# EOS R and 135 L issue?



## Viggo (May 4, 2019)

Hi good people!

I recently bought a 135 L to use with my R.

But I get seriously disappointing results regarding Servo AF. My RF50 can’t miss, and the 135 can’t hit.

It’s okay, but only okay, in One Shot and in servo I get a 2 out of 15 shots sharp, the rest is so OOF you can’t tell who I took a picture of.

Anyone has used this combo and like to chime in with your experience?

Thanks!


----------



## SecureGSM (May 5, 2019)

Is that in focus priority servo mode?


----------



## Boudreaux&Thibodeaux (May 5, 2019)

Not too much to go on, but my R would not focus the 300/4 non-IS or the 300/4 IS with one particular filter, which is a Hoya HMC 1B. That filter works just fine on the 24-105/4. And the one that was on the 24-105/4 is now on the 300/4 IS and it works fine. Dunno what was going on there. I've tried "tilting" a filter in front of the 300/4 IS, and it didn't do squat.

At any rate, if you have a filter on the lens, try focus with it off.

Also, what focusing spot(s) were you using? I've shot a lot of servo with my R and its miss rate is less than 2 percent (based on 1000+ shots in one session).


----------



## Viggo (May 5, 2019)

Thanks!

It’s not in focus priority mode, it’s with 5 fps.

I have tried with and without filter.

I’ve tried the small AF point, the larger, center and edges, tracking with face and/or Eye, expanded with 4.

I have used it like I use my RF50 and comparing the two I get less misses with the 50 than I get hits with the 135.


----------



## StoicalEtcher (May 5, 2019)

Viggo,

Have you tried the lens on another (non-mirrorless) body? If your lens is "okay, but only ok" in one shot mode, I just wondered whether the lens has a fault, perhaps with the AF motor not responding at correct speeds? Was it a new or second hand purchase?

(Don't have an R myself, so can't try out my 135 on it!).

Stoical.


----------



## Viggo (May 5, 2019)

StoicalEtcher said:


> Viggo,
> 
> Have you tried the lens on another (non-mirrorless) body? If your lens is "okay, but only ok" in one shot mode, I just wondered whether the lens has a fault, perhaps with the AF motor not responding at correct speeds? Was it a new or second hand purchase?
> 
> ...


It was bought second hand, and immediately thought it was an issue with it. I’ve had it a thousand times before, at least ten different copies, and I’ve had those who are very soft and/or poor AF, and I’ve had those that are epic in every way, nothing in between. I sent a message to the seller and told him this and he thought I had broken it, but I literally just took it out of the box and tried. So he refused to take it back unless he got it back and THEN, perhaps l, refund me, not gonna happen. 

I have no other body to try it on atm.

There is this slight squeaky noise from the AF motor I’ve experienced before and that time it was the same missing shots behavior and the lens was replaced with a new one.

We have this system in Norway where we can report cases like this and some third party person will help us resolve this, I have reported it, but it will take 12-15 weeks ...


----------



## briangus (May 5, 2019)

Used the 135 F2 and the R at a gig end of last year - someone else had mentioned 135/R issues in a post around the same time.
Light levels were pretty low but the performance was less than stellar.
Had issues with It focusing and if it did lock on focus it started to hunt.
Eventually I switched on the focus limiter and it behaved a bit better.
Was just too frustrating to use so switched back to RF50 and the 85IS
I have used various other EF lenses in same vanue without any issues.


----------



## Viggo (May 5, 2019)

briangus said:


> Used the 135 F2 and the R at a gig end of last year - someone else had mentioned 135/R issues in a post around the same time.
> Light levels were pretty low but the performance was less than stellar.
> Had issues with It focusing and if it did lock on focus it started to hunt.
> Eventually I switched on the focus limiter and it behaved a bit better.
> ...


Thanks for chiming in, exactly like these experiences I was looking for 

I can’t really afford the RF85, but it looks like I’m going for that anyway then. I had the 85 IS, and didn’t like it all that much. But I’m counting on the RF85 will be similar to my RF50 and that thing is spectacular .


----------



## Boudreaux&Thibodeaux (May 5, 2019)

And you were shooting what sort of subject material with the 135/2 on your R ?

Lighting conditions? 

I'm trying to get a good understanding of the situation.


----------



## Viggo (May 5, 2019)

Boudreaux&Thibodeaux said:


> And you were shooting what sort of subject material with the 135/2 on your R ?
> 
> Lighting conditions?
> 
> I'm trying to get a good understanding of the situation.


I tried indoors in very nice daylight, and in both clouded and sunny daylight and did all I can to optimize the conditions. I tried shooting my wife walking slow slow, and my kids walking and running.


----------



## Del Paso (May 5, 2019)

Viggo said:


> It was bought second hand, and immediately thought it was an issue with it. I’ve had it a thousand times before, at least ten different copies, and I’ve had those who are very soft and/or poor AF, and I’ve had those that are epic in every way, nothing in between. I sent a message to the seller and told him this and he thought I had broken it, but I literally just took it out of the box and tried. So he refused to take it back unless he got it back and THEN, perhaps l, refund me, not gonna happen.
> 
> I have no other body to try it on atm.
> 
> ...


Sorry ho have an issue with your lens.
But thanks for the warning, the 135 f.2 i wanted to buy used, I'll buy brand-new from a local dealer. So, if I get an underwhelming one, I'll just bring it back!


----------



## SecureGSM (May 5, 2019)

Viggo said:


> Thanks!
> 
> *It’s not in focus priority mode, it’s with 5 fps.*
> 
> ...



Are you willing to try setting your camera to maximum level of focus priority mode and give this another go? I suspect that lens is not fast enough to acquire focus and camera fires regardless of the AF acquisition status. just a guess at this stage..


----------



## Viggo (May 5, 2019)

SecureGSM said:


> Are you willing to try setting your camera to maximum level of focus priority mode and give this another go? I suspect that lens is not fast enough to acquire focus and camera fires regardless of the AF acquisition status. just a guess at this stage..


Sure, but as I said, I’ve had a lot of 135’s before and shot soccer and other action with amazing hitrate


----------



## SecureGSM (May 5, 2019)

Viggo said:


> Sure, but as I said, I’ve had a lot of 135’s before and shot soccer and other action with amazing hitrate


attached to EOS R camera? I guess, no. Focusing algos and communications have been changed since EF days. Plus mount adaptor, plus EF to R conversion. so many factors to consider, plus DPAF vs traditional PD. I read people reporting Skylight 1B filters skewing R AF ability. 1B filters cut off a specific light spectrum:

Reduces the excessive bluishness that frequently occurs in outdoor color photography, especially in open shade under a clear, blue sky. The absorption peak is in the range which corresponds to the film's* green spectrum*. This means outstanding outdoor shots with superb color balance and clarity under all conditions. Also keeps skin tones free of colored reflections from nearby objects such as the shade of trees.


----------



## Viggo (May 5, 2019)

SecureGSM said:


> attached to EOS R camera? I guess, no. Focusing algos and communications have been changed since EF days. Plus mount adaptor, plus EF to R conversion. so many factors to consider, plus DPAF vs traditional PD. I read people reporting Skylight 1B filters skewing R AF ability. 1B filters cut off a specific light spectrum:
> 
> Reduces the excessive bluishness that frequently occurs in outdoor color photography, especially in open shade under a clear, blue sky. The absorption peak is in the range which corresponds to the film's* green spectrum*. This means outstanding outdoor shots with superb color balance and clarity under all conditions. Also keeps skin tones free of colored reflections from nearby objects such as the shade of trees.


I had no filter and a BW clear filter, made no difference.

I haven’t tried many 135’s with the R, that’s true, but I have used the 35 L II and 85 L IS along the RF 50, both EF lenses performed way better than on my old 1dx2. So would find it weird the 135 was somehow incompatible.


----------



## SecureGSM (May 5, 2019)

Viggo said:


> I had no filter and a BW clear filter, made no difference.
> 
> I haven’t tried many 135’s with the R, that’s true, but I have used the 35 L II and 85 L IS along the RF 50, both EF lenses performed way better than on my old 1dx2. So would find it weird the 135 was somehow incompatible.


Viggo, I mentioned skylight 1b filter only as example how R AF Behavior is vastly different to old school EF.
35ii, 85 IS are a newish lenses, different moto, electronics, firmware, algorithms and what’s not. We are looking at a backward compatibility issue. Goes to show that not all Canon EF lenses are well suited to work on RF. Perhaps firmware specific.


----------



## Viggo (May 5, 2019)

SecureGSM said:


> Viggo, I mentioned skylight 1b filter only as example how R AF Behavior is vastly different to old school EF.
> 35ii, 85 IS are a newish lenses, different moto, electronics, firmware, algorithms and what’s not. We are looking at a backward compatibility issue. Goes to show that not all Canon EF lenses are well suited to work on RF. Perhaps firmware specific.


Or perhaps my 135 is a bad copy like a few I’ve already had and had repaired


----------



## SecureGSM (May 5, 2019)

Correct, but please give focus priority mode a go and see what transpires


----------



## Boudreaux&Thibodeaux (May 5, 2019)

SecureGSM said:


> I read people reporting Skylight 1B filters skewing R AF ability



Don't over-think that. I had the filter problem, but it was just by chance a 1B which I use as "protective" (and please not drift this thread to "protective filter or not"). A different 1B, of the same exact make and type, worked fine, so there was something going on with the glass, not the color. 

I didn't try for 5FPS when I shot servo. It was servo and lots of single shots, and it worked great. I'm wondering if Viggio is just asking the camera to do something its processor is unable to keep up with? In that case, undo all the "power saving" and such, undo some or all of the lens correction settings. And, try again.


----------



## SecureGSM (May 5, 2019)

Boudreaux&Thibodeaux said:


> Don't over-think that. I had the filter problem, but it was just by chance a 1B which I use as "protective" (and please not drift this thread to "protective filter or not"). A different 1B, of the same exact make and type, worked fine, so there was something going on with the glass, not the color.
> 
> I didn't try for 5FPS when I shot servo. It was servo and lots of single shots, and it worked great. I'm wondering if Viggio is just asking the camera to do something its processor is unable to keep up with? In that case, undo all the "power saving" and such, undo some or all of the lens correction settings. And, try again.


Please read carefully, I said that 1b filter is just an example of an RF specific issue not relevant to EF. 
Spectrum cut off isn’t a color. But never mind. It has nothing to do with photography. Boring technical stuff.


----------



## Viggo (May 5, 2019)

« I'm wondering if Viggo is just asking the camera to do something its processor is unable to keep up with?»

It works fine with other lenses so no. And no one ever would be okay with a lens missing this much. I would have ten times the hit rate with MF


----------



## Viggo (May 5, 2019)

Tried with Focus Priority, and it was even worse, not one out of 15 shots where in focus. Tried the same with the 50 and every single shot was spot on.


----------



## Ozarker (May 5, 2019)

Viggo said:


> It was bought second hand, and immediately thought it was an issue with it. I’ve had it a thousand times before, at least ten different copies, and I’ve had those who are very soft and/or poor AF, and I’ve had those that are epic in every way, nothing in between. I sent a message to the seller and told him this and he thought I had broken it, but I literally just took it out of the box and tried. So he refused to take it back unless he got it back and THEN, perhaps l, refund me, not gonna happen.
> 
> I have no other body to try it on atm.
> 
> ...


Ebay purchase?


----------



## Viggo (May 5, 2019)

CanonFanBoy said:


> Ebay purchase?


Nope, through the biggest site in Norway for buying and selling used anything


----------



## bhf3737 (May 6, 2019)

I tried R with EF 135L today for several hours, in doors, handheld, various shooting modes and various aperture. Overall about 1000 shots. For stationary objects keeper rate was 97% and for slow moving objects was around 92%.
I did not try it with flashes though and used ambient light only. The combination is slow to focus for sure but nothing out of ordinary, I guess. Needless to say that my copy of 135L is about 10 years old, has excellent optics and well maintained.


----------



## SecureGSM (May 6, 2019)

Viggo said:


> Tried with Focus Priority, and it was even worse, not one out of 15 shots where in focus. Tried the same with the 50 and every single shot was spot on.



Bugger! Let it go of your hands, Viggo!


----------



## Viggo (May 6, 2019)

bhf3737 said:


> I tried R with EF 135L today for several hours, in doors, handheld, various shooting modes and various aperture. Overall about 1000 shots. For stationary objects keeper rate was 97% and for slow moving objects was around 92%.
> I did not try it with flashes though and used ambient light only. The combination is slow to focus for sure but nothing out of ordinary, I guess. Needless to say that my copy of 135L is about 10 years old, has excellent optics and well maintained.


Thanks


----------



## archiea (May 29, 2019)

Viggo said:


> Hi good people!
> 
> I recently bought a 135 L to use with my R.
> 
> ...



Had an F2 135 for years.

First shot with my trusty crusty 24-70 f2.8 in the dark with the R. Felt like my lens got an upgrade with af off the sensor and focused in areas in the dark where my 5d3 couldn’t. 

Then shot with F135 and despite being an f2, had less of a hit ratio in same location.


----------

