10D Focusing Update

I just got off the phone with the Canon USA repair center in

Jamesburg, NJ. I sent in my 10D and 70-200 f4-L lens eight days

ago, to have the AF adjusted. My camera has only shown AF problems

with this lens. I use many EF lenses with this body, but this lens

at 70mm is the only one I can detect has a focusing issue. It

hasn't been a big deal, and I'm not panicking like so many online

users of this body. But I thought it would be nice to take care of

this problem before I head off on vacation later this month. Canon

has had the camera for a week now, and this morning I called for an

update. The young woman on the phone was very pleasant, but when I

told her that the repair concerned a 10D with autofocus problems,

her response was immediate, "Oh that. Oh boy, we are swamped with

those." (Her words, not mine) She thanked me for sending the lens

in along with the body. Many people have sent in their 10D body w/o

any lenses, and it is hard for the technicians to either fully

diagnose or fully effect a repair. She then put me on hold, and

tracked down the technician who was assigned to my camera & lens.

When she came back whe told me (again) that they are totally

swamped, and that my repair would take approximately 15 business

days (from today). That's 3 weeks. Plus the week they've had it

already makes a month. Whoah! As I said, I'm not panicking. I

will have the camera Fedexed to me at my vacation location. But

from my albeit limited experience with CUSA, this is a significant

problem for them. They are handling it quietly, and on a case-by-

case basis, but it was clear to me that it is taxing their resources.

Sorry to hear that...

 

I was considering buying a 10D with 70-200 f/4L... do you think I might run into the same problem? Does it happen with mostly 70-100 f/4L? thanks.

I've been using an EOS 10D with EF 70-200 4L USM for about a month. Just as long as you control AF sensor placement (don't rely totally on fuzzy logic), AF is extremely accurate at all zoom settings. My only complaint is the hellish computer editing required once you shoot a few hundred images!

>> I was considering buying a 10D with 70-200 f/4L... do you think I might run into the same problem? Does it happen with mostly 70-100 f/4L? thanks.

 

I have no idea if you will or will not have the same problem. My guess is you will not. Also, from my experience, there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to which lenses are affected. I also use a 28/1.8, 50/1.4, 85/1.8, 100/2.8, and 24-85 zoom. All focus perfectly. As does the 70-200/4 at all but the short end. At 70mm my example mis-focuses.

Am I the only one around here who thinks Canon needs it collective butt kicked for putting out expensive equipment before all the bugs have been worked out? Did they NOT do a COMPLETE test of this camera before foisting it upon the public? My EOS 3 never did make an accurate exposure using any automated exposure mode and to this day I use it in Manual with a hand held meter! Hell, I've got the money in the bank for the 10D but with the kind of problems I continously see reported about this item I'd just as soon spend the money on a nice WA zoom. HA! It looks like Canon is going to get my money either way!

I dunno.

 

From my point of view, I think we have two things going on regarding the "focus issue";

 

1) People are looking at digital images in *alot* more detail than they ever did with film.

 

2) Alot of people are experiencing the need for "sharpening" for the first time. If an image is unsharp, people first think "out of focus", and then look even harder at the image. Many of the experts (?) seem to think that the camera deliberately produces unsharpened images, thinking that most people would use the more sophisticated software tools. From my perspective, this is one of my personal learning curve issues with the camera.

 

As a case in point, Kent is talking about ONE LENS in a collection. Seems to me (and Kent) that the issue here is a lens problem, and not a body problem.

<P><i>"My EOS 3 never did make an accurate exposure using any automated exposure mode and to this day I use it in Manual with a hand held meter!"</P></i>

 

<P>I mainly shoot chromes and my September 1999 EOS 3 has an accurate meter at all Ev levels. However, the gotcha is you must understand the limits of the metering system and when to apply appropriate compensation or change patterns. The 3's spot meter is an extremely accurate and powerful tool once you learn how to use it. Of course, exposure is somewhat subject to taste. The only thing that sometimes throws me for a loop is NEVEC in Av mode with E-TTL flash.</P>

 

<P>When the EOS 3 was introduced in 1998, the first batch had an error in the metering algorithm that produced underexposure (I think 1.5 stops) at EV6 or lower. In brighter light it was fine. Camera journalists and early adapters cried foul and Canon immediately fixed the firmware on subsequent samples. Incidently, Canon updated the firmware free on those first off the line cameras.</P>

 

<P>On the other hand, both my Nikon FM3A and FE (& my previous N90 and 8008S) overexpose. If I mainly shot print film this would be ok, but all these bodies required -.5 to -1.0 AE comp with chromes. It really isn't a big deal once you understand how it responds.</P>

the problem is the center af point in this camera. dont use it exclusively. and do not use it then recompose.

 

i decided to take my newly replaced 10d out sunday with a lens that has been a problem, only today i didnt use the center opint and recompose. i composed in the viewfinder, placed an outer focus point in the girls eye, and shot.

 

everything is tack sharp on this lens, except that shot at 70-105mm. i may have the lens looked at because it performed that way on a 1ds too.<div></div>

Jeff;

 

REALLY? I have not heard your observation about the center focus point before. Can you elaborate?

 

(Being an old 630 guy, I tend to ONLY use the center focus point. . .)

I'm not an expert, but I've found it faster/easier to use the center AF point only to focus on main point of interest, then recompose and shoot. Using the 7-point AF too often results in the camera picking up other points of interest first, and I have to scan around to "convince it otherwise." No problems with sharpness or exposure of the resulting images. I'm only using a 24-85mm lens so far (tried out a 75-300, but didn't buy), mostly at 100 ISO. I, too, believe that most of the 10D focusing problems are user error, misunderstanding of sharpness, and over-examination of images at high magnification on the computer.