Wonder if anyone else finds the 5DII focuses better in extreme low light with fast primes...seems odd as my 1DIII does a better job than my 5D in these circumstances.
Wonder if anyone else finds the 5DII focuses better in extreme low light with fast primes...seems odd as my 1DIII does a better job than my 5D in these circumstances.
Can't speak to the 1DIV, but my 1DII does a worse job of focusing in low light than my 5D and 5DII. The 1DII simply can't acquire focus lock in certain darkish conditions where the 5D has no problem. If my memory serves me right, the 1DII AF was rated to 0 EV, while the 5D and 5DII are rated to -.5 EV.
Lyndon Chen wrote:
Can't speak to the 1DIV, but my 1DII does a worse job of focusing in low light than my 5D and 5DII. The 1DII simply can't acquire focus lock in certain darkish conditions where the 5D has no problem. If my memory serves me right, the 1DII AF was rated to 0 EV, while the 5D and 5DII are rated to -.5 EV.
Don't get me wrong, the 1DII walks all over the 5D in other aspects of AF. But in this one performance niche of focusing in extreme dark, the 5D holds the edge. From the review, sounds like the 1DIV has not improved much in this department.
Wonder if anyone else finds the 5DII focuses better in extreme low light with fast primes...seems odd as my 1DIII does a better job than my 5D in these circumstances.
This review is a week or two old and the low light AF is up for debate. I agree on your assessment about the 1DMKIII doing better than the 5D2. That was my finding as well. I also find that my 1DMKIV does at least as good as the 5D2 in low light AF. On outer AF points, it's a no contest...
I am sure Canon could patch this issue somehow in next firmware. Also I am fine that only long telephoto activating spot AF, that is why I am getting mk IV for. Otherwise I am still with great 5D2 Good review!
So, this review says that 1DIV is 1 stop better in high-iso than the FF bodies..
I don't get it.. I really don't. Either this camera is a roller-coaster in terms of performance or the reviewers do something wrong.
The findings here don't match those from TDP
In the iso12.800 comparison i see 5DII and 1D4 perform the same, although the 5DII suffers from banding
That review was posted up a good week ago by the guy who did it on DPR.
RE: his problem with lowlight AF - I tested my MKIV at the same light levels he claimed he couldn't lock AF at and mine locked right up. A number of other users also stated they weren't having that problem at those same levels as well. Last time I checked he was going to send his MKIV into Canon to have the AF system checked.
He has since got on a crusade to get Canon to enable spot AF on all lenses (ala the 7D) because evidently he's getting good low light lock using the MKIV's spot AF mode with his 200 f2 and he thinks that's the solution.
It seems that Justin is unaware that the coverage of the 1D4 AF sensors is a cross approximately two and a half times the height and width of the AF boxes seen in the viewfinder. The centre sensor is even longer horizontally and is also more precise, as are the top centre and bottom centre sensors. In Spot AF mode the sensors are just barely longer and wider than the AF boxes.
I agree with Justin's call to have spot AF available for all lenses, but readers should be aware that it has limitations; it causes slower AF in AI Servo mode and is less responsive to well out of focus scenes. i.e. in more cases it will require a lens focus search. On the other hand, it is nice being able to home in on the intended target. (This for me was a serious problem with my 40D centre X sensor that seemed to see way past where I wanted it to and contributed to focus errors).
All of this info is taken from Canon articles such as their 1D4 white paper and other stuff on their CPS site. Such articles are highly recommended reading because they explain features that are barely mentioned in the instruction manual.
M Vers wrote:
Was it posted on FM a good week ago? Because it if was, I missed it...
Not that I'm aware of.
As far as the spot focus goes I wouldn't mind seeing it as an additional feature if it was effective with regular lenses. My only problem with Justin's take was that I don't believe one should need a spot AF function to make a MKIV AF at the light levels he was talking about on the DPR thread. I don't think that's what Canon designed spot AF on the 7D / MKIV to do and I think his issue is masking a possible problem (contamination on his AF sensor(s)?) with his MKIV.
Alan321 wrote:
I agree with Justin's call to have spot AF available for all lenses, but readers should be aware that it has limitations; it causes slower AF in AI Servo mode and is less responsive to well out of focus scenes. i.e. in more cases it will require a lens focus search. On the other hand, it is nice being able to home in on the intended target. (This for me was a serious problem with my 40D centre X sensor that seemed to see way past where I wanted it to and contributed to focus errors).
You should post this on the thread about AF hatred. For me there's enough to think about before each picture without trying to remember whether your focus points are in the right mode. The more complicated these focus systems become, the more you have to know about camera fiddling to get them to work right, and the more readily I switch to MF and wish my mirror were fully silvered like the excellent viewfinders of the past.
While I completely agree with you Brainiac, the 7D when in spot AF mode will display a small square inside the normal AF square.
So as soon you look through the viewfinder, you immediately know whether the AF is in spot mode or not.
I will assume the MIV is the same.
It's very noticeable, to the point that I can't imagine someone being distracted or concentrated enough as to not notice it.
I could be wrong, though...
fraga wrote:
It's very noticeable, to the point that I can't imagine someone being distracted or concentrated enough as to not notice it.
I could be wrong, though...
And as you notice it (how could you not, after all?) and then switch it to the mode you want, "the moment" passes.
(It's more a matter of being distracted by it than being too distracted to see it.)
cogitech wrote:
And as you notice it (how could you not, after all?) and then switch it to the mode you want, "the moment" passes.
(It's more a matter of being distracted by it than being too distracted to see it.)
That's just like any other setting...like ISO, shutter speed, aperture, EC etc etc. Hence the need to know your equipment from front to back, left to right and up and down.
cogitech wrote:
And as you notice it (how could you not, after all?) and then switch it to the mode you want, "the moment" passes.
(It's more a matter of being distracted by it than being too distracted to see it.)
Yes, and how easy is it to see anything through the on-screen paraphernalia? Can you judge whether what is in the middle of the spot is sharply focussed at f1.4? No chance. You won't know whether it was focussed until you chimp, or worse, until you get home, upload, and feel your heart sink.
brainiac wrote:
Yes, and how easy is it to see anything through the on-screen paraphernalia? Can you judge whether what is in the middle of the spot is sharply focussed at f1.4? No chance. You won't know whether it was focussed until you chimp, or worse, until you get home, upload, and feel your heart sink.
M Vers wrote:
That's just like any other setting...like ISO, shutter speed, aperture, EC etc etc. Hence the need to know your equipment from front to back, left to right and up and down.
Most of those settings you mention are things I choose long before the camera is up to my eye. I may change my aperture during shooting (with a real aperture ring) but I do not find this a distraction at all. Once I begin shooting, my attention is on my subject and my composition. None of those settings are distractions for me. AF sensors, their modes, odd behaviour and blinking lights certainly are distractions and I do everything in my power to remove them completely. If I could remove the AF system from my camera and go with a 100% silvered mirror (as Richard mentioned) I would do it in a heartbeat. Not even a moment of hesitation.
Good review!