EF 50mm 1.8 Manual Focus not Responding

[Ziiar]

Hello. I recently got an EF 50mm 1.8 lens for my EOS 60D.

The automatic focus appears to be fine but turning the focus ring while in manual does not change focus at all. I've made sure that the lens is set to "MF" and I can see "M FOCUS" on my top display. I tried the lens on another camera and it behaves the same way.

[RobertTheFat · Accepted solution]

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@Ziiar wrote:

Hi. Sorry, the shutter button problem I was having was a different issue that I have resolved now. Here is it's current state:

With the lens set to AF, the auto focus works fine. I can acheive this by pushing the shutter down half way.

With the lens set to MF, moving the focus ring does not change focus at all. Pushing the shutter half way while moving the ring, makes to change.

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Does manual override work when the lens is set to AF? If not, then there must be a bad connection between the focus ring and the focusing motors. The focusing motors obviously work, or the lens would fail to autofocus. But I think a bad connection between the ring and the motors would explain the symptoms, including the fact that the failure is observed on more than one camera.

[Waddizzle]

The lens is probably just fine.  Do you have "STM" version of the lens?  If so, be aware that it has an electronic focusing system.  This means that the focus ring is not mechanically connected to the focusing elements. 

The lens needs power in order to focus.  If you half depress the shutter, which wakes up the viewfinder display, then you should be able to adjust focus for several seconds.

[Ziiar]

It's the STM version.

Pushing the shutter half way down does not activate focus on any mode other than fully automatic. Holding the "AF-ON" button works. I have tried moving the ring while holding that button and I don't get anything. I have also tried holding the shutter down half way and doing the same thing and I still don't get focus.

[Waddizzle]

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@Ziiar wrote:

It's the STM version.

Pushing the shutter half way down does not activate focus on any mode other than fully automatic. Holding the "AF-ON" button works. I have tried moving the ring while holding that button and I don't get anything. I have also tried holding the shutter down half way and doing the same thing and I still don't get focus.

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What do you mean by "holding the [AF-ON] button works?

[RobertTheFat]

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@Waddizzle wrote:

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@Ziiar wrote:

It's the STM version.

Pushing the shutter half way down does not activate focus on any mode other than fully automatic. Holding the "AF-ON" button works. I have tried moving the ring while holding that button and I don't get anything. I have also tried holding the shutter down half way and doing the same thing and I still don't get focus.

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What do you mean by "holding the [AF-ON] button works?

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This is weird, but it almost sounds as though the lens thinks the camera is in back-button focus mode. Normally that would be irrelevant when the lens is set to MF, but since this type of lens focuses electrically, it conceivably might matter. Note that when using BB focus, you don't want the lens to re-focus when you press the shutter button. I'd think that the mis-information would be the camera's fault, but the OP says it happens on another camera as well.

P.S.:  Ziiar, just to be clear: You don't always press the "AF on" button before you take the shot, do you? Since the lens focuses electrically, doing that might de-activate its ability to focus at all, even manually. That's not how it should work, but one could see how it could.

[Waddizzle]

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@RobertTheFat wrote:

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@Waddizzle wrote:

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@Ziiar wrote:

It's the STM version.

Pushing the shutter half way down does not activate focus on any mode other than fully automatic. Holding the "AF-ON" button works. I have tried moving the ring while holding that button and I don't get anything. I have also tried holding the shutter down half way and doing the same thing and I still don't get focus.

---

What do you mean by "holding the [AF-ON] button works?

---

This is weird, but it almost sounds as though the lens thinks the camera is in back-button focus mode. Normally that would be irrelevant when the lens is set to MF, but since this type of lens focuses electrically, it conceivably might matter. Note that when using BB focus, you don't want the lens to re-focus when you press the shutter button. I'd think that the mis-information would be the camera's fault, but the OP says it happens on another camera as well.

P.S.:  Ziiar, just to be clear: You don't always press the "AF on" button before you take the shot, do you? Since the lens focuses electrically, doing that might de-activate its ability to focus at all, even manually. That's not how it should work, but one could see how it could.

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I'd agree with your conclusions, except for one thing.  Ziiar has said that the lens AF/MF switch is set to MF.  Shouldn't the focusing motors then have power for MF anytime the metering is active?

This isn't a matter of Manual Focus Override.

[Ziiar]

Hi. Sorry, the shutter button problem I was having was a different issue that I have resolved now. Here is it's current state:

With the lens set to AF, the auto focus works fine. I can acheive this by pushing the shutter down half way.

With the lens set to MF, moving the focus ring does not change focus at all. Pushing the shutter half way while moving the ring, makes to change.

[Waddizzle]

---

@Ziiar wrote:

Hi. Sorry, the shutter button problem I was having was a different issue that I have resolved now. Here is it's current state:

With the lens set to AF, the auto focus works fine. I can acheive this by pushing the shutter down half way.

With the lens set to MF, moving the focus ring does not change focus at all. Pushing the shutter half way while moving the ring, makes to change.

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That's how it is supposed to work. 

You shouldn't have to hold the shutter button depressed halfway when the lens switch is set MF.  As long as the metering system is active, you should have power to the lens, and the focusing motors.  You can activate the metering by pressing the shutter halfway, or by pressing [AF-ON] if that it is programmed to activate Metering and AF.

[Ziiar]

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@Ziiar wrote:

Pushing the shutter half way while moving the ring, makes to change.

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Sorry typo...

***Pushing the shutter half way while moving the ring does not make a change.

[RobertTheFat · Accepted solution]

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@Ziiar wrote:

Hi. Sorry, the shutter button problem I was having was a different issue that I have resolved now. Here is it's current state:

With the lens set to AF, the auto focus works fine. I can acheive this by pushing the shutter down half way.

With the lens set to MF, moving the focus ring does not change focus at all. Pushing the shutter half way while moving the ring, makes to change.

---

Does manual override work when the lens is set to AF? If not, then there must be a bad connection between the focus ring and the focusing motors. The focusing motors obviously work, or the lens would fail to autofocus. But I think a bad connection between the ring and the motors would explain the symptoms, including the fact that the failure is observed on more than one camera.