I was one of the first to get my 40D on its 1st day out and so far very happy with it
but some of my shots at 2.8 were slightly out of focus and also at 200mm at F4 they are too.
So i did some tests and all 3 of my lens front focus slightly.
70-200 F4 is Canon
17-55 Tamron 2.8
105mm macro Sigma
if I manual focus with 10x live view they so much sharper.
whats the best way to correct this front focus problem
I see the on the 1D you can do this in the menu
Is the only way to send it back to Canon and be with out a camera for 3 weeks ?
If you think the body is front focussing then it needs to go back to your local Canon service centre for a calibration, in the UK that is Elstree. Since the body is within warranty this will be free, usually there and back within a week depending on how busy they are.
Yes, on the 1D3 and 1Ds3 there is a MicroAdjust feature but this is really meant by Canon to be an emergency in the field lens adjustment. Personally I still prefer a service centre calibration but this is more than likely just me being lazy!
Since you are past 30 days, the shop won't help you. Call Canon UK on 01737 220000 and ask to be put through to Elstree camera service team. I do have the Elstree number somewhere but can't find it right now.
If you in or around London, might be worth dropping the camera off in person since I find this is often quicker and cheaper than the shipping/insurance cost to send it in. Whenever I have been there I have met photogs from Manchester, Newscastle, Edinburgh, all who have done a down and back to Elstree in a day! Go figure!
I thought it was my sigma macro to start of with
so i sent that to sigma and got that calibrated.
But I was still getting poor macro shots, so then i tried the live view 10x and they were spot on.
So thats when i set it up on a tripod with mirror lock up and cable release.
and it was front focusing, so I was a little miffed with sigma as they charged me £70 and fitted a new usm motor.
So while it was all set up I thought I would try my 70-200 F4 IS Canon lens and low and behold its about the same out.
and Also the same with my Tamron 17-55 F2.8 which I might add is a cracking lens for the price and I think sharper than the canon 17-55 at double the price.
Its a shame on the 40D at this money it is not spot on imho.
I waited ages for this SLR as I came from a 10D which I loved and thought the 20D and 30D were not worth the upgrade.
O well I am just about to ring Canon now as I am over 100miles away so cannot take it in myself.
I have just posted a reply to a similar problem on the 40D flickr group. I have been researching the whole issue of front focussing of 40D myself because i wasn't very happy with my pictures. I got my camera very early on after the release (september) but didn't get a chance to actually use it due to other work and family engagements. From the start is noticed that a lot if not all of my pictures were "soft", out of focus shots or focussed in front of where the actual focus point was. At first I put it down to user error as the 40D was a bit more complicated than I was used to. But having shot with Canons for nearly 20 years I doubt very much that technique is an issue. I have been down the route of shooting various focus charts, but I'm not 100% convinced by them as results can differ very much depending on the shooting conditions. So i have stuck with testing under what for me are "normal" shooting conditions such as portraits.
I found that shooting at close range (2 meters and less) and wide open the problems were very visible. The actual subject was not in focus, but the area approximately 10-20cm in front was sharp. This was the case on all of my most used lenses (17-40mm L, 70-200mm L and 50mm) so I knew that it couldn't be a lens problem. I was lucky to be able to try a 40D of someone else in our local flickr group and my suspicions were confirmed. The pictures taken with this other person's camera using my own lenses were spot on, focussed where it should have been and of a quality that everybody has been raving about.
So, I have spoken to canon's tech support this morning and they have asked me to send the camera in for them to check and repair. Turnaround time will be approximately 2-3 weeks. A bit long to be without a camera, but if it sorts the problem out then I'm a happy bunny.
Moral of my experience is: if you are having problems with your 40D and soft or out of focus pictures, stop taking pictures of focusing charts, borrow a 40D of someone who has got a camera body they are happy with (or ask your shop if you can try one), try your own lenses and see if the results are more satisfying. If they are send your camera back to canon to have it repaired under warranty. Saves a lot of worrying and unhappy picture taking.
right, a little update on my front focus problems on my 40D. Camera has been sent back to Canon (Elstree) and has been returned ... still with the same front focussing issue.
I have spoken to Canon again and they have advised me that if I'm still not happy with the repair work (?!) I can send it back to them for repair or have it replaced. Now having had the unit "repaired" once I doubt very much that sending it in again is going to make much of a difference so I asked for a replacement. Apparently Canon can't do this, but this has to be done by the retailer as this is the point where the money exchanged. Which is understandable, but pants at the same time as I have always had a very good service from my local camera shop so I don't think it is that fair that they get stung with a bad body.
A little interesting note to go with the comment by Alistair regarding shop return policies. Most shops will have this standard 28-30 day return policy, but this really is only for when you change your mind ... for faulty goods the period is a lot longer. I wasn't aware of this, but I am now thanks to Canon. For faulty goods (and I stress the faulty), you can return the product to the retailer within 6 months for a refund, repair or replacement. If the fault develops in this period it is assumed that the fault was there at the moment of purchase. After 6 months you can return it to the retailer/manufacturer for up to 6 years provided you can show that it was a manufacturing fault that caused the failure.
turnaround from sending my camera and receiving it back was 10 days and that is including posting. My experience is that canon and the authorised centres tend to have a quick (7-10 day) turnaround.
i see there's also a registered canon repair cetre in glasgow - just a 50 minutes drive from here - cheaper than postage and perhaps i could collect (weekend to weekend service)
i'll call them tomorrow as the Elstree story from roly72 doesn't sound very promising quality wise...
