What is going on with my 7D !

[Simon Wantling]

I really could do with some advice. I've tried everything with this camera - micro adjusted, different settings, etc etc, but my 7D's focusing really seems very hit and miss. This image below was taken today. As you can see the focus point is right on the birds head, but the rock in front is in focus and I just can't work out why. Settings were 1/800ss, f8, +2/3ev, AWB 500mm + 1.4. Lens has been micro adjusted to +3, so as far as I'm concerned, I was in the sweet spot for the lens. Is there clearly something wrong and what would you do apart from get a better camera body. I've been very dissapointed with the 7D from day one really and I read so many reports of bad copies, soft images etc that I think I'm one of those people. Yesterday it was fine hence the recent siskin posting, but today its just not right.

[Loi Nguyen]

Hi Simon, which focus mode did you use? Do you use AI-One Shot or AI-Servo? For image like this and if you have doubt on the focus, I'd use AI-One shot.

[arash_hazeghi]

what is your detailed AF setting?

[Daniel Cadieux]

Handheld or tripod?

[Don Railton]

Hi Simon

I had a camera body cleaned professionally? and I had a similar trouble when it was returned. Apparently they had replaced the focusing screen wrong side up and the focus point was out... Maybe a similar thing has happened to you??

DON

[Simon Wantling]

Thanks for the replies. Ok this was taken on a tripod. The drive used was one shot af and the af point was centre point with expansion which was a mistake on my part. So perhaps it picked up on the rock as it was closer than the bird, but, dpp doesn't show that point as active. Saying all this, I really do feel that certainly my 7d is very unreliable when it comes to focus. I often see that I'm shooting a static bird, I shoot a burst in one shot af, I'll get a couple in focus but several from the same set will be out.

Thanks

[arash_hazeghi]

Thanks for the replies. Ok this was taken on a tripod. The drive used was one shot af and the af point was centre point with expansion which was a mistake on my part. So perhaps it picked up on the rock as it was closer than the bird, but, dpp doesn't show that point as active.
Thanks

expansion was the problem.

7D does not record which expansion point was used in meta data. DPP will always highlight the center point regardless of which point in the expansion was used to acquire focus.

Also the bird was tiny in the frame, even if it had focused it would a be huge crop and poor IQ. You want the bird to at least occupy 30-40% of the frame the get a descent shot.

[Loi Nguyen]

expansion was the problem.

7D does not record which expansion point was used in meta data. DPP will always highlight the center point regardless of which point in the expansion was used to acquire focus.

Also the bird was tiny in the frame, even if it had focused it would a be huge crop and poor IQ. You want the bird to at least occupy 30-40% of the frame the get a descent shot.

Hi Arash, I have been wondering about this for my 1DX too. Does it record which expansion point used? So when in a cluttered environment, I would switch back to center point. The key decision is what to use when waiting for the bird to take off. I have tried expansion point, center, and all 61 points. My experience biases towards expansion point in that situation. I have tried 61-points, but have never got a good focus. what would you recommend? Thanks. Loi

[arash_hazeghi]

Hey Loi,

DPP only shows the user-selected point regardless of the expansion point used to acquired focus unless you set the camera to zone AF or 61-point with automatic point selection, both of which you should avoid. . 61-point AF with automatic AF point selection will not work for BIF, the camera will just lock on the BG and sit there for good. you need to use center point with the right number of expansion points. The number of expansion points depends on the BG and the size of the bird. sometimes it's best to use single-point AF only.

to learn how to switch between different expansion patterns without taking your eye off the finder and see this trick on my blog

http://arihazeghiphotography.com/blog/eos-1dx-quick-af-trick/

cheers,

Arash

[van bogaert erik]

But with a static bird (like the example above) and the central point on the bird the expansion should not get active even it is selected isn't it ??? and the central point is the first point to have focus and when it loses the focus the expansion takes over isn't it ??

[arash_hazeghi]

The expansion doesn't care if the subject is moving or not. The center point is searched first but if the camera cannot focus it will use one of the expansion points with more contrast.