moondigger wrote:
Like I said, I hope you're right. It'd be a nice feature on a 5D replacement.
I hope it'd be an ADDED feature to the current 5D (on the next 5D Firmware update).

roli_bark wrote:
I hope it'd be an ADDED feature to the current 5D (on the next 5D Firmware update).

That would be great, but it seems unlikely. It's a selling point -- from Canon's perspective there'd be a lot more motivation to introduce it in a new model rather than adding it to the old, if that's even technically possible.

moondigger wrote:
roli_bark wrote:
I hope it'd be an ADDED feature to the current 5D (on the next 5D Firmware update).

That would be great, but it seems unlikely. It's a selling point -- from Canon's perspective there'd be a lot more motivation to introduce it in a new model rather than adding it to the old, if that's even technically possible.

But I thought that Canon's main motivation behind this feature, would be reducing the cost involved in numeruous service calls of lenses in need of a re-calibration while still under Warranty !

But, it's only me ...

Will du function work in non canon objektive, like sigma,tmaron,tokina...`?

jonas18z wrote:
Will du function work in non canon objektive, like sigma,tmaron,tokina...`?
Time will tell.

roli_bark wrote:
But I thought that Canon's main motivation behind this feature, would be reducing the cost involved in numeruous service calls of lenses in need of a re-calibration while still under Warranty !

Right, but I have a feeling that in most people's hands, such a feature would create an even bigger support nightmare for Canon. Many people don't read manuals, or only read a few pages then stop. Somebody exploring in the menu system could change some settings and not realize that's why their lens can't achieve focus a week later. For pros, it seems like a great feature. For amateurs (at least, the majority of them), I think it's just one more opportunity for unexpected/unpredictable problems.

" I think it's just one more opportunity for unexpected/unpredictable problems."

You'll have to forgive my nit, but aren't you predicting this problem, which in of itself..... makes it both expected and predictable?

Lars Leber wrote:
Wow. A very nice and unexpected feature.

I feel that way about most of the 1D3 white paper

The trickle-down will be good for us all!

moondigger wrote:
Right, but I have a feeling that in most people's hands, such a feature would create an even bigger support nightmare for Canon.

That was my first thought when I saw they were implementing this feature. Someone will go into a dimly lit (fluorescent of course) room, and shoot a marginal test target off angle and then make an across the board correction. After going outside and shooting a pick of the neighbor's brick house, we'll get the posts about how after calibration their camera is worse with all lenses. So then the Canon service tech will have to spend an hour on the phone trying to explain the process instead of 15 minutes actually physically calibrating the guy/gal's camera.

Don't get me wrong, I love the feature, but I can see where it might be one of those "too much information" situations in some hands, sort of like giving the average driver the ability to adjust air/fuel ratios on the fly and wondering why there are a bunch of holed pistons and fouled plugs.


Edited by Hammerli on Feb 22, 2007 at 01:31 PM GMT

moondigger wrote:
Many people don't read manuals, or only read a few pages then stop. Somebody exploring in the menu system could change some settings and not realize that's why their lens can't achieve focus a week later. For pros, it seems like a great feature. For amateurs (at least, the majority of them), I think it's just one more opportunity for unexpected/unpredictable problems.

You're under-estimating the intelligence of most amateur DSLR users.

roli_bark wrote:
You're under-estimating the intelligence of most amateur DSLR users.



I spend a lot of time in my local camera shop, and based on the things I hear literally every time I'm in, I'm not so sure that you aren't over-estimating the intelligence of the average amateur DSLR user.

It's not a question of intelligence. It's an observation based on working in technical support for 5 years of my life and observing/advising numerous amateur photographers in the field over the past 20 years. The vast majority of SLR users do not hang out around these forums. They buy a camera based on an advertisement or the fact that a photographer they know owns one; stick a 28-300 superzoom on it, and fire away without ever having read the manual or learned the first thing about how an SLR works. Canon knows this if they've done any kind of statistical analysis of their support call database and I believe they will be reluctant to add user-adjustable front/back focus controls to their consumer camera line. I hope I'm wrong.

Edited by moondigger on Feb 22, 2007 at 01:43 PM GMT (Reason: fix typo)

Hammerli wrote:
I spend a lot of time in my local camera shop, and based on the things I hear literally every time I'm in, I'm not so sure that you aren't over-estimating the intelligence of the average amateur DSLR user.

Oh, please spare me your estimation about what I think.

I said what I said based on what was actually posted here.

So, I guess this lets Canon off the hook on their 50 1.2L, because now all they have to say is it is recomended that you use this lens with the new 1D3 and you won't have the focus issues.

Edited by cactusclay on Feb 22, 2007 at 10:52 AM GMT

roli_bark wrote:
Hammerli wrote:
I spend a lot of time in my local camera shop, and based on the things I hear literally every time I'm in, I'm not so sure that you aren't over-estimating the intelligence of the average amateur DSLR user.

Oh, please spare me your estimation about what I think.

I said what I said based on what was actually posted here.


This forum is hardly indicative of the average amateur DSLR user. Since Canon's market takes into account a far broader range of users, I said what I said based on what I've actually seen in real world situations.

probably why they increased the shutter life to 300K, people will be shooting an extra 100k shots testing and tuning their lenses

Isn't that feature already hidden in the service menu of all 1-series digital SLR?

Press MODE + MENU and hold for 5 seconds
Turn the Quick Control Dial counterclockwise 1/2 turn followed by clockwise 1/4 turn
Then press the DISPLAY + Shutter button
Voila! that screen pops up.

Just kidding

Finally, Canon figures out how to save $$$ on the shipping and labor costs for all the front/back focus problems they have seen in the past years.