My 7D's Focusing Issue

I've had my 7D for a couple of years now and have always had an issue with it focusing on the right spot. I usually take a ton of pictures so I will always come away with at least 1 keeper, but its getting rather old. Is this something I should send my camera in to be serviced for?

Below is an example from this last weekend. I was in one-shot AF mode with spot AF. I focused on my son's sunglasses to make sure it was high contrast area to better the chances of getting a focus lock. NOPE! Got the front stitching on his shorts instead. 5 shots in a row came out like this.

Here is a link to a larger version

zIt could be the camera or it could be a lens. Do all your lenses exibit the same inconsistancy?

Try resetting all default camera settings .

gjl711 wrote in post #14740987
zIt could be the camera or it could be a lens. Do all your lenses exibit the same inconsistancy?

Even though both of those shots were with my Sigma 50mm, I would say all my lenses since my Sigma is a recent acquisition. I will say I have a lot more success when I focus through Live View, making me suspect the camera.

LV focusing should be perfect every time.It's using the actual light path that will expose the image to focus. If it's inconsistant on all your lenses then MFA is usless as it cannot predictivly set itself. So odds are body ot technique.

Not saying its the problem but one of the known Sigma 50 issues is your exact problem. At different focal lengths it shifts so MA doesn't help at all. I would try to work out focus issues with a different lens.

whats your shutter speed on them?
I cant see your EXIF on my mac.
Thanks

I had similar issues when I got my 7D and also blamed the camera. It turned out to be user error. Check out these tutorials:

http://www.youtube.com …K8MP1HFnE&featu​re=related

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=6nBVeWszWrU

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=iBExH5wgoVY

jhayesvw wrote in post #14741177
whats your shutter speed on them?
I cant see your EXIF on my mac.
Thanks

Yeah, they are just screenshots of the image in DPP.

First is 1/2000 f/2.0 ISO100 AF-Spot One-Shot 50mm
Second one is 1/80 f/2.2 ISO100 AF-Spot One-Shot 50mm

I don't think its a motion blur issue because there is a sharp part of the photo and the subjects were very still.

James P wrote in post #14741204
I had similar issues when I got my 7D and also blamed the camera. It turned out to be user error. Check out these tutorials:

http://www.youtube.com …K8MP1HFnE&featu​re=related

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=6nBVeWszWrU

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=iBExH5wgoVY

I understand that the AF on the 7D can be tricky, but it seems to me that a close, stationary subject with a single AF point on their face in One Shot mode should be a no-brainer to capture. If they or I were in motion with competing subjects then I can understand the confusion on how to use the AF.

Here is the exif data. I was in the proper Spot AF mode, not auto select or AF expansion.

IMAGE LINK: http://i.imgur.com/oeZ​4a.jpg

Firstly why are you shooting a subject like that at 1/2000 and f2 when 1/250 f5.6 would give you a bit more DOF. Also High Speed continuous, how have you got the focusing set up, is it even trying to refocus between shots. The first may be OOF as there is no texture or detail on the face as under the focus square for the camera to work with, it is bound to struggle when basically presented with a blank surface.

I didn't want more DOF, I wanted to blur the docks behind them as much as possible. I had to shoot 1/2000 to control the exposure. As you can see from the second boat shot it worked fine once it actually focused on his face. High-speed continuous was on because before we pulled into the dock for gas I was shooting them on a raft being pulled behind us. But even so, if it didn't grab AF because of his smooth cheek, why did it go for his shorts in the bottom of the frame and not the nearest point of contrast to the selected AF spot. It gave me AF lock light and everything.

Here are two more pictures. Taken 5 seconds apart. 1st is focused correctly on his head, 2nd focused on the stitching on the seats.

Tiggity-T wrote in post #14741462
Maybe my camera just REALLY likes stitching. Honestly, I am seeing a pattern in these shots. When it doesn't focus correctly, it focuses on the bottom right (when held horizontal, bottom left when vertical)

Strangely there is not even a focusing point in the same plane of focus as the stitching.
I suspect it's the lens, does the problem occur only with the Sigma or all lenses, I've read about a lot of focusing issues in general with 50mm lenses wide open.

With you in manual AF there is no reason that focus should be shifting to a point you didn't select, is there? I think I would send it in and have it looked at.

I agree with lannes. Does it happen with other lenses? I have the sigma and have the exact problem as you. Live view focuses perfectly and MA does nothing to help the lens.
If this doesn't affect your other lenses, it most certainly is the siggy problem. Mine is on its way back from Sigma NY.