So I've been getting very mediocre AF with the 1D3, even after the most recent firmware upgrade. To prove that the AF issue is real even in conditions where it shouldn't be, I mounted the 1D3 to a tripod and shot some sequences of shots to show the focus wandering. Granted I shot all these at f1.2, but I duplicated the same test with the same settings on my 5D and had no focus wandering as seen in these shots. Argh. Pain in the butt.
All images were shot on a tripod with a remote cord so there was ZERO camera movement between shots. All images are 100% crops of the center of the frame.
Prior to the fix, my biggest problem with One Shot mode was in low light when trying to focus on an area of relatively low contrast (single point AF, 85L II, 35L). Often the camera would simply select a higher area of contrast in the frame to focus on - many times far away from the selected focus point. While I have not done any controlled testing, my results show great improvement here since the fix. Having said that, I haven't attempted a test like you did. I will try to simulate your test and get back to you.
johnnydanger wrote:
Oops, no I wasn't in AI Servo. These were all in one-shot mode, center focus point, no expansion, and all shots received a positive AF lock 'beep'.
I believe every thing you say, it is a lemon, but why did you swap targets, if people on this forum are jumping one way or the other about people not taking proper care when testing this camera, then swapping targets is the kind of thing that gives them fuel to say that you did not do a proper test. I know you know your camera and the things that you can do, but these people that have one that work perfect, and I think they may be more of them, will jump on the chance to prove you wrong.
I agree totally with what a lot of people are saying, when you buy a product that is this expensive it should work out of the box, even in the hands of novice ( I am not saying you are a novice ), and it most assuredly should be a better camera than the one it replaces.
We don't do class action in the UK ( least I don't think so ) but if we did, mine would go with them, even though I am not having any trouble with mine ( because of how I shoot ) as one day I may want to sell, although I normally do not get rid of my cameras.
Bob
Kier wrote:
Johnny - has your camera had the sub-mirror fix, or is it a new, unaffected model, or is it an older, pre-fix unit?
I like to know that as well. If this condition persists after the sub-mirror fix then this is a lemon. Not that it was OK for Canon to deliver a camera like this to begin with but we need to give them a little credit for trying to rectify the situation. I feel for you and understand your frunstration however.
Henry,
From reading your thread posted elsewhere, I realized that yours still suffers from that issue . I believe Jeff's as well. That definitely is discouraging. I wonder how many other 1D MarkIII users are in the same boat as you? Short of a class action lawsuit against Canon, what else is there to do?
Mine does the same thing. I cannot trust it any more. I have reverted to using my Mk2 and hope the sub mirror fix will help however based on reports I am seeing all over the net I am not confident in the fix.
AGeoJO wrote:
Henry,
From reading your thread posted elsewhere, I realized that yours still suffers from that issue . I believe Jeff's as well. That definitely is discouraging. I wonder how many other 1D MarkIII users are in the same boat as you? Short of a class action lawsuit against Canon, what else is there to do?
It is obvious that some, perhaps most, people are not having problems. Canon claims the new cameras are defect free and given that they have released the 1DsMkIII with the same focus assembly, I have to believe that they think they are. (If they released the 1DsMkIII knowing that the problem had not been fixed then any US jury would hang them high - a huge risk for Canon.)
Given the above, Canon should simply replace the non-functioning cameras that they can't fix with ones that do. If they don't, I think continuing posts like this will extract a far higher price on them than they would like. So far, people have been pretty calm about it and given Canon a chance to fix things. Times up.
No sub-mirror fix yet. I'm in the cue... Of course I've had an ill functioning camera for many months now and have already lost over $600 in value and have stopped trying to make money with it because of it's mediocre performance.
During my testing in the fixed tripod shooting I did shoot certain objects/distance where the focus did not shift at all and a positive lock was found every time without having the focus move around. I never manually moved the focus and had it re-acquire though, for all the above shots I merely pressed the shutter release again and watched the focus shift about. I't especially disconcerting on the 85L set because the focus the camera pulled is often multiple inches in front and there was nothing there but air, since the box was sitting on the edge of a shelf! Anyways, it's clearly not functioning correctly nor as well and my lowly 5D.
Just waiting for the fix... I hope it can be fixed.
I don't own a 1D mk3 but have read often about the focus problems in AI Servo mode. To some extent I can understand the difficultly for any camera to get reliable focus on a fast and erratically moving target. Although it is clear from the many posts that the mk3 appears to be worse - rather than better, as would be expected - than the earlier mk2n.
However, I'm shocked to look at these test results and see such poor performance when focusing on a static object. Surely this must make the camera practically useless? I would hate to go out on any kind of assignment where I needed to get sharp pictures and have to depend on a camera that mis-focuses like this.
My three-year-old 20D performs much better. In one-shot mode it rarely misses - even with a wide-open lens.
It's unbelievable that the manufacturer can avoid giving a full refund for a camera that is clearly "unfit for purpose". You should send these pictures to Canon and ask how you are supposed to take pictures with this camera. Seems so unfair that you can't get your money back.
Hrow wrote:
It is obvious that some, perhaps most, people are not having problems. Canon claims the new cameras are defect free and given that they have released the 1DsMkIII with the same focus assembly, I have to believe that they think they are. (If they released the 1DsMkIII knowing that the problem had not been fixed then any US jury would hang them high - a huge risk for Canon.)
I have taken over 100 shots using a 1Ds MarkIII using the single shot AF and all, I mean all of them are in perfect focus. I have yet to try the AI mode...
Hrow wrote:
Given the above, Canon should simply replace the non-functioning cameras that they can't fix with ones that do. If they don't, I think continuing posts like this will extract a far higher price on them than they would like. So far, people have been pretty calm about it and given Canon a chance to fix things. Times up.
I entirely agree with that. Canon needs to replace the bad units. Period. What a timing for Canon to come out with a camera that has AF issues now that Nikon came out with a FF D3. The whole issue is definitely a humbling blow to Canon since now a lot of Canon shooters have or considering switching camp. It seems that Canon probably became complacent after being on the top of the heap for too long.....
I've very similar behavior on a non fixed 1D3 and a blue dot 1D3. I haven't setup this exact test, but I see that focus will shift even when shooting the same object. I have just gotten the earlier 1D3 back from the fix but haven't had time to test it.
I just really doubt there are "good" and "bad" ones. I do think some work better but the jumpiness of the AF system really seems to be part of the design. It seems light bright spots really distract the AF. I'm going to test the "fixed" 1D3 I got back, but so far I see little evidence that the AF system has been tamed yet.
I have tested my markIII over and over in such situations to satisfy myself psychologically....in both one shot and servo when focused on non moving objects the focus is true and dead on...in fact,when i used servo to test it on stationary objects(which i would never do in normal shooting) my shots were uniformly in perfect focus even when shooting 10FPS....the servo in normal circumstance of action work also seems to do at least as well as my old markII...i guess I am lucky
jkurkjia wrote:
Because acquisition is dependent on the target's spatial frequency and contrast.
Regards,
Joe Kurkjian
Ok Joe, I don't want to pinch the OP, but I must be dumb today and that happens alot, so why swap targets, are you saying that a 5D and a 1D have to take different pictures else one them will never focus .
Please forgive me if the answer should be staring me in the face, I just can't work it out, I am not pulling your leg I really don't understand the answer.
Bob
AGeoJO wrote:
Henry,
From reading your thread posted elsewhere, I realized that yours still suffers from that issue . I believe Jeff's as well. That definitely is discouraging. I wonder how many other 1D MarkIII users are in the same boat as you? Short of a class action lawsuit against Canon, what else is there to do?
They are going to keep taking my camera back until it's fixed. If they ever get it (with example images) and say that's as good as it gets, I'll tell them that they can give me a new one, or keep that one until someone figures out what's wrong with it. I'm guessing they aren't set up for that...
Alright, Jeff! Let's hope that they fix it properly this time. BTW, do you want to mod this forum again, Jeff, please, please? They are too many 1D MarkIII threads that could easily be merged for my taste..... . Practically 50% of threads on the first page pertains to the MarkIII (I maybe exaggerating a little ). I started loosing track what I posted where.....
. I believe Jeff's as well. That definitely is discouraging. I wonder how many other 1D MarkIII users are in the same boat as you? Short of a class action lawsuit against Canon, what else is there to do?
and that happens alot, so why swap targets, are you saying that a 5D and a 1D have to take different pictures else one them will never focus 
.