Mark II focusing problems before the "N" version

[chris_alcock]

I bought the Canon Mark II before the "N" model came out, and then heard from

some pro photographer friends that there were focusing problems with the model

I bought, but Canon won't admit it. I have noticed that I don't get as sharp

photos with my canon than with my previous Nikon system. Has anyone else

heard of these foucusing problems? I am so frustrated, I consider switching

all my equipt back to Nikon. Also, I heard that you can send your camera and

lenses to canon to "Mate" them together so they function better. Anymore

truths? Thanks.

[mark u]

Read this to understand how to get the best out of the AF system:

 

http://www.photoworkshop.com/canon/EOS_Digital.pdf

 

It also provides advice about having your body and lenses calibrated, should that prove necessary.

[john_macpherson]

Dont know about the non-N version, but here's my N experience.

 

Do you mean 'sharpness' problems, or 'focusing' problems?

 

If 'sharpness' then it probably comes down to the amount of sharpening you need to do to images in processing - they might not look crisp out of the camera, but sharpen perfectly in PS.

 

If 'focusing' - ....hmm, I got a 1DMk2n, and it was defective right out of the box. Only problem was I didn't know it. I was doing a lot of action stuff when I bought it, and this was partly the reason for getting it (leaping wild dolphins) and already using a 1DsMk2 with superb results - razor sharp images (using 300 f2.8 IS) and I just wanted a higher frame rate.

 

The 1D2n was a surprise, as I could get very few frames in focus. I could see the zones of focus clearly in images - frame 1 was out, frame 2 was in focus, frames 3,4,5,6,7,8, etc were all over the place, front and back of the subject, although the subject hadn't moved from the 'zone of focus' that was captured in frame 2.

 

It took some time for me to figure this out, and by the time I realised it was the camera, and not my abilities, I'd lost hundreds of irreplaceable shots. Cameras do get delivered with problems from time to time.

 

Canon fixed it no problems, replacing some chunk of focus mechanism, and now it works astonishingly well.<div></div>

[muirne81]

Using the 1Ds Mark II and 1Ds at work I've noticed some problems focusing in "interesting light". It's really a problem for us. We saw the problem in multiple bodies with different L lenses and got [useless] stock answers when we spoke with Canon, basically denying there was a problem.

 

I have also heard about the calibration "mating"--sounds awfully sordid for what are basically boxes of glass and electricity--but just about the possibility, not actual results.

 

Ho hum.

[muirne81]

I should add that it's not only an AF issue. Even manually selecting focus is ineffective.