Jimlevitt
8th of November 2009 (Sun), 17:10
I'm very late to this party, but I'm sure there are many other 1D3 owners who will be using these cameras for a long time to come. I picked one up used last summer before a weeklong music workshop that I cover. I wanted it for the low-light capability and for the 19 cross-type AF sensors, much better for composition than the nine-point diamond pattern of the xxD and xD cameras.
My preference is to put a focus point on the face of the performer. I am generally in servo mode, utilizing rear-button AF so I can lock focus if the performer remains still, or if I need to focus/recompose. Most of the venues where I photograph (jazz, mostly) are not brightly lit. Iso 1600 or 3200 is the norm, close to wide open on the lenses, shutter speeds ranging downwards (slower) from 1/125th. My 40D bodies did ok for focus in these places; I moved to a 5D2 and 1D3 for higher iso capability, and, in the case of the 1D3, better autofocus.
I sent the 1D3 to Canon (Virginia) immediately for the most recent AF adjustment. Even so, the camera gave me a higher percentage of misfocused photos than I expected. So I sent it to Irvine, along with a disc of photos showing the camera either not acquiring focus, or getting a good first photo in a sequence and then losing its grip. Canon worked it over again, noting that the AF had been misadjusted (great! what did the Virgina facility do???)
Last night I used the 1D3 and 5D2 at two venues. Once again, the 1D3 gave me a ridiculously high percentage of misfocused frames: more than 50%, especially if I fired off a burst. No joke: I got a higher keeper rate using the outer points of the much-maligned 5D2 than I did from the 1D3. Most of the evening I was working with fast primes, from 24mm to 135mm.
Before I send this camera to Canon for a third time, I'd like to hear from those of you who are using the 1D3 successfully. Are you able to lock and hold focus in servo mode when using the outer AF points? Do you need to set tracking sensitivity slower or faster? I set mine to -1 on speed last night, but it seemed to make no difference. I am not using any assist points, sticking to a single chosen AF point. There are too many microphone stands, cymbal stands around the drum kit, etc, for me to risk the camera wandering off the chosen point to a "helper" point instead.
I have been assuming that I can place a focus point on the performer, obtain focus, and then hold that focus in servo mode for several seconds so long as I hold down the AF-ON button. That way, if the musician leans one way or another, I can capture the changing expressions as part of a four or five frame sequence. Instead, I might get the first photo in focus, but most of the rest go out of focus. As I said, even the 5D2 is doing a better job at this for me. Same lens, same situation. Only problem is, the AF point layout on the 5D2 is so limiting compositionally compared to the 1D3.
Am I doing something grossly wrong with the 1D3? Or is my camera body not functioning properly?
All this is has me wondering about life on the Nikon side of the fence. It'd be a lot easier to stay put in Canon-land, but only if the cameras focus as necessary.
I've done a search for previous threads on this topic. If there's a thread of particular relevance, please point me in the proper direction. Most of the discussions of 1D3 focus issues have been about sports or birds-in-flight, not quite the sort of work we do in concert and performance situations.
thanks,
Jim
My preference is to put a focus point on the face of the performer. I am generally in servo mode, utilizing rear-button AF so I can lock focus if the performer remains still, or if I need to focus/recompose. Most of the venues where I photograph (jazz, mostly) are not brightly lit. Iso 1600 or 3200 is the norm, close to wide open on the lenses, shutter speeds ranging downwards (slower) from 1/125th. My 40D bodies did ok for focus in these places; I moved to a 5D2 and 1D3 for higher iso capability, and, in the case of the 1D3, better autofocus.
I sent the 1D3 to Canon (Virginia) immediately for the most recent AF adjustment. Even so, the camera gave me a higher percentage of misfocused photos than I expected. So I sent it to Irvine, along with a disc of photos showing the camera either not acquiring focus, or getting a good first photo in a sequence and then losing its grip. Canon worked it over again, noting that the AF had been misadjusted (great! what did the Virgina facility do???)
Last night I used the 1D3 and 5D2 at two venues. Once again, the 1D3 gave me a ridiculously high percentage of misfocused frames: more than 50%, especially if I fired off a burst. No joke: I got a higher keeper rate using the outer points of the much-maligned 5D2 than I did from the 1D3. Most of the evening I was working with fast primes, from 24mm to 135mm.
Before I send this camera to Canon for a third time, I'd like to hear from those of you who are using the 1D3 successfully. Are you able to lock and hold focus in servo mode when using the outer AF points? Do you need to set tracking sensitivity slower or faster? I set mine to -1 on speed last night, but it seemed to make no difference. I am not using any assist points, sticking to a single chosen AF point. There are too many microphone stands, cymbal stands around the drum kit, etc, for me to risk the camera wandering off the chosen point to a "helper" point instead.
I have been assuming that I can place a focus point on the performer, obtain focus, and then hold that focus in servo mode for several seconds so long as I hold down the AF-ON button. That way, if the musician leans one way or another, I can capture the changing expressions as part of a four or five frame sequence. Instead, I might get the first photo in focus, but most of the rest go out of focus. As I said, even the 5D2 is doing a better job at this for me. Same lens, same situation. Only problem is, the AF point layout on the 5D2 is so limiting compositionally compared to the 1D3.
Am I doing something grossly wrong with the 1D3? Or is my camera body not functioning properly?
All this is has me wondering about life on the Nikon side of the fence. It'd be a lot easier to stay put in Canon-land, but only if the cameras focus as necessary.
I've done a search for previous threads on this topic. If there's a thread of particular relevance, please point me in the proper direction. Most of the discussions of 1D3 focus issues have been about sports or birds-in-flight, not quite the sort of work we do in concert and performance situations.
thanks,
Jim