TEST OF CANON 10D FOCUS USING VARIOUS CANON LENSES

[AJSJones]

Some surprisingly large differences, as you note.

Which AF points were used for the "auto" shots?  Or was it just "auto" where the camera's "AI" decides what you want to be in focus?
Did/would you get the same results if you just selected the central one, so you know at least what  the camera is "supposed" to focus on.  It was the first "customization" I made when I received the camera!

I recently checked the AF of my newly acquired 10D, but I have set my AF to use on the (most accurate) central square and it was spot-on at both ends of the 100-400 I checked ( with a  bar-code on a vertical box, aligned at the 24 inches mark of a slightly inclined 4ft ruler, as the focus target).  Focus was within 1/4 inch....  but I knew where the camera was supposed to try and focus. I used the closest focusing distance for this test of one of the most critical situations, using this as a macro at its closest focusing distance - like for the butterfly in the Member's Costa Rica gallery on this site.  The 10D and D60 both focused accurately eventually, but the 10D is way faster, and its central square is a  smaller zone (it will allow me to focus quickly on birds through branches that would have totally confused the D60) so I'm happy with my upgrade!

Andy

[chesty]

bump

[chesty]

I used a tripod, focus is on the fence, so the wind is irrelevant and some of the foilage in the pics change position when a lenses were changed.  What I made sure of was that the focus point between manual and auto was identical for each lens used.

The settings for the lens should be listed on some of the files.  But were done at max opening for each of the lenses used except where noted.

I am not trying to piss on Canon, I have owned and used Canon exclusively for over 20 years and won't ever change.

What I am pointing out is that maybe there is a problem with some or all of the bodies or perhaps the bodies are demanding more from the lenses and the lenses need to be fine tuned by Canon to the camera.

This is what I am going to find out when I send in my equipment in the next week or two.

[chesty]

To manual focus.

If you go to http://www.cronusengineering.com/cronuswarp/10D/index.htm

I have compiled some test shots with the 10D using only the Canon lenses I possess.  I used the 28mm f1.8, 50mm f1.4, 100mm f2.8 macro, 70-200mm f2.8 and the 300mm f2.8.

There were no filters uv or otherwise on the lenses.  Absolutely no post processing at all.  They were all shot in raw mode and converted to 16 bit tiff's using the Canon software.

As you can see there appears to be a huge difference in the smaller focal length lenses.  I noticed this when I was playing around with my camera this morning and then started to think that maybe someone might be on to something with the 10D focusing.

[chesty]

I used the central square.  It is the only one I ever use.  I am going to send all my lenses and camera back to Canon and have them check out the problem.  I always wondered why the foucus was a tad soft.  I just attributed it to the digital process.

[Jonathan Wienke]

Was the camera on a tripod? Also it appears that the wind was blowing; the position of the tree branches varies noticeably from shot to shot, as does the overall perspective. What shutter speed did you use? If those shots were done handheld on a windy day with a low shutter speed, then the results are meaningless.