Canon 60D Having Trouble With AutoFocus

[weyrddude]

Lately, my canon has been having trouble focusing on objects when the lens (18mm-135mm EF-S) is zoomed past 50mm.  When I am in a wide angle up to 50mm the auto focus works, albeit it works slower than usual, but when it gets past 50mm zoom it can't focus on anything.  The servos are working, but the focus point aren't activating and won't work.  Could it be an IR issue?

Has anyone else had this problem before, and if so what have you done to fix it?  

[jazzman1]

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@weyrddude wrote:

Lately, my canon has been having trouble focusing on objects when the lens (18mm-135mm EF-S) is zoomed past 50mm.  When I am in a wide angle up to 50mm the auto focus works, albeit it works slower than usual, but when it gets past 50mm zoom it can't focus on anything.  The servos are working, but the focus point aren't activating and won't work.  Could it be an IR issue?

Has anyone else had this problem before, and if so what have you done to fix it?  

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Have you tried the camera with a different lens???   It may be a lens problem.  I have the 60D and have not encountered this specific problem with mine.

[TCampbell]

Are you usng hte viewfinder or liveview?

To help isolate faults in the focus system, keep in mind that the camera has two completely independent focus systems... it uses phase-detect focus (via the AF sensors below the reflex mirror) when using the viewfinder.   It uses contrast-detect focus on the sensor when using "live-view".  

Also, if using viewfinder, have you tried each AF point to see if the performance issue is isolated to just one of the points?

Switch focus modes (if you were using viewfinder, switch to liveview.  If you were using liveview, switch to viewfinder.)

If that doesn't help, the fault is almost certainly with the lens.  That brings us to the next question... do you have another lens you can use to test?

[ebiggs1]

"... do you have another lens you can use to test?"

This is the key.   It should be tried first.  If you don't have a lens, is there a camera shop close or a Best Buy?  You can try one of their demo lenses.

The focus points being bad is unlikely as is this thought but you need to eliminate both.  Go outside on a daylighted day and try it with a subject that has vertical lines and good contrast.  Does it work properly than?