p.57 #2 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
@henri
I agree with those who say the loaner has the edge. Have you tried MLU on your camera by any chance? I am not sure at this web sized pictures, but somehow the kind of unsharpness of your camera make me remind lateral motion blur that I noticed sometimes in cameras brought to our store for service where, after a thorough research, the diagnosis was the shock breaker of the mirror was not functioning right. I am just trying to help you getting back the real EOSfun.
@andrew
Congrats! Your pics show what I have seen from many, the mkIII is a great performer when tuned right and in the hands of a good photographer! Thanks for sharing your EOSfun with us!
p.57 #3 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
Wickedfn4u wrote:
"edge" implies close, Hrow picture looks like it was taken with a 100.00 P&S.
That's what I think as well. On my monitor the differences are very clear with the loaner being the best, the 20D clearly in second and the "fixed" 1DMkIII clearly last and far off the pace of even the 20D. The loaner is OK but I think that there may be some improvement available via micro-adjustment. I would be satisfied with that level of performance but only to end this nightmare.
p.57 #6 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
Andrew, that's a mighty fine street sign you got there as well as a very cute kid. I must say that I find it very unfair that you have a camera that seems to work, a cute kid as well as peacocks running thru your neighborhood. However, be aware that the universe will extracted payment and that cute little girl will someday be 14 and you aren't going to believe some of the insanity that will try to be passed off as normal.
p.57 #7 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
Thank you Henry, Jeff, et' al...
I am praying that this really is "fixed". I need to calibrate my 70-200 tonight so I can use it tomorrow. The 300 is a bit long for 6yr old kid soccer fields...
Henry - I sure hope you get yours resolved very soon. I now know the severe frustration levels that one goes through...and not near as long as some people.
I'll tell you this...Regardless of how well it looks now...There will ALWAYS be a little doubt in my mind about using it...and I know I'll pixel peep after every shoot.
And thank you guys for the comments on my daughter...I am definitely proud of her...already feisty like her father...Scary to think about 14.... ugh..
p.57 #9 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
Good point...
However, I get enough stares/comments by the parents as is... I am leaving right now.. If the 70-200 doesn't work well, I'll take the 300 the next time...
p.57 #11 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
Well.. doing the LCD moire calibration on my 70-200 last night showed that I didn't need any at all. However, after shooting a handful of shots at the soccer game today, I noticed they just didn't seem to be tack sharp. I then decided to micro adjust it on the fly to +10 (just like the 300) and my results were great. I shot about 2GB worth of images today and all were very acceptable...most were very sharp. Needless to say I am very pleased.
Here is one shot to show an example.. Crop included.. (not my kid btw.. he was stuck on defense the whole game.. )
Mk3, F2.8, 1/640th, ISO 50, 145mm (70-200IS F2.8) AI Servo, +1/3 EV, Center weighted.
p.57 #12 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
Were you panning in that shot? There isn't any grass in focus anywhere (that I can tell) to verify focal plane. Looks pretty good though.
I also shot about a gig-and-a-half at my sons' soccer clinic today, and this new camera is much better than the first. Since soccer is currently my primary sports usage, this is a good sign. I tried expansion (L-R), but I'm not sure it helped much, as several times the center point moved off the subject, and it lost focus. In general though, results were very good at first glance.
I'll try to get a few examples up tomorrow just for the heck of it.
p.57 #15 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
I have now had some time to shoot with a much newer 1DMkIII courtesy of Allen's Camera, my back-up 20D and my 1DMkIII, that as many of you know, has been problematic. I have taken a lot of time on mine trying to fine tune the micro-adjustment since getting it back from its 3rd trip to Canon. Here's my initial thoughts:
* The newer camera, SN #555XX, works much better. It does exhibit the same tendency to not focus on the same point each time but it is much less severe. Still, there is no reason why a camera of this quality shouldn't be able to achieve a nearly identical focus when shooting a stationary target from a tripod with a cable release. I strongly suspect that this is part of the problem that people using the big guns at wide apertures are seeing. I also have to believe Canon knows they have this problem as it is very obvious on both bodies.
* Apart from from the above, the newer camera acquires focus better, faster and more consistently. Interestingly, it is also much better at AE. My camera remains screwy even after the repair and on occasion just picks something totally random to focus on. I have one frame in a series where it isn't even close to having anything in focus at all. Every other frame in the series is at least reasonable and this one just went nutso.
* My 24-105 performs very well on the new camera at both wide and tele ends with a +5 adjustment. With my camera I can get good tele results with a +15 to +20 MA but then the wide goes to hell. The 20D equals it on the tele and kills it on the wide. The zoom is useless on my 1DMkIII body. The variation in focus points makes MA exceedingly difficult and I suspect, inaccurate.
* At 300mm, my 20D clobbers my 1DMkIII as does the new 1DMkIII.
* By far, the 20D focuses better than my 1DMkIII.
* I would be satisfied with a camera that performed as well as the demo unit loaned to me.
* Canon's line that each of my lenses needs to be calibrated for this body is horse poop. If my lenses work fine on two cameras but not the third then it is not my lenses that are a problem. It is the friggin' body.
* This proves to me that there are good cameras out there and that I am not crazy. Both are reassuring.
As a final thought, going back to the 20D has been an eye-opening experience. It is a very hard thing to do after you get used to a Series 1 body.
p.57 #16 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
Hrow wrote:
* The newer camera, SN #555XX, works much better. It does exhibit the same tendency to not focus on the same point each time but it is much less severe. Still, there is no reason why a camera of this quality shouldn't be able to achieve a nearly identical focus when shooting a stationary target from a tripod with a cable release. I strongly suspect that this is part of the problem that people using the big guns at wide apertures are seeing. I also have to believe Canon knows they have this problem as it is very obvious on both bodies. ...Show more →
Just for clarification, are you shooting Servo or one shot on these? Or does it do the same either way?
* This proves to me that there are good cameras out there and that I am not crazy. Both are reassuring.
p.57 #17 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
Tom_W wrote:
Just for clarification, are you shooting Servo or one shot on these? Or does it do the same either way?
Both could be true.....
I tested in both One Shot and Servo and you can see the same thing. Tripod mount the camera, choose a stationary target. Focus, shoot, defocus. Repeat 5 - 10 times and if your camera is like these two, you are going to notice real differences. On mine the differences are really bad and can range from almost on to total trash. On the loaner you can see them without looking too hard but its a big improvement and is without the wild shifts.
OK, you have a point. I'll change the not crazy to not wrong.
p.57 #19 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
FWIW,
I have been doing a lot of shooting with the M3 in the last few weeks (I was in a slump before that) So far here is my observation: The M3 is a lot better then it was before the BD fix and the firmware update, obviously! I/We are hoping for more improvement. And here is why: Ron just purchase a used M2, we took his out and my M3 out today, shooting them side by side and swapping from one to anthers camera. we noticed when shooting BIF shots the M2 was more consistent in achieving focus when the background was loaded with trees, the M3 would go to the trees and stay there until you repeatedly keep pressing the AF ON button on the subject, than it would get the BIF and "stay focused". (using this term loosely) The M2 would do this without repeatedly hitting the focus button. We took over 1000 shots together, it was hard to tell what camera did better as for keeper rates are concerned. Keep in mind the sky's were rather over cast and the temps were 40 degrees F.
p.57 #20 · ['NEW Fix' UPDATE!] - MkIII AF still broken
apdieb wrote:
The helicopter shots were from a sequence of about 10... Semi-soft... But sharpen up decently.
These are out of lightroom with no sharpening applied. 100% crops are included on some.
Still soft IMO. I don't have it on hand but I have shot of a helicopter flying over my house at about 80m, with 1D II and 300 and you can make out every little detail, including rivets, pressure lines etc.
