I’m onto my second 7D, and it’s still not right. It’s a great camera so as long as I don’t need to use the autofocus. Ahhh, it’s a sad story to tell, this one. . .
So straight out of the box and it all seems great. I start shooting video flat out, not even really stopping to seriously take some stills. I checked the flash sync speed and made sure it worked with my trigger and strobes, but that was about it.
So on Sunday afternoon, figuring I actually should test the stills side of things before I went out and did a shoot with it the next day, I put on the Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 and set up in the lounge room. The camera was already on full autofocus, I looked through the viewfinder, half depressed the shutter, heard the lens whirr, lock focus and the camera confirm with a beep. I snapped off a shot. . . .blurry. . . .and another. . .blurry. . .and another. . .blurry. . .
I thought that was weird and so changed the mode to single spot, thinking maybe it was just confused. That seemed to work, but upon closer inspection it wasn’t. looking closely, the images were still unacceptably soft for my purposes. I can’t supply my clients soft images, nor can I afford (or should I have to. . .) to be stuffing around with manual focus every time I take a shot. Video yes, stills, no. I was seriously concerned.
I tried a couple of other lenses. . .same thing. . .blurry, soft, you name it. . .My ideal, dream camera, there in my hands, being an absolute dog!
I searched high and low on the next and found lots of people, just like me, who had 7D’s behaving badly. I tried micro adjusting my lenses but to no avail. So I rang Camera’s Direct who agreed that there must be some kind of problem and they agreed to send me out another unit.
Fast forward to present moment, I have since received another 7D body from Camera’s Direct which exhibited the same problem, so I sent it back. I believe I have a defective unit as there are some people out there singing the praises of this camera and it’s autofocus system from the highest mountains (forums). I have heard from others who have suffered the same issues that a new body is the go, with a serial number far, far from what I have right now.
I hope this is the answer and I hope Camera’s Direct don’t get sick of me before I end up with a 7D that works as it should. . .
I am an unhappy camper. . .:(
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I heard others complain that their Tokina 11-16 did not focus on their 7D. However, their 7D focused fine with other Canon lens. You might want to use a Canon brand lens as your main test lens. I get my 7d on Friday and I already have the same Tokina 11-16. I hope mine works.
Yes, still having issues, but can’t do anything about it at this stage. Funnily enough, it does seem to be improving a little and definitely isn’t as bad as when I first got it. Every shot still needs to be manually checked though. It seems to be the luck of the draw. In spot mode, sometimes it will work perfectly, other times, it’s hopeless.
It’s a real shame that this one issue has overshadowed my overall excitement of this camera. Unfortunately changing to a Canon lens is not really a solution for me as I often need the extra stop that f2.8 offers me. There isn’t another wide angle available as fast as the Tokina.
Sad to hear this story.
@Blair: Pls write your feedback here with your tokina 7d setup. Looking forward for you results.
cheers.
Yes, it sure is sad! If only everything worked perfectly as it should, all the time!
I have sent mails to Canon and Tokina to try and find out where the issue is. I will be sure to keep you updated on my findings.
I researched this further and some 7d owners say their 11-16 works perfectly. There does not appear to be any relationship with the Tokina serial numbers either. Christian, do you have yet another 7d replacement yet? Maybe Cameras Direct just has a bad batch? I’ll post my results this weekend or Monday. I got my fingers crossed.
Well I tried 3 different bodies, all with such simiilar outcomes that I ended up with the first body I originally received. I couldn’t imagine that three brand new seperate bodies from 3 seperate shipments and wildly varying serial numbers would all display the same problem.
I hope to find out otherwise so if it is the camera, at least I have some recourse and won’t get stuck with this body.
I’m very interested to hear your feedback, please keep us updated.
Christian , have you tried the Tokina on a different brand camera, maybe the lens?
Rambo
The lens works wonderfully on my 500D, so I don’t think it’s the lens.
Funnily enough it has improved in spot mode, but it’s still not acceptable. I have to check every shot.
Here’s the scoop, I spent many hours with the various focus modes, micro adjustment using various focus chart methods, and a variety of Canon glass and the Tokina 11-16…and NOTHING focused well after over 200 shots of jpg and raw. I was going to return my body today and decided to first speak with Canon. They recommended I try two things. 1) clean the lens & body lens electrical contacts with an eraser (holding the body upside-down so as not to get too much eraser dust in the body). I am going to get one of those erasers that produce minimal dust as well. 2) Take the memory card, date-battery, and main-battery all out for 15 minutes to let the camera reset. Anyhow, I will try this tonight to see if it helps. What peaks my interest though, is the electrical contacts. I bet this is it. The Tokina might be slightly different then the Canon lens contacts and this might be the cause for everyone’s Tokina focus issues as well !!
BTW, Christian, if your initial body had some residue on the body’s electrical contacts, (lets guess that it is some oily substance), then that might have transferred to the contacts on your lens which would render them unreliable on future bodies…just a guess, but the Canon rep did tell me I need to clean the electrical contacts on my lens as well.
Thanks Blair, I really appreciate the info mate. It sure does suck doesn’t it?!
Definitely let me know what happens with the eraser. I guess it could be something to do with the contacts. I give my whole kit a clean quite regularly though because I shoot in salty air down by the beach so much. I usually clean the lens contacts at these times, but have never cleaned the body contacts. And with an eraser? Strange!
Hope it works for you though!
Look forward to hearing from you again.
Christian, Canon had recommended using an eraser but that is actually an old trick for PC repair. When the contacts of a memory RAM chip or board were tarnished, you use an eraser and it cleans it up perfectly. For my camera, I held the body upside down while erasing and then I have a micro-vacuum cleaner that I used to clean the eraser dust. It’s interesting that those body contacts actually move quite a bit. I am thinking that they might not have been moving freely on your 1st body and now they are breaking-in and moving more freely which might be why your body is now working better…just another guess?
I cleaned the contacts and reset the camera as Canon recommended and it actual did help by making things more consistent, but several Canon lens still back focusing by varying amounts. The Tokina lens actually front focused at 11 and back focused at 16…how would you fix that with micro-adjustments? Mine is going back today for exchange after spending countless hours (and failing) at trying to clean contacts, reset, calibrate and test things that should have been done at the factory before I bought it.
Just got my 7D today. I shoot a lot of sports and was very excited about the new AF system. I have compared about 20 shots with my 40D using a 24-70/2.8. None of these were action shots but using a tripod in a controlled setting, I compared the two cameras using both 100 ISO and 3200 ISO in program mode, single spot AF, no flash,and RAW. Two things were consistent: the Program Mode on the 7D chose a slower shutter speed on all but two shots and those two were the same as the 40D. Secondly, and much to my dismay, all shots with the 7D were softer. As expected, there is less noise at 3200 with the 7D. Subjectively, I would say it is equal to about what I see with the 40D at 1600. I will be taking action shots over the next week and if the images continue as soft as my initial experience the 7D will be returned. At best, from what I am hearing online, the 7D appears to have inconsistencies from camera to camera. I may just wait for the 5D Mark III, which I hope we see soon.
Sorry to hear that RKD, but at the same time I rejoice! I am not alone!!!
Please keep me apprised of how things develop for you on that front. Have you tried micro-adjustment with a focus chart?
Very interested to hear how things go for you. I am looking at getting some new Canon glass next week and I am worried about what I might find.
Good luck!
I’m just annoyed with a bunch of posts on the net over AF problems with 7D, and everyone says their pictures are soft. What that even mean ? You must test your focus properly, and that means that you must know what is happening with the focus. It is not a question if your pictures are soft, but where the focus is ? All over the net I can see tests of different things in your room with missed focus, and that is wrong.
The simple rules for testing your focus is:
- You have to focus a book or a newspaper in 45 degrees
- You must use some glass with a big aperture (at least F2.8), so you can actually see where the focus is.
- You must use single point one shot focus, and use small AF point, not Auto mode, or any other mode.
To test is, just do this:
- Focus anywhere, focus on some text, focus anywhere, focus on the same text (and do that at least 10 times)
- Go check the focus on your computer
- If your focus is not on the text you focused, check all the other pictures. If every picture has the focus in the same place, your AF is spot on
- Just use microadjustments until the focus is where you want it to be
The only scenario where your AF is not good is when your 10 shots have the focus in a different place every time, and the same thing happens with all of your lenses. Just one lens is not enough to confirm your AF is broken. If only one lens is working properly, and the other 10 lenses don’t, it’s not the camera problem…
Hi Vladimir,
As much as posts about 7D Auto focus issues annoy you, imagine how it feels to be a user suffering from real actual issues and having people dismissing them out of hand as user error. IMO that is not only counter-productive, it’s ignorant and just plain wrong.
For the record, I have done the exact test you described, albeit with an actual focus test chart, not a newspaper. It shows a consistent forward or back focus, that when corrected, completely throws the lens WAY out of alignment at any other distance. Why micro adjust a lens that shows inconsistent focus, both forward and back and sometimes spot on. It’s erratic all the time!
Anyway, I am sick of trying to justify this issue to people (on forums, not necessarily you Vlad
) who think a) I’m an idiot to whom the simple art of autofocusing is obvisouly too difficult, b) I hate Canon and just want to destroy the good name of their most perfect Camera or c) That I am just complaining for no reason and all autofocus systems do the same thing.
If it works for you, great! It doesn’t for me, that sucks. . .I hope to find an answer one day.
Christian
I received my 2nd body and what’s odd is that the several lens I have seem to perform (or not perform) consistently with how they did on my first body. That does now seem possible that two 7d bodies would be out of calibration…by the same amount. May several of my lens really are off, they all worked great on my 40d? This is driving my nuts.
You poor bugger…I feel for you mate! Thanks for keeping me informed of what’s going on.
I’ve received some new Canon glass, so I will do some tests with it when I return and report my findings. . .
Good news, maybe (I have not tried this yet myself). Several forums are reporting that the new firmware 1.1.0 has fixed their focus problems and also some specific issues with the flash. Christian, since you are not exchanging your body for another new one, I would be interested to see if this fixes your issues as well. Some people are saying that their micro-focus adjustments are no longer needed (set back to zero) with the new firmware. Sounds promising. Canon did not announce these changes but after all their focus issues on the 1dmkIII, they are most likely avoiding publicizing the topic. I really do want the 7d to work. Please report back if this fixes anyone’s focus issues.
No luck
I updated the firmware on my second body that had not yet been returned and the firmware did not make a difference. This week I will send it back for a third.
Hi
This thread was posted in a german forum so that’s why I’m here.
Me and several other german users of the 7D have the exact same problem as discribt here: Sometimes/mostly a little front- or back focus and a match from time to time. The used lens doesn’t matter, if it’s Canon, Tokina, Sigma or whatever. Updateing the firmware to 1.1.0 doesn’t fix it.
I bookmarked this site and if we get something new over here I will let you know. If somebody knows german here is the link:
http://www.dslr-forum.de/showthread.php?t=570101&highlight=frontfokus+7d
This problem must be a bigger one, I know a little french and from what I understood on some french sites, they have this problem too.
So I hope Canon knows about it a is trying to fix this otherwise great pice of hardware.
Thanks for the info from other countries. It seems that others that are fortunate enough to have good focus (or at least good focus with the lens they tried so far) find it hard to believe that there are really defective bodies out there. Canon is pleading the 5th. They should have made an announcement…unless they can’t because there is no real fix for the issue? When I spoke with a Canon tech on the help line, he said “I am not sure what problem you are having, MINE WORKS FINE”. That was so appropriate and reassuring…NOT. The retailer I bought from (Adorama – one of the big ones from the states) seems apologetic (on Canon’s behalf) and is paying for the return shipment for my 2nd 7d. They have been helpful. I’ll just keep exchanging them until I get one that works…or until Adorama gives up.
I’m having a major issue with this camera too. Soft image after soft image. I’m shooting some pretty high end clients and these images are not acceptable at all and I think I’m gonna call Adorama about this after writing this response myself. I have a point and shoot camera that takes sharper images. Funny thing is I shoot with all L series lenses (24-70, 70-200, and 300mm all 2.8′s) This is killing me and I hope it doesn’t kill my career.
Adrian, sorry to see you too have this issue. Adorama will let you exchange the 7d but I believe you have to ship it back to them within 14 days of receipt. If it’s been more than 14 days, call them anyway and plead your case. I personally find it unacceptable to “try” and repair a new product. I would rather exchange for new if possible. Good luck.
Hey Christian, how did your new glass work out? Any luck. Are you sending your body off for repair / exchange?
The new glass seems to be more reliable, but still not spot on all the time. I have taken to using the autofocus on single spot mode, but I always have to check by zooming the live view. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
Very annoying!
I haven’t been able to see myself clear to actually send it away though. Having bought it from Camera’s Direct (Grey Import with ‘supposed’ local warranty. In other words, useless.) here in Australia, they have said if I need a warranty repair, I will be without the camera for a minimum of 8 weeks. For me that’s unacceptable and if I need to get anything done any quicker, I will have to send it to Canon at my own expense. Not happy! So for now I am living with it and having learnt my lesson, have since changed suppliers to another store with better service, local stock and Australian warranties.
Christian did you ever get a 7D that works “properly”? I have the same focus problem and I am in Asia now and will be here for a year and really have no way (cheap at least) to get my camera to a repair center and was hoping that there is some kind of solution which doesn’t entail sending the camera in.
No David, the short answer is I did not. Still suffering issues, as you’ll see in the above reply.
I have not found a solution, I have had to make do.
It sucks, but what can I do? I’m stuck with it now.
Hi guys,
I am echoing your feedback about AF issues with a brand new 7D body
I am having the same problem as above – very inconsistent AF – mostly back focusing; 1 shot out of 4-5 is with the spot on focus.
Just for the record – and to let other users what I have tried so far:
* Calibrating the AF – tried various method (the newspaper, the moire / LCD, the method recommended by Canon) – no real success) – after having spend more than total of 6h on this I am giving up
* Using various lens – I have tried with all my lens (all of them are Canon glasses): 50mm 1.4, 17-55mm 2.8, 70-200mm 2.8) – same thing
* My previous camera was Canon 50D – used with the same set of lens – never had such issues …
I haven’t tried to do the reset procedure (described above), but it it seems it doesn’t have any effect?
Anybody found a working solution so far?
Hey guys,
This thread has been helpful as I am experiencing the exact same problems it seems everyone is having. I wanted to share another site I’ve found that talks about customizing the AF features a little bit. ( basically just using AF zone really ) I’m not saying this is the solution, but it is the point I’m at right now.
http://blog.photoframd.com/2009/12/07/canon-7d-problem-focusing-customize-the-af/
( I agree that there is a real problem here. I could tell from the results of my first shoot. I don’t want to have to use a workaround to get sharp images, but this might work in the meantime )
I think if we’re patient Canon will fix this but in the meantime we need to breathe and find a workaround.
What would be the best way to demand attention? Maybe we could all co-author a letter?
Just my thoughts,
Anthony
I had the same problems with 7D as you described same thing. . birthday party pictures all blurry and soft.
I wasted two days doing tests and micro-adjustments… “This camera Has a problem !!!!
my solution – if you can Get Your Money Back.. let it go..
worked for Me
Simple test, take one picture with live view on the tripod with self timer and then take another picture without live view..press shutter button and watch your lens it will readjust.. the focus setting will change even though you are still using center point.
I bought my 7D last October. I haven’t had a chance to put it to heavy work until last Friday (01/15/2010.)
I shot an indoor car show using m Sigma 17-70 f2.8 lens because my Canon 18-200 is at the Canon repair facility because of a broken lens lock which they are so far refusing to repair under warrantee. I’ll fight that battle tomorrow.
When I got home and started editing the shot from the show, I found a disturbing percentage of them to be out of focus. I don’t know if it’s back or front focus because I haven’t put the time into investigating. I should mention that almost all shots were done with a tripod and a 430 EXII Speedlight.
The car show was a 4-day event, so I went back today to re-shoot some of the softer images. This time I used a cable release, thinking that I might have induced camera shake when pressing the shutter release. I have the same results as I did on Friday. Shots that are blurry appearing almost at random. It didn’t matter if I used Auto, Tv or Av mode. Pattern or Spot focus mode didn’t seem to make a difference.
I may have to go back to using my 40D if this isn’t resolved. I really hope there’s a solution (btw, I flashed the firmware to 1.1.0 several weeks ago) because I really like this camera and I want to use it as my primary with the 40D as a backup…but (again) I may have to go into fallback mode with the 40D as primary and 20D as backup…and I’d really like to avoid this. I have enough trouble seeing what’s on the larger LCD, let alone the postage stamp on the 20.
I’ll stay tuned here to see what’s happening.
Ray the Rat
I found the solution to my problem with poorly focused shots when using my 7D and 430 EXII. I moved the 430 strobe to my 40D. That will be my flash camera for the foreseeable future, since it’s infinitely better at selecting autofocus points while in external flash mode. I’ll use the 7D with my long lenses.
As far as the repairs to my 18-200mm lens lock, Canon absolutely stonewalled me. I ended up paying the $100 ransom because it’s cheaper than buying another lens. I wrote a very negative review about the lens, its unbelievably cheap lens lock and Canon’s absolutely horrible excuse for a warranty system and placed it on Amazon.com where I’d bought the lens. A phone call to Amazon eventually resulted in a refund of the ransom money that Canon demanded from me. Basically I agreed not to add Amazon as part of the problem in my review.
Suggestion: if you’re considering buying a Canon 18-200 mm EF-S lens, think again. Do a web search for lens lock problems. It’s a pitifully cheap design that broke on my lens after using it twice. When I get it back, I’ll find some way to disable it so that it can’t be engaged and broken again.
From the standpoint of one with extensive experience in the business world, it’s pretty obvious that Canon has decided to maximize the profit on this lens by resorting to disgustingly cheap parts and then trying to use their warranty repair system to generate revenue. It would seem that Canon has hired former executives from the US automobile industry to extract maximum short term profits rather than supporting their loyal customer base. This is the road to ruin. My next camera may be a Nikon.
There are quite a few frustrated 7D owners. My research has turned up that the most common explanation for the soft images is viewing such a large megapixel image at 100%. Not something that I completely agree with or understand. I mean one does not desire more megapixels so that they can see and capture less detail. To me the whole idea of having more MP to work with is to be able to crop out of the original image.
Another explanation has been that due to the pixel density of the sensor in the 7D, it picks up on imperfection much more such as any movement and any lens short comings. Ok thats fine and I can see how that might be true but to me thats not a good excuse. If anything it would mean the 7D requires not only optimal shooting conditions but also the best of glass in order to get results you expect.
I personally think Canon just went overboard with the 18mp on this camera and did so for marketing purposes, paying less attention to overall IQ. Now thats my take on the soft images but the focusing is another issue. I myself had to send my body back in because it had serious focus issues. In alot of images I could clearing see focus in a part of the image that was nowhere near the focus point selected. The trip back to canon service seems to have actually fixed the issue.
I fought for two months(13,000 pix) with my 7D trying to solve the auto focus problem I was having. I have 8 Canon lenses, the longer the lens the worse the problem but all of the lenses gave me bad images. About 10% of the images were OK (and 10% were grossly out of focus). After sending the camera in to Canon in Virginia (USA) I am no longer getting the soft images but need more time to know if I like the camera and it’s OK.
The experience with Canon warranty was strange this time. No email telling me it was received. No email telling me it was shipped back to me. Just one day a door tag from Fedex. “Your product has been examined and it was found that the adjustment of the AF assembly was incorrect, the image was blurred. Electrical adjustments were carried out on the AF assembly and product functions were confirmed.”
I waited 2 months because all my shooting buddies told me it was me not the camera and there were not any forums talking about problems when I first looked also after buying at least 20 Canon cameras over the years and not having a problem I was sure I was at fault.
I am now going to use my 40D (recently repaired after 80,000 pix – a good Canon experience) for a while to get the bad taste out of my mouth that I got from the 7D.
I am going to stick with Canon, my 5D (no not MKII) is one of my favorite all time cameras but the G11 is a close second.
I came very close to taking a hammer to the 7D.
Rob,
If you’ve sent the camera into the Canon repair center I would really like to know if this solved your problem.
Right now I’m stuck debating whether or not to return this 7D body for the second time to the retailer, or if sending it to Canon would be the correct way to deal with the problem.
I’m pretty fed up with the whole thing but the idea of a 15% restocking fee is what is leaving the bad taste in my mouth.
I would really appreciate hearing more about how the camera is performing now. ( rober117@chapman.edu )
Thanks,
Anthony
Anthony,
I will need a while to really know if it is working properly. First I am going to switch to the 40D for one weekend (it’s Friday so Saturday and Sunday the 40D will get a work out). Then go back to the 7D and test it in a real world way. No tripod target shots just chasing birds around South Florida.
But the soft pix are gone after the repair. I’m just not sure the AF works on fast moving subjects and that the image quality is acceptable. I did get two weekends with the 7D after the repair but after the two months of problems it will take a while to get to like the 7D. But my guess is that the camera (7D) is fixed.
You can see what I am getting in the way of pix on Flickr. I’m rad cad there.
Hope this helps,
Rob
Anthony,
I used the 7D for two days this weekend and I can say without any reservation that the trip to Canon did solve the focus problem I had.
But I can’t say I like the camera.
1. I am getting out of focus pictures. In a sequence of pix taken in burst mode when the AF point is on the subject through out the entire sequence I will often have a few out of focus pix while most are sharply in focus. I don’t remember this with the 40D.
2. If I set the AF to do bird in flight (BIF) shots I get a 90% to 30% success rate. Meaning some times most are ‘keepers’ and some times most are not.
3. When I go from BIF to a static bird on a branch if I don’t change the AF to single point the camera will not focus on the static bird. But my BIF success rate is very low with single point focus unless it is a large near slow bird. I don’t like having to keep changing the AF point. When shooting birds often there is little time to react to a sighting.
4 The raw files are so big they slow the computer down and it has cost more to keep up with storage.
5. Because I had the focus problem in the beginning I think I will always a worry about focus in the back of my mind.
The 40D was fun to use the 7D is not. To date it has cost me almost $2,800.
Rob
I just wanted to chime in with my 7D focusing issue(s).
I have many M42 lenses with the M42 to EOS adapter and use those alot so never noticed any issues.
plus at the time the only canon lens i had that i used frequently was the 50mm 1.8 which never gave me any issues (or so I thought)but have chepaer lenses that did not that i could tell have any issues.
so a week ago i buy the 85mm 1.8 and right out of the gates, for about 200 shots as another fellow eluded to, the lens-camera were fine.. an then all hell broke loose and nothing was in focus any more.
so i return the lens for having front focus since no other lenses seem to have issues.
so i got the new one today and yup…. same thing.. first few shots in the store seemed ok, but where not perfect and i just marketed it up to my natoriously unsteady hands.
so i get back to work, and grab a tripod we have here (we are not a camera shop) and take some stills.
yup,.,. you guessed it every single one out of focus.
so i reset the camera, everything, C.Fn and regular settings all reset switch to spot metering (yes metering not focus)
things improve SLIGHTLY but there is still maybe 1-2cm front focus.
I switch to spot metering and the same thing… and then something clicked.
i changed from Neutral, to standard, then to landscape then to faithful….
EVERY single different picture style caused a different level of focusing issues….
how is this even possible ???
i use Custom styles ALOT,,, and i need to test tonight when i get home to se ehow those effect things.
but here is the real kicker….
live view contrast based focus… 100% spot on,, each and every time… NEVER E V E R a focus issue….
even the guys at the camera store dont have an answer, and of course they have never heard of any issues.
After a lifetime of using Nikon gear, I made a total switch to Canon with the 7D. Sadly, I am having the same focus problems as many other people; 1)AF works about 1 out of every 3-4 shots and 2)the images that ARE properly focused appear fuzzy when viewed at 100% on my computer. I’ve done the recommended tests but, frankly, should getting a sharp image from any camera really require extensive testing and adjustments? I had a Nikon D300 previous to the Canon and never had these issues. Simply put, the Canon 7D is the first camera I’ve owned that I couldn’t just unpack, switch to “Program” mode, and get a sharp picture right out of the box. What is nearly as disconcerting as having a camera that is fighting me, are the many posts from people on forums who seem to think all the reported focus issues are just “idiots” who don’t know what they are doing. It’s amazing that for 25 years THIS “idiot” has managed to capture sharp pictures until I got the 7D. I am completely frustrated. If anyone has a constructive comment on how they solved the focus issue on their Canon 7D, please share it.
I was frankly considering a 7D for my first D-SLR, I own the glorious Nikon F3 and the later Canon EOS 300 film SLR’s , which are both great, part of me is a videographer (no clients except myself), and seeing that 7D has 1080p with mildly acceptable compression I was gonna give it a go, especially the idea of shooting film with SLR lenses.
I think I’ll have to check and see if (in the Canon arena) the 5D mark 2 could do better
I have time on me though so if an eventual 5D mark 3 is to appear then I can wait, in here(Lebanon) a 7D without a lens in 2600 US$ not to mention most probable poor warranty service, specially that there is 1 provider only, so it’s a no-go if such problems are to appear out of the box, as far as canon lenses are concerned, I already have a 50mm f1.2 L series, a recently bought 100-400 f4.5 L series as well, and a 24-104 f4, with the upcoming camera, whatever it is gonna be, a 16-35 will make it’s way through as well, L series, and possibly a macro lens 100 , it would be a shame to see this arsenal of good lenses not working properly with the alleged 7D.
video put aside I don’t think 18 Megapixel are a lot, after all the studio where I work recently acquired a Hasselblad H4D which kicks serious ass so as to put it, this sucker is nuclear Megapixel-wise, of course it’s medium format AND truly HI-end so no comparison, but still …
Director Bob… I have tested my 7D extensively now for 2 months and found what alot of people are saying to be true, which is… the 7D sensor size, in addition to the pixel density (very high) actually magnify flaws in a shot whether it be a less than stellar lens or movement on the photographers end when taking the shot. For this reason unless the shot is taken under optimal conditions, a 100% view will mostly likely be disappointing to view. Handheld shots requires a higher shutter speed because movement on the photographers end is magnified by the nature of the 7D sensor. A tripod mounted slower exposure shot that you could take without mirror lockup on another body would require mirror lock up on the 7D or a faster shutter speed.
If you want to test this use a medium range lens unstabalized at a shutter speed you would normally find as acceptable but near borderline for a handheld shot. You will probably find that 7d will not produce a good result. Take that same shot tripod mounted and compare 100% crops.
Go out and shoot a day and try to shoot under increased shutter speed conditions. I think you find that shutter speeds that were acceptable for handheld on other bodies are not the same for the 7D.
i would urge anyone with what they feel are focusing issues to call canon and just tell them you have focusing issues and you want to send it in for repair.
there is ALOT of talk about this issue, and this is an issue reported by pro’s and weekend photographers such as myself.
this is not a lens, or handheld shot issue.
this is a direct camera focusing system issue.
several people have reported that upon receiving their camera back the canon repair form stated that the focusing system was replaced or adjusted.
this beyond a doubt shows that there is fault in the camera, or atleast those that were sent in.
i can tell you I have tested over 1000 pictures for focus and can confirm without a shadow of a doubt that there are 100 different variables of whats causing the focusing issues and that none of which are human error.
as i mentioned above, different canon styles (which directly change the contrast from style to style) effect the focus, different lenses focus differently, different lighting, contrast, colors, all make the same lens focus different.
also the different AF points in the view finder will focus differently too.
focus on one thing, take the shot, then change the focus point in the camera, say from center to center right, or far right center, move the camera so that it is focused on the same thing as your first shot, take the shot… what happened?
for me, the focusing was worse the further i moved away from the center point. and i am not talking 1cm, i am talking completely and utterly out of focus.
i have sent mine into New Jersey canon repair and am awaiting the results.
I also sent in my 85mm F/1.8 and 50mm F/1.8 to have them tested on my camera so they can see the issue and also test the lenses for focus calibration.
the new focusing system is new, yes and not the same as the old cameras, but its not so advanced that one lens shoudl work 100% fine on, say a 40D and then not work on the 7D. and we are not talking one lense, we are talking atleast 6 lenses that work on one camera but not on the 7D. (for me)
my original 7D was fine until i mounted the 85mm F/1.8 so i fear it may be an issue with the lens that, electronically, might be hurting the camera. so again, another reason why i sent the lenses in with the camera.
This is second 7D camera I am sending back. The first one was totally whack. No focus to find anywhere on the picture,in manual focus, so after long and painful trying everything I could, I’ve returned it to the B&H for a replacement. This one is a better than the first one, may be that why it took so long for me to send it back . I’m still unhappy with the focus; picture quality is soft and fuzzy plus on top of that muddy. The grain seems to be very large sometimes even on 400 ISO, it looks like a gain is turn on. So, with all of this combined in one picture is not acceptable for a DSLR. For example, compare between Canon 7D with L lens with my wife’s Lumix compact camera. It is embarrassment that’s all. On top of everything, I recently found several burned pixels in a brand new camera???….
Thanks. My experience has been this. A series of shots taken under controlled conditions. Tripod, mirror lock up, delayed shutter release , good light, and every thing seemingly perfect. Results…. Front focus back focus, no focus. This is not just one test but dozens. My 7D is not working right. The only thing that I have done between shoots is throw the lens out of focus. Sometimes I have used the same focus. I have never had a series of photos achieve the same focus. I have had good focus and terrible focus at same settings and conditions, in the same series. Viewed under same exact DPP settings. Bottom line the camera is not reliable. I sent it back to Irvine, CA. I have been waiting 8 days for it now. This is a 1,700.00 dollars camera that can not take pictures. I had A T1i that could. I had a Nikon D5000 that could. I had a a couple of other”cheap” cameras that could. I am tired of seeing operator error from people. I don’t know what the problem is, but if you are fairly good with a camera and still get ify results from the 7D I believe it could be the 7D, not you. I am very exacting in my test methods. I am not trying to prove something wronng with the camera as much as trying to remove doubt about my methods. I bought the camera to improve, not go backwards.
I used the 7D for three weeks with EF-S 17-55/2,8 IS USM and i found this:the first 20 shots after a long rest (7 hrs) are with front focus.After that 95% are constantly ok (of course without changing any setting).Before i realise that,i thought i’ll go crazy:late night after a day of tests focus was fine (+3 microadjust),in the morning,without touching the settings,the first shot (and next 20) have front focus (equivalent +9).So that’s the way i spent the first three weeks with my new 7D.
Maybe you and others didn’t realize that,and you have the same problem.Just do one more test and post here the results.
I’ve owned the 7D since Nov 2009. First off, I agree with Sean’s comments above. The small sensor and large pixel density on the 7D amplifies any issues at 100% that may not be noticable on other cameras. If you continually pixel peep at 100% view, you will not be happy and furthermore, this is equivalent to a very large print, so may not matter if you don’t print large. That said, some people have (had) issues, including myself.
I’ve already posted my comments on Flickr. So take a look at the following if you are interested.
The best method for AF microadjustment I have found is here. Check your lenses using this method. It’s much more accurate that moire, 45 degree charts or text on a wall:
http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=58042
Some testing I did at close focus distance and increasing aperture compared to 400D can be found here (scroll halfway down page to username Sharant11):
http://www.flickr.com/groups/canon_7d_digital_slr/discuss/72157623318246567/
My (two) experience with Canon Service Center is described here (again scroll to username Sharant11):
http://www.flickr.com/groups/canon_7d_digital_slr/discuss/72157623318246567/page2/
I went thru 30-hours testing one 7d and then only 153 frames into the 2nd, I’d had enough. The auto focus and IQ of his camera is simply horrid. I had AF issues, soft files, white hot pixels at iso’s above 640, (Looked like snow above 1600!) I rec’d my money back from my local store after the Canon rep okay’d it. No questions asked. That tells me a lot. IMO Canon knows they have a dog on their hands much like the Mark III fiasco. Don’t give me the 100% view, magnification of lens flaws, blah, blah, blah. It works or it doesn’t. Supporters of this camera either have a version that works or are simply blinded by brand loyalty. The staff photographers at the Buffalo News all hate this camera for the same reasons stated above. And to the 15-other photogs around the country I actually tracked downed and called, only 4-liked the camera. The rest didn’t. As a 29-year working pro and long time Canon user, take it for what it’s worth.
I did testing myself after returning from a trip with many OOF images.
You can see a set of images at:
http:www.microstuck.blogspot.com
Basically, focus seems to be off just slightly, despite being close enough to look “good in the viewfinder. I used the center focus point (not spot, its too small to be accurate I have heard). And After focusing on her face, they were all off. And dont tell me the lock focus and recompse “doesnt work” with the Canon 7D because it seems to have worked just fine for the sharp one(s).
I sent it back, here is hoping for a fixed camera!
I took my 7d back last week with focus problems that then also affects the metering.
Found that all images were soft because the camera kept focusing in the foreground (outside the indicated focusing zones).
Camera back to Canon – came back same problem – money back.
Retailer LCE tell me that Canon have stopped the quality assurance on (expensive) cameras before they are shipped out. Saves money but trashes Canon’s hard won reputation for quality & reliability – truly a Toyota Moment!
After 25+ years with Canon – “defecting” to Nikon.
Another retailer had two 7ds with same soft focus problem so Canon do KNOW!
Customer Service awful after emailing them – only interested in closing the call NOT satisfying the customer.
Do hope that now that DPReview take advertising revenue from Canon that they are not shying away from exposing these issues?
Dave.
PS For all those “it’s not Canon” loyalty freaks – I had three different photography pros check it out including the expert retailer and all confirmed that there was a problem.
Hi! I’ve got my camera fitted with 17-70 mm sigma lens, and I have the same issue! About 95% of the pictures taken are unacceptably soft and slightly out of focus. I’m from Portugal and I know two more photographers which are all having the same problem. I 500d that costs half the price takes much better pictures than my 7D. One of my friends took his camera and lens to a service care. Camera came out Ok, but as long you don’t fit any other lens than the ones, that were adjusted in service care. For me this is not a fix. I want to use whatever lens I want.
This seems to be a worldwide problem, Canon has to pay some attention to this and come up with a solution.
Vítor
On DPReview Forum -> Canon SLR Lens search High Precision Auto-focus sensors. The tester seems to have isolated the AF problem to fast lens (f2.8 and faster), and Center Point AF, and lower light conditions. Moving off center Single point seems to have significantly improved quality and consistency. IF light is abundant, then center single point as slightly better/consistent than non-center points.
Would like to have some of you folks report back with this test.
IF true, then Micro Adjustments should not use center point when done indoors under basic lighting.
-Guy
(gschlact)
Look here :
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1019&message=35684855
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1019&message=33643156&changemode=1
I’d like to me your bad experience with the 7d.. It’s now in for the second time.. very soft or out of focus images.. on a rare occasion I get a good image.
I’m ready to throw it away.. too many lost “one chance in a lifetime” image.
[...] Today, 03:54 PM What do you guys think about me returning it for a 50D or a 60D? I will wait to see if the 60D exhibits the same issues obviously. Here are some examples of many posts google found. Canon 7D Autofocus Issue High Def Edition – HD Video, DSLR Filmmaking, Cinematography and Phot… [...]
I just received both my 7D and 70-200 2.8 IS lens back from Canon service center, Virgina. Canon said both the camera and lens were not focusing properly and made “electronic adjustments” to the auto focus on both. Shot a football game last night and the end result is worse than before. I have a 1000D and 70-300 4-5.6 IS lens that out performs the 7D and 70-200 2.8 IS combination in every way!! Before repair I could get sharp photos in between the dozen of blurry to very soft photos. Now nothing sharp, but I must admit nothing is as blurry as they were before. Everything seems to be between unacceptably soft and soft, and in sports photography, anything soft is NO GOOD!!! I am going to try the spot focusing to see if this will overcome some of the problem. I am currently using the spot with expansion but am using the center spot