According to this note over on NSN, a couple of the most experienced photogs over there tried to use a new MkIII from inside the affected serial range, but one that Canon said was good, and the much discussed focus issues showed up at -9 Celsius (16 degrees Farenheit.) The main point of the author is that the problem would seem to have little to do with heat. (That temp is lower than the lower boundry of the camera's operating range, according to the manual, but only by about 15 degrees.) Eeeks.
The AF issue is related to a rubber seal that holds the sub mirror. Now, rubber can be a tricky thing because its properties depend quite a lot on temperature. When cooled to below its so called glass temperature, it's completely rigid, which usually is well below freezing, though this depends on the specific rubber compound. Above it's glass temperature the stiffness will drop dramatically to a point where it will have the characteristic springy elasticity. Raise the temperture more and the elasticity drops.
So at the high end of the temperature range you might have a rubber seal that's too sloppy, and the (too) cold end of the operating range you have the same rubber that has become too stiff.
But... What it boils down to is this: Stick to the recommendations. If a manufacturer gives you an operating range, then don't complain if the product doesn't work, or doesn't work properly, outside that range. That range hasn't been set without reason.
CarlG wrote:
I thought the problem revolved around autofocus in Servo mode on hot, bright sunny days. How is he going to accurately replicate the heat factor in the middle of November, in the U.S.?
I'm amazed at the number of blue dot owners that have intentions of testing their new camera next week...or maybe the week following that. Bloody hell, point the thing at a car moving past your house and help the rest of us out will ya ?
It is brand new!! Never used before body but fixed in the factory or at some Canon service center. Chad, what are your initial impressions concerning AF?
Not to get into a big discussion on if you should micro adjust your lenses or not, I have always been a believer that if the tool is there why not use it, so that being said, I adjust all of my lenses using the lens adjustment in the camera with a focus chart. I have found this to be a very useful tool when shooting very shallow DOF in model photography. So, I have been adjusting all of my lenses indoors. I have one more to do, My initial impressions are:
Before this camera my lenses had to be adjusted all over the place from -10 to +15 I have always felt something was wrong if this was happening with this camera and my 1D2 was always consistent across my lens line up.
I am very please to say that all of my lenses so far are adjusted within +or- 3 that is a huge improvement over last 3 bodies I had, I will soon be heading out to get some static shots of birds, its 39f and cloudy, I will not get any BIF shots till Sunday (hopefully) weather permitting.
So far, as I said earlier the AIservo seems much more stable on static objects.
Lenses tested: like I said they all are very close to each other now. I always take 3 shots to make sure that I did achieve consistent focus for each lens, all three shots for each lens were spot on to each other
85 f1.8
135 f2
100 f2.8
24-70 f2.8
70-200 f2.8
300 f4
500 f4
Normcar21 wrote:
"...I apologize to Jeff, and to all of the others that I shat on, thinking that I knew what was going on. Clearly I was in error and you guys were absolutely correct, the canon family was nasty. Now they seem to be apologizing. I sincerely hope that their apology will even begin to solve the problems that they have caused. I can only assume that their motive was to chase Nikon.
I hope that Jeff again becomes moderator of this forum. Sorry, Jeff, you were right."
Normcar21 wrote:
"Just kidding, glad you voiced your appreciation because I've been a bit of a shit on this over the past few months because I thought I knew what I was talking about. I perhaps assisted the loss of a great moderator and hope that Jeff returns. I never wanted him to leave in the first or last place, and was bothered when he was gone.
All that I can do is apologize, no excuses, nothing else."
I appreciate the sentiments Norm, but I won't be returning. Your situation wasn't the cause of my leaving, it was merely the catalyst, the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. On a personal level there were very few reasons for me to continue to do the job I was doing; few appreciate the role of a moderator, and these gear forums tend to get a bit laborious. I have a family and have better things to do with my time than donate it to a non-charity organization. I am thankful to have been able to help the few that I did, and hope that Fred can find some others to help out around here, and to be able to make (at least some of) the changes that have been promised for so long. Things are pretty smooth at the moment, but as anyone who's been around here for any length of time would know, it's only a matter of time before things get pretty sporty.
Secondly, I just got back from shooting 400+ BIF shots with my "Blue Dot" M3.. all I can say is that it is fixed, it reminds me of how things were when I was shooting my M2.
I think you all will be very pleased with the fix.
I will post some shots on my PBase account shortly. I will provide a link in a few.
deadeyedick wrote:
I'm amazed at the number of blue dot owners that have intentions of testing their new camera next week...or maybe the week following that. Bloody hell, point the thing at a car moving past your house and help the rest of us out will ya ?
The problem deadeye is if I test in a way that I did not with the others how do I know it is working in the same way? Shoot what ya know, and I don't know how the other bodies would do against a car.
I can tell you this, shot my fist soccer match with the new body and it is spot on. Just like, and I have to say from first blush better then, my M2's did.
Oh, and to Normcar21, thanks, wish some other nay sayers would step up too.
72chevelle454 wrote:
First of all Thanks Jeff for your hard work.
Secondly, I just got back from shooting 400+ BIF shots with my "Blue Dot" M3.. all I can say is that it is fixed, it reminds me of how things were when I was shooting my M2.
I think you all will be very pleased with the fix.
I will post some shots on my PBase account shortly. I will provide a link in a few.
Very good 72chevelle454 shots indeed it seems that the Fix work fine but can you make a short description of the AF settings you have used to take these so well focused photos.... of cource AiServo (but did you select automatically the point of autofocus or you sellected a fixed one maybe the center? Also did you use expansion Left right or what please help us to estimate the fix....
dvarnav wrote:
Very good 72chevelle454 shots indeed it seems that the Fix work fine but can you make a short description of the AF settings you have used to take these so well focused photos.... of cource AiServo (but did you select automatically the point of autofocus or you sellected a fixed one maybe the center? Also did you use expansion Left right or what please help us to estimate the fix....
I saved my settings from my previous M3, I loaded them on the new one, calibrated the lenses, and had a much, much. much better keeper rate. Did I say much better
A few settings that I used and have always used.
Center focus point (99% of the time) lately, I have found that if you shooting BIF you can use 45 point with great success.
72chevelle454 wrote:
Center focus point (99% of the time) lately, I have found that if you shooting BIF you can use 45 point with great success.
Center point Expanded. not left right.
Chad
Chad about shooting BirdsIF .... when you say you I can use 45 point you mean to let the 1D to assign automatically the one of the 45 points to focus or something else ?
dvarnav wrote:
Chad about shooting BirdsIF .... when you say you I can use 45 point you mean to let the 1D to assign automatically the one of the 45 points to focus or something else ?
Yes, select 45 point and let the camera choose, in AiServo of course. Just remember you will not see any light up in Ai servo mode.
Thanks for posting those. Reminescent of my Mk II days - very consistent tracking (although the 5D is no slouch either but it isn't quite up to the same level for that kind of photography).
