How common is it to have lenses not perfectly focused with EOS camera?

[ab2.]

Just curious, when you buy an EOS camera and L series lenses, how common is it that the lens and the body AF are correct right out of the box? I am hearing that it's not uncommon to have focusing issues with the lens and camera and also fine tuning is going to be required.

Any good recommendation of fine tuning the AF? Also is it better to send everything off to Canon including lenses to have them do it or just buy a decent focusing kit?

Thanks in advance.

[panicatnabisco]

Camera gear is built within tolerances, so sometimes a lens/body combo would be perfect, while others seem to back/front focus. It doesnt happen all the time, but sometimes it gets pretty bad but its rare

I use LensAlign for fine tuning my AF, and it seems like the only lens in my kit that backfocuses is the 50/1.2 (go figure). No need to send everything to canon, unless you have OCD pixel peeping tendencies

[sapearl]

I truly believe that it's less common than people believe. Yes, it does happen but certainly not in the numbers that people infer here.

There are defects and adjustments that sometimes have to be made, but many times here it's pilot error. And I'm not saying that to be mean spirited. A lot of folks with less than optimum photographic experience will buy pricey gear and not understand the nuances of basic exposure, shallow DOF, or critical shutter speed, and then blame it on the equipment when images are not razor sharp.

Perhaps I've just been very lucky, but I have purchased two bodies and 6 lenses in past six years and all has been well.

A main cause of concern with defects is pixel peeping at 100%. The shooter does not create an image under perfect lighting and exposure conditions and the image is "SOFT" so they figure the lens is defective Btw AB2, welcome to POTN.

[FlyingPhotog]

Across five dSLRs and probably 20 EF-S and EF lenses since migrating to digital when the 20D was new, I've never felt any miss was gear-related nor have I ever MFA'd any body/lens combo.

Because of the aforementioned "tolerances," nothing can be 100% dead nutz every time but modern gear is a helluva lot better than many people think.

The limitations of the shooter run at much higher percentages...

[ab2.]

Okay thanks for all the feedback.

Let's say lighting is good, on a tripod, multiple well cared for L series lenses and still get soft images then I would think it could be equipment needs calibration? My proshop where I buy my gear and considered a good dealer for canon is the one who told me this. I see this in my 85mm F/1.2, 24-70mm f/2.8 and 16-35mm f/2.8

[sapearl]

Originally Posted by FlyingPhotog

.....The limitations of the shooter run at much higher percentages...

Jay, you hit the nail on the head: greater chance of user error or "learning experience" than bad equipment.

[wizzards]

If you follow the link I think the truth will be revealed

it confirms what I have thought for some time

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012...-canon-cameras

[FlyingPhotog]

Originally Posted by ab2.

Okay thanks for all the feedback.

Let's say lighting is good, on a tripod, multiple well cared for L series lenses and still get soft images then I would think it could be equipment needs calibration? My proshop where I buy my gear and considered a good dealer for canon is the one who told me this. I see this in my 85mm F/1.2, 24-70mm f/2.8 and 16-35mm f/2.8

I think your shop is trying to sell you the photographic equivalent of an extended auto warranty...

You have a really stout gear list but unless you're truly a "more money than sense" type of person, they're just trying to squeeze the turnip for a few more drops of blood.

Don't suppose they tried to sell you UV Filters for all your glass, did they?

[sapearl]

Originally Posted by wizzards

If you follow the link I think the truth will be revealed

it confirms what I have thought for some time

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012...-canon-cameras

So in general, equipment tends to improve as technology advances. Thanks for sharing the link, and welcom to POTN wizzards.

[rockygarcia]

Originally Posted by ab2.

Just curious, when you buy an EOS camera and L series lenses, how common is it that the lens and the body AF are correct right out of the box? I am hearing that it's not uncommon to have focusing issues with the lens and camera and also fine tuning is going to be required.

Any good recommendation of fine tuning the AF? Also is it better to send everything off to Canon including lenses to have them do it or just buy a decent focusing kit?

Thanks in advance.

I've had two, they were both primes. One I did micro focus adjustment, the other sent to Canon for adjustment. Both worked fine for me after that.

[ab2.]

Thanks for the link wizzard.

This is my first Canon Pro-series camera I bought. I had a Mark 5D II before that and the 5D II seemed to be a bit sharper. I don't think it has anything to do with me holding it right since I eliminated that with a tripod and using a remote to trigger with plenty of light. I believe after what I researched and read, the lens and camera need to be adjusted for the sharp focus I am looking for. I shoot Archery as another hobby and I can buy two of the same bows and put two of the same arrows in them but each will shoot differently unless I tune them. May be a bad example, but I can't believe that each Canon new body will match up exactly to the millions of lenses they make perfectly. I am sure some are dead on and others need adjusting the AF. Any more advice is welcomed and all the advice given thank you guys.

[TSchrief]

How long do people thing it will be before we have a high-functioning hybrid AF system with the accuracy of contrast-detection and the speed of phase-detection? My bet is this year or next that either Canon or Nikon come out with it in pro body. A few years from now we will all wonder how we go by without it.

[ab2.]

I just wanted to follow up on this thread. I ordered this tool called focuspyramid for $19.95. Come to find out all of my L series lenses including my 85mm f/1.2 lens were not in sync with the camera. I did the adjustment using the tool and my pictures in RAW are sooo sharp now. With everything working correctly, the power of the 1DX really shines.

[HyperCams]

If we are NOT including Sigma lenses, then I would say that I have never had any issues!

[Lowner]

I've not experienced it, or felt the need to check. Or I should say, I have felt the urge to check, but for no other reason than with my 5D2 I now can!