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T5i Autofocus Not Accurate

avimoore
Apprentice

Hi, a little while ago I bought a new Rebel T5i from Best Buy with money recieved from a warrantied T2i. I havent been using the T5i as much as I used to use my T2i, so it took a little while to notice this issue. It seems that the autofocus on my T5i is not focusing on what it intends to. It seems to be truely in focus a little behind what the camera will beep saying is in focus. It is especially noticeable with my 50mm f1.8  with a narrow depth of field. I use single point autofocus and the camera will say it is focused on a certain point in the frame, but then the picture will always be slightly out of focus, with whatever is slightly behind the subject looking a bit sharper. Anybody else have this problem? I can take some test shots and upload them too. It makes all pictures slightly off with every lens, so it also exagerates finging and abberation and blurriness that I didnt have when using the same lenses on my T2i.

27 REPLIES 27

I know how you feel; I have a t5i and I'm experiencing the same thing as you, almost exactly. More than one lens looks a bit soft.   Did you ever come to a resolution of your problem?


@ThomD wrote:

I know how you feel; I have a t5i and I'm experiencing the same thing as you, almost exactly. More than one lens looks a bit soft.   Did you ever come to a resolution of your problem?


Which focus point(s) are you using? Which focus mode are you using? 

 

What are your shooting?  What are the conditions?

 

What lens are you using?   What exposure settings?

 

How are you making the determination that "one lens looks a bit soft"?  Which lens is it?

--------------------------------------------------------
"The right mouse button is your friend."

scottjg24
Contributor

When the Autofocus isn't as good as it should be, my Sigma 18-300mm lens has manual focus in which I had to use when attempting to photograph parakeet budgie birds.  Your ket lens, or any lens should have both automatic and manual focus.

damianwasser
Apprentice

I have the same exact issue. Missed focus on very close range or large apperture photos. I bought the camera outside of my country of residence and to make matters worse, I just started noticing this problem a couple of months ago. Thought it was the lense, so I interchanged lenses with my T3i and shot test shots with both cameras under exact same situations. T3i delivered crisp photos, while the T5i did not. Of course it is not noticeable when the depth of field is larger, but gets critical in some extreme situations. I mostly shoot macro, so for me it's super annoying. I found that after focusing I have to back off a little to get a truly sharp picture, otherwise my camera focuses a tiny bit behind the chosen focus point.

I think I'd better sell my crappy Canon T5i sooner than later and shift to my good old Nikon friends!


@damianwasser wrote:

I have the same exact issue. Missed focus on very close range or large apperture photos. I bought the camera outside of my country of residence and to make matters worse, I just started noticing this problem a couple of months ago. Thought it was the lense, so I interchanged lenses with my T3i and shot test shots with both cameras under exact same situations. T3i delivered crisp photos, while the T5i did not. Of course it is not noticeable when the depth of field is larger, but gets critical in some extreme situations.

 

I mostly shoot macro, so for me it's super annoying. I found that after focusing I have to back off a little to get a truly sharp picture, otherwise my camera focuses a tiny bit behind the chosen focus point.

I think I'd better sell my crappy Canon T5i sooner than later and shift to my good old Nikon friends!


Sounds like a little operator error is creeping into the equation.  Once you have achieved critical focus manually, switch the lens to MF mode.  In fact, the lens should be in MF mode if you are manually focusing.

The very close range or large photo shooting scenarios usually add up to very narro depth of field.  Have you ever tried focus stacking a series of macro shots?

--------------------------------------------------------
"The right mouse button is your friend."

@Waddizzle: I'm a seasoned jewelry photographer. I've been doing the same kind of job for more than 15 years. I've used Canon XTi, T2i, T3i, and now T5i. I'm used to working at the shortest possible distance and I've tried different lenses, but never had focus problems before. So "operator error" is out of the question. I even ruled that out by testing my T5i and T3i side by side under the same conditions of light, subject and exposure. The T3i performed as expected, while the T5i consistently focused a bit off towards the back of the photo. "Back focus" I think it's called. An easily solved problem in top tier cameras, but not possible in the Rebel series.

I know of the stacking technique, but that would usually be used to extend the DOF. Not applicable in my workflow, for it would substantially increase processing time.


@damianwasser wrote:
@Waddizzle: I'm a seasoned jewelry photographer. I've been doing the same kind of job for more than 15 years. ... So "operator error" is out of the question.

.... "Back focus" I think it's called. An easily solved problem in top tier cameras, but not possible in the Rebel series.

.... I know of the stacking technique, but that would usually be used to extend the DOF. Not applicable in my workflow, for it would substantially increase processing time.

In that case, you may have been making the same mistake for more than 15 years.  Are you manually focusing, and then pressing the shutter with the lens set to AF?  It really sounds like it.

 

I assume that you are using a tripod for your macro photography.  If you are manually focusing the lens, then whether or not the body front or back focuses is irrelevant.  But, that assume you switch the lens to MF.  Leaving it as AF is a major mistake.

--------------------------------------------------------
"The right mouse button is your friend."


@damianwasser wrote:
@Waddizzle: I'm a seasoned jewelry photographer. I've been doing the same kind of job for more than 15 years. I've used Canon XTi, T2i, T3i, and now T5i. I'm used to working at the shortest possible distance and I've tried different lenses, but never had focus problems before. So "operator error" is out of the question. I even ruled that out by testing my T5i and T3i side by side under the same conditions of light, subject and exposure. The T3i performed as expected, while the T5i consistently focused a bit off towards the back of the photo. "Back focus" I think it's called. An easily solved problem in top tier cameras, but not possible in the Rebel series.

I know of the stacking technique, but that would usually be used to extend the DOF. Not applicable in my workflow, for it would substantially increase processing time.

I think you may have exposed the crux of the matter. If you're a professional or semi-professional photographer, why are you using a Rebel (a product line that lacks autofocus microadjustment)? Sometimes you have to have the right equipment to get the right result.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

Robert, I wondered the same thing?

"...why are you using a Rebel (a product line that lacks autofocus microadjustment)? Sometimes you have to have the right equipment to get the right result."

 

To the OP...

"I even ruled that out by testing my T5i and T3i side by side under the same conditions of light, subject and exposure."

 

You realize it is the lens that does the focusing not the camera.  What lens are you using?  A very good lens for what you are shooting would be the Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens.

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

damianwasser
Apprentice
I think we're missing the point here. Of course I could have a better camera/lens and there might also be a few workarounds to achieve correct focus, but the question here is that I'm doing the same job with my T3i and my T5i under the same conditions. The T3i achieves accurate focus in autofocus mode at the shortest possible distance of the lens, while the T5i does not.
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