7D Mark II - Focus Discussions

I have had mine since Oct 31 last year. My buddy showed up and I did comparison test's again, then I did a reset on the camera and we both feel it made a difference, Its true the light is not great at this time of year but I have two camera's and lenses to compare. I haven't done a check but I'm guessing my shutter count is way up there, like a surprisingly high number. I could tell instantly there was something wrong looking at the images even on the back of the camera. BUT the reset may have done some good !! we ran out of daylight so tomorrow is another day. I mean I was shooting really sharp birds and the extender trashed that real quick and after I took it off they stayed just a little off. either way I got some good stuff of my little buddy,.. It was not like it was an overall problem, the moon was shot hand held standing on the road after shooting the fox and it turned out super, and most of the fox stuff is good, just not smokin and you know thats what I like lol I will try it with the 70-300L but it rained most of the day today. I should have had it on yesterday as I was needing to back out more but I forgot it at home.


again uncropped

Pondrader wrote in post #17758856
I have had mine since Oct 31 last year. My buddy showed up and I did comparison test's again, then I did a reset on the camera and we both feel it made a difference, Its true the light is not great at this time of year but I have two camera's and lenses to compare. I haven't done a check but I'm guessing my shutter count is way up there, like a surprisingly high number. I could tell instantly there was something wrong looking at the images even on the back of the camera. BUT the reset may have done some good !! we ran out of daylight so tomorrow is another day. I mean I was shooting really sharp birds and the extender trashed that real quick and after I took it off they stayed just a little off. either way I got some good stuff of my little buddy,.. It was not like it was an overall problem, the moon was shot hand held standing on the road after shooting the fox and it turned out super, and most of the fox stuff is good, just not smokin and you know thats what I like lol I will try it with the 70-300L but it rained most of the day today. I should have had it on yesterday as I was needing to back out more but I forgot it at home.

Unfortunately it looks like you are on a bit of a roller coaster ride. FWIW I did a reset last spring, not sure if it was before or after sending the pictures to Canon for evaluation. At that time the reset did seem to make a small difference but not much. This thread is acquiring some new and unexpected twists. I wonder if your issues are related to the firmware update as reported by Phoenixkh.

Based on the issues in this thread as well as my own I'm starting to wonder if the long awaited successor to the original 7D was released half baked as it were.

Rod

Pondrader wrote in post #17758358
hey, Ya I shot in one shot and servo, well we all did, two 7DII's and two 100-400LII's shot at random thing's,...we just passed the camera's around. not very scientific I know but it kind of took me out of the equation if you know what I mean. I'm not the easiest guy to please when were talking my camera lol,. I'm just going through the images on the computer but all standing there felt there was a problem. I don't have the images from the second 7DII ,..Im not sure what I have yet. A big question for me is why after I put the 1.4III on did thing's become goofy..I know scientific term lol ??

Just to clarify, I am confused, are mid distances goofy only with the TC on, or are both not always goofy even with the TC off too?

Most folks need about another 10 clicks of mfa with the TC 1.4 iii.

Pondrader wrote in post #17758407
Ya so I just need everything at arm's length lol ... Ya I had to keep talking to him to keep his eye's open

124mm uncropped spot with a 45 degree hill side. O and a fox for a target for focus

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Jeff,
Did you have IS on or off. This slight softness on the focal plane (which appears to indeed fall on the head) can be caused by unsettled IS.
Try with it off if it was on.
If it was on, try flipping all the switches on the lens, maybe the proper mode wasn't engaged.

Are you seeing this mid range issue with your 70-300 too?

I hear ya Rod but mine was screamin good before Canon repaired it. If they had put the back plate on and left it at that i would have been happy as can be. who knew they could screw it up so bad. I had already put 1.05 on the camera my self and found it to be just as good with no problems.

Ya I had IS on, I use mode 2 and 3, mostly 3 for the last few months, I have tried both in the last week back and forth. I did think of that and moved the switches back and forth. but I can shoot the moon at will and get great results. I am hopeful the reset did something. and the images were not good with and with out extender. Im going to try the 70-300L tomorrow

Pondrader wrote in post #17758921
Ya I had IS on, I use mode 2 and 3, mostly 3 for the last few months, I have tried both in the last week back and forth. I did think of that and moved the switches back and forth. but I can shoot the moon at will and get great results. I am hopeful the reset did something. and the images were not good with and with out extender. Im going to try the 70-300L tomorrow

Just to eliminate it as a variable, please try the 100-400 with IS fully off.
Also, ,maybe cleaning all 3 sets of contacts: 7dii, 100-400, and TC?

Pondrader wrote in post #17758856
I have had mine since Oct 31 last year. My buddy showed up and I did comparison test's again, then I did a reset on the camera and we both feel it made a difference, Its true the light is not great at this time of year but I have two camera's and lenses to compare. I haven't done a check but I'm guessing my shutter count is way up there, like a surprisingly high number. I could tell instantly there was something wrong looking at the images even on the back of the camera. BUT the reset may have done some good !! we ran out of daylight so tomorrow is another day. I mean I was shooting really sharp birds and the extender trashed that real quick and after I took it off they stayed just a little off. either way I got some good stuff of my little buddy,.. It was not like it was an overall problem, the moon was shot hand held standing on the road after shooting the fox and it turned out super, and most of the fox stuff is good, just not smokin and you know thats what I like lol I will try it with the 70-300L but it rained most of the day today. I should have had it on yesterday as I was needing to back out more but I forgot it at home.


again uncropped

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Did you connect the TC to the lens 1st and then put on the camera body? Canon suggest installing in this order so that weird things don't happen.

Methodical wrote in post #17759668
Did you connect the TC to the lens 1st and then put on the camera body? Canon suggest installing in this order so that weird things don't happen.

Great point, but Jeff was having troubles with the mid-distsmcr even without the TC on the 100-400.

Ok so the reset has made a big difference, the light is the same today as it was on Saturday so once I get these images off the camera I will see, but they look way better.

I hear ya Medicineman, If you watch Arthur Morris video on TC he does not put it on the lens first. He throw's it right on the camera..... so I don't know. I never worried before, I would put it on the camera to get it closed up then on the lens and it never gave me a bit of trouble.

Pondrader wrote in post #17759869
Ok so the reset has made a big difference, the light is the same today as it was on Saturday so once I get these images off the camera I will see, but they look way better.

I hear ya Medicineman, If you watch Arthur Morris video on TC he does not put it on the lens first. He throw's it right on the camera..... so I don't know. I never worried before, I would put it on the camera to get it closed up then on the lens and it never gave me a bit of trouble.

Jeff,
Art Morris is a talented photographer and can offer helpful information. However there have been more than one instance where his info conflicts with Canon vs direct info. He doesn't work in Canon Tech support.
The TC manual specifically says to connect it to the lens first. I have heard of others having issues when not done. Might be lens or, body dependent.
Attached are instructions.

I have seen this before and where it said to put it on the lans first, I can also tell you in the past I've had not problems doing it either way. but will put it on the lens first just to keep things straight. having the extender on or off made no difference to the images after the camera had this ill affect the afternoon that it went bad. so with or with out it was having problems. I was ok up close and ok at far out distances..like the moon. I did the reset then removed the batt and closed the door and pushed the shutter button to remove any power that may remain reinstalled the batt and turned the camera on. we then shot for both camera's comparing them as we went on the back of the camera. there was a big difference in the two before the reset and after not so much with one camera doing better than the other from shot to shot. so although I have used the extender both way s in the past this may have caused a problem but I am not 100% on that at all because I don't really know why the camera had an issue in the first place. the extender is speculation really or is it I don't know for sure.

I do wonder if there is anyone that has actually had a problem putting it on the camera first or is it just wording in the manual. ?? and I only had my extender on for a bit...noticed the problem and took it off, of course in this day and age I removed the batt to reboot as it were, these days theres not much that doesn't need rebooting once in a while.

Pondrader wrote in post #17760245
I have seen this before and where it said to put it on the lans first, I can also tell you in the past I've had not problems doing it either way. but will put it on the lens first just to keep things straight. having the extender on or off made no difference to the images after the camera had this ill affect the afternoon that it went bad. so with or with out it was having problems. I was ok up close and ok at far out distances..like the moon. I did the reset then removed the batt and closed the door and pushed the shutter button to remove any power that may remain reinstalled the batt and turned the camera on. we then shot for both camera's comparing them as we went on the back of the camera. there was a big difference in the two before the reset and after not so much with one camera doing better than the other from shot to shot. so although I have used the extender both way s in the past this may have caused a problem but I am not 100% on that at all because I don't really know why the camera had an issue in the first place. the extender is speculation really or is it I don't know for sure.

I do wonder if there is anyone that has actually had a problem putting it on the camera first or is it just wording in the manual. ?? and I only had my extender on for a bit...noticed the problem and took it off, of course in this day and age I removed the batt to reboot as it were, these days theres not much that doesn't need rebooting once in a while.

It doesn't cost extra to follow instructions. Maybe Canon wrote those instructions for a reason. Or maybe it was just a joke - but I don't think big companies have a sense of humor. So my bet is that there is a reason. And that's why I always do it the recommended way. No issues so far.

Pondrader wrote in post #17760245
...
there was a big difference in the two before the reset and after not so much with one camera doing better than the other from shot to shot.

Jeff, Please clarify...
Did you mean that after the reset, There was no noticeable difference after the reset, or one camera was still doing better from shot to shot?

I believe the suggestion by Canon to mount the t-con to the lens first was all about physics and mechanical strength. That it has to do with preventing "butterfingers' and other physical gaffs,. Nothing to do with electrical signal or image quality or "weird stuff"

Since Canon also tells us to shut off the camera before switching lenses, regardless of the order you use, no power will be applied until all three (Lens, t-Con, Body) are all connected together.

I've definitely heard many say that attaching to the lens first is the "safer" option.
Until this thread I've never heard it suggested that it can somehow effect image quality.

Now that said, I understand that some SIGMA lenses can in fact get messed up if you do it the wrong way.. but again this requires you do it the "wrong way" while it's running and powered up OS.