Joe and Mary McDonald report some problems with EOS3's on locking the lens and AF accuracy. They are collecting accounts from people with similar experiences.

http://www.hoothollow.com/Canon%20Problems.html

Anyone seen this kind of mis-behavior in their EOS3? Or not?

-- Rod (rod.nygaard@boeing.com), December 19, 2001

Answers

Sorry, I've only had good experiences with my EOS 3 in the last year and half. AF performance has been second to none. I've been hanging at the at the Yahoo EOS 3/1V forum for the last 1.5 years and haven't heard a single complaint on this issue. Some people cried about the underexposure problems early on (Canon quickly fixed it) and, of course, some weren't happy with ECF (works great for me).

The important thing to realize about AF on the EOS 3 is that the sensor array is designed for fast glass and doesn't work well with slow zooms. Why? The cross AF cross sensor needs F4 or faster to enable both vertical and horizontal sensitivity. The 6 other cross sensors need F2.8 to be fully enabled. The 1V and 1D are the same in this respect.

There is a steeper learning curve with this camera than an Elan or A2, but that's because its design and feature set are intended for serious amateurs and pros.

-- Puppy Face (doggieface@aol.com), December 19, 2001.

I've seen problems from time to time with certain EOS bodies and certain EOS telephotos, but nothing systemic (i.e. not a "model X" bodies are bad, not all "model Y" lenses are bad.

My EOS 3 gives perfect focus with my 500/4.5L and 300/4L for example. I've done tests and it's spot on. However I have seen some body/lens combinations that tended to focus consistantly off by a very small amount. Both the body and lens can be tweaked by Canon (yes, there is a focus adjustment in the lens as well as the body for most of the long "L" telephotos).

There are enough EOS 3s out in the field that we'd certainly have heard complaints by now if they didn't focus properly.

-- Bob Atkins (bobatkins@hotmail.com), December 20, 2001.

I have experienced some problems. I don't know if it's a problem with "slow glass", with the camera or the subjects I shoot or with my learning curve. I've had the camera for a few months now and it seems to do well outside. It's inside that I run into a problem on occassion. I use a 28-105 USM zoom, usually shooting in the 85mm range indoors. I use monolights with modeling lights on (from 100 watt to 150 watt monolights) and usually a brighter room light as well. I mostly see the problem when I'm shooting black dogs on a black background and black dogs on a white background. The black on white seems to cause the lens to go into focus hunt and won't find focus. I have to point somewhere else, obtain focus and then come back and focus again and that will usually take care of it. I have the same problem, but not as often when I'm shooting a black dog on a black background. These are not pure black dogs, but they are big and very hairy. I've assumed it's the lack of contrast in one situation and the autofocus points split between the black and white in the other.

It has been aggravating at times when I have what I think is a very good shot and my EOS 3 won't doesn't fire because it can't get focus. By the time it does, the dog has moved and I've lost the shot. I have tried manual focus at times, but these lenses are not designed for fast manual focus. In the year and half I used myRebel G with the same lens, I didn't have that problem.

Mike Hillsboro, OR

-- Mike Jordan (mjordan@europa.com), December 21, 2001.

The one and only time I had focus problems with my EOS-3 was due to the batteries in the PB-E2 being worn down. The battery indicator said they had adequate juice but focus was sluggish, but when I swapped in new batteries, all was good again.

-- Jim Hicks (jhicks992@aol.com), December 22, 2001.

I remember reading that. I think they were just chewing on the lens mounting pin.

-- Carl Smith (emorphien@mail.rit.edu), January 28, 2002.