180L and AF capabilities?

Can anybody here please enlighten me to the AF capabilities of the 180L?

I find that it seems to have big problems with AF, when starting at the close focus end, from 48 cm up to about 66 cm when focusing at subjects slightly further to far away (actually, it can't focus at all). Similarly, the other way around it has big problems as well, i.e., set to infinity trying to focus on relatively close objects, although seemingly less so.

I've noticed it does ok when helped a little, and I have also noticed that it really blurs everything too far away or too close completely into oblivion (and a beautiful blur it is ). Obviously, this may well be the cause of this behaviour, but I just want to make sure.

I am aware of the fact that this is a specialist lens, and have a few specilaist lenses for macro anyway, IOW, I am really only trying to establish whether this is normal behaviour or not.

BTW, this behaviour doesn't seem to differ much from using it on 1D MkIII or on 5D MkII (slightly better on 1D MkIII), as all other lenses I have focus fine on both bodies, so it is either a flaw with my specific copy, or possibly a feature of the lens design.

I did read here and there, on this board and a few reviews, that it sometimes needs a helping hand, just trying to discover to what extent is considered normal in this regard.

P.S.: Just found it will AF when done in incremental steps just fine, be it very slowly... seems awkward.

Thank you very much in advance!

Kind regards, Wim

Did some more research, and found the answer.

Yes, it is very slow, but this lens requires switching focus search on when AF drive is impossible. I have it switched off for normal use, especially with the 85L and 100-400L.

In short, it appears workable this way, be it a bit slow (but faster than the 85L ). Just need to remember to switch this off again when I don't want certain lenses to hunt forever.

Kind regards, Wim

wimg wrote in post #13306725
... be it a bit slow (but faster than the 85L )...

85L must be the bad boy for everybody making fun with it

Thanks for the info...

x_tan wrote in post #13306739
85L must be the bad boy for everybody making fun with it

Thanks for the info...

What I find very nice is that I can handhold the 180L up to about 1/30s - 1/50s and get sharp shots - very well balanced. And the bokeh and colour contrast are really great.

Now I need to find a nice subject or two for real rather than test shots .

Kind regards, Wim

I've always found with mine if your roughly in the ball park, its just as fast as any other USM system, but if your not, boy its slow.

Are you having issue like:

1. If the lens is in the closer focusing region and you point the camera at something like 5m away, the lens doesn't attempt to focus?
2. If the lens is in the near infinity region and you point the camera at something 0.6m away, the lens doesn't attempt to focus?

If yes, then turn on the "focus search when af impossible" function on the body. I am not sure whats the exact reason, but I believe it is like what you said. In those situations, the view is just bokeh and more bokeh, so the lens thinks af is impossible. Turning focus search on makes the lens hunt for af even when it is just bokeh and more bokeh.

newbieincs wrote in post #13307641
Are you having issue like:

1. If the lens is in the closer focusing region and you point the camera at something like 5m away, the lens doesn't attempt to focus?
2. If the lens is in the near infinity region and you point the camera at something 0.6m away, the lens doesn't attempt to focus?

If yes, then turn on the "focus search when af impossible" function on the body. I am not sure whats the exact reason, but I believe it is like what you said. In those situations, the view is just bokeh and more bokeh, so the lens thinks af is impossible. Turning focus search on makes the lens hunt for af even when it is just bokeh and more bokeh.

Thank you, and yes, I indicated in my second post here that that is what appeared to be the problem, and turning on AF Drive when AF impossible, does make it search, and is faster even that AF with 85L .

Kind regards, Wim

Focus search on seems to be necessary when using this lens as well as some other macro lenses. I think it is because of the extreme focusing range of these lenses. I have the same problem with my 300mm f 2.8 and 500mm f4. Focus search has to be on. I rarely use AF when in the macro range of the 180 but rather just rock the camera back and forth until focus is attained.

Larry Weinman wrote in post #13309127
Focus search on seems to be necessary when using this lens as well as some other macro lenses. I think it is because of the extreme focusing range of these lenses. I have the same problem with my 300mm f 2.8 and 500mm f4. Focus search has to be on. I rarely use AF when in the macro range of the 180 but rather just rock the camera back and forth until focus is attained.

Yes, as I found out. Never had this problem with the 100 or 60 macros, however. As to the longer, fast lenses: that is very good to know. I am still planning on getting one or two of those, even if not right now .

The way I tend to work is do an initial AF, so I don't have to turn the focusing barrel too much myself, and adjust/finetune by rocking and/or MF .

Of course, my problem happened when testing this lens in the almost dark, and it seemed to work well on a 7D, belonging to the person I got this lens from, but not on the 5D II. Back home the same happened with the 1D MkIII, so I did a lot more reading, posted my question, read some more, played some more, checked a few settings, changed the AF Drive setting, after which it worked, and after which I found exactly this solution after even more reading .

Never too old (or young) to learn .

Kind regards, Wim