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MARK III AUTOFOCUS FIX

Chuck Liddy, Photographer

Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 12:24 AM on 06.27.07

->> so after 34 years of shooting nikon the jig is up. I was issued my two mark III's today. I have been a little worried reading all the threads about the autofocus problems so I started wading through the manual fixing all the settings but wanted to shoot some test photos. surprisingly I didn't have a single focusing problem. there is this little setting you folks might wanna try...it's called MANUAL focusing. we did it that way in the dark ages. works pretty damn good and those high ISO files are sweet. so if you are having trouble with your auto focus.....try it old school.... let your fingers, eyes and reflexes do the work.

Andrew Wilz, Photographer

	Aspen \| CO \| usa \| Posted: 12:30 AM on 06.27.07
	->> thank god there's some sanity left on this site. Chuck... thanks for being the voice of reason. Most guys who shoot action sports stuff seem to have the manual-focus-thing dialed... wish its virtues were more widely extolled.

Yamil Sued, Photographer, Photo Editor

	Peoria \| AZ \| USA \| Posted: 12:31 AM on 06.27.07
	->> LOL!!! I remember that Manual Focus thing!! You mean that big rubber coated ring on the lens?? Heck, that might work OK!! Y

Pedro Diaz, Photographer

	Miami Beach \| FL \| United States \| Posted: 7:05 AM on 06.27.07
	->> A $5000 camera and can't use the AF, mmmmmmm, i will still using my proven MarkII...

Jerome Davis, Photographer

	Rochester \| NY \| USA \| Posted: 7:45 AM on 06.27.07
	->> I wouldn't call it a fix. Are you saying that after using manual focus, your auto focusing system is working? Now that would be a fix.

Walter Calahan, Photographer

	Westminster \| MD \| USA \| Posted: 8:18 AM on 06.27.07
	->> Laughing Out Loud!!!!!!!!!!!

David Harpe, Photographer

Louisville | KY | USA | Posted: 8:35 AM on 06.27.07

->> A side note:

Manual focusing with Live View in a studio setup is completely awesome. Just frame the shot, then maginfy to 5x to set focus. It works particularly well with tilt/shift lenses to visualize how your shot will end up looking (DOF preview works in Live View).

Another handy use is when you're shooting over your head in a press gaggle. Kick on Live View, hold the camera over your head and manual focus while looking at the LCD. Much better than hoping you are pointing the AF box at the correct location - or that auto is selecting the correct focus point.

Manual focus isn't dead!

Christopher Koutsis, Photographer

	huntington \| ny \| USA \| Posted: 9:13 AM on 06.27.07
	->> I fixed my brand new porsche...I "kicked it old school" and cut a hole in the bottom of the car and run just like the Flinstone's used to.

Chris Peterson, Photographer, Photo Editor

	Columbia Falls \| MT \| USA \| Posted: 9:40 AM on 06.27.07
	->> Chuck, can I buy your F4 and your 400 2.8 ED? That's what you were using, before, right? (You know, just hammer away and twist that lens. Ahhh, the good old days. I got Jim Kelly's last play as a Buffalo Bill that way.) I take that back. My 400 was a 3.5 (sweet lens).

Eric Isaacs, Photographer

	Santa Barbara \| CA \| USA \| Posted: 9:45 AM on 06.27.07
	->> Yamil Said: "You mean that big rubber coated ring on the lens??" I thought that was a loose grip so I crazy glued it in place... You mean that thing actually does something?

Jim Bounds, Photographer

	Raleigh \| NC \| usa \| Posted: 10:40 AM on 06.27.07
	->> Maybe Sports Shooter Academy Boot Camp should be all MANUAL focusing? That would be a test of skills!!!

Jim Colburn, Photographer

	Omaha \| NE \| USA \| Posted: 10:45 AM on 06.27.07
	->> "it's called MANUAL focusing" How do you focus with the instruction manual?

Walter Calahan, Photographer

	Westminster \| MD \| USA \| Posted: 11:12 AM on 06.27.07
	->> Jim, see your ophthalmologist.

Greg Ferguson, Photographer

	Scottsdale \| Az \| USA \| Posted: 11:26 AM on 06.27.07
	->> You might also want to get a tripod to help steady the shots when the IS in the lens isn't working right.

Darren Whitley, Photographer

	Maryville \| MO \| USA \| Posted: 11:46 AM on 06.27.07
	->> Yes, but my fingers still prefer the black-lens method of focus. I've never been able to train them on the white lenses.

Thom Kendall, Photographer, Assistant

	Sunderland \| MA \| USA \| Posted: 11:55 AM on 06.27.07
	->> David, Let's review... you're shooting over a pigpile of humanity in front of you, so one would assume a downward camera angle as you're holding the camera over your (and everyone else's) head, so that would put the LCD facing up and away from you as you "manual focus"...Sounds no more effective than the traditional "Hail Mary"! ;)

Dave Amorde, Photographer

	Lake Forest \| CA \| USA \| Posted: 12:09 PM on 06.27.07
	->> I thought that was a spare zoom ring! I suppose you expect me to remember which is which, and which direction they turn, too. "This is my rifle, this is my gun..." I took Manual Focusing out for margueritas the other night. I had focusing problems for hours, but it was a damn good time.

David Harpe, Photographer

	Louisville \| KY \| USA \| Posted: 12:29 PM on 06.27.07
	->> Thom, It actually works pretty good once you get the hang of it. Yeah, if you're in one of the walking mobs it's probably not any simpler than a hail mary. But in a static mob it works great.

Chuck Liddy, Photographer

Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 5:01 PM on 06.27.07

->> greg, don't need the IS.....the DT's only come when I'm off work. plus, what the hell do ya'll think we did before "image stabilization" in the first place? part of the craft is learning to use the equipment. I actually think (after some of the emails I have received) that quite a few of these "sportsshooters" should have been handed manual focus film cameras before they decided this is what they wanted to be when they grow up. but as one email I received today said, " if manual focus was the norm I think there would only be 300 members of sportsshooter instead of 5000." I would have to agree after all the (sorry in advance) whining about the new mark III. because quite frankly the high ISO files are absolutely amazing.

Aaron Rhoads, Photographer

	McComb \| MS \| USA \| Posted: 5:09 PM on 06.27.07
	->> "image stabilization" ha! I plant my feet wide apart and use my stomach..I mean my chest. Heck I've used my shoulders to stablize my long lense.

Chuck Liddy, Photographer

	Durham \| NC \| USA \| Posted: 5:12 PM on 06.27.07
	->> aaron!!! there ya go...that's what I'M talking about!!

Craig Melvin, Photographer

Olean | NY | US | Posted: 8:19 AM on 06.28.07

->> Hello again,
Following a call to a Canon Pro Services tech, he was very helpful, even made CF changes for me. I again shot full auto, but single point.
I shot 390 frames of my six year olds soccer game. It was beautiful evening light. 75% of those images were backfocused by 4-6 inches, and 50% were just out of focus. Many of those were 20 frame bursts of six year olds running directly at me.

My original thoughts on how I set my CF's were superior to his reccomendations. I was even told to put the AF on "slow".
I'll listen to what he has to say today. And if there is no fix, I'll return it and wait for generation two. (I usually wait for generation two)

The Mark II N's in the same test would have blown it away.

He also said it is user error, as this is a new autofocus system, ultra sensitive.

He told me to take my 300, 400 and 600, tripod them, and do a focus test on a flat stationary object. (CF III: Auto focus/drive, 7-2) Then set it according to the sharpest one. I will do that, and test again, if it fails, its returned.

And yes, if it was the old days, I'd not be waisting time on this subject as I have zero problems manual focusing for 25 years, but with today's amazing products we have to run with (or try) the technology.

Craig Melvin

Walter Calahan, Photographer

	Westminster \| MD \| USA \| Posted: 9:38 AM on 06.28.07
	->> "this is a new autofocus system, ultra sensitive" Sounds a little over engineered for "real world" use until one dials the camera in. The Mk III is better than the users. Interesting.

Greg Ferguson, Photographer

Scottsdale | Az | USA | Posted: 4:25 PM on 06.28.07

->> "->> "this is a new autofocus system, ultra sensitive"

Sounds a little over engineered for "real world" use until one dials the camera in.

The Mk III is better than the users. Interesting."

So... what they're telling us is that the photo was meant to be focused at that particular focal plane, because that's what the camera did, it did the right thing and it knows best.

Which makes me wonder, if the camera did the right thing... was the subject standing in the wrong place?

Or, was the photographer in the wrong place?

Or, were they in the right place but at the wrong moment?

So why don't they build into cameras the ability to shift time and relocate objects and take us out of the equation completely?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity

JohnPaul Greco, Photographer, Assistant

	Milwaukee \| WI \| USA \| Posted: 10:20 PM on 06.28.07
	->> Any news when Canon will re-release the MkIII with the "problem" fixed,...(if there is any)..? :-o JP

Yamil Sued, Photographer, Photo Editor

	Peoria \| AZ \| USA \| Posted: 11:38 PM on 06.28.07
	->> Greg, You are making my head hurt, really, really bad!! ;) How did you come up with that???...... Never mind, I don't want to know!! Y

Greg Ferguson, Photographer

	Scottsdale \| Az \| USA \| Posted: 12:06 AM on 06.29.07
	->> It's just my view of the world leaking out. Besides, it's Canon that's doing it, we're just hanging on trying to understand what's going on.

Chuck Liddy, Photographer

	Durham \| NC \| USA \| Posted: 12:18 AM on 06.30.07
	->> wow. I got an inappropriate from someone for starting this thread. weirdness

Aaron Rhoads, Photographer

	McComb \| MS \| USA \| Posted: 12:46 AM on 06.30.07
	->> Yeah, Chuck I'm all for people having to explain why they think something is funny, informative or inappropriate. Id be willing. $10 says I get one of those inappropriates just for leaving the post.

Yamil Sued, Photographer, Photo Editor

	Peoria \| AZ \| USA \| Posted: 1:04 AM on 06.30.07
	->> What is so inappropriate about Manual Focusing?? I have done it countless times!! Y

Daniel Bates, Photographer, Assistant

	Taylor \| TX \| United States \| Posted: 11:34 AM on 06.30.07
	->> I think people might be annoyed because of prior expectations... they thought there might be some technical tip to help their Mark III's AF system perform better, but they get a joke instead. Besides, manual focusing isn't really a fix for an autofocus system, regardless of what Canon might say to that effect when asked about the 50/1.2L. Grin.

Chuck Liddy, Photographer

	Durham \| NC \| USA \| Posted: 12:13 PM on 06.30.07
	->> so now the site has a "joke" policeman....great. 8)))

Phillip Davies, Photographer

Garden City | NY | US | Posted: 11:51 PM on 06.30.07

->> Canon is one of the sponsors of the Empire Challenge Charity football game that was played at Hofstra University last night.

I saw at least 3 canon Canon Reps shooting the game. One of them had a Mark III with a 400mm F2.8. I asked him about the focusing problem. He said "That's one of the reason's I'm shooting this game with the Mark III tonight." He went on to say that Canon is very aware of the concerns regarding the AF on the Mark III, they are just trying to determine if it's actually the camera, or that the photographers are just not familiar with how sensitive the AF is on this camera. His analogy was that the Mark II was like a like an American muscle car, but the Mark III is like a high performance European sports car.

I'm not exactly sure what that means, but thought I would pass it on.

Slobodan Juric, Student/Intern, Photographer

	Saint Petersburg \| FL \| USA \| Posted: 11:29 AM on 07.02.07
	->> So I called Canon to check on my problems which I reported two weeks ago. The woman basically said, they haven't received anything from Japan as far as statement or resolution - "as far as I know the investigation is still going on."

Andrew Wilz, Photographer

Aspen | CO | usa | Posted: 1:01 PM on 07.02.07

->> Phillip- That kinda makes a little sense... the sports-car analogy.

I've seen SO many people just using hi-frame-rate bodies like machine guns, and praying that the autofocus keeps up with their broad-swath approach to photography. Not reliant upon timing, but rather just holding onto the shutter release button for dear life... and expecting the miracle of modern technology in their hands to do the rest. Perhaps 10fps just doesn't have the ability to keep up with the autofocus in a poorly-composed situation?

If you were shooting wide, and closed down at 10fps... does your keeper-count go up? I thought i saw something on this board a couple days ago that was talking a little about this.

There's a LOT to be said for manual focusing that for some reason seems to be SO discounted around here... and seemingly only for the sake of technology.

(go ahead and mark me inappropriate... i can handle it... ;)

Fj Hughes, Photographer, Assistant

	Baltimore \| MD \| USA \| Posted: 1:21 PM on 07.02.07
	->> Chuck wrote, " wow. I got an inappropriate from someone for starting this thread. weirdness" I thought your post was funny but also a point well taken. It made me want to turn the auto focus off every so often, which I did yesterday.

Ed J. Szalajeski, Photographer

	Portland \| ME \| USA \| Posted: 1:46 PM on 07.02.07
	->> Has anyone seen if this is a problem shooting say hockey with strobes? where you are on single shot setting? ed

Eric Canha, Photographer

Brockton | MA | United States | Posted: 4:51 PM on 07.02.07

->> "I've seen SO many people just using hi-frame-rate bodies like machine guns, and praying that the autofocus keeps up with their broad-swath approach to photography. Not reliant upon timing, but rather just holding onto the shutter release button for dear life... and expecting the miracle of modern technology in their hands to do the rest. Perhaps 10fps just doesn't have the ability to keep up with the autofocus in a poorly-composed situation?"

Isn't that called video :)

Drew Broadley, Photographer

Wellington | NZ | New Zealand | Posted: 8:40 PM on 07.02.07

->> > His analogy was that the Mark II was like a like an
> American muscle car, but the Mark III is like a high
> performance European sports car.

Don't you mean the Mark II is an american muscle car and the Mark III is a riced up japanese import with too many options and dials people don't know how to make it go like their old Camaro ?

Thank god my 'Nikon' is taped over on my gear, people think I'm a canon shooter if they don't know any better.

Wesley R. Bush, Photographer

	Nashville \| TN \| U.S. \| Posted: 9:22 PM on 07.02.07
	->> Chuck wrote, " wow. I got an inappropriate from someone for starting this thread. weirdness" I got an informative yesterday for asking a question. Go figure.

Craig Melvin, Photographer

Olean | NY | US | Posted: 11:14 AM on 07.04.07

->> Hello again,
I have sent my camera back to the dealer.

I was just on assignment with the WWE in Texas, where two of the other photogaphers have Mark IIIs.

One body is back at Canon as the screen is soft, and being replaced, but the
other had a shoot from his son's hockey game.

It was shot indoors at 3200 asa, the images were amazing and all but flawless, his custom functions were close to my original settings. After comparing files and shoots, I've come to the conclusion that the sensor plate must not be on my camera correctly, and/or, the camera is not made to shoot in beautiful evening light, only low light situations. Both of my tests were shot in evening light.

His WWE shots were outstanding also.

Last November, I purchased two new Mark II Ns, one of them had a bad sensor/sensor plate, right out of the box. That is how my Mark III was acting.

I'll now wait for generation two.

Best regards,
Craig Melvin

Phillip Davies, Photographer

	Garden City \| NY \| US \| Posted: 3:54 PM on 07.04.07
	->> Read the updated article on the Mark III at: http://www.robgalbraith.com He breaks down how he's been investigating the autofocus issue and shows some nice examples as well.

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