Canon 10D - Canon can't seem to fix the focus

[zaptrax]

Canon has now had my EOS 10D body in their shop three times and the

camera still cannot accurately focus on the test target. As you can

see from the image below (a corp form the orginal), the camera back-

focuses.

 

Any suggestions about what I should do now to get Canon to fix it or

replace it?

 

Test done with the updated AF target, camera locked down on tripod,

center focus point, one shot, JPEG large. The image posted is from

an 85mm f/1.8 lens. I aslo tested the camera and had similar results

with 17-40mm L f/4.0, 24-70mm L f/2.8, 70-200mm L f/4.0. 50mm f/1.4,

50mm f/2.5 Macro, and 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IS.)<div></div>

[gerry_szarek]

Zap, I assume you have tried to manually focus the 10d? Did you try setting the focus point to the center then let the autofocus do it's thing. I have noticed in some light situations the camera would focus on stuff either too close or far away at random. The other thing to try is change the ambient light source to something like sunlight, or bare bulb (try not to use the energy efficient flourescant (sp) bulbs they seem to cause havoc with the autofocus).

 

While on vacation I was at a location with mixed lighting and the autofocus just hunted, would confirm it got focus however the image was out. So much for mind reading autofocus.

 

Gerry

[PuppyDigs]

"Would you spend $1,500 for a camera that can't focus better than this? "

 

I feel extremely fortunate and blessed that my 10D focuses accurately. In fact, I couldn't happier. Why don't you return your camera to the dealer? If they won't exchange or refund your money, do a chargeback through your credit card company. I had to do that with Honest Abe's once. The whole process took a few months but I got my bread back. That whole ordeal caused me to switch from Nikon to Canon!

 

With that said, I have never used a camera with accurate AF enough focus for macro subjects. AF sensors are too large to snag small targets. In other words, the camera often grabs something a little ahead or behind your intended plane of focus, manual focus and rocking back 'n forth works better.

[yadayadanoonecares]

Seems to me this was a bad testpattern (image doesnt show what was cropped and/or where the focus square was in the viewfinder).

 

The pattern in horizontally oriented in the image, the centersensor is a cross-type, which by failure of finding conclusive contrast from left to right (horizontal black only / horziontal white only, or bit of both but oriented top down) will focus using it's vertical sensor.

Add to that the sensor is 2.5 times as long as the box in the viewfinder, with an 'inner' and 'outer' part of the sensor. It will take the 'part' that has 'highest' contrast. The lines below the box will be so close the contrast seems low to the camera, the lines more up seem more apart in this perspective, thus having more acute contrast.

 

Result: AF does it's thing, which looks as backfocus.

 

I tried simmilair tests myself, and focus seemed all over the place.

 

However, in real-world situations, and keeping in mind the 2.5x size AND orientation of the sensors (see the schema posted all over the net of the 10d af sensor layout), I can now focus reliably with my 10d.

 

The ONLY way to check if your 10d frontfocussus is using the way canon described:

 

put a newspaper FLAT on a wall, use a tripod and adequate lighting, use AF, and take the picture (NOT from an odd angle like here, but 'dead on'), if it's sharp, the 10d doesnt front or backfocusses.

 

Fiddle around, when I had my 10d for about a day or 2 I was ready to bring it to canon for 'calibration', but I found out just in time it wasnt neccesary, I just needed to see the AF sensor layout scheme, did the 'flat newspaper' test, and concluded my 10d was fine.

 

My and my 10d get along just fine since that.

 

If you do want to do the test from the angle and with the pattern you used, you might try to hard-select either the TOP or BOTTOM af area. These only have horizontal sensors, and thus should not 'wobble' back and forth in 'depth' so much.

 

Hope this helps, and really hope that your 10d is fine. If it isn't, i've read in various forums that Canon service will do a pretty good job.

[yaldo op]

1. make sure you use a time delay or extrernal shutter trigger.

2. remove all filters.

 

3. only class action suit will move canon. take them to small claim court or look for someone who will do the class action

[fotografz]

Since I had read about so many focusing problems with the 10D,

I tested mine right out of the box the day I got it.

 

I use a metal ruler on a 45 degree angle horizonal to the floor

with a thin red air can straw taped in the middle on an inch mark.

There is nothing but a plain white backdrop behind this set up to

avoid any focusing conflicts. The camera is on a tripod square

on to the ruler and I use a cable release or self timer. I did a

series manually and AF focusing on the straw using each of my

lenses, but concentrating on the f/1.4 Ls wide open as close as I

could get. In almost every case the AF did a better job than I did

manually.

 

The point of using the red air can straw is that it provides

something real for the AF to lock on, with nothing in the

background to conflict with it.

[chuck_dowling]

I also found that chart to be not a good test for the 10D, for the reasons mentioned above concerning the focus sensor size and characteristics as related to the focus rectangle. Your test chart as shown is tilted and skewed, and there is no way of seeing where you placed the rectangle. Did you only use the center rectangle? What mode did you use? Hopefully not ADEP, etc. I used the newspaper test also, camera perpendicular to the newspaper. No focus problem as far as I can tell. I did my testing handheld. In practical use, I have taken several thousand shots with my 10D, and see no focus issues, except for my own errors. YMMV.

[whayne_padden]

It still seems a worry that people are having trouble with something as mundane as AF. I expect to pick up my camera (EOS 3) and just shoot and not have to worry about doing this or that. This test may not be a good one to check the 10D's AF but so many people are having issues they can't all be imagining it. Has any one heard of any other EOS camera causing such concerns. I haven't and this is just another reason I will wait for something with a far better AF system (as in EOS3/1V/1D/1Ds) to come out before I get into digital.

 

And please no flaming from happy 10D customers, I know most people don't have any issues, but there seem to be a siginificant number that do and I just don't expect that from a high end EOS camera.

[zaptrax]

As I said in the orginal post, this was a crop from the full test chart (see new image posted of the full frame.) Yes, I used the center focus point. Yes, I let the camera "do its thing". A few of the suggestions seem a bit silly. This is a camera used to photograph people, animals, landscapes not a copy stand camera. If the only valid test is shooting a newspaper (which I did and the camera's AF failed), then it has a worthless autofocus system. I did the same test with my EOS-3 and 17 out of 18 test shots were perfectly focused on the target.

 

So, I guess it's back to Canon.<div></div>

[zaptrax]

Even shooting a flat target didn't produce better results. This test was done with a 24-70mm L f/2.8 lens wide open at 70mm.<div></div>

[cole_...]

I've read defense after defense to explain/excuse away the reporting frequency of the 10d focus "problem". My conclusion is that most focus well, while (many) others do not. This appears to be a "flaw rate" at a higher frequency than any recent Canon AF. Your images are not sharp and you've followed all the steps to remove extraneous variables. Send it back and request it be replaced this time.

[gerry_szarek]

Zap, your autofocus is shot! The phone book test or newspaper on the wall with auto vs manual is very convincing. When you send the camera to canon be sure to include the phone book photo's to give the tech's some help. Unfortunately I can't think of anything else for ideas to help you.

 

FYI, I had a Hexar RF that was sold to me by a Leica forum member that had focus issues, needless to say for $50 + shipping and a 2 week wait Konica/Minolta in NJ fixed it to work with my Leica lenses.

 

The first thing I did with my 10d was run a series of focusing tests, and it worked great! My only issue right now is my 100~400 vivitar series I zoom appears to eat canon batteries, at best I get only 200 shots with it! Since this isn't an issue with my 17~40 F4 L lens, I assume it's the vivitar which will be replaced soon (yes my birthday, wedding anniversary and Christmas gift) with 70~200 F2.8 L/IS .

 

Good luck and let us know how the fix came out.

 

GS

[michelle_peterson]

It seems like the only thing you can do at this point is insist on a new camera. Did you buy it mail order or locally?

[jewon_lee]

It seems like it is definitely wrong and I saw similar case many time especially in Korean site. They started boycott on Canon 10D.

If you can read Korean or if you have Korean friends, you may want to visit this site

 

http://www.slrclub.com/bbs/view.php?id=service&no=166

[e_lin]

hey. i was wondering if this problem is still going on. has it been fixed? does that mean its not safe to buy a 10d off of ebay? should i go with the digital rebel with the crappy plastic case. at least the 10d looks cool. what about the d60? is there a huge difference between the two?

[jeff_l2]

Just to share my experience...

 

I've brought my 10D to Canon at Irvine this morning for the third time again in one month (I'm grad I work near by the Canon). After hearing my complaint, the gentleman at reception desk asked me to wait for 10 minutes while he sent my camera & Lense to Technician for evaluation in hoping they can figure it out quickly. A while later he came out with my 50mm 1.8 said my 10D was focus dead on with it and there could be back focus problem with my 24-85mm lens and technician was working on it. After one hour, He asked me to leave everything, including the 50mm he said was OK and returned to me already, to him for further examination and I would get it back in about a week.

 

Although he kept me for an hour, I'm actually happy that they seemed found my complaint to be valid and want to look into it in more detail. The worst thing would be I come with

 

dissatisfaction & frustration but they say there is nothing wrong with the camera (that was what I afraid before I went to them).

 

In the second time of my visit to Canon Irvine, there was another person picking up his 10D for focus problem but had to send it back in immediately for back focus problem after he tried the camera right there.

 

I'm not trying to accuse Canon Irvine of bad service. In fact, I'm happy with them so far. My point is, from my own experience, Canon does have focusing problem with few of its 10Ds and once one has it it seems not a easy problem to fix.

 

I hope I can be a happy shooter after I get my camera back this time. Till then, I have to live with the fact that I spend $1,500 for a camera I'm not happy with.