AF problems EOS 5D mk III

[Lundmark]

Hi folks,

I've been taking everyday pictures for a while now with my EOS 5D mk III, but when I try to take fast photos in the moment they get blurry and AF doesn't perform as I wish. It works fine when holding in the "take picture"-button a little and letting the focus points go where I want but this process doesn't let me take fast photos. Is there an AF mode better suited for fast shooting? I have the EF 16 - 35mm 1:2.8 zoom lens. I want to be able to shoot instantly when something happens and get good focus.

Thanks!

[RobertTheFat]

---

meeli436 wrote:

Hey there! 

Not a professional photographer here. 
I also have a bit of a problem with focusing and images being sharp.

I bought a used 5D mk III. First, the images were OK. But then my 3-year-old son did something with the camera and the settings, so now... occasionally the images are off. I focus on the nose/eyes or mouth, but they remain un-focused but the hair close to the ears is sharp. 

What has happened and how do I fix it. Would love to hear all suggestions. This picture was shot in: ONE SHOT. 
[picture omitted]

---

Get out your instruction manual (the full-length one that you can downloaded from Canon's Web site, not the abbreviated one that may have come with your camera) and read about "autofocus microadjustment". If your description of the symptom is accurate and the camera hasn't been dropped or something, that may provide a solution.

[jrhoffman75]

Look in the manual for instructions to reset camera settings.

[meeli436]

And then I loose all other custom settings and start everything from scratch. Harsh.

[jrhoffman75]

Then you need to hunt through settings to see what was changed by your child. He possibly changed a selected focus point, but since apparently you have made a bunch of custom settings you need to go through them all and figure out what you didn’t set.

[meeli436]

So yeah - did the system recovery, put on a new software and now... As I expected. Everything is off. Right now I'm in a mood of quitting photography. My camera hates me, my lens hates me. Just so frustrated. I can't even remember half the configurations and settings I had. So here's a tip everybody. Keep your camera away from kids. 

[diverhank]

---

@meeli436 wrote:

So yeah - did the system recovery, put on a new software and now... As I expected. Everything is off. Right now I'm in a mood of quitting photography. My camera hates me, my lens hates me. Just so frustrated. I can't even remember half the configurations and settings I had. So here's a tip everybody. Keep your camera away from kids. 

---

Look at the bright side, if you can't remember half of your settings then they are not worth having.  Here is your chance to start anew and learn a few more things about your camera in the process.

I am one who occasionally reset everything (camera, computer, audio/video wiring, etc.) when there's nothing wrong.  I always manage to learn a few new things and ended up better than before I started.

[Waddizzle]

I think you could be looking at parts of the subject that are OOF because of Depth Of Field.  

What focal length are you using?  What is the approximate distance to the subject?  If the child moved a couple of inches between you focusing, and you taking the shot, then where you focused could be OOF.