RF lenses are easily updateable by dropping a firmware on to an SD card, inserting it in to the camera, and updating it via the menu on the camera. It is very straightforward. If Canon resolves this they will not need to recall the lens, they will just issue a firmware. It is nearly impossible that this is a physical defect.
Jesse Evans wrote:
RF lenses are easily updateable by dropping a firmware on to an SD card, inserting it in to the camera, and updating it via the menu on the camera. It is very straightforward. If Canon resolves this they will not need to recall the lens, they will just issue a firmware. It is nearly impossible that this is a physical defect.
Even if it were a physical defect--like chromatic aberration--if it were consistent from lens to lens, it would be correctable in a mirrorless camera by a firmware update--as is chromatic aberration.
It's probably firmware, but it could be camera firmware. This lens did not exist when the available R cameras were being designed or when they were released. The communication between lens and camera is completely different for RF versus EF lenses. The fact that EF lenses work and this particular RF lens does not, could mean cameras do not deal with this particular lens properly. Or, there's a problem with the lens that makes it impossible for the camera to deal with it properly. It could also be an interactive problem that requires changes to both camera and lens firmware. Last but not least it could be a physical issue that may or may not be correctable in firmware. Depending on design particulars that we don't know, it might not be possible for the firmware to make the hardware act as required. A lifetime of dealing with hardware and firmware design (not cameras) tells me problems like this are seldom as simple as they seem at first glance. These are complex devices, and there often multiple bugs that manifest as an apparently single problem that everyone sees.
Added: It's really difficult to imagine how this lens got released to the public. There are only two RF mount cameras released so far. If there had been any sort of thorough and controlled testing done in-house using those cameras someone would have found this problem. It seems as if Canon engineers designed the lens, probably testing the design on a test fixture, and left it to random empirical testing in the field to find any real world problems, which obviously didn't happen. It really does seem like something that could be caused by a rush to release the product.
dmcphoto wrote:
It's probably firmware, but it could be camera firmware. This lens did not exist when the available R cameras were being designed or when they were released. The communication between lens and camera is completely different for RF versus EF lenses. The fact that EF lenses work and this particular RF lens does not, could mean cameras do not deal with this particular lens properly. Or, there's a problem with the lens that makes it impossible for the camera to deal with it properly. It could also be an interactive problem that requires changes to both camera and lens firmware. Last but not least it could be a physical issue that may or may not be correctable in firmware. Depending on design particulars that we don't know, it might not be possible for the firmware to make the hardware act as required. A lifetime of dealing with hardware and firmware design (not cameras) tells me problems like this are seldom as simple as they seem at first glance. These are complex devices, and there often multiple bugs that manifest as an apparently single problem that everyone sees.
Added: It's really difficult to imagine how this lens got released to the public. There are only two RF mount cameras released so far. If there had been any sort of thorough and controlled testing done in-house using those cameras someone would have found this problem. It seems as if Canon engineers designed the lens, probably testing the design on a test fixture, and left it to random empirical testing in the field to find any real world problems, which obviously didn't happen. It really does seem like something that could be caused by a rush to release the product. ...Show more →
Inasmuch as the EVF and rear screen actually show the image properly focused but that proper focus does not seem to be recorded, the problem doesn't appear to be in the hardware being unable to achieve focus.
Is it true that the EVF and rear screen shows the image in focus but doesn’t capture it in focus? Has this been checked with the zoom preview (one could autofocus, then switch the lens to manual to check)?
frisbfreek wrote:
Is it true that the EVF and rear screen shows the image in focus but doesn’t capture it in focus? Has this been checked with the zoom preview (one could autofocus, then switch the lens to manual to check)?
No, that is not accurate. When magnified it looks frontfocused as well.
jdavidse1901 wrote:
I received my lens back from Canon today, and all is the same. Still a 3mm front focus at 200mm MFD. I made a detailed post about it over on dpreview. (where I can post photos) https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/63408625
Sorry for "hijacking" the thread but my 80D camera with 100-400II has even more backfocus near MFD, whatever the focal length. According to Canon service it is "in spec" with no way for me to correct for this (except using MFA and getting wrong focus for faraway subjects). Same problem with Liveview focus, but to a smaller extent, probably due to focus shift / spherical aberration. Sad to see this kind of problem appear in a new mirrorless camera.
I just called Canon Support, with some clarifying questions about shipping my camera and lens back and the technician (Ramon) received an email as we were speaking, that this indeed is a known issue now. He advised me to hold off on shipping the lens & camera back just yet. I had the camera and my rf 70-200 packed in the box, so I'll sit tight for a week or two.
dspmax wrote:
I just called Canon Support, with some clarifying questions about shipping my camera and lens back and the technician (Ramon) received an email as we were speaking, that this indeed is a known issue now. He advised me to hold off on shipping the lens & camera back just yet. I had the camera and my rf 70-200 packed in the box, so I'll sit tight for a week or two.
That’s a good first step. Hopefully it’s a firmware fix and not hardware.
technic wrote:
Sorry for "hijacking" the thread but my 80D camera with 100-400II has even more backfocus near MFD, whatever the focal length. According to Canon service it is "in spec" with no way for me to correct for this (except using MFA and getting wrong focus for faraway subjects). Same problem with Liveview focus, but to a smaller extent, probably due to focus shift / spherical aberration. Sad to see this kind of problem appear in a new mirrorless camera.
Earlier in this thread you can find the test of another user that used the 100-400II and it was able to grab focus exactly on the 0. That is unfortunate that you have a worse experience.
Jesse Evans wrote:
Earlier in this thread you can find the test of another user that used the 100-400II and it was able to grab focus exactly on the 0. That is unfortunate that you have a worse experience.
A ML body should probably cure my problem, but it may not help with the focus shift (depends on what aperture is used for focusing, don't know how the R operates). For me the 100-400II is now an expensive paperweight which has severely damaged my trust in Canon; I know I'm not the only one with this problem, several others have confirmed the same especially with APS-C bodies. My next camera and lenses are very unlikely to be Canon.
Update: Canon has offered the following official response: "Canon has become aware of this phenomenon, which occurs when focusing on a close subject at 200mm, and is preparing a firmware update that will be released as quickly as possible."
Update: Canon has offered the following official response: "Canon has become aware of this phenomenon, which occurs when focusing on a close subject at 200mm, and is preparing a firmware update that will be released as quickly as possible."
