How 'bad' is the AF in the 5d MK II

aladyforty wrote in post #13722460
yes maybe you could be right but Im not a nikon owner, although have a friend with the model before it. however, my photos taken at weddings can sit right next to his and no-one would pick which camera took them. Strange as it may seem, some people on these forums actually take photos, make money and have no problems with their 5DII, 7Ds whatever. we are not all quite as obsessed like those who are tech heads or just obsessed with the next model and how much better it will be. I guarantee that you can put a 5DII in the hands of a pro and the best camera released this year of any brand in the hands of someone obsessed with all the bells and whistles and I'm sure the pro will get the better photos. As chase Jarvis says "the best camera is the one you have with you"

Well, I am a gearhead. But I am also an owner of a 5D mark II. As a consumer of that product, I have the moral right to criticise the camera as much as anyone.

It is totally irrelevant whether some hypothetical professional photographer somewhere is getting pulitzer prizes with the 5D Mark II. That isn't going to make my camera focus better or make my images any better.

What matters is that the OP has posted a thread asking for opinions about the 5D Mark II Autofocus. Our opinions. Your opinions. My opinions.

Not responding to you specifically, but RE: other posters, it seems that it's ok for someone to say good things about the camera, but as soon as someone says something negative about the camera, out comes the rhetoric and indictments on the skills or motives or agendas of the critics. Oh they must be gearheads. Oh they must be noobs. Oh they must be murderers.

I appreciate that the camera works well for you. Unfortunately it doesn't work well for me

smorter wrote in post #13722743
Well, I am a gearhead. But I am also an owner of a 5D mark II. As a consumer of that product, I have the moral right to criticise the camera as much as anyone.

It is totally irrelevant whether some hypothetical professional photographer somewhere is getting pulitzer prizes with the 5D Mark II. That isn't going to make my camera focus better or make my images any better.

What matters is that the OP has posted a thread asking for opinions about the 5D Mark II Autofocus. Our opinions. Your opinions. My opinions.

Not responding to you specifically, but RE: other posters, it seems that it's ok for someone to say good things about the camera, but as soon as someone says something negative about the camera, out comes the rhetoric and indictments on the skills or motives or agendas of the critics. Oh they must be gearheads. Oh they must be noobs. Oh they must be murderers.

I appreciate that the camera works well for you. Unfortunately it doesn't work well for me

Sell it and get something that works for you. Life is too short.

anodyne wrote in post #13721592
WOW ... seems like I see the same old 7D defenders in this thread. Don't you have some sharpening to keep you busy?

Sometimes we need a break from all that sharpening.

Hogloff wrote in post #13722852
Sell it and get something that works for you. Life is too short.

Life is too short because we have to work to earn the money we need.

Easy for you to say when you aren't the one selling things at a loss. If you are happy to pay for my D3X, I will immediately follow your advice.

This thread has made my decision to get a 5dMK2 a bit tougher. I was debating on either just getting a 7D or 5D2. Tough choice even though I would love to have a full frame camera.

aladyforty wrote in post #13722460
yes maybe you could be right but Im not a nikon owner, although have a friend with the model before it. however, my photos taken at weddings can sit right next to his and no-one would pick which camera took them. Strange as it may seem, some people on these forums actually take photos, make money and have no problems with their 5DII, 7Ds whatever. we are not all quite as obsessed like those who are tech heads or just obsessed with the next model and how much better it will be. I guarantee that you can put a 5DII in the hands of a pro and the best camera released this year of any brand in the hands of someone obsessed with all the bells and whistles and I'm sure the pro will get the better photos. As chase Jarvis says "the best camera is the one you have with you"

Yes, because amazing in focus pictures are proof that all those misses don't exist.

Oh and that cliche that you give credit to Jarvis for simply means something is better than nothing. It doesn't mean I can or should use my cell phone to shoot a wedding for a client.

Really, if you're good enough to transcend your equipment, why did you waste your money?

One more thought: anyone who says they have NO problems with their camera is either lying, or doesn't challenge it at all. NO problems with autofocus means every single frame you shoot is perfectly in focus. Not even the 1 series is capable of that.

Hogloff wrote in post #13722852
Sell it and get something that works for you. Life is too short.

Maybe he can't. Maybe the 1D series is too bulky and unwieldy (not to mention expensive), and the 7D's image quality isn't sufficient for his needs. Maybe Canon simply doesn't make a camera body that meets all his needs, and he has too vast a lens collection to make the switch practical.

Maybe living with the limitations of the 5D2 is the path of least resistance for him (which is not the same thing as the path of no resistance).


Committing to a camera platform is like committing to a computing platform. You build up a collection of accessories and skills which are specific to that platform. Learning to wring out the last bit of image quality from a camera is a very camera-specific thing to do, and even more brand-specific. Asking someone to switch camera brands when they've committed a bunch of resources to a given brand is like asking them to switch to a Mac when they've built up all their experience and software collection under Windows.


You should know, because it is for that very reason that you wouldn't switch to Nikon even if the D800 kills the 5D2 in resolution and image quality.

And that is why it is appropriate for people who have bought into the Canon system to gripe about Canon's anti-customer marketing decisions. Yes, that's right: their decision to put a laughable autofocus system in the 5D2 is anti-customer, because it's not in the customer's best interests, precisely because it was strictly a marketing decision and nothing else. That decision was only in Canon's best interests, and even that is arguable.

kcbrown wrote in post #13723044
Maybe he can't. Maybe the 1D series is too bulky and unwieldy (not to mention expensive), and the 7D's image quality isn't sufficient for his needs. Maybe Canon simply doesn't make a camera body that meets all his needs, and he has too vast a lens collection to make the switch practical.

Maybe living with the limitations of the 5D2 is the path of least resistance for him (which is not the same thing as the path of no resistance).


Committing to a camera platform is like committing to a computing platform. You build up a collection of accessories and skills which are specific to that platform. Learning to wring out the last bit of image quality from a camera is a very camera-specific thing to do, and even more brand-specific. Asking someone to switch camera brands when they've committed a bunch of resources to a given brand is like asking them to switch to a Mac when they've built up all their experience and software collection under Windows.


You should know, because it is for that very reason that you wouldn't switch to Nikon even if the D800 kills the 5D2 in resolution and image quality.

And that is why it is appropriate for people who have bought into the Canon system to gripe about Canon's anti-customer marketing decisions. Yes, that's right: their decision to put a laughable autofocus system in the 5D2 is anti-customer, because it's not in the customer's best interests, precisely because it was strictly a marketing decision and nothing else. That decision was only in Canon's best interests, and even that is arguable.

Switch, **** or just use your equipment to make photos. I know what I do...what do others here do?

Don't tell me, I can guess.

Easy for you to say "switch ****" when you aren't the one forking out the cash.

Lose some weight. Easier said than done.

jdizzle wrote in post #13722574
Yes!!!!!!!!!! M9 FTW!! Did you buy it yet?

No. the wife got a new living room instead.. Rumors are flying about the new M10.
Anyway it will be either the M9 or M10 and a 35 1.4 summilux.

Learn to use your equipment. The 5D and the 5DII work just fine for me. I have no problems with focus. If I did I wouldn't own them because I feed the family with them. I work for very demanding clients where OOF images wont fly. I use the 5DII and omg the always crappy focusing 85L (LoL) and I don't have problems. If I did have problems I wouldn't one the gear I own period.

The low light capabilities of the 5DII and even the 5Dc are great. The center focus point works fine. Recompose. I use the edges of the frame a lot so even with the 1D series outer points, on occasion, I still have to recompose.

Whole lot of big attitudes in this thread for no reason.

Having used many 1d-series cams and both generations of 5Ds professionally, I'd say both have their place. The 5Ds are superior in low light and scenes the require a big dynamic range. The 1Ds are great for fast-action events like sports or anything in the weather.

Pete Souza, the presidential photographer, uses a few 5D2s. That makes them good enough for me.

smorter wrote in post #13723110
Easy for you to say "switch ****" when you aren't the one forking out the cash.

Lose some weight. Easier said than done.

Well then just use your equipment to take photos and make money. There are thousands of photographers using the 5d2 to make a living. Constant complaining does not pay a single bill.

Hogloff wrote in post #13723152
Well then just use your equipment to take photos and make money. There are thousands of photographers using the 5d2 to make a living. Constant complaining does not pay a single bill.

No thanks. I don't have all the time in the world to slave away as someone's camera monkey just to justify buying equipment. What a sad life that would be. There's more important things like putting food on the table, going on holidays, getting a life.

smorter wrote in post #13722743
Well, I am a gearhead. But I am also an owner of a 5D mark II. As a consumer of that product, I have the moral right to criticise the camera as much as anyone.

It is totally irrelevant whether some hypothetical professional photographer somewhere is getting pulitzer prizes with the 5D Mark II. That isn't going to make my camera focus better or make my images any better.

What matters is that the OP has posted a thread asking for opinions about the 5D Mark II Autofocus. Our opinions. Your opinions. My opinions.

Not responding to you specifically, but RE: other posters, it seems that it's ok for someone to say good things about the camera, but as soon as someone says something negative about the camera, out comes the rhetoric and indictments on the skills or motives or agendas of the critics. Oh they must be gearheads. Oh they must be noobs. Oh they must be murderers.

I appreciate that the camera works well for you. Unfortunately it doesn't work well for me

I'm not responding to to you specifically either, but the rhetoric goes both ways. People respond positively and they are labelled canon apologists and fanboys.

As a new owner of a 5d MkII I am completely happy with it. No I don't believe it is the best camera ever or is it the best camera currently available. But unlike others I didn't ask loaded questions on a forum to decide what camera I should buy.

Instead I did my own research, narrowed down the choices, called in some favors to get some time with those choices, then picked the best camera I could afford that suited as many of my needs as possible. In the end I picked the 5d MkII to buy first, knowing that in another couple months I will purchase a 7d to complete the package. Not everyone can afford both, some can afford to step up to more expensive gear, everyone is different.

Do the research and buy the camera that fills as many of your own personal needs as possible, not the camera some people on the internet feel will fill your needs based on they're biases. Most everyone will find they need to make compromises, simply because the perfect camera doesn't exist.

triton3k wrote in post #13723017
This thread has made my decision to get a 5dMK2 a bit tougher. I was debating on either just getting a 7D or 5D2. Tough choice even though I would love to have a full frame camera.

Start a fresh thread about it - you can get 20 more pages of the same bickering from the same people. These threads never fail to satisfy.