# Canon 5D Mark III - AF Servo field test ... with some action [pics!]



## piotr.c (Mar 31, 2012)

AF is amazing .. even when AI Servo and AI Focus were set with extreme lateral focus points 

All photos were taken with 5D Mark III with 70-200/2.8 L

*16 hi-res action images from Cross Country - http://www.flickr.com/photos/piotrczechowski/sets/72157629710911017/*

12 shots burst






100% crops







PS. Wish buffer wasn't so narrow ...


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## Wrathwilde (Mar 31, 2012)

*Re: Canon 5D Mark III - AF servo vs Cross Country [pics!]*

Looks nice and sharp. You did some post process sharpening, and bumped up the contrast and color a bit as well, didn't you?


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## Martin (Mar 31, 2012)

*Re: Canon 5D Mark III - AF servo vs Cross Country [pics!]*

Brawo, brawo widze ze nowa piatka sobie radzi.


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## piotr.c (Mar 31, 2012)

*Re: Canon 5D Mark III - AF servo vs Cross Country [pics!]*

Sure I did

I alwyas do postprocessing... hate those plain photos directly from any camera


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## piotr.c (Mar 31, 2012)

*Re: Canon 5D Mark III - AF servo vs Cross Country [pics!]*



Martin said:


> Brawo, brawo widze ze nowa piatka sobie radzi.



Check my blog for review ... in Polish 

(Zapraszam na bloga, tam szerszy opis  )


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## Viggo (Apr 1, 2012)

*Re: Canon 5D Mark III - AF servo vs Cross Country [pics!]*

This is why understanding the sport you shoot is everything. The shots with all the dirt in front are killer! Seriously good!


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## piotr.c (Apr 1, 2012)

*Re: Canon 5D Mark III - AF servo vs Cross Country [pics!]*

It was my first attempt with shooting sport ... :


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## mrmarks (Apr 1, 2012)

*Re: Canon 5D Mark III - AF servo vs Cross Country [pics!]*

Very nice work!


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## cpsico (Apr 1, 2012)

*Re: Canon 5D Mark III - AF servo vs Cross Country [pics!]*



piotr.c said:


> AF is amazing .. even when AI Servo and AI Focus were set with extreme lateral focus points
> 
> All photos were taken with 5D Mark III with 70-200/2.8 L
> 
> ...


Looks very accurate thanks for posting


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## Viggo (Apr 1, 2012)

*Re: Canon 5D Mark III - AF servo vs Cross Country [pics!]*



piotr.c said:


> It was my first attempt with shooting sport ... :



Then you have a true talent for being where you should be. Keep up the good work!

What did your Ai Servo settings look like?


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## sach100 (Apr 1, 2012)

*Re: Canon 5D Mark III - AF servo vs Cross Country [pics!]*

looks fantastic!

what percentage of shots were missed (oof)?


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## Janco (Apr 1, 2012)

*Re: Canon 5D Mark III - AF servo vs Cross Country [pics!]*

I like I like! I'm wondering as well about more details to the AF settings since I need to learn a lot about the new focusing system used in 5DIII... for example, how was your settings to start focusing? Single point, zone AF and so on.... I guess for faster moving objects zone AF would be suiting, right? Does anyone know what happens if the tracked object gets out of the zone that was set in AF Zone? Will it still be tracked by the other AF points? Thanks for your help!

Edit: Forgot to tell that I've been looking in the manual already for answers but I haven't found it specified there. Maybe it's there but I didn't find it...


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## piotr.c (Apr 1, 2012)

*Re: Canon 5D Mark III - AF servo vs Cross Country [pics!]*



Viggo said:


> Then you have a true talent for being where you should be. Keep up the good work!


Thanks! I always try to think before press the shutter button even when things are happening really fast.




Viggo said:


> What did your Ai Servo settings look like?


There was AI Servo and AI Focus as well. Both doing well.


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## piotr.c (Apr 1, 2012)

*Re: Canon 5D Mark III - AF servo vs Cross Country [pics!]*



sach100 said:


> looks fantastic!
> 
> what percentage of shots were missed (oof)?



It's hard to tell. Usually there was from 4 to 7 shots OK from 12-15 burst. Biggest issue is not focus - it's the small buffer ... with 6fps it's so so so narrow ...

12 shots burst





100% crops


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## Viggo (Apr 1, 2012)

4 shots out of 12? That is not very assuring.... I hope that's not the best it can do...


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## piotr.c (Apr 1, 2012)

Viggo said:


> 4 shots out of 12? That is not very assuring.... I hope that's not the best it can do...



Sometimes 4, sometimes 12 ... try do this with 5D2 :


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## sach100 (Apr 1, 2012)

coming from 7d i too think 6fps is somewhat under-powered for sports esp. But the af kicks some serious bu$$! 

After seeing your photos, i guess , 6fps is still pretty good.


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## JR (Apr 1, 2012)

Great shot!


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## thure1982 (Apr 1, 2012)

piotr.c said:


> 100% crops



Amazing!
I shoot Moto-GP and when they move towards you it's almost impossible to keep focus. Instead I always shoot then in the corners (or going in/out of corners) where the focus hardly changes.
I can't wait to get my 5D3.


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## wockawocka (Apr 1, 2012)

Viggo said:


> 4 shots out of 12? That is not very assuring.... I hope that's not the best it can do...



Tough crowd.


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## sparda79 (Apr 1, 2012)

Viggo said:


> 4 shots out of 12? That is not very assuring.... I hope that's not the best it can do...



I'm sure, with more training and experience, the hit rate will increase...


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## piotr.c (Apr 1, 2012)

sparda79 said:


> Viggo said:
> 
> 
> > 4 shots out of 12? That is not very assuring.... I hope that's not the best it can do...
> ...



First time with new camera in new type of photography ... I'm pleased with AF and photos


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## krjc (Apr 1, 2012)

piotr.c said:


> sparda79 said:
> 
> 
> > Viggo said:
> ...



I agree! +1, great job.


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## V8Beast (Apr 1, 2012)

Nice shots. I still find it shocking to see great action shots being taken with a 5D!


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## Viggo (Apr 1, 2012)

wockawocka said:


> Viggo said:
> 
> 
> > 4 shots out of 12? That is not very assuring.... I hope that's not the best it can do...
> ...



I wrote IT, not blaming the photog at all.... I'm coming from a mk4 and Canon have stated the 5d3 is better at tracking and I had around 70-85% with the mk4... IF the light was right...


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## Marsu42 (Apr 1, 2012)

piotr.c said:


> All photos were taken with 5D Mark III with 70-200/2.8 L



Good pictures (and they should be, considering the price tag of the body+lens) - but of course good postprocessing does add to the general impression. And while I wouldn't want to dispute your talent: It should be a bit frightening to sports photogs that these are the results of a first test of the 5d3 because it means just about anybody can get these results nowadays :-o

Under these lighting conditions, you wouldn't even have needed the increased iso range of the 5d3 - but the 1dx/5d3 af seems to be stallar. I'm wondering: If the 5d3 lost focus and you got bad shots, was it just for a short time or did it screw up completely one time or another?


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## piotr.c (Apr 1, 2012)

I think it was my fault - need to learn this camera especially AF system.

More shots from today at my blog - http://www.piotrczechowski.pl/blog/2012/cross-country/


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## Ryant (Apr 2, 2012)

A few people have asked but you have not mentioned your settings from what I read. Which mode did you use? I found some modes do not seem to track very well at all. I am sure different modes work well for specific times. What mode did you use? Did you alter any of the settings for that mode? What setting did you have your autofocus on? Other than the mode type you can change if it maintains focus more than taking the shot. From what I understand if it cant hit focus in one of the modes it will take a shot anyway, but if you pick the other mode it wont take a shot until it can achieve focus.

Ryan


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## piotr.c (Apr 2, 2012)

Ryant said:


> A few people have asked but you have not mentioned your settings from what I read. Which mode did you use? I found some modes do not seem to track very well at all. I am sure different modes work well for specific times. What mode did you use? Did you alter any of the settings for that mode? What setting did you have your autofocus on? Other than the mode type you can change if it maintains focus more than taking the shot. From what I understand if it cant hit focus in one of the modes it will take a shot anyway, but if you pick the other mode it wont take a shot until it can achieve focus.
> 
> Ryan



You got to exuse me but my english isn't so well - but I will try to answer your questions 

I set AF to Case 3 - Instantly focus on subjects suddenly entering AF points. Looks like it was a mistake and I should have uesd Case 4 - For subject that accelerate or decelerate quickly. My bad for not reading manual  I didn't change those settings - set to default.

And yes, you can swich between AF or shutter prioryty in servo modes (AI Focus & AI Servo) but I didn't and it was all deafult set.


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## D_Rochat (Apr 8, 2012)

Marsu42 said:


> piotr.c said:
> 
> 
> > All photos were taken with 5D Mark III with 70-200/2.8 L
> ...



I see what you saying, but I don't think the same results would be achieved by a complete beginner regardless of what camera they used. Even though this is their first time doing action, it seems that he's no stranger to the camera which made the transition a little easier. I still think what you said is true for the most part, just maybe not in this case.


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## Marsu42 (Apr 8, 2012)

D_Rochat said:


> I see what you saying, but I don't think the same results would be achieved by a complete beginner regardless of what camera they used.



Maybe since I am not a complete beginner anymore I cannot imagine how it was back then - but shooting action seems like getting the right angle (which indeed does require some photographic knowledge), switch on servo af and juggle with some settings, shoot tons of pictures and then crop/sort later? But the postprocessing done by the op is certainly nice, I was just wondering about how much skill or experience it really takes to get these shots with the 5d3.


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## D_Rochat (Apr 8, 2012)

I imagine if someone gave a beginner a 5D with the proper settings and put them in the right position before telling them to shoot, they might be able to pull it off. The tech is making it easier, but you still can't buy skill


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## nikkito (Apr 8, 2012)

piotr.c said:


> AF is amazing .. even when AI Servo and AI Focus were set with extreme lateral focus points
> 
> All photos were taken with 5D Mark III with 70-200/2.8 L



you have done pretty cool shots, man!


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## piotr.c (Apr 8, 2012)

D_Rochat said:


> I imagine if someone gave a beginner a 5D with the proper settings and put them in the right position before telling them to shoot, they might be able to pull it off. The tech is making it easier, but you still can't buy skill



Phorography is my hobby for over 15 years (half of my life). People are saying I'm quite qood at this : All I do all the time while shooting is thinking about what is going to happen in next 2-3 seconds. I try to predict action and capture best moments on my photos  It doesn't really matters if I shoot wedding, sports or streetphotography (my favorite!) - rules are the same, only conditions change 

The camera itself is just a tool, it should not restrict me any way. With good AF and fast shutter I can focus myself on action. Those photos are 100% frames (with few exceptions). I guess photos are looking nice because I didn't have to fight with camera while shooting 


PS. "If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough" ... there is nothing more to say


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## Wideopen (Apr 8, 2012)

Very nice! I have yet to test mines :-\


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## bdeutsch (Apr 8, 2012)

Nice shots. Thanks for posting. I'm still reading all the reviews trying to decide if the upgrade is worth it.


Actor Headshots NYC | Gotham Family Photos | NY Wedding Photos


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## D_Rochat (Apr 9, 2012)

piotr.c said:


> D_Rochat said:
> 
> 
> > I imagine if someone gave a beginner a 5D with the proper settings and put them in the right position before telling them to shoot, they might be able to pull it off. The tech is making it easier, but you still can't buy skill
> ...



I agree 100% and that's what I meant with my posts. I think it's very clear you know what you are doing and your knowledge is what got you those images, not the camera. I may be wrong but I get the impression that you misunderstood my message and I just wanted to clear it up. Anyways, nice images and thanks for the AF examples


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## DHL1313 (Apr 9, 2012)

Nice shots, can't wait to get mine


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## awinphoto (Apr 9, 2012)

piotr.c said:


> Viggo said:
> 
> 
> > 4 shots out of 12? That is not very assuring.... I hope that's not the best it can do...
> ...



I agree. Plus it boils down to personal preference as to what is acceptable and what is not. For instance, during the last air show I did, shooting the 7d at full 8fps, I shot 600-700 shots for 1 show. Out of those I would say 6 out of 8 images would look great at Internet/screen shot sizes. 2 out of 8 probably on that burst rate, after final edits would be good at 100% print should I need it to do so. The OP probably pulling his 4 out of 12 based off of final edits, perhaps a different photog may find more keepers in that batch, maybe another finding fewer. It's just more of a personal preference.


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## JR (Apr 9, 2012)

The AF Servo on the mkIII is really spectacular! While it is no sports, when I had the mkIII for a few days I tool some shots of my 2 year old daughter playing sliding in the park. I will say that almost all of them were in perfect focus while she was moving (34 out of 37)! With my mkII that number would be the opposite, that is 2-3 maybe out of the bunchwould have been in focus!


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