EOS 90D poor OVF performance

[Cross]

First let me start by saying I love my 90D for stills but the Optical view finder focusing seems to have issues even with my 100-400 is II  especialy birds in flight. I and many others in other forums I belong to have a couple issues. One I call focus hang, for instance if a bird flushes suddenly and I pull up the lens (No matter which I have mounted )starts to focus and then just stops. I then have to point to a high contrast target and the lens will come alive again, and yes I have continue to hunt enabled and face tracking disabled. Also 9 point focus is pretty much unusable single point works pretty well. I upgraded from my 80D for the newer sensor but my 80D way ot performs the 90D when it comes to birds in flight. I am really hoping a firmware update is in the works to make the camera a little more enjoyable for us birders. Again stills it is fantastic need some of that for BIF.

[dino_dsd]

Same happens to me 😞

[brianhig]

I have been taking photographs for more than 50 years, all through the OVF. I was disappointed at the focus achieved by my 90D when using the OVF. If I was aware of this issue when I was looking for a new camera I would have avoided the 90D. Liveview may be great in some circumstances but in bright sunshine it is difficult to see. I read on various blogs, facebook pages etc that things can be improved by micro adjustments. If this is the case then why isn't this done to the camera at the manufacturers. It looks as this is a cost cutting exercise - leave it to the customer to finish off the job. Disappointed.

[jag48]

I am also a disappointed customer. After much reading and watching reviews, I thought the 90D would be a logical change from my 7D Mark II. I'm embarrased to say I was swayed by the marketing hype about the higher resoution and on and on. I'm not a newbee! I've had cameras in my hands since the 1960s. I will give kudos to the camera's ability to take phenomenal photos of still life and portraits. However, this is definately NOT a camera for fast action. It stuttered and missed focus on dogs running straight at me. I can't imagine having to shoot a dog agility event or a figure skating event on live view rather than OVF.

After a lot of thinking about what I wanted in a camera, I traded the 90D for an RP. I love the RP for its small size -- as easy to carry around as a Fuji x100 series camera. I'm keeping my 7D Mark II for sports action and birds in flight, and the RP is my everyday carry around.

My three weeks with a 90D helped me focus -- on the fact that one camera body cannot do all, and on the fact that Canon, like any other camera manufacturer, is in the business of making money, not photographs. Having the highest resolution availabe does not make for better photography. 

[mysticpanda]

I've had several cameras, from Nikon as well as Canon, including 20D, 30D, 40D, 7D and 90D.  The 90D is the ONLY EVER CAMERA that I've need to perform AFMA.  The 90D was marketed as the replacement/upgrade to the 7D2, which I was going to buy, but it transpires that the main selling point of the camera (wildlife) is the one thing it can't do very well.  I can't even get focus properly or consistent results on my brand new 100-400Lii, which is a professional, very expensive lens.  I appreciate these are finely-tuned pieces of equipment that need calibration, but it should not be down to an individual to either figure out how to do it correctly, or pay for 3rd party software such as FoCal to get their very expensive equipment to function as advertised.  Canon should offer a free calibration service for all 90D users.

[VinnyAMS]

Here from the best forum by Michael the Maven.

I did not try my 100-400 with BIF, But its indeed a problem to get images in focus. Tried it at a soccer game.

[Waddizzle]

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@VinnyAMS wrote:

Here from the best forum by Michael the Maven.

I did not try my 100-400 with BIF, But its indeed a problem to get images in focus. Tried it at a soccer game.

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Michael the Maven also created a list of lenses that work flawlessly, and lenses that do not focus very well.  It was in the same video where he made that comment.  

If it wasn't the same video, then he provided a link to his video of recommended lenses for use with the 90D.  And, he describes the video, refers you to the link, and asks you to subscribe.  I guess you did not watch the entire video.

The list of "best" lenses were all fairly new zooms.  I do not think he had any great white primes on the list, at least not when he first released it.

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The issue with "poor" seems to be the resolving power of the optics is too low.  Nearly all of the lenses in the "poor" performing category were older lens designs.  Most were more than a decade old.  The lenses look great when you pixel peep with 16-20MP sensors/.

Pixel peeping images using the "poor" performing lenses captured with the 32MP sensor look soft.  I point this out because the AF sensor is effectively pixel peeping the images, too, in order to focus.  

BTW, the 50MP 5Ds and 5Dsr had similar complaints when they were released.  Canon released a list of recommended lenses to use with those bodies.  It might be a good idea to refer to that list as guide for which lenses to use with the 90D.

As far as having issues with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L goes, in my experience that lens does not like UV filters or CPL filters.  All of my shots were a little soft until I replaced the UV filter with a clear filter.  I use B+W Nano Pro Clear filters.  I have never tried the Canon protecto filters.

If you are using AI Servo AF mode, with Continuous Shooting drive mode, then you might want to adjust your Image Priority settings.  The default behavior for the combination of AI Servo and Continuous Shooting is for the camera not to wait for a focus lock before firing the shutter.  

The Image Priority settings allow you to adjust the default shutter behavior.  In my 7D2, I like to set 1st Image Priority to Shutter Priority, and 2nd Image Priority to Focus Priority.  I also allow the camera to track the subject around the frame.

[firegod44]

I have to agree. As someone with bifocals I rarely use the liveview, especially outside where it's bright. It's too bad Canon found this current OVF acceptable and didn't bring it up to their usual standards.

[Waddizzle]

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@firegod44 wrote:

I have to agree. As someone with bifocals I rarely use the liveview, especially outside where it's bright. It's too bad Canon found this current OVF acceptable and didn't bring it up to their usual standards.

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Just what exactly is wrong with the OVF.  No one is saying what the actual problem might be.  If the problem is as bad as you say it is, have you tried to contact Canon Support?  You just might be experiencing a manufacturing defect.  You know?

[kvbarkley]

There is something weird here. All of a sudden we have a bunch of new posters posting on the same topic.