# Need help with 5DMKIII focus issues with 50 1.2L



## cttolmen (May 31, 2013)

Hey guys I just switched from Sony to Canon in the last couple weeks and have had quite a few focus issues with the 5DIII I have a FocusAlign and also FocusTune software and have calibrated all my lenses to spot on. I have - 50 1.2, 85 1.8, 50 1.8, Sigma 35 1.4, tamron 70-200VC and a Tamron 90mm... So EVERY single lens has a focus adjust dialed in on both the 5DIII 6D and 7D. That isn't that bad but I figured it would be better buying all new gear. All my Sony lenses also had a focus adjustment though so that's ok. But here is the main problem - after our first wedding (where I told my wife who shoots the new 5D, to trust her focus points now), the 50L front focused on every shot where she didn't use the center point. And that was just about every portrait! So this is not good at all. So I put it back on the tripod and shot the lensalign a bit more and found that it has really bad front focus on every point but the center. The farther back the subject is, the worse the front focus is. So after a bit of research, I found that this is somewhat normal due to the curvature of the lens and the design of the optics in general for being a 1.2 lens. BUT here is the crazy thing - it focuses almost perfectly on the 6D! With any focus point!

So I called CPS and they said that I could send it in to be calibrated but I asked why it would focus perfectly on the 6D and not the 5D. They were mostly clueless but said to try to just use the center point! That isn't that bad and we can live with that, but why would it work on the 6D with a far less quality focus system? I tested all our other lenses on the 5D and it looks like the outer points work great with every other lens - including the Sigma 35.

I ordered another 50L that should be here tomorrow to really nail down if it is then lens or the body but I wanted to get some feedback to see what you guys think! You guys out there with the 5DIII and 50L, can you use the outer points at all? I have it set to just cross type points, single shot, manual point selection. Then I also tested the midway cross type points and they also front focus. But as far as the 6D to the 5D - the outer cross type points are in the same place in terms of how far out they are into the edge of the glass. So it's not like the 50L would have a harder time on the 5D than the 6D Would you guys point more towards the lens being bad or the body having issues? I can't narrow it down well since all the other lenses work fine with the 5D and the 50L works fine on the 6D! I'm going crazy! And we have 11 shoots in the next 5 weeks so there is no way I can send the body or lens in for repair!

Here are my AFMA numbers for all 3 bodies (7d has the same issue as the 5d)

6D
50mm 1.2: +6
50mm 1.8: +16
85mm 1.8: +12
Sigma 35 1.4: +3
Tamron 70-200: T +6 W +7
Tamron 90mm: n/a
Tokina 16-28: T +1 W +0 

5D
50mm 1.2: -4
50mm 1.8: +6
85mm 1.8: +0 
Sigma 35 1.4: -3 
Tamron 70-200: T +2 W +4
Tamron 90mm: n/a
Tokina 16-28: T -4 W -5

7D
50mm 1.2: -1
50mm 1.8: +6
85mm 1.8: +5
Sigma 35 1.4: -4 
Tamron 70-200: +8
Tamron 90mm: n/a
Tokina 16-28: -6

Let me know if I need to show some pics as examples. I can also upload a few from this last wedding - as they are much more pronounced.

Thanks for the help!

Cody
www.hunterryanphoto.com


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## awinphoto (May 31, 2013)

Each camera and lens has an acceptable degree to positioning which would be considered acceptable... It could be both the 50 and 6d are a tad off but counter acts each other to be perfect but the 5d3 doesn't have that, or visa versa... CR has an entire article going over this... MA the lens and you should be fine... otherwise send it into canon


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## @!ex (May 31, 2013)

Bump.

I am curious to find out what everyone thinks. I definitely have much worse focus on the outer focus points on my 5d3 with the 50 1.2. I've even sent the lens into can once, with little effect.


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## Swphoto (May 31, 2013)

@!ex said:


> Bump.
> 
> I am curious to find out what everyone thinks. I definitely have much worse focus on the outer focus points on my 5d3 with the 50 1.2. I've even sent the lens into can once, with little effect.



Changing the AFMA value depending on which AF point I'm using has helped, but that's a frustrating process.


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## cttolmen (Jun 1, 2013)

@!ex said:


> Bump.
> 
> I am curious to find out what everyone thinks. I definitely have much worse focus on the outer focus points on my 5d3 with the 50 1.2. I've even sent the lens into can once, with little effect.



Thanks! Good to know your results. I want to send it to Canon but we have 12 shoots or so in the next 5 weeks so there is no way I can do that... But if you say it didn't make a difference, then that is a bummer! Still looking for answers but it sure looks like the center point is basically the only way to go.

Thanks!


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## cttolmen (Jun 1, 2013)

Swphoto said:


> @!ex said:
> 
> 
> > Bump.
> ...



Ummmm yes that would be a crazy insane process! I surely wish there could be a software fix for it so that as you used a point farther out from center, the camera would compensate but pulling focus closer! Makes sense to me!


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## cttolmen (Jun 8, 2013)

I sure wish some others would chime in with a response also if they can use outer points or no.

Here is an update - Bought the Sigma 50 to replace the 50L and it does the same thing with the outer points! The left side is a little worse as was the case the the 50L. But it consistently front focuses about a meter when over 15' away or so. And probably a foot front focus at 8' away or so. We also had another engagement shoot where I told my wife again to just use the center point so she did and every shot where she was over 15' away or so, the camera front focused like crazy! ... So I just shipped the 5D3 and the 50L to Canon on Wednesday. I sure hope they can resolve this because again, I put the Sigma 50 on the 6D and it works gloriously with the outer points! We have a few engagement shoots and 1 wedding scheduled during the time the camera will be at Canon so we will have to live with the 6D and 7D for a few shoots. Who knows, if they can't fix it, maybe 2 6D's would be better. 

Sure wish some others with this combo would chime in to help out a bit on this!

Thanks! Cody


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## Random Orbits (Jun 8, 2013)

cttolmen said:


> I sure wish some others would chime in with a response also if they can use outer points or no.
> 
> Here is an update - Bought the Sigma 50 to replace the 50L and it does the same thing with the outer points! The left side is a little worse as was the case the the 50L. But it consistently front focuses about a meter when over 15' away or so. And probably a foot front focus at 8' away or so. We also had another engagement shoot where I told my wife again to just use the center point so she did and every shot where she was over 15' away or so, the camera front focused like crazy! ... So I just shipped the 5D3 and the 50L to Canon on Wednesday. I sure hope they can resolve this because again, I put the Sigma 50 on the 6D and it works gloriously with the outer points! We have a few engagement shoots and 1 wedding scheduled during the time the camera will be at Canon so we will have to live with the 6D and 7D for a few shoots. Who knows, if they can't fix it, maybe 2 6D's would be better.
> 
> ...



I have the combination you're describing (5DIII/50L) and I can get consistent focus with the outer points (tried at f/1.2 and f/5.6). I'm using the left most f/2.8 point, the center point and the right most f/2.8 point and they give similar accuracy. I was shooting at objects inside at around 10 ft and outside at 20-30'. I'm using spot focus with f/2.8 points only. However, there is a big caveat. The entire focus point box must be in an area of high contrast to get consistent focus. If it is not, the focus can miss very badly (even with focus confirmation) especially with the outer points. The central points have additional phase detect baselines which increase their accuracy. I tried taking pictures of my daughter at around 10' where she was strongly backlit (without flash assist), and it missed badly because local contrast was poor. I then tried shooting a colorful bag on the couch lit by the backlight next to her (similar distance) and it nailed it consistently with center and outer points.

Perhaps a flash's focus assist will help...


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## clicstudio (Jun 8, 2013)

The 50mm 1.2L is one of the hardest lenses to focus, no matter which camera u are using.
At F1.2, the distance between focus and blur is probably 1/8"... I am guessing, but it certainly looks that way.
I bought one a few years back and the next day I returned it. I don't use or have time for manual focusing, so I have to rely on the camera. I always used 1D bodies since 2003 so it should be the best focusing but I would get 5 out 10 shots out of focus... 
Lens looks great and has an amazing sharpness at F4.0 and up but not wide open.

Cheers

P


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