Will 30D focus more accurately than 350D?

[Luke]

somehow i'm not satisfied with the sharpness on my shots with 350D, using 16-35L & 70-200L lenses. somehow focussing like not very accurate. sent 350D to Canon, they say nothing wrong with its focusing system.

Just like to ask if i upgrade to a 30D. will the focussing system be better?

thanks!

[n0d3]

Maybe if you use a 1D Mark 2 you'll get uber uber sharp photos?

But really, I don't see 350D users complaining about their focusing system. Care to post some photos? Its really dependent on your settings (parameters, aperture/shutter speeds etc.) and I'm sure you know that photos taken with dSLRs tend to be a bit softer so as to allow room for post processing and sharpening afterwards. Then again its dependent on which parameter you're shooting in.

Canon's 16-35mm f/2.8L and 70-200mm L lenses are really stellar lenses so I doubt they could be the cause of your problems unless you got a lemon copy. Or your lenses could be back focusing/front focusing, I don't really trust the tech's sometimes when they tell you its "within spec". You may have a problem if you're shooting wide open and the DOF is really shallow, so sometimes it may appear to have misfocussed.

[lightning]

I have used the 300D and now the 10D, both cam gives sharp focusing. No issue. I always use fixed center focusing point. Never allow the camera to choose.

[sehsuan]

Why don't you get a used 1D instead? For sure, the focus would be TACK sharp.

[hazekang]

i tink a pns digicam is more suitable, pics from my a95 always sharper than those from my 20d...

[bumortic]

wtf! hahahaha

[Russ]

Care to post some examples? So that we can see if it is really a focus issue? I suspect it is not a focus "accuracy" issue. There are a whole host of reasons why you find your images soft. Could be shutter speed/camera shake, being used to oversharpening (in which case, you may find the 30D "worse" as there is less sharpening

[USM]

Sharpness is dependent on individual, so at times, it can be quite subjective.

You may want to post an unsharp photo taken from a EOS 350d in order to substantiate your claim, otherwise it's quite difficult to move on from here as everyone will be basing on assupmtions.

There are many reasons why a photo is not sharp. It's not necessary due to the lens / camera used. It can also the photography technique of the user and so for.

Try mounting your camera on a tripod, use a cable release and take a few shots, then you see whether the photos look sharp or not.

Some of the reasons of unsharp photos can be attributed to the following :

1) Poor lens quality

2) Back Focusing problem of the lens

3) Camera Shake

4) Hand Shake

5) Super high ISO

6) Motion / movement of subjects

[jsbn]

Originally Posted by Luke somehow i'm not satisfied with the sharpness on my shots with 350D, using 16-35L & 70-200L lenses. somehow focussing like not very accurate. sent 350D to Canon, they say nothing wrong with its focusing system. Just like to ask if i upgrade to a 30D. will the focussing system be better? thanks!

Pictures! Pictures! Where are the pictures?

If u ain't gonna post pictures of 'bad focusing' cos u think ur camera focusing is out, photos not sharp, there's no way anyone of us here can tell u whether its a case of:

- Bad equipment, good user
- Good equipment, bad user
- Bad equipment, bad user

[freelancer]

Originally Posted by Luke Just like to ask if i upgrade to a 30D. will the focussing system be better?

YES because it is in the specs released by Canon. The high precision centre point AF on the 30D (and 20D) will be 3 times more accurate than the standard focus points.

The improved focus accuracy will be seen mainly when you have shallow DOF. For other type of shots it could be other causes possibly.

[Luke]

err, how to post photos?

[solarii]

As freelancer has mentioned, Canon's mid range and high end dSLRs do have a superior focusing system.

However for normal shooting its unlikely to make that much of a diff. From what I gather enhanced performance (ie better chance of lock, less hunting) is apparent when used with fast (2.8 or below) lenses.

[jsbn]

Originally Posted by Luke err, how to post photos?

photobucket?

[Luke]

thanks for all yr inputs. Have been on biz trips lately. Will post some pics when i come back....

[Luke]

pending my posting my photos...

i will say that for sure the crux of my problem is that the cam hunts and sometimes dosnt get a correct focus lock. i see alot of this mentioned in forum where a shallow DOF lens (<f2) len is used. Seem to plague my 70-200m L f4 the most though. my 16-35 L f2.8 & 50mm 1.8 all not really a problem.

maybe f4 on 70-200 less light come in so AF system cannot get a lock? That's why wondering if upgrade to 30D, will it hunt less & focus more accurately.

But can anyone share article that says the AF on 30D better than 350D? i dont think i can afford a 5D let alone 1D....

thanks!!!

[CYRN]

Originally Posted by Luke pending my posting my photos... i will say that for sure the crux of my problem is that the cam hunts and sometimes dosnt get a correct focus lock. i see alot of this mentioned in forum where a shallow DOF lens (<f2) len is used. Seem to plague my 70-200m L f4 the most though. my 16-35 L f2.8 & 50mm 1.8 all not really a problem. maybe f4 on 70-200 less light come in so AF system cannot get a lock? That's why wondering if upgrade to 30D, will it hunt less & focus more accurately. But can anyone share article that says the AF on 30D better than 350D? i dont think i can afford a 5D let alone 1D.... thanks!!!

wat you shoot that your 70-200f4 cannot focus. What focusing mode you use?

[kenrai]

Originally Posted by Luke pending my posting my photos... i will say that for sure the crux of my problem is that the cam hunts and sometimes dosnt get a correct focus lock. i see alot of this mentioned in forum where a shallow DOF lens (<f2) len is used. Seem to plague my 70-200m L f4 the most though. my 16-35 L f2.8 & 50mm 1.8 all not really a problem. maybe f4 on 70-200 less light come in so AF system cannot get a lock? That's why wondering if upgrade to 30D, will it hunt less & focus more accurately. But can anyone share article that says the AF on 30D better than 350D? i dont think i can afford a 5D let alone 1D.... thanks!!!

I did hear a friend mentioning that he had focusing problem with his 20D due some incompatibility in term focusing interface of the camera and the lens. He sent it to Canon and it was fixed. Perhaps you could send in your 350D and lens for a check. If this still doesn’t work … “use the Force Luke!” … hahaha

[Russ]

The 300D is supposed to have poorer focussing than the 350D and newer cams but I have few problems focussing.

Technique is important here. Don't just point and expect the cam to do everything. Choose your focussing point (centre is not always the right one) and then make sure the focus square is on a contrastry bit of the subject, esp in low light. e.g. don't try to focus on a white shirt in low light, focus on the collar where there is a bit of contrast (the person). Also, if you use the centre point to focus on a subject on the side, you will end up backfocussing (there was a thread on this earlier) ....

A photographer with good technique and a 300D can autofocus better than a person 30D who just points and shoots and expects the camera to be ultrasmart. At the end of the day, the photographer counts more than the camera.

So, I have to continue to learn and learn and improve...

[evershine]

You really don't need a 30D. I think your setting is not correctly set for the subject and lighting condition you are shooting. You need to at least attend a basic photogarphy class.

Originally Posted by Luke pending my posting my photos... i will say that for sure the crux of my problem is that the cam hunts and sometimes dosnt get a correct focus lock. i see alot of this mentioned in forum where a shallow DOF lens (<f2) len is used. Seem to plague my 70-200m L f4 the most though. my 16-35 L f2.8 & 50mm 1.8 all not really a problem. maybe f4 on 70-200 less light come in so AF system cannot get a lock? That's why wondering if upgrade to 30D, will it hunt less & focus more accurately. But can anyone share article that says the AF on 30D better than 350D? i dont think i can afford a 5D let alone 1D.... thanks!!!

[donkuok]

I own a 350D and find nothing wrong with the focus system. My copy is tack sharp unless I missed the object. Yes, 30D has faster focus speed but still hunting sometimes in low light. I have tested both cam and found not much diff. So upgrade won't solve your problem. I guess it could be handshake or something. Why dont you give it a test on higher shutter speed, say 1/500 on 16-35L and 1/1000 on 70-200F4L or test it on a sturdy tripod.