Canon 50D badly front focusing - DPChallenge Forums

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

11/01/2010 02:12:41 PM · #1

I recently started noticing that my Canon 50D was miss focusing a lot more than usual (especially on my Sigma 30) so I did some tests and ended up having to micro adjust all of my lenses. The problem is that -20 isn't enough on the Sigma (but much closer) and most of my other lenses also took -20 to get them right. The only exception was my old canon 350 kit lens (18-55) which only had to go down to -11.

In my testing the distance to subject also had a significant impact on how much it front focused. At close distance (like 1.5 feet) -20 gets the Sigma 30 pretty close, but as I focus at further distances (like 4 feet) it gets worse. Same held true for the Canon 50 1.4.

Any opinions on what could be causing this? It is workable right now, but I'm afraid if it gets worse I won't be able to adjust for it (-20 is the maximum the 50d will adjust).

I purchased the camera from B&H new on 06/18/2009.

Yo_Spiff

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

11/01/2010 02:22:53 PM · #2

Probably best to send it to Canon or an authorized facility to be tested properly.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

11/01/2010 02:25:44 PM · #3

I'm afraid you are right Steve :( Don't know if I can live without my 50D for that long!

Yo_Spiff

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

11/01/2010 03:00:51 PM · #4

Originally posted by jasonlprice:

Don't know if I can live without my 50D for that long!

~~By a used Rebel XT or 20D for $200 to tide you over, then you'll also have a second body for those events where you need a quick lens switch.~~ Nevermind. I looked at your profile and see you already have one.

Or, take it as an opportunity to show that you can still do great photos with a compact. Last time I was SLR-less, I turned in at least two 6+ entries with my Powershot. Felt good.

Message edited by author 2010-11-01 15:01:07.

LVicari

Canon EOS-50D

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

11/01/2010 03:27:49 PM · #5

Jason

Funny that you post this. I was having trouble with focusing on my 10-22 with my 50d. I tried the micro adjust but no luck so I sold the lens. My 70-200 is supersharp with the 50 and I haven't had time to really test my 24-105. I never thought that it might be the camera.
The fact that I don't have an issue with my 70-200 led me to believe that it was the lens(10-22) that had an issue.

Could it be that a certain lens/camera combination might not function properly with this camera? Just a thought.
Any tech experts that might have some insight?

Eta
Just reread your post and noticed you are having a problem with all your lenses!!! Yikes. Send it in!!

Message edited by author 2010-11-01 15:31:30.

JulietNN

Canon EOS R7

Tamron 16-300mm Di II VC PZD MACRO w/Canon Nikon mount

11/01/2010 03:33:36 PM · #6

you can change the micro for the whole camera, not just the lenses.

Basically, I was having the same thing with the new 7D. Took it in cos I was very upset with the grain issues. It was focusing, but focusing too deep, they adjusted it to the one lens i had it on there (by 3) and it was a huge improvement, but you can do it to the whole camera as a body, if you want to go that route

Message edited by author 2010-11-01 15:35:10.

LVicari

Canon EOS-50D

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

11/01/2010 04:05:08 PM · #7

Originally posted by JulietNN:

WEEEEELLLL? how do you do that?

11/01/2010 04:12:09 PM · #8

Yes, same problem with all of my lenses with varying degrees (I can't remember specifically how much the 100 2.8 or 200 2.8 had to be adjusted, but it might not have been the full -20).

Juliet, that won't work in my case because not all the lenses are off the same amount. Are you saying that you can do a camera-wide adjustment (lets just say -20) and then add per lens adjustments on top of that? I thought it had to be either/or not both?

I'm just going by memory, but it is something like this:

Sigma 30 1.4: -20, but could be as much as -30 if the camera adjusted that far.
Canon 50 1.4: -20, but could use a tiny bit more if I remember right
Canon 85 1.8: -20 and is dead on and consistant
Canon 100 2.8: Can't remember for sure on this one, will have to look when I get home but I don't think it was as bad as the others and I know it is dead on. Maybe -15
Canon 200 2.8: Can't remember, but it is dead on.
Canon 18-55: -11 is dead on but I can't remember what focal length I did the adjustment on.

When I get home I'll take a look and make sure of my numbers. Just by looking at what I typed above I'm wondering if increasing focal lengths means decreasing the front focus..I also have a Canon 35 f/2 that I can test.

You are correct Steve, I do have a 350D that I could shoot with (as long as I don't have to send all my lenses in). I was thinking (as Leo said) that focus problems are usually lens related so Canon Repair may want my lenses as well :(

I'm the opposite of a "pixal peeper" and having the focus "close enough" on all my lenses now with micro adjustment makes me want to just keep shooting and not worry about it. I know the wise thing would be to send it in though. I do have to remember to focus on the tip of the nose to get eyes in focus on my 30 1.4 though!

11/01/2010 04:20:27 PM · #9

hmmmm, I guess technically my problem is back focusing, not front focusing...

Tamron 16-300mm Di II VC PZD MACRO w/Canon Nikon mount

11/01/2010 04:32:55 PM · #10

Leo, the camera-wide microadjustment is on the same custom function (7 if I remember right). 0=Disabled, 1=Camera-wide, and 2=per lens. That is why I don't think you can combine the two, but I'm sure going to give it a try when I get home. If the two can be combined then I could go -20 on the camera and - 10 on the Sigma and it would be about right.

JulietNN

Canon EOS R7

11/01/2010 04:57:42 PM · #11

To be honest, I have no idea if you can do the lens and the camera.

In my brain , it tells me that it should be possible, to be able to do a wide adjustment, but you would have to do that then check to see if all your lenses are correct, if not then do it lens by lens.

I pretty much only use 3 lenses, so I am getting them all adjusted for this camera.