Yep, at f2.8 to f4 there isn't much room for error. After a conversation with one of Canon UK's 1D Mark 3 techies I am going to be sending all my gear in for body/lens calibration matching. Anything over f5.6 and generally I am getting sharp shots but this isn't much use to a sports photographer who habitually shoots wide open.
Sep 17, 2007 at 02:58 PM
stiksandstones Offline Buy and Sell: On
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
Well....off I got to shoot some at 2.8 then and my 300....see if I get same results.
Sep 17, 2007 at 03:29 PM
rockitman Offline Image Upload: Off
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
Wickedfn4u wrote: rockitman wrote:
Not sure if it has been mentioned but there is a rumor going around that there were a high degree of defective focus sensor components in the earlier camera's and that all camera's that will be shipping with firmware 1.1.1 will be fixed....take that for what it's worth...
Not shooting the messenger but sure smells like old fish. I would have to go with the just a rumor with no leg to stand on!
yup, only a smelly rumor. To me though, faulty or out of tolerance focusing sensors seems to be the most plausible explanation for focus inconsistency under certain shooting conditions....Thanks for not shooting me
Sep 17, 2007 at 04:07 PM
Alistair Watson Offline Image Upload: On
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
Just a thought but has anyone had a lens calibration matched to their 1D Mark 3 body and noticed an improvement in AF AI-Servo performance?
I ask because I have exhausted all the custom function options so this is going to be my next step.
Sep 17, 2007 at 05:08 PM
72chevelle454 Offline Image Upload: On
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
Alistair Watson wrote:
Just a thought but has anyone had a lens calibration matched to their 1D Mark 3 body and noticed an improvement in AF AI-Servo performance?
I ask because I have exhausted all the custom function options so this is going to be my next step.
Alistair... Our next step is to wait for 1.1.1 to come out and cross our fingers it works... if it don't... I guess the camera's go back till they figure this mess out.
Sep 17, 2007 at 05:21 PM
arashm Offline Image Upload: On
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
Alistair... Our next step is to wait for 1.1.1 to come out and cross our fingers it works... if it don't... I guess the camera's go back till they figure this mess out.
This is all I'm also waiting for... 1.1.1
if there is no improvement I will personally keep driving my camera to CPS until they fix it or give me my money back!
I feel like this is their last chance, after this if there is no resolution, Canon is going to be faced with a lot of very unhappy customers!
so personally I hope 1.1.1 is the end of this mess!
am
Sep 17, 2007 at 05:37 PM
Alistair Watson Offline Image Upload: On
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
72chevelle454 wrote:
Alistair... Our next step is to wait for 1.1.1 to come out and cross our fingers it works... if it don't... I guess the camera's go back till they figure this mess out.
Well, I am going to send all my gear in for body/lens matched calibration in 1 week since I do believe my 1D Mark 3 is backfocussing and I can't be bothered with micro adjust. I had a long conversation with one of the product guys at Canon UK this morning and he kept mentioning how many pro sports and news photographers they had helped get the wow factor from the 1D3. So it sounds like calibration, then see if the new firmware helps, if not then send a whole load of images to Canon for their diagnostic software (which apparently is getting alot of use these days!). Calumet the dealer where I bought the camera doesn't acknowledge a fault thus making a refund impossible, the store manager in Bristol even told me that he felt most people didn't even know how to use the camera so that was where the problem lay. I asked if he had ever used or even held a Mark 3 in his hands and his reply was no. Had I had a Mark 3 to hand I did think of a way to test the stength of the magnesium alloy body..... nothing worse than critics who have never owned or even know anything about a 1D series body......
Sep 17, 2007 at 05:40 PM
arashm Offline Image Upload: On
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
I really don't understand why the poeple who don't have this camera or have never used one are the ones who are so dead bent on trying to prove that there is nothing wrong with it?
It personally took me a while to be able to isolate the issue and shooting conditions and identify the issue! of witch by this time I was over my return period.
sheesh!
Sep 17, 2007 at 05:49 PM
Alistair Watson Offline Image Upload: On
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
Isolating the issues, for me, was easy, it is cr4p for people sports and I have put nearly 25K shots through 2 x 1D Mark 3's since June 1st.
Sep 17, 2007 at 05:52 PM
LMRP Offline Image Upload: On
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
Alistair Watson wrote:
Just a thought but has anyone had a lens calibration matched to their 1D Mark 3 body and noticed an improvement in AF AI-Servo performance?
I ask because I have exhausted all the custom function options so this is going to be my next step.
hello,
all my lenses had a callibration at the Canon-center WITHOUT ANY RESULT !! No improvement at all ; same AI-servo.problems as before .
greetz,
Sep 17, 2007 at 05:53 PM
72chevelle454 Offline Image Upload: On
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
Alistair Watson wrote: 72chevelle454 wrote:
Alistair... Our next step is to wait for 1.1.1 to come out and cross our fingers it works... if it don't... I guess the camera's go back till they figure this mess out.
Well, I am going to send all my gear in for body/lens matched calibration in 1 week since I do believe my 1D Mark 3 is backfocussing and I can't be bothered with micro adjust. I had a long conversation with one of the product guys at Canon UK this morning and he kept mentioning how many pro sports and news photographers they had helped get the wow factor from the 1D3. So it sounds like calibration, then see if the new firmware helps, if not then send a whole load of images to Canon for their diagnostic software (which apparently is getting alot of use these days!). Calumet the dealer where I bought the camera doesn't acknowledge a fault thus making a refund impossible, the store manager in Bristol even told me that he felt most people didn't even know how to use the camera so that was where the problem lay. I asked if he had ever used or even held a Mark 3 in his hands and his reply was no. Had I had a Mark 3 to hand I did think of a way to test the stength of the magnesium alloy body..... nothing worse than critics who have never owned or even know anything about a 1D series body......
We micro adjusted all of our lens for the 1D3, all of the same lenses that worked just fine on our 1D2's
My brother and I both had to adjust just about every lens we had (except for my 500mm f4) to some degree.. some back and some forward adjustments were needed as much as + or - 12 on the scale. seems real weird to me that the camera can not achieve a consistent focus point at the same target, that for one tells me there is something going on. I'm on my 3rd 1D3 body and yes I had to micro adjust all three cameras for my lens arsenal.. I noticed the same thing with all three camera bodies when micro adjusting them, the camera was somewhat sporadicly focusing on the focus point.
Side note that I would like to put out there is the 70-200mm f2.8 IS lenses seem to work the best for tracking subject in servo mode.. Don't know why, but they do.
Sep 17, 2007 at 06:01 PM
Alistair Watson Offline Image Upload: On
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
No disrespect but I read the part in the Canon manual, and was told by numerous people at CPS, that microadjustment is an 'in the field emergency' measure? Not a substitute for service centre calibration.
Anyway, I have enough to do without buggering about with microadjust so the whole lot is going in for service.
Sep 17, 2007 at 06:10 PM
72chevelle454 Offline Image Upload: On
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
Alistair Watson wrote:
No disrespect but I read the part in the Canon manual, and was told by numerous people at CPS, that microadjustment is an 'in the field emergency' measure? Not a substitute for service centre calibration.
Anyway, I have enough to do without buggering about with microadjust so the whole lot is going in for service.
I don't blame you for going about it this way.. but I have to ask... I wonder how much that would cost for 10 lenses.
Sep 17, 2007 at 06:16 PM
arashm Offline Image Upload: On
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
Hi
I sent all my lenses in with my Mark 3 and had to pay $58 canadian dollars per lens.
and nothing has changed.
I also don't want to get into Micro adjustment and things like that, honestly that's the last thing I want to do... start thinkering with an already ill camera.
allister please let us know what the outcome is for you and if indeed there is any improvement.
(I hope so)
am
Sep 17, 2007 at 06:33 PM
Alistair Watson Offline Image Upload: On
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
72chevelle454 wrote:
I don't blame you for going about it this way.. but I have to ask... I wonder how much that would cost for 10 lenses.
Free...... CPS. At least 1 body within warranty. 3 bodies, 9 lenses.
Sep 17, 2007 at 06:43 PM
Lars Johnsson Offline Image Upload: Off
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
arashm wrote:
I really don't understand why the poeple who don't have this camera or have never used one are the ones who are so dead bent on trying to prove that there is nothing wrong with it?
It personally took me a while to be able to isolate the issue and shooting conditions and identify the issue! of witch by this time I was over my return period.
sheesh!
Most of the people in this thread that own the camera also say the camera works good.
Sep 17, 2007 at 07:19 PM
Lars Johnsson Offline Image Upload: Off
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
Sep 17, 2007 at 08:26 PM
Monique Offline Image Upload: On
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
arashm wrote:
Hi
I sent all my lenses in with my Mark 3 and had to pay $58 canadian dollars per lens.
and nothing has changed.
I also don't want to get into Micro adjustment and things like that, honestly that's the last thing I want to do... start thinkering with an already ill camera.
allister please let us know what the outcome is for you and if indeed there is any improvement.
(I hope so)
am
Nothing has changed, well I think I'v heard that before!
Paying so much for the lenses, and still the problem is there...
Sep 17, 2007 at 08:34 PM
Wickedfn4u Offline Buy and Sell: On
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
Well not that this means a whole lot but it is under the for what it is worth category. I just had coffee with a good friend of mine who I have not seen since the end of our soccer season this spring. He is the sports editor for the paper here in Seattle and asked me what I thought of the body. Told him my troubles and he just laughed. I asked if they bought any of the 3's and he said no way they were going to get any until this shakes out. He said they were lucky because they had to put in for budgeting so that delayed the purchase and since all his photogs are not wanting to jump. He said I should just take mine (2nd) back and just get my money until they figure it out.
I would be curious the medtech that was on the UW sideline last weekend saying they mostly using the M3 which paper or who they were shooting for?
Sep 17, 2007 at 08:54 PM
Lasse Eriksson Offline Image Upload: Off
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
72chevelle454 wrote: Alistair Watson wrote: 72chevelle454 wrote:
Alistair... Our next step is to wait for 1.1.1 to come out and cross our fingers it works... if it don't... I guess the camera's go back till they figure this mess out.
Well, I am going to send all my gear in for body/lens matched calibration in 1 week since I do believe my 1D Mark 3 is backfocussing and I can't be bothered with micro adjust. I had a long conversation with one of the product guys at Canon UK this morning and he kept mentioning how many pro sports and news photographers they had helped get the wow factor from the 1D3. So it sounds like calibration, then see if the new firmware helps, if not then send a whole load of images to Canon for their diagnostic software (which apparently is getting alot of use these days!). Calumet the dealer where I bought the camera doesn't acknowledge a fault thus making a refund impossible, the store manager in Bristol even told me that he felt most people didn't even know how to use the camera so that was where the problem lay. I asked if he had ever used or even held a Mark 3 in his hands and his reply was no. Had I had a Mark 3 to hand I did think of a way to test the stength of the magnesium alloy body..... nothing worse than critics who have never owned or even know anything about a 1D series body......
We micro adjusted all of our lens for the 1D3, all of the same lenses that worked just fine on our 1D2's
My brother and I both had to adjust just about every lens we had (except for my 500mm f4) to some degree.. some back and some forward adjustments were needed as much as + or - 12 on the scale. seems real weird to me that the camera can not achieve a consistent focus point at the same target, that for one tells me there is something going on. I'm on my 3rd 1D3 body and yes I had to micro adjust all three cameras for my lens arsenal.. I noticed the same thing with all three camera bodies when micro adjusting them, the camera was somewhat sporadicly focusing on the focus point.
Side note that I would like to put out there is the 70-200mm f2.8 IS lenses seem to work the best for tracking subject in servo mode.. Don't know why, but they do.
I belive people are using that micro-adjustment too much. Just because they got a new toy with their new camera they have to use it. They have used their lenses for years with many cameras and suddenly they must adjust every lens
Sep 17, 2007 at 08:55 PM
Alistair Watson Offline Image Upload: On
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
Adjust adjust adjust!
Canon must be glad they didn't put the micro adjust feature on the 40D.... Imagine all the support calls.....
Sep 17, 2007 at 09:05 PM
ashwinrao1 Offline Image Upload: Off
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
I was the medical provider who saw a bunch of mark iii's on the sideline of the UW-OSU game. My interactions with the photo crew were limited, as they were all busy shooting. I came to notice the neck straps of the 1dIII, which is what drew my attention to them in the first place, and then began looking more closely. Like I said before, roughly 2/3 of those shooting were using 1DMkIII's (rough estimate, but I was actaully suprised, given all of the talk out there about all of the AF issues and limited use of this camera in other venues). The game did receive a lot of national coverage, but there's no way to distinguish who's who on the sideline (local vs national coverage).
Sep 17, 2007 at 10:37 PM
Wickedfn4u Offline Buy and Sell: On
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
Ash, just thought it was funny when I talked with my friend from the paper and none of his guys have or want the M3. I know his guys were there in force so maybe they were the 1/3.. lol
Sep 18, 2007 at 12:08 AM
Juan55 Offline Image Upload: Off
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
Lasse Eriksson wrote:
I belive people are using that micro-adjustment too much. Just because they got a new toy with their new camera they have to use it. They have used their lenses for years with many cameras and suddenly they must adjust every lens
The problem is that due to the random/unreliable/Inconsistent behavior of the AF system of the Mk III that are defective (even for static subjects), the micro-adjustment is a painful procedure and not accurate, so someone can introduce or bias more AF error/drift for that specific lens without knowing it ... so now the snow ball is growing up & up ....
Sep 18, 2007 at 06:39 AM
Kier Offline Image Upload: Off
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
Juan55 wrote: Lasse Eriksson wrote:
I belive people are using that micro-adjustment too much. Just because they got a new toy with their new camera they have to use it. They have used their lenses for years with many cameras and suddenly they must adjust every lens
The problem is that due to the random/unreliable/Inconsistent behavior of the AF system of the Mk III that are defective (even for static subjects), the micro-adjustment is a painful procedure and not accurate, so someone can introduce or bias more AF error/drift for that specific lens without knowing it ... so now the snow ball is growing up & up ....
Just to second this -
Due to the inconsistent nature of the AF in AI Servo and One Shot modes, it is of vital importance that you do not rely upon a single test shot at each micro adjustment level. Take at least ten shots at each adjustment level, allowing the camera to refocus between each shot, before deciding which series of images on average is the best focused.
Alistair - good luck with your epic calibration. I can't help thinking it will make sweet FA difference, but I hope I'm wrong. I'll be sending my MkIII and all 20 of my lenses into CPS for calibration after the AF inconsistency is resolved - before then I believe there is the distinct possibility that lenses could be sent badly out of calibration with other bodies by attempting to match them to the all-over-the-place focusing of the MkIII. Just a warning.
•Poll v3.1: MkIII have AF issues?
?
