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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Canon D60 Autofocus
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 12/10/2002 03:10:51 PM · #1
I've ALMOST got the wife convinced that we really, really need a DSLR. I've got a few nice Canon EF lenses, so the D60 is the obvious choice.

Everything looks good, except I keep on hearing folks complain about the AF, especially at low speed. I know digital cameras for some reason have a slower and less robust AF than film cameras, but are the D60's shortcomings any more egregious than any other prosumer DSLR?

Thanks for any input.
 12/10/2002 03:29:25 PM · #2
Not used any other DSLR, so take this with a pinch of salt. There are plenty of people who will tell you that the D60 autofocus is terrible and you should get a Nikon/ stick with film. It depends on what you want to use it for.

With a 420EX speedlite to assist the focus the D60 is okay in low light.

With a 50mm f1.8 lens it is okay in almost dark. In good sunlight I've
tracked birds in flight with a 300mm zoom and the focus tracked pretty well. Certainly Canon USM focus makes a big difference in performance too.

It only has 3 focus points, and I believe only the center one uses twin axis contrast focus so you maybe have to focus lock on a high contrast subject and reframe.

If you want to do lots of low light action or sports type photography this probably isn't the camera for you - though I have seen excellent lowlight night club photographs and evening sports shots from the D60.

It is fantastic for long exposure shots - amazingly low noise performance. It is great for studio/landscape/ portrait photography.

It isn't a sports/ concert camera though - there are much better options for this kind of thing. Though if you look at Arnit's results with the D30 you'd think I was wrong. But you do have to contend with it only having 3 focus points, rather than say a 45 point focus matrix.

So in short, the Autofocus is okay and works in resonable light, but you have to work with it in low-light. It seems to depend on the lens a lot too - I've tried it with a Tokina mid-range zoom and it is terrible. I've tried it with good L range Canon glass and it is fantastic.

It depends on what kind of shooting you want to do. The D60 autofocus is a big step up from the G2 though - especially in speed.

The main other issue is that for manual focus it doesn't have much in the way of queues to help you and the viewfinder is darker than normal for some of the higher end film SLRs.

I've only had this camera for about 3 weeks now. It is a huge leap beyond the G2, in every respect. Auto focus included.

Message edited by author 2002-12-10 15:34:53.
 12/10/2002 03:52:29 PM · #3
Gordon,

Thanks for the info. If it's a big step up from the G2, it'll be a huge step up from the S40.

I only have an Elan EOS IIE right now, so I'm used to only 3 AF points.

When you say "it doesn't have much in the way of queues to help you", to what are you refering? I'm not sure what queues you may be talking about.

Thanks again.
 12/10/2002 03:57:17 PM · #4
My D30 sucks in low-light conditions. I only have one lens though... the 28-135 IS, which is awesome, but still too much glass for the D30. I'm about to get the 50mm 1.4 very soon. This should be a MUCH better lens for lower light opportunities.

I prefer manual focus anyhoo. The IS (image stabilization) is a huge plus when almost ALL of my shots are handheld. If you were to get only one lens, this is the one I'd recommend.

Good luck!
 12/10/2002 04:06:11 PM · #5
Yup, the 28-135 IS is my main lens, the one I leave on most of the time. I've got a longer 300 that is OK, and the cheap lens that came with my EOS kit. I've heard rumor of a 50mm coming from Santa this year, but that's still not confirmed.

If I get the D60, I might have to ask Santa to bring a 35mm 2 instead.
 12/10/2002 04:49:23 PM · #6
Dont forget also the lens effective focal length multiplier is 1.6 ie: a 50mm lens = 80mm. I have to agree with the poor low light focus, but Ive gotten pretty decent with the manual focus despite not having a split prism or other focus indicators.
 12/10/2002 04:56:24 PM · #7
I thought it was 1.4x ... or is that just the D30?

I forget.
 12/10/2002 04:59:05 PM · #8
Originally posted by bamaster:
I thought it was 1.4x ... or is that just the D30?

I forget.



The D60 is 1.6
 12/10/2002 05:03:02 PM · #9
Originally posted by scab-lab:
Dont forget also the lens effective focal length multiplier is 1.6 ie: a 50mm lens = 80mm. I have to agree with the poor low light focus, but Ive gotten pretty decent with the manual focus despite not having a split prism or other focus indicators.


Right. That's why I would get the 35 instead of the 50. (28 would be even better, but I'm betting that's a bit more money!)

So if I'm understanding you correctly, there are no indicators to assist in manual focus? (This is probably what Gordon was talking about with "queues".) That's a bit disappointing, as I have come to rely heavily on the split prism of my Elan IIe.
 12/10/2002 05:58:14 PM · #10
i have had mine for a few weeks now and have taken many shots because I felt some focusing issues came up but now my tests show it works great but need to do more tests in lowlight. I thought that the indicators in the viewfinder turn red when you manual focus but more checking required... I have to sharpen the d60 shots but you can see some at my gallery
d-60 shots

Message edited by author 2002-12-10 18:00:19.
 12/10/2002 06:44:46 PM · #11
Well there are no non-electronic manual focus indicators.

You can use the auto-focus system in an 'assist' mode, where you
focus using the manual focus rings, but the auto-focus indicator will still indicate a good contrast based focus or not.

So you focus, it tells you if it thinks you did a good job :) Doesn't help a whole lot with the low light issues though, as you are depending on the same AF system, whether it is moving the focus or you are. It does have some uses though.

The ST2 (?) flash trigger and other on camera flashes (eg 420EX speedlite) help a great deal by providing a decent red/IR focus assist light, rather than the built in one.

The D60 multiplier is 1.6. I think the D30 is 1.5 (1.4) ?

I've just got a 70-200 f2.8L IS lens so I'll post later about how it does in low light if I get a chance this evening.

Message edited by author 2002-12-10 18:45:30.
 12/10/2002 07:01:04 PM · #12
I've had the D-60 for about 8 months now. I've taken over 2900 pictures with it and with mostly stunning results. I only use L Series and Pro lenses.

Low light was fairly poor when I first got the camera. I installed the last 2 firmware updates (currently 1.0.4) and the low light has improved a bit.

I only use the center pocus point. I lock the focus and reframe the shot. It's easy and quicker than waiting for the AF to decide what points to use.

I used a Dimage5 prior to the D-60. Upgraded to a different world of photography.

The benifits far outway the shortcomings.

For the money (MSRP $2,000) it is the best DSLR around. To get a better DSRL be prepared to pay atleast double the price of the D-60.

Happy Clicking! :-)
 12/10/2002 08:00:43 PM · #13
I agree with dltruex, only use center point focus i did take a few low light and 2 pitch black shots just using the AF assist beam and on camera flash and my 17-35 L lens
follow link on previous post to see images no adjustments made by photoshop just straight from the camera...

Message edited by author 2002-12-10 20:53:03.
 12/11/2002 09:16:43 AM · #14
Certainly the AF performance is very dependent upon the lens that you have on the camera. Mainly on how much light the lens lets through.

this poor picture was taken
hand held in a dark room, at 1/4s with the only light coming from scatter from the next room through an open door, at 7am (still dark outside)

It was taken at 200mm from the other side of the room. I had to hold the AF over the very slightly reflecting part of the handle, but it didn't hunt at all, and this is with the AF assist light switched off.

I've tried similar things with cheaper lenses and you could wait for ever.
 12/11/2002 12:53:13 PM · #15
I'll just chime in here and reiterate that the D60 AF has some annoying,
but not altogether serious issues. Yes, you might miss one of those
"golden opportunity" shots, but unless your livelihood depends on it,
you can live with it. Getting a 550ex speedlite made those annoyances
a near non-issue, probably because, as Gordon has pointed out, it
uses the red/IR focus light as opposed to the D60's builtin white light.

I haven't played with either in low-light conditions much, but just a
blank wall with subtle shadow features, or my cat's black fur are enough
to confuse the builtin AF.

The AF speed is in the less-than-annoying-and-I-sometimes-forget-about-it
category. Given the same lens, my Elan II is much quicker to the punch
with its AF, and that's without the speedlite. Still, I haven't picked
up the Elan II since getting the D60 (apart from first week comparisons).
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