There seems to be a belief that the 1DMkIII only has Servo AF issues. In a recent thread, a number of people got rather rude and snippy when several of us expressed concerns about AF problems in One Shot. Hopefully, from the samples below they will see that the problem is real.
I am sending mine back to Canon for a second go around at "the fix" after having it repaired to "factory standards". I've included samples for them to see what it is doing (my main problem is in One Shot where it just decides to go wacko relatively frequently) and I am hoping that they will resolve the problem honorably.
If they don't then we'll see. I have a bunch samples like the one below that I'm sure they would love to see floating around the Internet. These are tripod mounted at 1/500 sec., using a cable release, defocused after each shot and refocused with confirmation. In this series of 5 taken within the same minute with a 300 F4 L (IS off) shots 1 + 2 were OK, 3 was bad, 4 was marginal and 5 was OK but not as good as 1 + 2. I can reproduce the same general result at will.
Am I being too fussy or is this unacceptable performance for a $4500 camera?
In addition to these it would be great to see what an in-focus image is supposed to look like (with manual focussing with live view). That really should hopefully satisfy the critics.
Ari Versiani wrote:
Did you adjust the microfocus adjustments
No, I didn't. The 300 is definitely softer when shot at a distance then it was pre-fix and could use some adjustment. What I am more concerned about is that the camera focuses the same way each time. Until it does, applying an adjustment is just a crap shoot. Do you adjust the sharper frame or the fuzzy frame. The other issue I have to better understand is how to properly adjust a lens that is very sharp at closer distances (where I do most of my work with this lens) but decidedly weaker the further out you go.
Digitalbean...
No, I didn't do a MF but I should have. Would have been interesting and will do it the next time around.
hey man, hahaha, i thought i'd jump into your thread here.
i 100% agree. actually, i would think that it's proposterous not to think that one-shot AF wasn't afffected by this beef.
the sub mirror focuses rays of light onto the AF sensor, correct? the AF sensor participates in both one-shot and ai-srevo modes, right? so then if the sub mirror is faulty logically implies (for me) that both focusing modes are negatively affected.
first-hand, i too have noticed problems with one shot. which infuriates me even further, because of course, canon hasn't acknowledged this. furthermore, canon has stated that "high temperatures" affect AF. i've had problems in cold temps as well. so there goes that theory.
simonella_viru wrote:
hey man, hahaha, i thought i'd jump into your thread here.
i 100% agree. actually, i would think that it's proposterous not to think that one-shot AF wasn't afffected by this beef.
the sub mirror focuses rays of light onto the AF sensor, correct? the AF sensor participates in both one-shot and ai-srevo modes, right? so then if the sub mirror is faulty logically implies (for me) that both focusing modes are negatively affected.
first-hand, i too have noticed problems with one shot. which infuriates me even further, because of course, canon hasn't acknowledged this. furthermore, canon has stated that "high temperatures" affect AF. i've had problems in cold temps as well. so there goes that theory....Show more →
i posted similar one shot AF focusing issues last June and had numerous posters suggest exactly what Canon kept suggesting - user error. I took tripod mounted shots at Rocky Creek bridge in Big Sur (in bright sunlight) and over half were out of foucs. The first day i attributed it to possibly being a result of wind or a shutter speed that was to slow for those condiitions. I returned the next day, used a higher ISO, upped the shutter speed and experienced the same issues - inconsistant AF in one shot mode. I have contacted Canon Canada 4 times (Calgary three times and Mississauga once) and emailed the tech support another 3 or 4 times and each time i was told there are no AF issues with the AF and that my call was the ONLY complaint they had received regarding AF issues with the 1DIII. The last conversation i had with Canon was just 4 days before Canon finally announced the sub mirror fix - which i registered for at the start of December and am still waiting for a return call from Canon. It appears to be a moot point though as it appears there seems to be a lot of people still experiencing AF issues after the fix.
I got a call from Canon Mississauga as well, same time. I'm experiencing the same issues. I told Canon about it too, back in Sept, and again in Dec....
Still no word from Canon Canada on my repair either.
Canon worldwide will never confirm there is a problem (IF there is a problem), unless they have permission to do so from HQ Japan. Also Rob Galbraith reported some issues with One Shot, which he didn't investigate any further. So he feel like he couldn't give a good conclusion in the end. Maybe he should go into this one more time., since Canon seems to listen to him...
I definitely experienced One Shot problems prior to the fix. Seems to be better now, based what I am seeing in day to day shooting. Haven't done any controlled testing yet.
The problem I had was the camera focusing on a different part of the subject than the single focus point was on. This happened most often when the focus point was on an area of low contrast. When there were problems, it was obvious the camera was selecting an area of higher contrast to focus on. This could often be 'far' away from the selected single focus point. I experienced this problem with a variety of lens: 85L II, 35L, 24-70.
There are three issue with the MK3. inability to AF accurately, inability to track AF accurately and a vibrating sub mirror.
The Sub Mirror is being blamed for the other two issues ~ I think it's only a contributor.
I've had dazzlingly sharp images out of my MK3 ~ but no consistency, I have the dancing AF in one shot mode ~ as I had with the MKII ~ the reason the MKIIn was introduced ~ Canon claimed they could not fix it back then ~ so these problems are not new or unknown.
I also have the wandering tracking and locking on the background and not requisitioning the target like the last Nikon had ~ left Nikon then and there ~ unfortunately Canon have imported the same problems again ~ I say again as the MKII would lock the background too ~ not so many MKIIs were effected but I posted previously how I went back to my 1D for sports.
My two MKIIns exhibited these problems sporadically, so they were not fully cured but overall were good enough. Personally I was hoping that Canon had finally, after some five years knowing about these issues, actually had done something to eliminate them rather than introducing them on a massive scale.
Micro adjustment?
My story is brief: Adjust lens on Monday: Undo adjustment by Friday: Adjust lens on Monday: Undo adjustment by Friday: Adjust lens on Monday: Undo adjustment by Friday:
Tear hair out and decide to wait for Canon UK to physically recall my camera and try again with a 'Fixed' model.
Hrow wrote:
There seems to be a belief that the 1DMkIII only has Servo AF issues.
My story is brief: Adjust lens on Monday: Undo adjustment by Friday: Adjust lens on Monday: Undo adjustment by Friday: Adjust lens on Monday: Undo adjustment by Friday:
That's exactly what i had expericend for six Mark IIIs, all the same inconsistency AF in ONESHOT MODE
I'm in the same boat. AFTER submirror-fix, calibrated cam + 35L. Still random-focus with center-only.
I had the opportunity to check my focus-chart with a brand new 550xyz with firmware 1.1.3 already installed. Same story. 3 Pics, one in focus.
Today I decided to be simple. As simple as can be. Solid tripod, remote, MLU, 2sec timer. Direction down onto a plain white paper. Ruler beside. Did 10 times hold down to ensure, that AF sees NOTHING. No contrasty things in for/back/whatever-gound. Just not able to focus. Prove of setup only.
Then I put some unfolded paper-clip in the middle of the AF-center-area. Peep, AF checked. Now 13 pics in series and thereof 6 close to center-focus, 7 up to FAR away from the middle. *sigh*
Even with digital and a 300.000 actuations capable shutter... WT*
Pics are cropped and slightly sharpened. Plz look at:
Wrote a letter to CANON-Germany to demand a statement, cause calibration is with random-focussing excluded from being a valid solution.
Of course there will be no committment in first place for a "general" prob, but I read more and more of these threads.
Just my 2 cents,
Oliver.
P.S.: If you detect bad english... take my excuse in @vance
Disheartening to say the least... I was hoping the sub-mirror fix would solve the issue, but it doesn't look like it! You're getting the same wandering focus that I am. Really terrible.
I shoot weddings for a living. I though the Mk3 would have made my life easier but man was I wrong.
The thing is when this camera gets it right the results are beautiful. The colors are the best I have seen from any camera I have owned (10D, 20D, 30D, 1Dmk2 and D200) and when it does get the focus right it's very sharp.
I am now afraid to use the Mk3 as I never know which camera is gonna show up.
Some owners claimed that theirs never had a problem to begin with, some claimed theirs performed better after the fix and some claimed, it didn't make any difference, the problem is still there. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the problem is not only the sub-mirror .
AGeoJO wrote:
Some owners claimed that theirs never had a problem to begin with, some claimed theirs performed better after the fix and some claimed, it didn't make any difference, the problem is still there. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the problem is not only the sub-mirror .
Your test was so simple to setup, I had to try it myself. My MKIII has not yet been repaired but I am using 1.1.3 firmware. I used my 85 f1.2 at 1.2, the camera was tripod mounted but no release. I did not do any manual focusing nor did I use the micro adjustment feature. The depth of field at the shooting distance was less than 1 inch. I shot 5 frames and racked the lens either forward or backward between each frame, hit the AF and took the shot. I hate to tell you but the camera nailed the focus each time. You can see a very slight shift in focus between shots and that is to be expected and in no case did the focus move more than 1/4 inch (still within DOF).
If you are anyone would like to see these images, PM me with an e-mail address.
I will try the Hrow mail box next or maybe a can of Dust-Off if you prefer, but I believe we are going down the same road as with the Servo AF. Some cameras are broken, and some seem to work. That is the frustration I believe many including Canon are experiencing.
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RIGHT ON 