When will canon fix the focus issues with the 70D?

[Photogirl55]

I was "T.H.I.S." close to buying the 70D.  I have read WAYYY too many posts about issues with the focusing on the 70D.  How is Canon handling the issue?  I would love to buy this camera, but not willing to gamble with that much money.

[TTMartin]

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@Dobbsincrete wrote:

The complete camera kit which included the EF-S 18 - 135 lens.

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You understand the actual 70D focus issue (reported in a few early cameras) would not affect the EF-S 18-135 lens?

[jeffandellie]

There are so many "experts" here that chime in in such condescending tones that it is pathetic.  I have come to my own conclusion that all of these people that keep coming back to tell everyone that it is a problem with the user, not the camera, are actually paid in some capacity to do so.

Here You specifically talk about the original problem that a “few” cameras had, and with a snarky tone exclude the 18-135 - I assume because it's smallest aperture is 3.5, but the 'original' problem with a “few” cameras effected 2.8 and faster lenses.

Well, you might like to think you’re an expert, with your condescending tone, but my 70D had a viewfinder center square  focus issues with ALL of my lenses at various apertures. The problem showed with all my canon lenses including the 24mm stm, 40mm stm, 50 mm 1.8, 18-135 stm, 70-300 and 24-105 L. It also had the problem with the sigma art series 18-35 and tokina 11-16.

I personally own all of these lenses, and tested them per exact directions from canon, using a tripod, outside, in good lighting. I took the exact same picture of three different objects spaced out at different distances, focusing on the middle object. I took the pictures with the view finder center focus square and also the same picture with live view, and did the same at different apertures and also at different zooms when applicable. I made a multipage chart cataloguing each picture setting, and sent it all to canon. The viewfinder center square focus was so far out with every lens ant every aperture that micro adjusting wasn’t even an option.

Canon told me to send the camera in, which I did. They would not tell me what they did, except to say they “reset settings, checked and verified firmware, cleaned sensor”.

The camera works much better now, and in fact I am now in the territory of needing to do the micro adjustments per lens that everyone keeps talking about.

I already know what your reaction is going to be – because it’s the same condescending snort I received earlier in this thread – you’re going to say that I obviously don’t understand what the original problem is or was, because it was only at 2.8 or faster, ect etc etc.

What I will tell you is that my camera – my 70D, had a problem with live view center focus, so save you breath and quit telling people here that it is all “dumb users that don’t know what they are doing”. Since getting my camera back, I have added the canon 100-400 L mk2, and have a kit that has cost near or over 8000. This experience was so disheartening that I just about sold everything and gave up my new hobby altogether.

To sit there and tell people the problem is with them – that they are buying a camera so sophisticated that users can’t use it properly without extensive training, which was release it as an upper end consumer model, please just stop and hear yourself. Canon, Nikon, and all the other camera makers including all the new mirrorless systems all make cameras that are much less expensive and much more expensive, all that focus properly, even for amateur, beginner photographers.

I seriously considered giving up the hobby altogether, and also considered selling all my canon gear at a loss and going for the Nikon, but I was just too far into it and can’t afford to absorb thousands of dollars in losses to migrate to another system. Had I known about this issue before hand, I would never have bought the 70D, and as such I do not encourage others to get it.

I use the 70D now, and do enjoy it. I am getting great pics now, and am belong to various “70D user community groups” online, and everyone seems happy with their 70D’s, and I see pictures form these groups every day that are amazing. That being said, it was extremely frustrating for me, and even more so for those who send the body back and it comes back unfixed.

And still, nobody has commented on the issue regarding the 2 different firmware versions which were both named 1.1.1,. How can canon have two different firmware with the same 1.1.1 classification? I realize since you are just a “user” and not a paid representative (?) you won’t know about this, but the makers of magic lantern were having difficulty engineering their software for the 70D until they discovered that the different programmers, using different 70d camera body’s, were encountering 2 different firmware versions, even though both were called 1.1.1,. My personal theory is that this is somehow related to the issue, but since canon denies there ever was a problem, we will never know.

[KeithR]

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@jeffandellie wrote:

 > but my 70D had a viewfinder center square  focus issues with ALL of my lenses at various apertures

Which is an entirely diferent issue to the one the thread started with.

Again (and sometimes condescension it the only appropriate tone - deal with it): nobody - absolutely nobody - is denying that there are faulty 70Ds. You had a faulty 70D. No dispute there, OK?

What we're saying boils down to two simple observations:

1) There is NO single, pervasive, systemic issue with the 70D's AF - not wide open, not at any other aperture; and 

2) By an order of magnitude, more "issues" are down to the user than down to the camera.

Is that clear enough? 

[TTMartin]

I didn't tell him the problem was with him.

I told him the problem with his camera that he described could be corrected by micro focus adjusitng his lenses.

He doesn't want to even try micro focus adjusting his lenses. If he doesn't even want to do that, but, instead insists that there is a problem that all 70D's have how do you expect me to reply?.

You stated that Canon did fix your issue when you sent it in.

Do you believe that Canon is continuing to ship known deffective 70D's despite being able to fix yours?

Do you think that after the previous poster sent his camera in to Canon 3 times, that maybe, just maybe the problem is with the user and not with the camera?

There is no systemic problem with the 70D's AF, in other words not all 70D's have an AF issue.

Again it is perfectly normal to have to micro focus adjust (MFA) your lenses.

At no point did I say that no 70D's had an issue, instead I have post a way to test and see if you do have an issue. Here it is again, if you think you might have a center AF point issue. This can be tested by micro focus adjusting the center AF point and all of the surounding AF points using the DotTune method and comparing your results. If the MFA setting for your surounding AF points varies by more than 8 from your center AF point you have an issue.

And as I previously stated if you think you have a problem with your camera send it into Canon for repair. But, after 3 trips to Canon it's time to consider that the issue isn't with the camera..

[Dobbsincrete]

 After all of my failed repairs with Canon, I have just returned my EOS 70D to the store and demanded a replacement.

What do you know? Canon did not fix the fault with this camera, I did! The replacement (so far!) seems to be working fine.

[TTMartin]

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@Dobbsincrete wrote:

 After all of my failed repairs with Canon, I have just returned my EOS 70D to the store and demanded a replacement.

What do you know? Canon did not fix the fault with this camera, I did! The replacement (so far!) seems to be working fine.

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Again if you Google for "This lens is soft and other myths by Roger Cicala" it will explain why.

But, I'm glad you got a camera you are happy with.

[Dobbsincrete]

Just as a follow up regarding my replacement EOS 70D.

This one is by far better than the old one when taking pictures in manual mode (MF or AF). Whether viewed through the viewfinder or monitor, both images are the same - unlike the old one where images viewed through the viewfinder were always blurry/fuzzy off-centre.

Just to note however, that in auto mode (MF or  AF), whilst there is no longer any blurry/fuzziness, the images taken viewed through the monitor are slightly brighter than those taken through the viewfinder even though the settings are identical.

The histogram shows the graph shifts to the right, but the shape is the same - I guess in automatic, the camera does what it wants so not a problem.

As stated in a previous post, I am not a professional photographer, but I knew that there was a problem with my old camera even though Canon (and others!) couldn't/wouldn't accept or even repair it after three attempts!!

[TCampbell]

There is an adjutment to focus the image in the viewfinder.   There's a very tiny wheel in the upper-right corner of the viewfinder eyecup.  This is the diopter adjustment.

The camera is focusing an image onto a frosted "focusing screen" inside the camera and you are using the viewfinder to look at that screen.  Since everyone's eyes may be a bit different (and some people prefer to remove eyeglasses when using the viewfinder) the adjustment allows you to focus the camera for your eyes.

I find it easiest to focus the viewfinder diopter by pointing the camera at a plain white wall -- don't bother to focus the lens -- and just look at the text and focusing squares inside the viewfinder (ignore whaterver the lens is looking at).  Adjust focus until the text and graphics in viewfinder are tack-sharp.  Now... when the camera has focused a subject onto the focus screen, you should also see a sharply focused image of your subject in the viewfinder.

[Dobbsincrete]

Hi TC, when referring to the image in the viewfinder, I was referring to the image taken after viewing it through the viewfinder - sorry!!

[70Downer]

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@TTMartin wrote:

And as I previously stated if you think you have a problem with your camera send it into Canon for repair. But, after 3 trips to Canon it's time to consider that the issue isn't with the camera..

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Is that what it tells you? That taking 3 times for canon to be able to fix their camera that its the owners fault. Not that canon has no clue and simply goes through a set of steps to waste your time and money? Hoping that you will just give up and stop sending it in. But just to play your stupid little game, if it was the owner thats the problem how did magically get fixed the third time. If it was the owner shouldnt the problem remain the same?

No it could not be the camera or the techs. 

Trip one to canon for af issue. They test the camera, clean the sensor and return it.

Same day I get the camera back I can tell its not fixed. Email canon tech support. They have me send in two pictures. The same day "Seems like a auto focus issue, send in for repair"

Second trip to canon they make adjustments to the mirror and sensor. Then send it back. I have the camera less then 20 minutes and can tell its not fixed. Email canon tech support send them 2 pictures...sure enough "Focus Issue, send in for repair"

This time I included a lens and told them after they "fix it" they calibrate the 35 f2 to the camera. So that it could be perfect at 30 feet, f2.8. They "fixed" the camera and then tried to calibrate the lens and quickly figured out they could not calibrate the lens because the camera would need a different mfa on every shot. Soi it went back to the repair tech who changed a bunch of crap including but not limited to the mirror, the prism, the af sensor and the fpc sensor.

Bingo camera fixed and i have really enjoyed it ever since. Would have been nice to not have to have my camera gone for a total of 7 weeks and almost $100.00 in shipping charges for a new camera to work right. 

But since it went to repair 3 times it must have be all operator issues, right?

Many people went through this same crap with canon, many just gave up and got rid of the camera. To this day when people ask me about the camera i am shooting I tell them to stay far away from the 70D and if you dont already have lenses to go nikon.

Not all 70D have this same focus issue but far more then A FEW do and I would love to know why canon changed the firmware mid stream and kept the same revision number. And i wish they would fix the bounce flash issue that affects every 70D, but I am sure that is user error as well.