Are all Canon 70D units affected by the focusing issue or just the first ones?

[Derrel]

The 70D uses an ALL-NEW focusing system for Canon...and after the debacle they had with their pro flagship 1D Mark III camera model, 18 months of failed focusing, they just replaced it with the 1D Mark IV series, so it **is* very possible that there is a serious issue with the 70D and focusing. Nikon had the huge issue with the D800 and the "left side focusing issue", on what Thom Hogan estimated was perhaps 20 percent of D800 cameras shipped! I watched the ENTIRE video and all the test results above: there does seem to be a very troubling problem with a disparity between viewfinder and live view focusing with that fellow's 70D and multiple Canon lenses. Now that we have moved up into the 18 to 36 megapixel file sizes, focusing issues that were once hard to see are now EASILY seen at 100% pixel view on today's good monitors.

It could very easily be a simple case of bad components, or sub-par assembly, or out-ouf-specification components or assembly, or a little of either. The important thing to realize is that when it comes to defective photo gear on the internet, there will be people who have FINE samples, and will swear up and down that, "There is NO issue at all!" with such and such product. But the thing to realize is just because one guy has a perfectly-operating Widget Mark II that not ALL Widget Mark II units are therefore free of defects in workmanship. The fanboys will rush to defend the product, and try to convince all who will listen that the entire production run of Widget Mark II units are flawless in every way.

Uhhhh, no. No they are not "all" perfect.

Google Canon 1D Mark III focus problems. Google Nikon D800 left side focus problems. Google Canon 70D focus problems.

Ever since we moved UP, and beyond 6 to 8 megapixels in d-slrs, focusing issues have become more and more an issue in critical use situations.

 

[stephenmattiola]

I got a 70D about 4-6 weeks ago and I have had nothing but good luck with it. However, I would like to be able to try it out to see if it does have this issue. Is it worth bringing the camera back and complaining? I love the 70D and don't want to settle for a 60D and don't have money to pay 1800 on a body only for the 6D. ARGHH HELP!

 

[Derrel]

I got a 70D about 4-6 weeks ago and I have had nothing but good luck with it. However, I would like to be able to try it out to see if it does have this issue. Is it worth bringing the camera back and complaining? I love the 70D and don't want to settle for a 60D and don't have money to pay 1800 on a body only for the 6D. ARGHH HELP!

Did you happen to watch the video linked to in this thread? The video ought to help alleviate some of your mental distress. First off: DO YOU actually HAVE a problem with your camera? Or are you just worried that your camera might have an issue?

 

[stephenmattiola]

I don't have a problem yet. just worried that there maybe one I didn't notice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[steph29]

I have constant focus problem with my 70D. I check with charts all my lenses and compared with my other bodies... it's really on location that problem appears. I shoot mostly portrait. I had the camera exchanged once. Still the same problem. 2/3 of the shoots go in the garbage. I've grown to hate Canon. Costumer service is slow and unresponsive...
I wish I could switch but it's just too much money for now... Canon really fails its costumers...

 

[MyrnaM]

People, thanks for trying to help, but the 70D issue has nothing to do with micro AF adjustment.

It simply doesn't work because the focus is not always missed in the same way (could be front, back or actually perfect focus) and not by the same amount. Sometimes it is just a little bit of front focus, sometimes it's totally back focusing. It's a random thing and there is no micro AF correction value that will fix this issue.

The way I found around this issue for now is to use the shutter button just for metering and shooting, and I put the autofocus function on that AF-On button on the back. So when taking an important shot I change the camera to the live view mode, use the AF-On button to focus properly, then move back to the viewfinder mode and keep shooting with the previously set focus position as long as the subject doesn't move. Not very practical but at least allows me to reliably get photos in perfect focus.

I just purchased the Canon 70D a month ago at a local Costco, in a kit with 2 STM lenses. With my Canon 50mm 1.4 lens I experienced constant mis-focus. I could call it "soft focus," but my perception is that the photographs were nearly all out of focus when shooting at 1.4. As others have noted, this problem does not present when using the live view mode. But, personally, I think it is a goofy way to take photographs. I doubted that micro-adjustment would make a difference because the problem was not consisten back focusing or front focusing. It was more or less, non-focusing. I came within inches of returning the camera and switching to a Nikon 7100D, even though there are a lot of nice features with the Canon 70D. In my thinking, though, image quality and focus are non-negotiable. Who wants to spend $1,000 for a camera body that can't or doesn't want to focus properly. I am unsure to what extent my less-than-clear portraits could be focus-corrected post-production, but it seems this shouldn't be necessary. Out of desperation, I decided to do my own test: No, I didn't use an official focus chart. I used the label of a tequila bottle set at about the same distance I would stand from my subject if taking a protrait (head shot). Live mode worked great with lots of detail in the label. Photos taken with the viewfinder varied from bad to worse. I decided to experiment with the focus micro-adjustment and found to my surprise that the IQ improved as I increased the value number. At about 12, the image taken using the view finder was nearly identical to that taken in live view. I realize that if I change the distance to my subject, the micro-adjustment may need to be re-set. But, at least, I have made significant progress. Something else I have discovered is that using the center focusing point and then re-composing also contributes to photos being out of focus at f 1.4. Instead, it works better to actually change the autofocus point and align it with the subject's near eye (in the case of a portrait) and then lock focus and depress the shutter without recomposing. I found an article online that indicated that attempting to lock focus and re-compose is problematice when using fast lenses with shallow depth of field due to curve of the lens and large aperature. After making the adjustments as described, I took some portraits of children in a playground, with permission from their parents. For the first time I had some in focus images. Still had some misses (maybe operator error ?) But there were several images that were significantly sharper than what I had previously experienced. While viewing the photos on my 10 inch tablet, I could enlarge the photos maximally and still found eyelashes in decent focus. I am encouraged that I may have found a solution. Thanks to Costco's generous return policy, I have two more months to decide, but I would need to sell my prime lens and 2 others along with my flash if I decide to return it, which would be a pain. Still can't help but wonder if I would be better off with the Nikon 7100D. Good luck to all who struggle with this exasperating problem.