So, now that I have your attention, let me explain. I like this forum, and I have learned a lot. And I have read the MANY posts about Canon L lenses front/back focusing. However, I have owned about 10 Canon Ls, including zooms and primes, and never have I had one front/back focus. Believe me, I've tried, but alas, nothing but spot on focus.
Maybe I am just very lucky. Maybe we just hear from those with problems. I don't know, but I aim to find out with this poll.
it could well be that the problem was camera based not lens based, both of my 5D's were sent for calibration with lenses, all focus perfectly now so I wasn't making it up...
4 Ls with problem. 500/4L with a factory defect returned, 500/4L back focusing, 400/5.6L front focusing, 100-400L soft at 400 and IS died within warranty period.
and..... 1D MArk IIN back focusing.
And fornt/back focusing weren't nit picking but unusable.
My 135L was the only lesn I got that I haven't had an issue with.
Like GeneO I had trouble with one of Canon's super-telephotos. My first 600 f/4 IS (B&H, March 2008) front focused by up to a couple of meters wide open. The replacement is perfect.
A family member recently also bought a 600 f/4 IS. Irvine couldn't even fix that one. B&H also replaced it. Two good out of four copies of Canon's currently most expensive lens model is not such a good record.
My first 24-70 backfocused, returned and bought another one which was spot on.
Bought second 5D body and both 24-70 and 70-200 2.8 L frontfocused, even though they were OK on the other 5D - but this is more like a body problem. Repaired by Canon.
gdsf2 wrote:
Interesting finding so far: The "no problems" outweigh the "problems" by a bunch but more folks with "problems" replied in writing.
Jerry
I would hope the "no problems" would outweight the "problems" by a huge margin. If not, then Canon has a major QC problem with the top of the line lenses. Most people pay top dollar for the L lenses and expect top results.
I'm not sure how to vote. My 35L backfocused with my 1D2 but not with my XT. The 1D2 along with the 35L were recalibrated. Now my new 40D backfocuses with the 35L. They are both in for recalibration. None of my other Ls have shown any problems with any of the bodies. So, is the 35L the problem or the bodies?
RT.