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Camera upgrade advice, please!

Cheila
Contributor

Hi Smiley Happy This is my first post here.

 

I have a Canon EOS 600D (Rebel T3i) and I recently got a Canon EF Lens 50mm and I love it! The problem is the camera takes a very long time to focus, even though I have a fast SD card. Should I upgrade my camera to a more recent one? I'm just an amateaur so I don't want to spend a lot. Which camera do you think I should get and why? Thanks a lot in advance!!

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

The T3i came out before our STM lens technology and before the advances we made in both Dual Pixel Auto Focus. That means that it has to hunt to focus and compare the contrast in the scene using the DIGIC IV processor (we're up to DIGIC 8). That means it can take a few seconds, using Live View (the LCD).

 

For best results, when taking photos, you want to use the viewfinder - it will use its separate focusing system (rather than the DIGIC processor) and will focus nearly instantly, given proper lighting.

 

When taking video, it will still use the phase contrast method of focusing and will hunt. We recommend using manual focus, or pre-focusing your subjects, otherwise you will lose focus and hear the lens during recording. 

 

As a note, all of our newer Rebels that end in "i" like the T6i and T7i support our STM lenses, and the Rebel T7i has our groundbreaking Dual Pixel Autofocus technology that allows for near instant (and silent with an STM lens) focus, whether you're taking photos with the viewfinder, or shooting videos. You can even touch the LCD screen to manually focus on a specific item. 

View solution in original post

19 REPLIES 19

Hey Bob!

 

All EF/EF-S lenses work (fit, achieve focus and all normal functions) on our APS-C cameras (Rebels and XXD cameras).

 

If a lens has an STM motor, anything older than the T4i and non "i" models like the T5, T6 and T7 won't be able to take advantage of that technology (instant silent focusing during Live View or Video), but normal focusing will work just fine! 

 

Sorry if I wasn't clear on that! 


@Stephenwrote:

Hey Bob!

 

All EF/EF-S lenses work (fit, achieve focus and all normal functions) on our APS-C cameras (Rebels and XXD cameras).

 

If a lens has an STM motor, anything older than the T4i and non "i" models like the T5, T6 and T7 won't be able to take advantage of that technology (instant silent focusing during Live View or Video), but normal focusing will work just fine! 

 

Sorry if I wasn't clear on that! 


I'm still confused. Do STM lenses have two autofocus motors - one STM and one not? Or do the older cameras work with manual focusing only? Sorry to be such a blockhead, but I've had no experience with STM lenses. I graduated out of Rebels before they came along.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

Hey Bob!

 

The STM lenses just have the stepping motor. The difference is that the older and entry-level cameras can't take advantage of the stepping motor in video mode or Live View (whenever you're using the LCD). The stepping motor acts just like a DC motor when you use the viewfinder to take a normal photo. Auto focusing works just like any other non-STM lens on an older/entry-level camera.

 

What this means is that for normal viewfinder photo taking, an STM lens will work just like any other lens. When using for video or Live View, the camera doesn't know how to use the electronics of the STM motor, so it will treat it like a DC motor and it will still hunt for focus, and during the hunt you will hear the lens focusing. It seems odd, but I just tested it with an STM motor on a T2i. It's quieter, but you can still hear it, while you hear nothing with the same lens on a T7i. The T2i just doesn't know how to handle the STM electronic components, so it pretends they're not there. 

I had a T3i and I never used live view focusing, but it was still slow focusing I had the biggest issue with on that camera. Even using the viewfinder to focus it was slow to focus in indoor or dim light. Newer Rebels are now much much better at this, but the T3i would buzz and fire off focus assist bursts from the flash trying to focus.  I think it was the T6i which received the upgraded dim light focus ability. 

Scott

Canon 5d mk 4, Canon 6D, EF 70-200mm L f/2.8 IS mk2; EF 16-35 f/2.8 L mk. III; Sigma 35mm f/1.4 "Art" EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro; EF 85mm f/1.8; EF 1.4x extender mk. 3; EF 24-105 f/4 L; EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS; 3x Phottix Mitros+ speedlites

Why do so many people say "FER-tographer"? Do they take "fertographs"?

Cheila
Contributor
Thanks a lot everyone! I will experiment using the viewfinder and hopefully it will help ☺️ Sorry I didn't even know that made a difference!

Cheila
Contributor
Thank you Scotty! ☺️ Meanwhile I tried using the viewfinder instead of live view. It is faster but still has trouble focusing sometimes, even in bright daylight (maybe it was too bright). And I find that I just really like using the live view 😅 The screen is very flexible so I can shoot animals with the camera on the ground, behind fences and other crazy perspectives that would not be possible with my head and body on the way.
I think I'll look into cameras again ☺️ Thanks!!


@Cheila wrote:
Thank you Scotty! ☺️ Meanwhile I tried using the viewfinder instead of live view. It is faster but still has trouble focusing sometimes, even in bright daylight (maybe it was too bright). And I find that I just really like using the live view 😅 The screen is very flexible so I can shoot animals with the camera on the ground, behind fences and other crazy perspectives that would not be possible with my head and body on the way.
I think I'll look into cameras again ☺️ Thanks!!

If you like using the screen, then you might want to look at a Canon M Series camera body.  With the Canon lens adapter you can even use the same 50mm lens that you are using now.

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"The right mouse button is your friend."

Ana-Luis
Apprentice

Need more information about Canon EOS Rebel t3.

ebiggs1
Legend
Legend

This is very simple to solve.  First out of curiosity, the lens is Canon brand?  OK, first reset the camera to factory.  menu, tools, clear all settings and all custom settings. Now set the camera to P mode.  ISO 200, Average WB, Set the lens switch to AF. On a nice sunny day go outside and take some shots.  Do not change the settings. Use the VF and not the LV screen.

All should be as it should be.  If not.......well if not that's bad. Something is broken, if it works everything is OK.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!
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