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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> 5d mark ii auto focus problems
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10/13/2010 11:37:20 AM · #1
Last week I was shooting a wedding and I noticed that my 5d mark ii was having issues with it's auto focus. It would work most of the time, but every so often it just would NOT focus. I ended up having to shoot manual focus most of the day, which wasn't my favorite ha. I took it to a camera place and they did some "testing" and told me nothing is wrong.....once I got home I played with it and once again when trying to focus on certain things it just won't focus. I switched the lens to my dad's camera and it focused just fine on the subject. So I believe it's a problem with my camera and not my lens. Has anyone had issues with this before?
10/13/2010 11:42:10 AM · #2
I had similar problems with my Rebel, I can't remember what it was exactly, but it was doing the same thing as yours. I sent it to Canon, and they fixed it and had it back within 3 weeks, it was under warranty and was fixed for free.
Must be something with Canons, my 50D (knock on wood) has had no problems.
10/13/2010 11:48:34 AM · #3
Have the same problem with my 5DII, especially when there's a lot of light and little contrast. Dealer checked, found nothing and said i should have bought a 1D :-/
10/13/2010 12:33:48 PM · #4
That's a bummer to hear. I am not a 5D user but I find autofocus to be a problem with my 450d too. I often miss focus on my shots, especially when shooting my one year old as she is constantly on the move. I typically use spot metering and have tried using AI servo and AI focus modes all with no greater accuracy.

How did you make out with the manual focusing for the wedding? Did you miss focus on any of your shots??
10/13/2010 01:34:45 PM · #5
How did you make out with the manual focusing for the wedding? Did you miss focus on any of your shots??

For the most part it was okay....the time it was difficult was at their reception which was inside, poorly lit and had haka dancers....ha
10/13/2010 01:45:56 PM · #6
Hmm, I can't say I've experience something like this. You may want to get it checked out. Does it happen with more than one lens on your body?
10/13/2010 01:53:52 PM · #7
5DII should be able to focus on wedding events fast enough. I would send it in.
10/13/2010 02:27:53 PM · #8
What lens are you using?

I thought I had an issue once, but it turned out I didn't have the focus limiter on and it was trying focus through the entire range from very close to infinity.
10/13/2010 02:45:45 PM · #9
I am using a Canon 2.8 24-70. It usually focuses which makes it difficult to say there is something definitely wrong, but it struggled at the wedding on Friday when I shot family pictures on Saturday and when I tried to take some pictures of my 8 month old daughter sitting in front of a bush on Sunday, it focused on the bush and would NOT focus on her....I've never had that issue before. I suppose it could be me, but I've had the camera for about 1 1/2 years and haven't had a problem with focus before. I have my focus set to one point in the center.
10/13/2010 02:52:01 PM · #10
I am assuming you are using centre focus point? This maybe a really stupid question, and I apologize in advance, but you haven't inadvertently moved the focus point to one side or the other, have you? I only suggest this as I did it once by accident and couldn't work out why the lens wouldn't focus on the subject. I did realise after awhile.
10/13/2010 04:00:43 PM · #11
one other thing that hasn't been mentioned so far is you may have just got a bit of dust between the contacts. If so, loosening the lens and tightening it again would fix it.

But if that's the problem then the lens would not even be *trying* to focus.

Apart from a bad contact connection from time to time, I haven't had any focusing issues with my 5D2. If you're in low light, just put a speedlite in the hotshoe & that will give you infra-red focus assist when the camera needs it.

Hope you get it sorted :-)
10/13/2010 04:11:55 PM · #12
oh someone asked a good question.

Are you sure you are using fixed focus and not AI servo?
10/13/2010 04:28:13 PM · #13
I am using the center focus point. It was originally on AI servo when I was shooting the family since they had toddlers, but now it's on one shot and still has the problem sometimes. I have another photo shoot today and I'm going to test it out with one shot and see if that works. I have cleaned the contacts and will see if that helps. Thanks everyone!
10/13/2010 04:37:54 PM · #14
I have the same model with the same issue, but it went to never focusing pretty quickly. Sent to Canon and had it back and working fine in 3 days.
10/13/2010 05:05:20 PM · #15
I read something about this problem with the 5D Mk II on some forum just the other day ... I should have marked it.

I will see if I can located it again and will post the link if I do.

Ray
10/13/2010 05:05:21 PM · #16
I must have real fat fingers... I managed to double post this.

Ray

Message edited by author 2010-10-13 17:05:53.
10/13/2010 05:05:49 PM · #17
That would be great, thanks Ray!
10/14/2010 12:00:22 PM · #18
I did a shoot last night and my camera didn't have any problems - weird! So hopefully I won't have to worry about it. But it does seem that others may have had similar problems so I may end up sending it in at some point. For now, I'm gonna wait and see since it's no longer under warranty. Thanks everyone for your help!
10/17/2010 11:32:12 AM · #19
I did another shoot yesterday and once again ran into problems....so weird. I was shooting portraits with fall leaves in the background and my camera just didn't know what to focus on. It was so confused and just kept trying to focus, but never locked into anything. Is this my fault? Would all cameras struggle with that? Or does it sound like something is really wrong?
10/17/2010 04:55:34 PM · #20
Silly question, but which focus point(s) are active? If you have all active and there is more contrast in your background than your subject, it will pick up the background. Try setting center point only as active, and see if that solves the problem.
10/17/2010 09:38:04 PM · #21
Only the center point was active. And it was set to one shot.
10/17/2010 09:45:57 PM · #22
When only ONE point (not just center) is active and there is a lot of light I sometimes have problems with auto focus. It doesn't happen a lot, and like I said it seems to happen more often in very contrasty situations, but it does happen and it's annoying. Luckily I don't do weddings and such or depend on the camera for more than my own enjoyment.
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