Calibrating auto focus

[Nick]

Does anyone know anything about getting the autofocus calibrated on a lens? My new Canon 17-55 f2.8 is not quite on. Even when I have it on tripod and use live view focus, it doesn't quite get it right and I end up having to manual focus to get my portraits really sharp.

Is there any way to fix this without shipping it off to Canon? Kind of disappointing that it would be like that out of the box. And if sending it off is the solution, has anyone had any experience with that?

 

[Sandro]

Have you tried pointing your lens towards something that has vertical lines (or edges, or corners ) in it ?
Usually autofocus requires vertical elements in the picture to work right...

 

[Dan]

what body do you have?

 

[Nick]

Canon 60D

 

[Nick]

Have you tried pointing your lens towards something that has vertical lines (or edges, or corners ) in it ?
Usually autofocus requires vertical elements in the picture to work right...

I haven't really made a point to do that but I'd think a human face has enough vertical stuff to focus right. The Sigma lens I was using before was tack sharp with autofocusing the same subjects.

 

[Dan]

I don't think the 60d has AF calibration on it. I know the 7d did. Every body and lens is built to specific "toleration." Most lenses and bodies don't match perfectly, especially if the lens is on one side of the toleration, and the body the other. If it's an issue, you might have to send it to Canon to fix it.

Check if the 60d has the AF calibration tool though. It might, I haven't used it.

 

[Sandro]

Sometime there are settings to adjust... you can choose what part of the image should be used for focus...

 

[Nick]

Ugh. So pissed that the 60D doesn't have the AF adjust. Looks like they dropped it when they went from the 50D. So I guess I have to ship it all off... suck.

 

[Dan]

nah, 50d never had it either. it was a higher end feature they brought out with the 7d and 5dII...

 

[Nick]

Huh, I read somewhere today that the 30D had it so I assumed. Either way, I'm bent. Really don't want to give up my gear for 2 weeks.

 

[Dan]

without seeing images of exactly what's happening, its tough to say you definitely have to send it in. is it consistently front or backfocusing? mainly when you are shooting with thin DOF? post some photos, let's see what you are talking about...

 

[Nick]

I haven't figured it out. Where it hits me the worst is taking people's portraits at work at around f5.6 and around feet away so not super thin but not thick either.

I'll take some test shots of something I can share on the interwebs and post later on.

 

[Dan]

what focal length, is it consistent where it's out? change with different focal lengths? etc...