once you start to use it you will realize that it sometimes takes longer to AF than you realize, and not always because of obvious hunting. And that may explain why some pics taken quickly and without the beep are not properly focused.
p.1 #5 · Shot the 5dIII at first event, compared to 1DmkIII
I've never used the beep on the 40D, 5D, 1dsmkII, or 1dmkIII. Sad to say I turned it on on the 5D mkIII.
I was using the 16-35 f/2,8, 50 f/1.4, and the 24-105 f/4. Every lens I own is spot on perfect on the 5dmkIII in terms of accuracy. Each one is adjusted differently on the 1dmkIII.
yeah, yeah I know, it's an f/4 but it's sharp wide open and its stabilized. Waiting to see whats up with the Tamron.
p.1 #7 · Shot the 5dIII at first event, compared to 1DmkIII
Mike Mahoney wrote:
I've been shooting a long while and never used the AF confirmation beep until I watched a couple of CL workshops where the photographers used the beep .. Zach Gray, Don Gianitti, and I also think Sue Bryce.
So I figured if they use it then why not? .. but be warned once you start it's hard to stop although I'm not sure I'll use it during weddings or not but I have on a couple of esessions. I find it handy, and not at all distracting but I'm sure others will.
All it does is confirm the AF but once you start to use it you will realize that it sometimes takes longer to AF than you realize, and not always because of obvious hunting. And that may explain why some pics taken quickly and without the beep are not properly focused....Show more →
i don't care what others do, but beep is the first thing i switch off on all flashes and cameras i come around. it is even worse then TTL preflashes and AF assist light.
p.1 #9 · Shot the 5dIII at first event, compared to 1DmkIII
Kittyk wrote:
i don't care what others do, but beep is the first thing i switch off on all flashes and cameras i come around. it is even worse then TTL preflashes and AF assist light.
Ditto! The very first thing I do is disable the camera beep. You really don't want that beeping in the middle of a ceremony
p.1 #11 · Shot the 5dIII at first event, compared to 1DmkIII
A 1 series will be faster at focussing than a 5 series since the battery has a higher voltage to drive the focus engines faster.
However, on the other side, I wonder if they made focus acquisition a little *too* accurate with the 5d3? ie. it's accurate enough for a 50mp rather than 22mp file?
p.1 #12 · Shot the 5dIII at first event, compared to 1DmkIII
those kind of motors have usually very specific voltages and they are digitally controlled. Not like you put half a volt more and it rotates faster as accu screw driver.
in nikon's AF screw system is motor in the camera, which in better bodies was stronger and faster, but ultrasonic motors are all digital.
p.1 #14 · Shot the 5dIII at first event, compared to 1DmkIII
Kittyk wrote:
those kind of motors have usually very specific voltages and they are digitally controlled. Not like you put half a volt more and it rotates faster as accu screw driver.
Everything I've read suggests the 1 series will focus faster for this reason and I checked a 1 series against my 5d3 and found the same... Here's someone elses video:
If you know for sure this is incorrect, I'd be interested but at the moment my tests seem to suggest it's correct..
p.1 #15 · Shot the 5dIII at first event, compared to 1DmkIII
yes 1-series can drive af motors faster than 5-series due to higher voltage. Chuck Westfall has confirmed this.
However, the speed in which the camera achieves focus isn't influenced in this; just the time it takes the lens itself to focus.
I found that the difference of a 70-200 on a 5d3 and 1d4 isn't very big; on either camera it's very fast. The 85L II is a different thing; surely faster on the 1d4. However, I believe the 5d3 can lock on faster, in particular in low light
Did some tests on iso 10.000 where the 85 at 1.2 or 1.4 got shutter speeds of around 1/125 to 1/200, so quite dark indeed. I had no problems really, and got much better results than with my 1d IV. I used single point AF, which did seem to work better than the other modes (spot, 1 point with expended points). Of course, ymmv.
p.1 #16 · Shot the 5dIII at first event, compared to 1DmkIII
i dont know canon, but cannot believe that they would purpossedly cripple focusing performance. As said, it is digital motor, you tell it digitally how fast it should rotate. To make it slower, you just need to send the commands slower.
Another explanation is that they might on purpose slow it down because worse AF system is not able to catch it as fast and it would hunt more, but nikon AF-S lenses (those with built in motor) focus about same fast on all bodies. So, who knows.
p.1 #17 · Shot the 5dIII at first event, compared to 1DmkIII
Kittyk wrote:
i dont know canon, but cannot believe that they would purpossedly cripple focusing performance. As said, it is digital motor, you tell it digitally how fast it should rotate. To make it slower, you just need to send the commands slower.
Another explanation is that they might on purpose slow it down because worse AF system is not able to catch it as fast and it would hunt more, but nikon AF-S lenses (those with built in motor) focus about same fast on all bodies. So, who knows.
I think this is a Canon vs. Nikon point. Nikon may be different but on Canon this is definitely the case.
The 5d and 1dx now share the same focus system so that's not the issue..
