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Archive 2014 · Taping pins vs. native f/8 autofocus capability

  
 
AvianScott
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Taping pins vs. native f/8 autofocus capability


I purchased a 100-400 II and have a 1.4x II on the way. I have a feeling the 1.4x will be on the lens quite a bit and currently shoot with a 6D. I'm not ready to upgrade to a 5DIII (as the 100-400 tapped my lens savings), nor do I want to go to a crop sensor, but eventually will if the f/8 center point focus has significantly improved performance over just taping the pins.

Has anyone used both methods? Is native f/8 autofocus a big improvement over taping pins?






Dec 22, 2014 at 08:10 AM
gocolts
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Taping pins vs. native f/8 autofocus capability


I have a 6D, 100-400 II, and a Kenko 1.4TC with taped pins. I'm just not at home right now to test them. Will be later though. I'll give it a shot. The only lens I've found the taping pins trick to work decent on for moving subjects was the 400 5.6L. I'll report back.

I'm in the same boat as far as wanting to use the 1.4TC and can't decide on a body to replace. Either my 7D for a 7DII or my 6D for a 5D3. Based on the age of my 7D after 5 years of hard use at countless racetracks, the 7DII probably makes more sense. We'll see.



Dec 22, 2014 at 10:15 AM
diverhank
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Taping pins vs. native f/8 autofocus capability


I have a 5D3 and a 400mm f/5.6 + 1.4II. I have tried taping it before the firmware and of course without after the firmware. I found that the camera f/8 AF is quite a bit better because it doesn't hunt quite as much.

Having said that, I also found that both methods of f/8 AF is very lacking compared to without. While it's possible, it's not fun to shoot BIF very much. My solution was a 7DII and I haven't looked back...my 5D3 is falling into disuse because I shoot BIF 95% of the time.



Dec 22, 2014 at 10:27 AM
Alan321
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Taping pins vs. native f/8 autofocus capability


AvianScott wrote:
Has anyone used both methods? Is native f/8 autofocus a big improvement over taping pins?



Generally, f/8 native AF is superior because it performs within the specifications rather than just happens to work if the lighting and contrast and wind direction are all just right.

The f/8 limitation has never been as much about a lack of light at f/8 (although it doesn't help to reduce the light and hence contrast available to the AF system) as it is about the angle of approach of the image light to the AF system. The smaller the aperture, the smaller the angle of approach and the harder it is to distinguish between the light coming from nearer the top (or left) of the lens and the light coming from nearer the bottom (or right) of the lens. At wider aperture it is easier to make this distinction even in poor light and so the AF can operate better.

The phase detection AF splits the image that it sees and concentrates on the parts of the light from the intended focus target coming from different directions to figure out not only whether or not the subject is in focus, but also which direction the focus needs to be changed. There is a bundle of lenses and filters in the AF assembly at the bottom of the mirror box to do this.

Another factor that restricts the ability of the AF to see the target from multiple directions at the same time is that the image has to bounce of the sub-mirror that is behind the main mirror. That sub-mirror is too small to allow the entire scene to reach the AF module and that is why until very recently the cross-type AF sensors were all at or near the centre of the image, whether or not they worked at f/8. Getting them to work closer to the edges is a great improvement but it hasn't yet made it at f/8 as well.

In nearly all cases, Canon used firmware to disable AF when the perceived aperture was smaller than the minimum allowed, in order that whatever AF you got was sure to work within specs. Taping the pins allows you to get into that not so perfect zone that is not fully within specs but might work OK in good conditions, slowly or less precisely in poorer conditions, and not at all in bad conditions. Nikon did not do this. It's specs were generally f/5.6 or bigger until very recently but you never had to tape pins to go beyond the specified AF limits.

- Alan
(Post #10,000 ! Yay ! Now I should probably go out and get a life )



Dec 22, 2014 at 10:46 AM
Imagemaster
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Taping pins vs. native f/8 autofocus capability


AvianScott wrote:
Has anyone used both methods? Is native f/8 autofocus a big improvement over taping pins?


Yes.



Dec 22, 2014 at 11:39 AM
gocolts
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Taping pins vs. native f/8 autofocus capability


Well...I just tried it with my above combo. It works...but hunts some. Similar to what my old 70-300L did with a 1.4 TC. If you're shooting a stationary object, I think you could get away with it, but otherwise I'd start saving up for a body that'll AF at f/8.

If you want to keep the cash flow reasonable, and plan to use the camera primarily outside with the 1.4TC, and you don't like the 1.6 crop, have you thought about trying out a 1DMK3? They're going for really cheap right now, and might be a good way to get that extra reach, including AF at f/8, for a good price.



Dec 22, 2014 at 02:37 PM
AvianScott
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Taping pins vs. native f/8 autofocus capability


Thanks for the input, everyone.

Perhaps instead of using a TC to get the extra reach on my full-frame, I'll pick up a used 7D or 70D and use that without a TC. Since my 1.4x is already on the way, I'll play with that for a few days and see how it responds on these cloudy, gloomy winter days before deciding to pick up a second body. While I do 80% wildlife, I'd really hate to get rid of my full-frame, I just love the high-ISO capability.



Dec 22, 2014 at 03:01 PM
Methodical
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Taping pins vs. native f/8 autofocus capability


The pin taping method is crap in my opinion. That is one of the reasons I stepped up to the 1D3 back in 2009. I tried it and it was too jittery for me. I had no patience for that crap.

Just One Man's Opinion



Dec 22, 2014 at 03:04 PM





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