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Author Topic: 10D focus issue-should I buy?  (Read 3545 times)

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10D focus issue-should I buy?
« on: July 14, 2003, 08:13:26 pm »

Whether you buy the Nikon or the Canon is one issue. But I definately wouldn't hesitate on the 10D because of the Net fuss over the focus issue. It's real, but has only been seen by with a relatively small number of units relative to the tens of thousands sold.

Michael
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Jonathan Wienke

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10D focus issue-should I buy?
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2003, 12:38:10 pm »

I have looked at photos from several people claiming to have focus issues with the 10D. So far, all of the problems have been user errors of one type or another, and not a camera problem. I have a 1Ds, and my next body will be a 10D.
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scubastu

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10D focus issue-should I buy?
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2003, 02:37:11 pm »

Michael,

I think the main reason why people haven't responded to you is that they're tired of seeing posts like this...I know I am.  So no need to be snarky about it.

Yes, if you believe the many of the measurebators out there then there will be a 10D focus issue.  Chesty, if you have a problem with your particular 10D, I'm sorry to hear that, but you will be the exception.  My 10D is from the 1st batch from Canon, the early 02xx serial numbers, the so called "Bad Batch" my images are tack sharp, did I do a ruler test, no...why...I don't find ruler pics all that appealing...But I do have pics that have made a medium format shooter friend of mine go..."Wow...those are amazing"  A friend with a D30 looks wistfully at my flight shots because his D30 doesn't focus as well as my 10D.

If you're interested in the 10D, buy it.  Remember it's a mass produced item, 99.99 percent of the time you'll get a perfectly working body, if there's a problem, then either get it exchanged or have Canon fix it.  There was this huge kaffufle about the unintended acceleration on the Jeep Grand Cherokee a few years back...everyone made such a fuss, you know what the findings were?  The technical term was "Pedal Missapplication"...and at the moment, a lot of the 10D bashers are guilty of "lack of knowledge misapplication". It was like those who bought the 16-35L, point it at their couch in the living room, set it at f2.8 and expect everything from 12" away to infinity to be in focus...well DUH! A lot of the complainers are coming from digital P&S that have the miniscule sensors with the massive DOF.  I've seen posters on DPReview ask how to format the CF card because the manual was too thick for him to read.....OMG!  If they can't be bothered to find out how to format a CF card, how the heck can you expect them to be a reliable source on how the camera focuses?

sorry for the rant, but hey, I'm the one getting paid for my 10D images...so the less competition out there...all the better for my bank account.

Now, if only the underwater housing for the 10D didn't cost $3000!


My 2 cents.

Stewart
 
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Robert Zembowicz

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10D focus issue-should I buy?
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2003, 03:14:00 pm »

I have 10D that appears to have a focus problem (not new to SLR, 25 years of photo experience).

However, I found it only when doing systematic, controlled tests with small target and a ruler on a side at wide open apertures.

I am usually shooting at f/8 or f/11, so focus shift is not a problem for me. From time to time I shoot wide open with a prime lens, but none of the frames shoot wide open had an issue so far.

I am going to send my for repair eventually, but not right now - too busy using the camera and getting the results I like.

So, back to the original question - don't consider this as an issue. If you happen to be in that small percentage of users who have a problem, send it to Canon for repair (if they can't repair, they replace with new body). What if you buy a Nikon body and found yourself in that <1% group that happen to have some kind of quality issue?

This is an excellent camera. I would recomend it to anyone despite the fact mine seems to have that infamous issue...

Check out my not-official-yet page on 10D

Thanks,

Robert
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michael canyes

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10D focus issue-should I buy?
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2003, 07:43:01 pm »

Hi all,
I am going back and forth between a 10D and a Nikon D100. I have no particular tie to either, just want a camera that works and gives me no trouble. I would probably buy the 10D except for the focus issue. So, I am asking for opinions. Is there a good chance that this will be a problem in the camera I purchase, or is this only a problem with a small number of cameras, and it is just being talked about a lot.
Thanks,
Michael
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michael canyes

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10D focus issue-should I buy?
« Reply #5 on: July 15, 2003, 07:59:35 pm »

60 views but only one opinion - interesting.
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chesty

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10D focus issue-should I buy?
« Reply #6 on: July 16, 2003, 01:50:39 pm »

You should look at my photos in my post above.  I did several tests and found that there is a marked difference in manual vs auto focus.

I am also a certified calibrations technician and an optical repair technician.  Both skills learned and used in the Military (USMC)

While this is not using a standard target it is real world and does show the differeneces in manual vs auto focus.

I believe that there may be a problem with the canon lenses and the 10D.
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Pete

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10D focus issue-should I buy?
« Reply #7 on: July 16, 2003, 03:12:59 pm »

A good post, Stewart!  There may be a few bad bodies out there, but some of the problems may be from user-error.

Although the following has nothing to do with 10D's, it supports well what Stewart said.  Recently two friends of mine with canon digital P/S's asked me to look at a "focusing"
problem.  Turned out they both were letting the camera choose the autofocus point for them.  Backgrounds were sharp but not the person in the center (there in a little shade).  Nice contrasty background, though.

By the way, my school recently bought two 10D's, and I've yet to see any problem with either.
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chesty

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10D focus issue-should I buy?
« Reply #8 on: July 16, 2003, 04:18:13 pm »

I have a new 10D about 3 months old, have been shooting slr for 20 plus years, and I have had some great images with the 10D and I too am getting paid for my images.  However, I will stand by the fact that there is a problem with the focusing when there is more in the picture than when shooting say a portrait or a plane.  I use the center focus point only.

I was originally skeptical about the focus problem and even posted that I had excellent results with my 10 D which I did.  But I started noticing over time that the images started to soften up.  So I did a real world test. I didn't doctor images, used only Canon lenses etc.  Short of having a standard traceable bact to the the Standards lab in DC I have found that I do have a problem.  Whether or not it is on the next body who knows.

But,it is apparent that there is a problem with more than one camera and from all areas of the globe.  So, mine is going back to Canon with all of my lenses so that they may be calibrated as a unit and I will ask for the before and after test results to see what if any improvement was made.
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michael canyes

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10D focus issue-should I buy?
« Reply #9 on: July 16, 2003, 06:09:49 pm »

Thank you all.

Stewart: I am going to buy it. No problem with the rant. I had assumed that there was no documentable problem, but I thought I would make one last check. Perhaps I should have worded my question a little more specifically.

I found out later that Rob Galbraith's forum has some interesting stuff. Chuck Westfall from Canon has some good input. To simplify greatly, the autofocus sensors go quite a bit past the squares on the ground glass. Sometimes they will find something outside the square with more contrast than what you focused on in the middle of the square. There is a good diagram of the autofocus sensors.

It helps to understand just how the 10D views the world, and that information is not always readily available.

Thanks,
Michael
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