p.40 #1 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
However, there is some seriously weird stuff going on with this camera, and as I've said before, it's not heat, it's bright light. At certain angles to the sun, the thing chronically front focuses:
p.40 #4 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
Clearly, even the 'good' cameras have some fairly serious focusing problems, but only in very specific circumstances, and I have now seen some odd 'focal plane' issues with this camera, too:
p.40 #5 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
And a 50% crop from the right side, showing that even though there is plenty in focus on the left side of the image, nothing can be found on the right side that is even close to critically sharp:
p.40 #6 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
At least the camera is somewhat usable under these circumstances, and mostly usable overall. I used it in One-Shot mode quite a bit with the 70-200/2.8L IS, and got great results all around. But, something is clearly amiss, even with this relatively 'recent' production camera, as we all know...
p.40 #7 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
Hrow wrote:
Just got off the phone with Canon for the gizzilionth time after they didn't keep a scheduled call appointment, or return calls and played customer hand-off. At least they have come to their senses and decided that focusing with the * button is not the cause of the problems. I guess this is progress, not that they are willing to do anything to actually correct the situation but they are getting less idiotic about it. Moving up the food chain - hopefully - will see if I get a promised call from someone higher up in Customer Relations.
Better still, double up and escalate both of your issues to customer service at their head office.
Jeff, you're much more patient than I could ever hope to be regarding something like this. At what point does a "lemon law" come into play? It's a pro level sports camera. That's like buying a high performance car that will only sometimes make it over 60.
Edited by AJ Nadershahi on Feb 10, 2008 at 11:24 PM GMT
p.40 #9 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
I looked at some shots with the 1DMkIII that I took on Friday while doing an inspection of an historic bridge that we are trying to preserve. When the focus point was on a high contrast area the focus was always spot on. As the contrast level decreased so did focus accuracy - noticeable erratic. Some on, some off. Took a few of one the people there, focusing on the face, and there is not one single frame that has anything in focus. I mean nothing. I mean worse than an Instamatic.
These weren't complex shots. Point the expensive camera with the expensive lens at the persons face - get focus confirmation and shoot. (24-105 @ 105 - 1/250 - F7.1 - IS On) Because some types of shots are in very sharp focus and others are just wacko, I can rule out a consistent front or back focus problem. Calibration wouldn't help. Something else is going seriously wrong. At this point the camera is totally unusable and is actually worse than before getting "fixed".
I have two major events coming up in three weeks plus an on-going project that has ground to a halt before really getting started and I'm beginning to feel very screwed.
p.40 #11 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
Here is a four burst set from last week. You can see the center spot is right on, but the area that is focused is the dirt which is about 5 or 6 feet in front of the horses. One frame in focus and 3 OOF. I surely can't use these photos, or hope that the one crossing the finish line is the one in focus. http://matthewjamesphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/4320029_qoGdV#253354521_KwxuV-O-LB
p.40 #12 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
Hi Jeff,
Jeff wrote:
And here's where the focal plane was (I used center-point):
thank you for exhibiting THIS one. I got a brand-new cam as exchange for my former III on friday and was very curious, as I have a "roof-on-the-other-side-of-the-street" with some sun-collectors, where I focus on, and a tree in the very front get in focus. Very strong effect with 35L, accurate with 16-35L same conditions, accurate with 35L on less-contrasty-cloudy weather. So... story going on with strange things...
CANON NEVER got into a discussion with me on this particular ONE-sh.t problem...
p.40 #15 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
Oliver Francke wrote:
CANON NEVER got into a discussion with me on this particular ONE-sh.t problem...
Nope, they never admitted as much to me, either, even after replacing my first camera. The lingering issues would likely be impossible to discretely separate from submirror issues, thus only with a 'working' camera do issues like this become glaringly obvious, even though it also happened to 'pre-fix' cameras, as well.
The one thing I'd reiterate about this is that, at least in my case, it seems to be a very specific set of circumstances that causes these effects (in both AI Servo and One-Shot). I got some great shots skiing yesterday, but when the camera missed, it missed big. Directional and/or reflected (specular) light seems to be somehow related, and perhaps only at specific angles (I should try a CP, but I think it's been done). Heat clearly has nothing to do with it (being winter in the US, perhaps Canon parroting the 'heat issue' saved scores of people from testing their cameras in relatively low temperatures, showing it not to be the case ).
p.40 #17 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
Would it not be an advantage to do these tests with something that does not have very fast vertical movements as well as the one you are testing for. (Clothing, facial tissue, etc. can have very fast vertical movements when running.)
p.40 #18 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
Brynjar wrote:
Would it not be an advantage to do these tests with something that does not have very fast vertical movements as well as the one you are testing for. (Clothing, facial tissue, etc. can have very fast vertical movements when running.)
Not if this is how I use my camera.
Feb 13, 2008 at 02:49 PM
Guest
Guest
p.40 #19 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
).