Ola H. wrote:
Eeh, have you tried get your lense (and maybe camera) calibrated? Personally I prefer to have a new lense calibrated at a service center if it is not spot on over getting a new sample from the store. I have a feeling that the calibrations done at the (good) service centers are better than what you can expect from the factory. Probably it a matter of fine tuning your lense to your body.
I have tested the lens with both my 1dmk2 and 1dsmk2 and displayed the same flaw. I also did similar test with my 85L, 135L they displayed perfect focus. I did all my test using tripods and cable release as well. I also tried same test with all my zooms with both cameras and they are all perfect.
I can assure you it is the lens and my dealer had the same problem. There were quite a few that email me from this forum displaying the same problem. My 1dmk2 has been calibrated by canon.
Although I have been known to be an 'early adopter', I prefer 'tried and tested' and often prefer the 'last of the old' to the first of the new.
In this situation, I suspect that these 'inconsistencies' and 'known' problems will be worked on internally and resolved and each subsequent manufacturing batch of lenses will incorporate the improvements, a bit like the 24-105L which no longer seems to have the issues it had at launch....
The moral of the story may well be the newer the manufacturing date, the more likelihood that it will incorporate any improvements or adjustments already made.....
pcho wrote:
I have tested the lens with both my 1dmk2 and 1dsmk2 and displayed the same flaw. I also did similar test with my 85L, 135L they displayed perfect focus. I did all my test using tripods and cable release as well. I also tried same test with all my zooms with both cameras and they are all perfect.
I can assure you it is the lens and my dealer had the same problem. There were quite a few that email me from this forum displaying the same problem. My 1dmk2 has been calibrated by canon.
Perry
Now that the 1D Mark III is available, you can easily solve it, using the new "AF Micro Adjustment" feature ... I suppose that the upcoming 1Ds-Mark III will have it too ...
Ola H. wrote:
Eeh, have you tried get your lense (and maybe camera) calibrated? Personally I prefer to have a new lense calibrated at a service center if it is not spot on over getting a new sample from the store. I have a feeling that the calibrations done at the (good) service centers are better than what you can expect from the factory. Probably it a matter of fine tuning your lense to your body.
roli_bark wrote:
Now that the 1D Mark III is available, you can easily solve it, using the new "AF Micro Adjustment" feature ... I suppose that the upcoming 1Ds-Mark III will have it too ...
That focus adjustment is hardly made for different settings for the same lens depending on distance and used aperture value. I don't think this will help.
roli_bark wrote:
Now that the 1D Mark III is available, you can easily solve it, using the new "AF Micro Adjustment" feature ... I suppose that the upcoming 1Ds-Mark III will have it too ...
True but I don't think thats the problem, it is the inconsistancy in focusing thats the problem. Sometimes it is spot on. So even with 1dmk3 which I have ordered would not solve the problem. It really depends when I fine tune the lens, when it is displaying the problem or when it is not displaying the problem. Either way I will still have a problem with the lens this time the inconsistancy will happen in reverse order
Jonas B wrote:
That focus adjustment is hardly made for different settings for the same lens depending on distance and used aperture value. I don't think this will help.
roli_bark wrote:
I've read several people posting here, that this lens is a Fiasco.
Not sure how to relate to this.
Fiasco? In my opinion it is a Yes and No answer to that.
Compared to the EF50/1.4 the 50L is the better lens, to my taste, when comparing the rendering of the OOF parts of pictures. This is valid for highlights as well as for other things normally screaming for attention. The 50L draws these softer and with less double lining. Other differences is the higher contrast at large aperture openings and much less flare/ghosting.
^^Quoting myself there... And the picture quality is far from a fisco.
On the other hand it is a fiasco as you have big problems knowing if your picture will be correctly focused or not. There is a focus shift when stopping down the lens. I can live with that for a longer lens used in a slow pace (like some portrait situations) where you intend to use the largest openings only.
With a 50mm it is another thing. Imo you should be able to use it in the streets, for reportage, for fast work and so on. Well, you can, but only if you stick to f/1.2...
If you have the time and want the best a 50 can make for you it's a great lens. But it still may be a fisco.
Yeah, the "fiasco" is only applied to those the use AF as a crutch...it does have FTM by the way. And you can get minor adjustments done at service centers, but it seems to be that the AF problem is apparent at some Fstops and not at others, so it might be interesting to see if it CAN be fixed. I would say, if you want a 50mm with great color and sharpness, go for it, but be prepared to do a bit of focus adjustment. I voted against it after trying at my local proshop and picked up a manual focus 55mm pentax super takumar with adaptor. If i'm going to be manual focusing alot, why pay the extra bucks for something I can get out of a classic prime (the pentax super takumars and SMC lenses in m42 mount are top quality optics, even though their almost 30 years old...some things were just better in the good ol days).
oh and if you can't tell if its in focus by looking through the viewfinder, you might want to find a new profession/hobby. Sure, it doesn't excuse the fact that the lens isn't perfect (for the price, I can understand wanting it to be) but I'm sure there will be a mkII of this lens. If you really want one, hold out for a year or so...maybe canon will fix it.
My point is that if you like the lens, you could send it in to get it calibrated (preferably with the body for reference despite that you don't want them to touch the body) and hopefully get perfect results. Or do you think its not a calibrational issue?
Ola H. wrote:
My point is that if you like the lens, you could send it in to get it calibrated (preferably with the body for reference despite that you don't want them to touch the body) and hopefully get perfect results. Or do you think its not a calibrational issue?
It's not a calibration issue. Calibration can be done to adjust a lens on an individual basis. This is a more widespread issue affecting most users the same way. The more one stops down, the more it backfocuses, between about F2 and F5.6. I am on my second copy of the 1.2 lens, and while this is better, it still does it occasionally.
Lets put it this way. The lens isn't perfect but it is a very nice lens. I shot with it for around a month and didn't notice the backfocusing issue. If you shoot a lot at less than a meter, stopped down you may notice some focusing issues. If you MF at these distances then its not a problem. I like the ec-s screen for these fast primes.
Depends on what you use it for. If you bought it to use it between f/1.2-f/2 or at relatively far distances, no. But if you shoot pretty tight (headshots, etc.) stopped down to f/2.8 or more you'll likely have trouble with it.
I've had mine calibrated once. Wide-open, it's more accurate than any lens I've ever owned. But stopped down, it's useless. My lens is currently at Canon again to try to resolve the issue, but I suspect they won't be able to do anything with it.
I use mine for basketball and have now used it twice, I'm liking this lens a lot. I am also grateful that I am NOT a pixel peeper, guess you can find bad things in everything if you try hard enough. This was at 1.6 1/800 1600 ISO AI Servo on the N, not the best lighting. I did have some back focusing on a couple of shots but I think it was more my fault then the lens. I really think I'm going to love this lens!!!
also used it after the game for a group pic of the kids in blue, f/5 1/60 came out nice!
For the benefit of posters in this thread that have not kept up with the 50L "hands on" thread, my first 50L was calibrated 3 times by Canon Irvine. Once was even done with the body...and they still could not make the AF perform correctly at all ranges (close and far). So, that lens was sent back to the dealer...and exchanged for another one.... that had the same issues, which I sent back also. I have since tried 3 more copies and all seem to have the same issue, more or less. Backfocus under certain conditions.
One might think that I am negative about the lens, but I am not. As others have pointed out...optically it seems to be a good lens and if you can manually focus under certain conditions, it is good.
I liked the lens and will buy another as soon as Canon fixes the issues...but for now I don't own one.
The lens is not a fiasco, but so far I think Canon's handling of the situation has left some things to be questioned.....
Just for kicks, I took my lens out of the bag last night and shot with it a little. It did well, even at 2.8. I've found this copy of my lens to be pretty darn sharp. Not as sharp wide open as my last one, but very close. I've found 2.2 and 3.2 to be most tricky on this copy.
Here is a 2.8 shot. Notice an almost equal amount in focus both in front of, and behind my daughters eyes.
would not solve the problem. It really depends when I fine tune the lens, when it is displaying the problem or when it is not displaying the problem. Either way I will still have a problem with the lens this time the inconsistancy will happen in reverse order