Canon Service fixed your 10D focus issue?

[perfectpixel]

Hi All,
I hate to bring this topic up again, but I am wondering if for those of you who noticed the back-focus issue with your 10D, was the service center able to fix it?
After a week of playing with my 10D I am convinced (and have the proof to show it) that the camera back focuses, especially in low light/low contrast situations.
I can exchange it for a new one, but am not sure if the next one *off-the-line* will be any better.
I will post my examples soon. Meanwhile can some one tell me their experience with the service center. Did the 10D come back tack-sharp ?
thanks (and again apologies for beating a dead horse)

[lightandlife]

It isn't dead yet.
We don't know for sure whether Canon can fix it. Let us hear.

[perfectpixel]

do you mean to say of all the folks who have reported teh porblem and sent it in to Canon no one has reported back saying THEY FIXED IT ?!
that doesn't give me much hope.

BTW, I took it back to bestbuy and they quized me up and down about what was wrong! so much for a no question 4 yr warranty. They ordered a replacement, but it will probably behave the same.

[who10]

Funny you should ask...

My 10D was back focusing just enough to make me doubt whether or not I had a real problem. Finally took a careful set of test shots and repeated them with a D60 (the D60 shots were all perfectly focused), then I took several calibration shots with a test target and brought them to the shop where I brought it. They sent it in to Canon for me and I got it back in a couple of weeks. Once I got the camera back I retested it, and it has been right on the money with each lens I’ve tested since (70-200f.4, 24-70f2.8 and a 16-35f2.8).

Today was my first road test (Portland Air Show). Took one shot over the shoulder of a woman about 8 feet in front of me, seemed like a good opportunity for a quick focus test. The inset at the upper left is the full frame, the image a crop of the page she's reading. This was taken with a 70-200Lf4 with a 1.4x converter at 98mm, f10, 1600 (no shaky hands):

http://www.haskellct.com/EE_Galleries/Gallery1/webguests/sharptest.jpg

Before Canon repaired it I couldn’t get a sharp picture of a brick wall at f11 1000 on a sunny day with this lens let alone a page of text. I’m convinced they fixed it.

http://www.haskellct.com/EE_Galleries/Gallery1/webguests/AirShow08.jpg

Now if I can just hold my hands steady a little more often…

[perfectpixel]

well that's encouraging news. Do you have any of the shots before the fix? just curious to see how far off it used to be.
cool F16 shot BTW. Was that on AI focus or Single shot?

[RichardtheSane]

The way that AF works means the focus can often be off in low light and low contrast situations. Also if there is a predominance of one colour then it may be slightly off also. How far off is it? and does it focus fine in ideal conditions?

[sjprg]

Canon Irvine fixed mine.
Here is a post fix image.
http://www.pbase.com/image/21235735

[rickyd]

I bought two 10D's. One for my wife who also shoots (better than me if truth be told) and one for me. Hers was perfect and mine was off! Sent it to Canon Irvine and it tested perfect when I got it back in under a week! Meanwhile I have been testing my friends 10D's ( total 4) and have found them all perfect from the get go.

[perfectpixel]

I'm very happy to hear reports of 10Ds with no troubles. Gives me hope for the next one.
One other question:
when sending body to Irvine did you include sample pictures of problem (or the files on disk)? Or did you leave it up to them to test and diagnose?

RichardtheSane wrote:
The way that AF works means the focus can often be off in low light and low contrast situations. Also if there is a predominance of one colour then it may be slightly off also. How far off is it? and does it focus fine in ideal conditions?

Richard, in ideal conditions it seem to be hit and miss. I have many sharp images also many (or maybe it seems more, since I am concerend about it) that are off.
I'll post a few soon.

Someone asked if it was fair to view a file at 100% and expect tack-sharp images. Afterall even using film, that would be an equivalent enlargemet to 28X42!

[Littlebike]

I sent mine to New Jersey and got it back within two weeks.

I sent it with a note explaining the issue and sample pictures using targets, lighting situation, and lens type.

The first picture I took when I got it back was a few test images using CD cases stacked like a stair case away from me, focus is perfect! Prior to this the CD behing the one i was focusing on would be sharper.

So YES, they can fix this.

[who10]

Unstuck,

You asked for a 10D "before" recalibration example.

Here is what I was typically seeing. This lens never gave me
soft looking images at these settings and conditions on my D60.

http://www.haskellct.com/EE_Galleries/Gallery1/webguests/JustOff.jpg

Here's the measurements I took before and after recalibration.

http://www.haskellct.com/EE_Galleries/Gallery1/webguests/50mmWideOpen.jpg


_____
who10

[excessnoise]

I sent mine to Irvine a month ago for back focus. They said it was within specs. I have yet to feel confident with the AF on this camera since I've bought it, no matter what lens I use. Of my lenses, my Sigma 15-30 seems to produce sharper images than any of my Canon glass.(I feel more assured with my Epson point/shoot than this 10D). Very frustrated!

I took some pics yesterday of my son from about 10ft with Canon 50mm/f1.4, both in shaded and direct afternoon sun.
I focused on his face. Out of 16 pics, none where on. Shaded - His face was blurred, his ears sharper and the wall behind with ivy on it was perfect focus. All ISO 200
1/200 @ f/2.0

Full sun - face/body blurred, stucco wall 1+ foot behind sharp.
1/3000 @f/2.8

I guess I'm going to have to send it in again, as this just isn't acceptable, not even for a disposible camera.

I would post some pics but I haven't had time to set up a site to link to.

[mjordan]

Who10, that's actually the Hillsboro Air Show, not the Portland Air show. Portland didn't want to put one on this year, so Hillsboro worked it out. I live right under the flight path of the Hillsboro airport, so got to hear a lot of it, but we are leaving Tue for a week of shooting near St. Louis and have too many things to get ready to be able to break away and get some pictures. I hope it was very successful so they either have it again next year or Portland realizes just how much of a money maker they gave up and decide to have it again.

My 10D is in the 5's and I've not had any problems with it. I've had it since June.

Mike

[sjprg]

Excessnoise: Send your Canon lenses along with it.

[rodbunn]

I have been trying for 4 months to get my 10D fixed. 2 times I sent it to Canon in Irvine, Ca. The second time the "Manager" promised me he would fix it himself. Now it's on it's third trip to canon but in N.Y. The "manager" there said she would get to the bottom of this.....
So, 4 months, around $75 in shipping and packaging, one lense ( I got pissed and threw the lense in a lake thinking it was the lense ) later, STILL can't get my 10D to work (focus) . . . .

Good luck to everyone who sends their camera in. I don't think Canon can fix their product !

Rod

[justme_dc]

2 times I sent it to Canon in Irvine, Ca. Both times with a CD containing over 50 images shot under controlled conditions. I included a two page document showing measurements, spacing and outlining the techinque I used to get the Images. The second time the Tech manager promised me he would fix it himself and asked that I include two of my L series lenses. All he did was scratch the housing on my 10D down to the bare metal. It still back focused.

The third trip was to canon customer services in NY, I got a bit of a run around. They agreed the camera needed service. Replaced the part that Canon Irvine damaged and sent it back to me. The focus is improved but it works correctly only about 75% of the time. The rest of the time it back focuses. I wouldn't go so far as to say that they "fixed" it. I was given the impression that this was the best they were going to do so I should just deal with it. The camera works, sort of. I am saving my pennies for a 1D even though they have focusing issues too.

the grand totals:
less than 7 months old
28 days in transit and canon repair
$90. in insured shipping
75% accuracy.
100% unsatisfied

[perfectpixel]

OK here are the examples I promised.
Not exactly scientific, but they make the point.
Take a look and let me know what you think:
this is a 100% crop composite of 3 shots taken with 24-70F/2.8/L @ 70mm, Av 8.0, 1/90; ISO 400; One Shot setting Center Focus point. For each shot I placed the center focus area on the figure closer than the previous shot (as you see in the markings)
http://www.photo.net/photodb/image-display?photo_id=1771785&size=lg

Auto Focus, One Shot, Center area, 70/200F2.8L @200mm, Av 8.0, 1/350; ISO 100:
http://www.photo.net/photodb/image-display?photo_id=1771789&size=lg

Manual Focus, One Shot, Center area, 70/200F2.8L @200mm, Av 8.0, 1/350; ISO 100:
http://www.photo.net/photodb/image-display?photo_id=1771793&size=lg

what do you think?

[slin100]

While the results for the foosball table conclusively show that the focus was not where you aimed, the results are inconclusive because you presented the AF system with particularly difficult subjects to lock on due to the extremely low contrast of each target.