My own 10D Focus Test

[jwkramer]

After seeing a few threads regarding the 10D's affinity to front/rear focus... I though I would set up a little test of my own. This might not be the most controlled environment, but it did prove to be enlightening. My setup was this:

10D with 100mm f2.8 Macro Lens.
Tripod Mounted
Natural Diffused Daylight

I used a 3 Sided Engineering Ruler set up at a distance of about 18 inches from the front of the lens, and at an angle of approxiamtely 150 degrees. I set the focus on AUTO, and locked on the "14" line. In order to show the focus points, I captured the BreezeBrowswer window (using ALT-PRINTSCREEN). It seems that my 10D tends to rear focus a bit, but not to a degree that would be a problem for me. Here are the pics. I tested at 3 different aperetures:

f2.8 (wide open):
http://www.jim-kramer.com/photos/ftest3.jpg

f4.0:
http://www.jim-kramer.com/photos/focus-test(f4-0).jpg

f8.0:
http://www.jim-kramer.com/photos/focus-test(f8-0).jpg

Later!
-Jim

[CyberDyneSystems]

It looks damn spot on to me,. I mean if the hash marks behind the 14 are slightly more in focus than the ones in front.. but who could tell.

Well well well within "spec"

[defordphoto]

I feel like I'm in a time machine. :)

[w10d]

CyberDyneSystems wrote:
It looks damn spot on to me,. I mean if the hash marks behind the 14 are slightly more in focus than the ones in front.. but who could tell.

Well well well within "spec"

Yup, I'd agree with the above, and I'd expect to see focus extending further back than forward from the point of focus.

My own similar tests, (yes, everyone buying a 10D is now 'focus paranoid' !), showed a very similar result. I was more concerned that when I de-focused completely, I found about 1 in 10 shots were slightly off. This would be about what I'd achive with a manual focus, and much better than I could do with the 10D's tiny focusing screen.

[jwkramer]

RFMSports wrote:
I feel like I'm in a time machine. :)

My apologies if this is a dupe... I haven't been around here all that long, and thought it would be of use.

I can say this - as someone who has just spent $1400 for a camera, I don't like seeing so many people conerned with quality issues. After hanging around here for just a few weeks, I have seen (what I consider to be) way too many people complaining about focusing problems, Error 99's, and others. I feel pretty lucky so far, knock on wood... but that doesn't make me sleep all that much better. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. It just seems like there are a *LOT* of quality issues with the 10D... maybe it's just perception on my part.

[EXA1a]

Sorry for being harsh but your focus test is pretty useless. If it helps to smooth your mind, fine. Most 10D's don't have a focusing issue anyway, I guess.
But for a good test you ought to use an aperture wider than f2.8 and you need a clear target object. With your ruler target you never know which line the AF really had aimed at.

Have fun taking real pictures!
--Jens--

[w10d]

jwkramer wrote:
It just seems like there are a *LOT* of quality issues with the 10D... maybe it's just perception on my part.



Or maybe it's just that people head straight to a forum like this if they think they have a problem, but not if they're happy with their camera.

Your camera seems to be working fine, but you've just started another 10D focus thread.........

[jwkramer]

EXA1a wrote:
you ought to use an aperture wider than f2.8

I wish!.... that's the widest lens I own. I used to have a 50mm 1.8, but it went with one of my old film EOS' quite a while back...

[jwkramer]

w10d wrote:
jwkramer wrote:
It just seems like there are a *LOT* of quality issues with the 10D... maybe it's just perception on my part.



Or maybe it's just that people head straight to a forum like this if they think they have a problem, but not if they're happy with their camera.

Your camera seems to be working fine, but you've just started another 10D focus thread.........

I never said I wasn't happy with my camera... did I say that? I don't think I did. I like the camera just fine. If it keeps working the way it is now, I will have no problem with it at all!

[vvizard]

Actually I haven't done any focus-testing on my 10D, despite the massive paranoia other people have. In my day-to-day photography, I haven't seen any focus-troubles (at least none I can blame on the camera). Therefore I don't really see the point in checking if the focus is off when I shoot a ruler placed in 45 degrees from the camera :-P

[boBquincy]

From testing with the 10D, I find it's focus 'spot' extends well beyond the square in the viewfinder. In this case your camera may just as easily have focused on any line from 13.5 to 14.4, as right on the 14.0 line.

Use a target with only one line and move the camera around to see just how accurate the focus square is, by my findings not very accurate.

The focus however, was always more accurate than I could do manually. I thought (and still do) that my 10D front-focused *very* slightly but no amount of manual tweaking gave a focus as good as auto.

I have hung up my focus test charts and decided to take photos of subjects from now on! ;)

That said, here is my mandatory 'new 10D owner' cat photo, Andie, my girlfriend's 6 mo old terror. ;)

http://mindspring.com/~bobquincy/quats/IMG_5459_800.jpg

[w10d]

jwkramer wrote:
I never said I wasn't happy with my camera... did I say that? I don't think I did. I like the camera just fine. If it keeps working the way it is now, I will have no problem with it at all!


No, you didn't say you weren't happy with YOUR camera, but you seem to have a problem with it nonetheless.

You said:

' I can say this - as someone who has just spent $1400 for a camera, I don't like seeing so many people conerned with quality issues.' - Which suggests you think there is a problem of some sort.

Then you said:

'I feel pretty lucky so far, knock on wood... but that doesn't make me sleep all that much better.' - So, you have to 'touch wood' so that your $1400 camera will keep working? Otherwise you can't sleep well at night???

I'm glad you're happy with your camera, and I hope you stay that way. Most likely it will keep on working, fingers crossed, touch wood, etc.

[jwkramer]

I see you, and raise you:

http://www.jim-kramer.com/Sadie-Gallery/crw_0367_std.jpg

-Jim

[defordphoto]

I'll throw a Maine Coon into the fray!

http://racefamily.racinglines.com/10D/Initial/img_0013_std.jpg

[defordphoto]

jwkramer wrote:
RFMSports wrote:
I feel like I'm in a time machine. :)

My apologies if this is a dupe... I haven't been around here all that long, and thought it would be of use.

I can say this - as someone who has just spent $1400 for a camera, I don't like seeing so many people conerned with quality issues. After hanging around here for just a few weeks, I have seen (what I consider to be) way too many people complaining about focusing problems, Error 99's, and others. I feel pretty lucky so far, knock on wood... but that doesn't make me sleep all that much better. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. It just seems like there are a *LOT* of quality issues with the 10D... maybe it's just perception on my part.




Perception is truth. If you see/hear/read it and believe it, it is the truth.

Actually there isn't some huge quality issue with the 10D. Some of the first ones released did exhibit some focusing issues. Other than this focusing issue, there are no other problems associated with the 10D regarding quality.

When you manufacture this number of items there are bound to be a few lemons, and in this case, yes, there was.

This threw everyone into 3-4 months of a tizzie, shooting rulers and posting graphs and all kinds of crap. Then I was even reading D60, 1D and 1Ds owners complaining of (alleged) focusing problems.

The thing that people need to remember is that auto focus is NOT perfect. I doubt it ever will be. I can guarantee that you WILL have some photos be out of focus when using this (or any other) camera. Whether it be front or back focus depends on the conditions. Both will occur and will continue to occur when using auto focus.

The key is learning what conditions that cause the problems and avoid them. When presented with conditions that cause OOFs, take multiple shots and more than likely one will turn out.

Most of the problems you see now with these cameras are people that are not experienced with their new camera. They may be experienced photographers and longtime Canon users, but every camera is different and takes some time getting to know what works and what doesn't.

And even though your camera passed your ruler test I still guarantee -- and I say this without one single doubt -- that you WILL get front and/or back focused photos when using this camera under certain conditions.

I still have not learned all the conditions and sometimes this camera still surprises me with OOFs, but once I study the shot, see where the focus point was, I can usually figure out what caused the OOF.

So, through all this rambling here I am really saying to give up the ruler thing and just get out and shoot under real conditions.

You can get a lab rat to ring the bell three times for a chunk of food, but when you throw him back in the sewer, he's still just a rat.

I have no idea what the hell that means, but it sounded so philisophical. ;)

Happy shooting. I hope to see some awesome shots posted here from you and welcome to the forum!

EDIT: Actually I see you're not THAT new to the forum. Welcome anyway! :)

[jwkramer]

RFMSports wrote:
I'll throw a Maine Coon into the fray!

http://racefamily.racinglines.com/10D/Initial/img_0013_std.jpg

Great Pic! Beautiful Cat! :)

[defordphoto]

Thanks. He's an awesome cat with a cool personality too. That was the 13th shot I took with my 10D. I shot a series of shots of Honda (the cat) and that was all I needed to know I had no focus issues. I don't think I ever shot any rulers.