My Canon 500D is getting difficult to auto-focus

[oren]

Hi all! I have a bit of a problem with my camera here..
I've had the camera for 3-4 years, maybe. The camera and lenses were still working perfectly fine 6 months ago (haven't got the time to play with the camera again), but today when I try to take some indoor pictures, I find it difficult to focus.

Here are what I have:

• Canon T1i 500D
  
• Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
• Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-6.5 IS USM

When I try to take a picture, I can hear the whirling sound and the lenses move back and forth as it try to focus on object. And then nothing.
Usually, when it was working fine, there is this "beep-beep" sound signalling that it's focused and I can press the shutter button.. but now, no beep sound and pressing the button doesn't do anything.

It'll still auto-focus and take some pictures. Out of 10 attempts, maybe only 3-4 times that it succeeded. This happened on both lenses while on AF mode. When I set it to MF, I can just snap pictures all day, but all will be out of focus.

Any idea if it's the camera or the lenses that's faulty? Would it be expensive to repair it?

 

[Robin_Usagani]

Are you on AI Servo mode?

 

[Overread]

The camera and lenses were still working perfectly fine 6 months ago (haven't got the time to play with the camera again), but today when I try to take some indoor pictures, I find it difficult to focus.

6 months is quite a big time gap and its very easy to get a bit rusty with controls or experience over that period of time. Indoors is also a tricky situation for most cameras since the light levels are often lower than outside; in lower lighting your focusing will be more tricky since with less light to work with the ability of the camera to get a lock on is reduced.

AI-servo might also be introducing more hunting since it constantly seeks to adjust focus for a moving subject, which in tricky lighting at a static subject can mean that it can end up going back to hunting again even if it had a lock on a moment before (Although in my experiences once it gets a lock it should remain locked).

 

[oren]

Are you on AI Servo mode?

No. I'm mostly on ONESHOT mode. I tried the AI FOCUS and AI SERVO mode too, but don't seem to make any differences.

 

[oren]

6 months is quite a big time gap and its very easy to get a bit rusty with controls or experience over that period of time. Indoors is also a tricky situation for most cameras since the light levels are often lower than outside; in lower lighting your focusing will be more tricky since with less light to work with the ability of the camera to get a lock on is reduced.

AI-servo might also be introducing more hunting since it constantly seeks to adjust focus for a moving subject, which in tricky lighting at a static subject can mean that it can end up going back to hunting again even if it had a lock on a moment before (Although in my experiences once it gets a lock it should remain locked).

Yeah.. I haven't got the opportunity to use the camera in a long while.
I was a bit worried that it might not be working fine, so that's why I try playing with it today. Lol.
I'm not on AI SERVO mode, but even with other setting, the camera won't get a lock. I hope it's due to the indoor lighting. It's nighttime for me here, so I'll wait til tomorrow to try to shoot outdoor. :waiting:

 

[Overread]

Night times indoors is dark for a camera - if you're using the kit lens then chances are its just not getting enough light to focus with an its perfectly normal

 

[Robin_Usagani]

Yeah.. even a $2000 lens will have problem a lot in the dark . Your best bet is to use the middle focus point, point it to something with a lot of contrast (maybe a dark pattern or logo on a light shirt).

 

[oren]

Ah, thanks for the info, @overread & @Robin_Usagani!
I'm gonna give it a try again later with better lighting.

 

[daakp]

The lenses could have been jammed for not being used for such a long time.. I think you should keep playing with them for a few days and see if things smoothen out!

 

[Overread]

Lens noise can also appear louder when in quieter conditions (such as evening times indoors). Suddenly that not too loud lens is making a heck of a racket because there is no other sound much competing with it. Add that to 6 months not using an item and your memory of it can get a little foggy (ergo you think it sounding louder than it did before when the item itself hasn't changed).

 

[Derrel]

I wonder if maybe a piece of fabric fiber (think "sweater fiber, approx 4 to 6mm long, aka a micro-thread!!!) or some accumulation of dust might not have occurred on the AF sensors, located at the bottom of the mirror chamber, underneath where the reflex mirror is. I would try putting the camera on BULB, the "B" exposure mode, or its longest shutter speed, then removing the lens, then pressing ther shutter release button, allowing the mirror to swing up, then using a rocket blower or "ear syringe" type bulb blower to blast out the tiny little AF sensor areas.