EOS 5D Mk2 problems - help!

macvisual

macvisual

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Peter
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Ok, I need your HELP PLEASE;

This is really annoying me now, mostly every shot with my newly acquired EOS 5D Mk2 body is SOFT, I shot this image below on a tripod, 50 iso, mirror lock-up, used a recently repaired EF 24-105mm f/4 L which was repaired at Canon UK, a fit bill of health etc. My other Canon lenses EF 50mm f/1.8 MkII and EF 17-40mm f/4 L are the same, soft.

This was shot at f/6.3 at 105mm length. This image is straight out of the camera with nothing done to it whatsoever.
My last EOS 5D Mk1 body which I owned for 18 months was 'pin-sharp' focus compared to this 5D Mk2 body!!!!

What's going on......?????



Soft rose by Peter McCullough Photography, on Flickr

Help before I sell my 5D Mk2 body.
 
Are you using manual or auto focus? It could be the eyepiece dioptre adjustment is out - and if you are manual focussing, it'll confuse you into thinking it's sharp when it's not...

That's my first thought...
 
Settings: 1/15 ƒ/6.3 ISO 50 105 mm
Did you use a cable release :thinking: even a slight prod at the shutter button could cause a OOF shot at that speed.
Only other way to prove a issue would be to focus in live view and use the 10sec timer.
 
Thanks for the replies, appreciated.

Yes I used a cable release for that image above, manual focus, and when I got the 5D/2 body about two weeks ago I did adjust the eyepiece dioptre adjustment ok.

Weird....(??)
 
Has 5d2 got micro adjustment, perhaps if it a used body its been set for something else. Just a random thought :)
 
Hi Martin,

Yes the 5D/2 body has micro adjustment, but I haven't a clue were to start about micro adjusting each (3x) Canon lens I own.

Any suggestions regards micro adjusting from present 5D/2 owners please....?
 
Why are you not auto focusing?

Not really the best way to test for focus problems, i.e using such a slow shutter speed, adjusting dioptre and using manual focus, sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.


Why not use auto focus and flash with a shutter speed of 250 on a suitably stable no moving target.
 
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macvisual said:
Hi Martin,

Yes the 5D/2 body has micro adjustment, but I haven't a clue were to start about micro adjusting each (3x) Canon lens I own.

Any suggestions regards micro adjusting from present 5D/2 owners please....?
Click to expand...

Lots of threads on AF micro-adjustment. Scroll down here a bit, run a search :)
 
I've just noticed that you used manual focus for this shot, not sure micro adjustment will make any difference if in mf.
 
FWIW, the MA value for the 24-105 used for the shot is currently set to 0

Bob
 
As Neil suggested, try Live View ? You can magnify the focus point on the LCD screen to help make sure it's sharp when focussing manually.
I haven't used MA on my 5d2 at all so can't offer any help with that.
 
Within the camera menus there is a lens profiler, find this then search for the lens you have fitted, the camera will make the microadjustments needed and it should sort your problems out. If not try a sensor clean it can work wonders sometimes :)

FF
 
flashframe said:
Within the camera menus there is a lens profiler, find this then search for the lens you have fitted, the camera will make the microadjustments needed and it should sort your problems out. If not try a sensor clean it can work wonders sometimes :)

FF
Click to expand...

I cannot see that functionality on my 5d2. Using the 5d2 you go to C.Fn III: Autofocus/Drive. Within there it's Option 8 for AF Microadjustment and can 'Adjust all by the same amount' or 'adjust by lens'. If choosing 'adjust by lens' highlight option 2 and press the Info button. This brings up a new screen where you can set forwrad or backward by +/-20 either way by pressing set.
 
flashframe said:
Within the camera menus there is a lens profiler, find this then search for the lens you have fitted, the camera will make the microadjustments needed and it should sort your problems out.
FF
Click to expand...

???

This does not make any sense......:shrug: Maybe you are thinking of peripheral illumination?

Check C.Fn III, option 8 does not have a global afma adjustment (option 2 selected), may be an idea to disable afma just for testing, same menu. It may be an idea to hard reset the camera by removing both batteries for an hour or so.
 
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Removing the batteries won't reset it though as it has a button cell battery to keep the info. Remove that button cell for a reset, and as suggested, try different speeds as 1/15 will pick up the slightest vibration etc.
 
Flightphoto said:
Removing the batteries won't reset it though as it has a button cell battery to keep the info. Remove that button cell for a reset, and as suggested, try different speeds as 1/15 will pick up the slightest vibration etc.
Click to expand...

That's why I said both batteries ;)
 
Sorry my mistake its not built into the camera that setting adjustment its built into the software supplied with the camera, either EOSutility or camera window, its under a tab called lens corrections then it comes up with all EOS ftting lenses by cannon and it then changes settings accordingly, if you still cant find that may I suggest you buy one of these and calibrate your lens , Datacolor SpyderLensCal should fix your problem.

FF
 
flashframe said:
Sorry my mistake its not built into the camera that setting adjustment its built into the software supplied with the camera, either EOSutility or camera window, its under a tab called lens corrections then it comes up with all EOS ftting lenses by cannon and it then changes settings accordingly, if you still cant find that may I suggest you buy one of these and calibrate your lens , Datacolor SpyderLensCal should fix your problem.

FF
Click to expand...

Yes that's peripheral illumination and lens distortion correction, not afma :)
 
My bad, it had been over a year since I had seen it or used it so I couldn't quite remember, it looks like the Datacolor SpyderLensCal is your best bet if after you reset the camera it still has problems :) I use it on my L lenses ever 3-4 months just to make sure nothing is slipping and I have to say I'm very pleased with it, its a learning curve on how to use it but once your familiar with it you will find it easier to setup.

FF
 
No worries :)

I think Peter has had info on how to install magic lantern with dottune built in over on potn, that will help with any afma issues though if all lenses are soft I'd be giving it a hard reset first and foremost.
 
Well hopefully a reset will sort out the problem, I had problems with an early build of magic lantern on my 5D ii every so often it would disable AF and cause it to lock at the wrong focus step, a quick patch sorted it. I seriously doubt now that ML would release a version with the AF i mentioned :)
 
I would see if you can get good focus manually using liveview.
If a shot taken when the liveview image looks crisp turns out soft, most likely something is misaligned.

Looking down into a rose is a difficult subject for autofocus, try some tests with a more 2D subject.
Could you have been closer than the minimum focus distance of the lens(es)?

It won't be related but I see you have used the extended ISO on 50, this really doesn't help as it's a software based extension, ISO100 is the actual minimum and if you'd used ISO400 the shutter speed could be faster in case something does move slightly.
 
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Thanks for the replies, great stuff.

Before I recently bought the 5D Mk2 body I'd been shooting with a 5D Mk1 body for just under 2yrs. The very first day of owning the 5D Mk2 body I immediately found out that my first photo even before I pressed the shutter that viewing a shot via the viewfinder was not clear and very shallow focus compared to my 5D Mk1 viewfinder, I actually thought......hmmmmm this is odd????
I've 3 Canon lenses and a Samyang 35mm lens, changing to any of these lenses caused the exact same problems via the viewfinder, just not sharp focus, doesn't seem to matter if you select f/2 or f/22.......!

Been working over this weekend so I haven't had a chance to try sort this, I've half a day off tomorrow (Monday) so I'll look into my focus issue more closely, thanks!
meanwhile I'll do a re-set to see if that helps.

peter
 
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