p.1 #1 · Sharpness issues on RF 70-200 f/2.8 far left side is blurred
EDIT: Updated outcome Lens group needed replacing in the RF 70-200 f/2.8. Thread title updated.
My R5 sensor sharpness across the frame was perfect until I started having lockups. Now the entire left edge (when shooting horizontally) of the image frame at infinity focus is blurred and not in alignment.
p.1 #3 · Sharpness issues on RF 70-200 f/2.8 far left side is blurred
Let us know what Canon says. If the sensor is out of alignment, I'm going to assume this entire problem is due to an IBIS issue. It's the only think that makes sense.
p.1 #4 · Sharpness issues on RF 70-200 f/2.8 far left side is blurred
How far in does the blur extend? Can you post an image that shows it so I can compare to mine once I get a chance to do a test. Right now I'm limited to only the 100-500 to test with as I don't have my adapter yet.
p.1 #5 · Sharpness issues on RF 70-200 f/2.8 far left side is blurred
evertdoorn wrote:
Mmm that is quite odd...Can you show how this looks?
Best way I can describe it is it looks like a smeared versus just soft, almost like the sensor was in motion or wasn't parallel with the image plane on the left side.
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JRobertson wrote:
Let us know what Canon says. If the sensor is out of alignment, I'm going to assume this entire problem is due to an IBIS issue. It's the only think that makes sense.
IBIS error/misalignment is the only thing that makes sense to me, too.
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arbitrage wrote:
How far in does the blur extend? Can you post an image that shows it so I can compare to mine once I get a chance to do a test. Right now I'm limited to only the 100-500 to test with as I don't have my adapter yet.
The blur extends all the way up the left (short) side of the image. I can't be for sure it's in the top corner since my examples don't have anything but blue sky above the landscape. If it were a lens issue, it would just be in the corner plus this happens with both my 70-200 and the 50 1.2, so it's not like both of those lenses just became de-centered at the same time. The both have been razor sharp on both sides wide open before this on the R5, before the lockups started.
Crop examples below. Image seems to gradually soften on the left quarter of the image becoming really bad by the time it gets to the left edge. On the right side, notice the normal corner softening at the very far right due to the lens being shot wide open at 2.8.
p.1 #6 · Sharpness issues on RF 70-200 f/2.8 far left side is blurred
I think that it would be a good idea to photograph something with similar levels of detail and dynamic range in all four corners. It is really hard to judge relative sharpness when one corner is low contrast dark tones and another includes high contrast brighter tones.
is there a way to get something like those white poles in all four corners?
p.1 #7 · Sharpness issues on RF 70-200 f/2.8 far left side is blurred
gdanmitchell wrote:
I think that it would be a good idea to photograph something with similar levels of detail and dynamic range in all four corners. It is really hard to judge relative sharpness when one corner is low contrast dark tones and another includes high contrast brighter tones.
is there a way to get something like those white poles in all four corners?
I dropped it off at UPS about two hours ago, but maybe this helps.
p.1 #8 · Sharpness issues on RF 70-200 f/2.8 far left side is blurred
*** UPDATE ***
Going to retrieve the package back from the UPS Store just to make sure I have the latest firmware on the RF 70-200. I distinctly remember updating it for the close focus issue, but can't remember if I updated it for latest one that helps it get better stabilization with the R5/6. I'm really hoping this is the problem (and that the softness I was seeing on left with the RF 50 could have been unrelated) and it might also explain my lockups. Fingers crossed will report back.
p.1 #9 · Sharpness issues on RF 70-200 f/2.8 far left side is blurred
Lens firmware was already at 1.0.8 at least I know for sure now. Sending it to Canon. But before I do, will test the corners using the same subject (comparing two shots, putting the subject in the left corner on one, right on the other).
p.1 #11 · Sharpness issues on RF 70-200 f/2.8 far left side is blurred
Can you take a photo where everything on the right and left of the frame is on the same plane? A brick wall might be better to test on in this situation.
p.1 #12 · Sharpness issues on RF 70-200 f/2.8 far left side is blurred
UPDATE:
Today's test: water storage tanks about two miles away
70-200 wide open and stopped down to about f5
Same tanks placed in bottom left and right corners by moving the frame for each shot (to rule out atmospheric effects, distance, and/or subject detail issues)
RESULTS:
When shot at f5, both corners are sharp regardless of which corner I focused on
When shot at f2.8, only the corner focused on was perfectly sharp.
The only conclusion I can come to is IBIS may not be able to perfectly align the sensor for infinity focus, so when shot wide open, IBIS will prioritize the alignment of the focused-on side of the frame over the other one.
Strange behavior, but I guess this is the compromise I have to live with for shooting with a sensor that moves. Moving forward when I need to shoot a landscape at f/2.8 or wider, I will try focusing along the bottom middle and see if that more evenly aligns the sensor.
p.1 #14 · Sharpness issues on RF 70-200 f/2.8 far left side is blurred
I remember a Roger Cicala tear down that they had encounter a cracked sensor mount on one of camera's. I don't recall the model maybe this what's causing the problem.
p.1 #15 · Sharpness issues on RF 70-200 f/2.8 far left side is blurred
I agree, the ability to fully disable just the IBIS while leaving the lens IS enabled (for both RF & EF lenses) would be great and would likely simplify and resolve a lot of strange behaviors exhibited by the R5.
p.1 #16 · Sharpness issues on RF 70-200 f/2.8 far left side is blurred
qc_mountain wrote:
I remember a Roger Cicala tear down that they had encounter a cracked sensor mount on one of camera's. I don't recall the model maybe this what's causing the problem.
Francois .
Wasn't that a Sony tear down? IIRC they noted the R5's IBIS seemed robustly constructed... But bad things could still happen and likely eventually will.
From their R5 : tear down: "Weve found some fractures in cameras where the sensor is supported by several screws-through-plastic-tabs. There is one screw tab you can see above, but that was mostly for the cover plate. On all the edges of the Canon unit, the sensor is mounted directly to IBIS plate; no tabs. That doesnt mean it cant break, of course, or glue come loose. But this seems sturdier to me."
p.1 #17 · Sharpness issues on RF 70-200 f/2.8 far left side is blurred
rscheffler wrote:
Wasn't that a Sony tear down? IIRC they noted the R5's IBIS seemed robustly constructed... But bad things could still happen and likely eventually will.
From their R5 : tear down: "Weve found some fractures in cameras where the sensor is supported by several screws-through-plastic-tabs. There is one screw tab you can see above, but that was mostly for the cover plate. On all the edges of the Canon unit, the sensor is mounted directly to IBIS plate; no tabs. That doesnt mean it cant break, of course, or glue come loose. But this seems sturdier to me."
Hope that glue holding the sensor to the IBIS unit is high-temperature stuff
p.1 #18 · Sharpness issues on RF 70-200 f/2.8 far left side is blurred
John_TX wrote:
I agree, the ability to fully disable just the IBIS while leaving the lens IS enabled (for both RF & EF lenses) would be great and would likely simplify and resolve a lot of strange behaviors exhibited by the R5.
I'm think the IBIS assembly has to be energized even if it is not stabilizing. RF lens IS assembly continues to run even if you turn the switch on the lens off. On my RF 24-105 I can hear it making the same sound but it is not stabilizing. Yes the option to stop IBIS stabilizing and allowing the IS to work would be great.
p.1 #19 · Sharpness issues on RF 70-200 f/2.8 far left side is blurred
Did some more testing with IBIS/IS off this afternoon. Same softness/smearing on the left side. Thought I might try something super-obvious removing the B+W clear filter.
Left side is now perfectly sharp just like the right side.
Filter looks immaculately clean, so maybe it could be a manufacturing defect in the glass itself, or maybe having that extra piece of glass that light passes through is occasionally screwing with the IBIS focus calculation. I have a new 77mm B+W clear I'm not using will test that tomorrow. Or hell, I may just remove all my filters and never look back.
p.1 #20 · Sharpness issues on RF 70-200 f/2.8 far left side is blurred
While digging through the Lens Rentals blog earlier today, I read their UV/clear filter test from a few years ago. The B+W filters seemed to pass the optical portion of the test, though they only looked at central performance.
That said, one less layer of glass is one less variable.
On one hand, this is good news since it's an easy fix, if it indeed was the cause of the softness problem. On the other, it still leaves the cause of lockups unexplained.
