p.20 #2 · 5d M III Viewfinder illumination and af points!
ruimleal wrote:
AGeoJO, the idea of the videos was to illustrate the problem people are reporting. I do not know about you but I find it too much disturbing not be able to see the focus points under certain situations and in a camera that costs so much money. I'm not that kind of photographer that likes to buy mambo jambo for a lot of money only to find out that it does not fit my work.
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I think everyone has it's photography style and I'm not really a fan boy of Canon/Nikon discussions what I feel is that people should get their opinions so that manufacturers improve their cameras with our experience. ...Show more →
I do have a 5D Mark III since the first day it became available here in the US and yes, I am very familiar with that aspect. I expressed my opinion a lot of times here on this thread and I don't want to bore others or even myself by repeating it again. Could the viewfinder be better? Sure! I am all for it.
I agree entirely that people have different styles and do various types of photography. I am using my 5D Mark III almost exclusively in the AI Servo mode now. So, the viewfinder illumination doesn't bother me much, if anything. But again, I am not saying that it is perfect, and yes, it can be improved upon, but for me it works just fine. If you are interested, here is a thread about settings/workflow of 5D Mark III users: https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1106574/0?keyword=x#10564861
ruimleal wrote:
The blurred images are the images that Canon cameras produced for some years that are almost in focus but in fact when you zoom them in to 100% they are 98% therewith a softness. The images I mentioned were photographed in CR2 and viewed directly on the LCD zoomed in all the way and in the back LCD and later on in the computer. I will try to upload them here.
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I think that they do not respect us who buy their products, it's all a marketing strategy to sell cameras and now video/cameras. I just wish for once they would give us a good Canon Camera with no focus problems plain and simple.
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I don't think Canon could fix this just by firmware because the camera viewfinder is build differently... let's pray they find a way has they did with the "Gaffe Tape" for the Leaking Light issue on the top LCD....Show more →
This thread is about the viewfinder illumination and AF points and the AF issues you experienced should be posted in a new thread. I didn't want to download almost 50MB from the internet, sorry. You will be better off by posting a full frame JPG and its crop (100% would be great) and please include the EXIF data.
Based on existing reviews, the AF of the 5D Mark III has been praised. Dare I say that your case seems to be isolated ?. It is possible that you get a faulty camera and you started blaming Canon as a company. Look at pin sharp images generated by others. They must have done something wrong..... It could be a lot of factors contributing to softness or bluriness. BTW, did you do any micro focus adjustment of your lenses on the 5D Mark III?
p.20 #3 · 5d M III Viewfinder illumination and af points!
ruimleal: the bass player image is a tad soft, but not too bad. The 6 string player, with a light application of sharpening is razor sharp. Canon psychosomaticism?
p.20 #5 · 5d M III Viewfinder illumination and af points!
I have just acquired a 5D-III and noticed the problems with the af points in AI-servo mode. This thread has also pointed out the "through the lens red beacon" problem which surprised me. This is BAD indeed - I shoot theatre and dance productions, dressed in all black since I must be as invisible as possible to the stage performers. The red leak through the lens is now a beacon that is distracting and I am no longer invisible. The same applies to weddings......
to paraphrase Douglas Adams:
...the whole of the Canon's Galaxy-wide success is founded on camera design - their fundamental design flaws are completely hidden by their superficial design flaws
p.20 #6 · 5d M III Viewfinder illumination and af points!
tonyfield wrote:
... This is BAD indeed - I shoot theatre and dance productions, dressed in all black since I must be as invisible as possible to the stage performers. The red leak through the lens is now a beacon that is distracting and I am no longer invisible. The same applies to weddings......
Sorry, but I don't buy this. I don't have a 5d3, but I do have a 7d which is essentially the same design. In a completely dark bathroom with only the light from my cellphone to focus by the tiny amount of light coming from the lens is far from a "beacon". From behind the viewfinder it looks bright, but seeing it from the other end (ie the actors view) it is very dim indeed. Unless they perform in the dark, I highly doubt they see much from the audience over the 600 watt bulbs pointed at them.
Just like the panic caused by the "light leak", you're fearing a potential that in fact has a negligible realization.
p.20 #7 · 5d M III Viewfinder illumination and af points!
on dark movies sets they will see it that's for sure, some people noticed it and made comments already and not in very dark environments like movie sets can be...
p.20 #8 · 5d M III Viewfinder illumination and af points!
timbop wrote:
From behind the viewfinder it looks bright, but seeing it from the other end (ie the actors view) it is very dim indeed. Unless they perform in the dark, I highly doubt they see much from the audience over the 600 watt bulbs pointed at them.
Not quite so. When shooting modern dance, I have had complaints from the dancers when I briefly turn on the LCD display on top of the camera to do some adjustments. Fortunately, with newer cameras, this is now rarely needed. Theatre is not so bad but does have it's dark moments.
p.20 #9 · 5d M III Viewfinder illumination and af points!
timbop wrote:
Sorry, but I don't buy this. I don't have a 5d3 .....but
............"I don't have a 5d3"......but but but I'm going to tell you your are wrong because it has to be so......it is my mission in life to defend Canon at all cost on this forum....... sorry I couldn't pass this one up. Every time I drop by this forum you are defending Canon about something..... quite amusing really.
p.20 #10 · 5d M III Viewfinder illumination and af points!
By accident (I went with my girl to a vegan demonstration) I passed a dealer in Cologne yesterday and hold both of my dream gear in my hands. 70-300 L and yes ... 5D III.
They got a couple of bodies in the day before.
First: Huh, is this lens heavy and bulky compared to my 70-200 4.0 L IS. I knew and expected some increase but I did not expect THIS amount.
Second: Hell, felt this MK III great in my hands.
But: As I found out at home reading the manual (the sales person in the shop was not able to find out how to change the standard AF settings) AF behavior was set to standard without lighting up for confirmation or showing selected AF points only. Those standard settings where uncomfortable to me.
So I decided yesterday, to rent it for a day or a weekend within the next 2 month to find out if I might get along with those changes (coming from xxDs and 5D II).
As far as I see it (now) showing all AF points is a horror. Canon should rework the viefinder focusing screen (not LCD but another layer) to one showing all AF points slighty etched (just visible) and only the choosen/confirming ones are displayed on LCD. But like I said: First I will rent the body to find out how it works for me.
p.20 #11 · 5d M III Viewfinder illumination and af points!
Peter Le wrote:
............"I don't have a 5d3"......but but but I'm going to tell you your are wrong because it has to be so......it is my mission in life to defend Canon at all cost on this forum....... sorry I couldn't pass this one up. Every time I drop by this forum you are defending Canon about something..... quite amusing really.
huh. I suppose you could draw that conclusion. I like to think of it as trying to introduce some rationality and not crying that the sky is falling every time something that is really minor comes up and gets decried as the end of the canon world. Truly, how many photographers are actually going to get thrown off movie sets for shooting stills with the "beacon of light"?
p.20 #12 · 5d M III Viewfinder illumination and af points!
Peter Le wrote:
............"I don't have a 5d3"......but but but I'm going to tell you your are wrong because it has to be so......it is my mission in life to defend Canon at all cost on this forum....... sorry I couldn't pass this one up. Every time I drop by this forum you are defending Canon about something..... quite amusing really.
Oh, and I've put 50K clicks on my 7d (90% of those clicks at weddings) - and until I started seeing these threads I didn't notice the AF point lighting "issue". Now that I am looking for it I can see it, but never really noticed it before.
p.20 #13 · 5d M III Viewfinder illumination and af points!
what do you know about movie sets? Did you know that most set photographers wear black clothes so they don't distract actors, did u know that set photographers are sometimes yelled at from being in actors eye lines? Rule number one is be as invible as possible. So to be "invisibile" with this cheap viewfinder, thanks to canon I either have to keep the VF illumination off and won't know where my AF? Turn around away from actors when I change the AF point? But that doesn't bother your shooting style then is not a problem right? I could care less what you think I know what I need for my shoots. Besides, the 7D is what1/2 the cost of the 5D3?
p.20 #14 · 5d M III Viewfinder illumination and af points!
Ralph Conway wrote:
By accident (I went with my girl to a vegan demonstration) I passed a dealer in Cologne yesterday and hold both of my dream gear in my hands. 70-300 L and yes ... 5D III.
They got a couple of bodies in the day before.
First: Huh, is this lens heavy and bulky compared to my 70-200 4.0 L IS. I knew and expected some increase but I did not expect THIS amount.
Second: Hell, felt this MK III great in my hands.
But: As I found out at home reading the manual (the sales person in the shop was not able to find out how to change the standard AF settings) AF behavior was set to standard without lighting up for confirmation or showing selected AF points only. Those standard settings where uncomfortable to me.
So I decided yesterday, to rent it for a day or a weekend within the next 2 month to find out if I might get along with those changes (coming from xxDs and 5D II).
As far as I see it (now) showing all AF points is a horror. Canon should rework the viefinder focusing screen (not LCD but another layer) to one showing all AF points slighty etched (just visible) and only the choosen/confirming ones are displayed on LCD. But like I said: First I will rent the body to find out how it works for me.
when you do make sure you try it with a 1.2 or 1.4 lens too, if your shooting with those, you'd want to try it with those, the viewfinder is even worst with those, since there is a lot more light coming in and in bright daylight the AF points becomes so much lighter, almost grayish!
p.20 #15 · 5d M III Viewfinder illumination and af points!
timbop wrote:
Sorry, but I don't buy this. I don't have a 5d3 .....but
Then why do you feel it necessary to lurk on discussion threads that really don't pertain to you? If you don't have complaint or something constructive to add to the discussion then all you are doing is needlessly cluttering this thread with uninformed opinions.
Granted, the term "beacon" might be an exaggeration, but I had someone in the past two months liken my camera to a Cylon when he first noticed it. A beacon? No. An serious annoyance, coupled with the pain-in-the-arse the lack of AF point illumination creates, yes.
p.20 #16 · 5d M III Viewfinder illumination and af points!
timbop wrote:
Oh, and I've put 50K clicks on my 7d (90% of those clicks at weddings) - and until I started seeing these threads I didn't notice the AF point lighting "issue". Now that I am looking for it I can see it, but never really noticed it before.
Here we go again (for the last time): Just because you have never used a professional VF on a professional camera before OR just because you have never used a feature before does not necessarily mean (1) there aren't countless people out there who have and did, and who become accustomed to it, and/or (2) perhaps your lack of use of a particular feature means you too are missing shots and you just don't realize it.
Having grown up on a farm I never had an automatic dishwasher and never thought I would need one. But once I finally had one I realized how wonderful it was to have a dishwasher. Now you may have never used a dishwasher and you might not understand the need to have one, but perhaps if you had a dishwasher to use you might find it much more efficient, and you might find your dishes are washed better. Oh, and when you open the door on THIS dishwasher, there's an annoying red light that people sitting at the dinner table can see and it distracts them from eating or whatever it is they are doing.
p.20 #17 · 5d M III Viewfinder illumination and af points!
timbop wrote:
huh. I suppose you could draw that conclusion. I like to think of it as trying to introduce some rationality and not crying that the sky is falling every time something that is really minor comes up and gets decried as the end of the canon world. Truly, how many photographers are actually going to get thrown off movie sets for shooting stills with the "beacon of light"?
You don't really understand this genre of photography. One of the fascinating things about the 5D-III is the very very quiet shutter sound. This is great indeed for shooting things like weddings, classical music rehearsals, theatre, dance etc. in spite of the fact that it adds a bit to the shutter delay You might think that this is immaterial - who cares about the shutter sound. However, on a movie set, this is still FAR to loud - you really need a blimp (http://www.soundblimp.com/) to completely deaden the sound. You might not even be allowed on set without a blimp.
Light visibility from the beacon falls into the same category. YOU might think it is not significant - however the photographers who shoot this genre know otherwise.
p.20 #18 · 5d M III Viewfinder illumination and af points!
Todd Klassy wrote:
...Just because you have never used a professional VF on a professional camera before OR just because you have never used a feature before...
gee Todd, thanks for educating me about professional cameras. I suppose I was just mistaken that my 1d mark 2 and 5d's qualified.
The 5d3 has the same system as the 7d, and I never really felt it necessary cry incessantly.
And no, I don't do still work on film sets. Somehow I thought this was a public canon forum and not cinema5d
p.20 #19 · 5d M III Viewfinder illumination and af points!
Hopefully Canon comes up with a solution that will help. I mostly worry about AI servo tracking in low light. I've had 1 series bodies for a long time and the AF illumination was set up very nice for low light. Now the 1DX comes along and you can't see the AF point in low light. Makes no sense to me but somehow Canon thought that was a good thing.
p.20 #20 · 5d M III Viewfinder illumination and af points!
ggreene wrote:
Hopefully Canon comes up with a solution that will help. I mostly worry about AI servo tracking in low light. I've had 1 series bodies for a long time and the AF illumination was set up very nice for low light. Now the 1DX comes along and you can't see the AF point in low light. Makes no sense to me but somehow Canon thought that was a good thing.
The ironic part of the situation is that Canon has provided camera sensors that work superbly well in low light situations but the viewfinder implementation makes it difficult to use the additional performance I am thinking of picking up another 1D-IV rather than the 1DX.
Seems to me that the LCD implementation is very restrictive - Canon will have difficulty to come up with anything more than minor fixes. Basically, they cannot do any metering when the focus points are illuminated - a tough situation for AI-servo. However, I can certainly speculate about a few tweak that might enhance (but certainly not fix) the 5D-III issue. Oh well, yet another set of issues that we have to work around when shooting.
?. It is possible that you get a faulty camera and you started blaming Canon as a company. Look at pin sharp images generated by others. They must have done something wrong....
I am thinking of picking up another 1D-IV rather than the 1DX.