Focus Grab speed: Canon 700D vs 60D vs 70D

Forums › Digital Imaging › Focus Grab speed: Canon 700D vs 60D vs 70D - any difference?

Batman

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# 143613 21-Apr-2014 09:33

So I have a specific question that the google has not given me an answer. Not sure if anyone knows to be honest, but here it is.

Say I use manual focus point, say the best one, say the centre point. It is a bright day (ISO100 + Shutter 1/500 type lighting) so please don't discuss low light that's a whole different question.

Say I use the same lens with all of them, unfortunately I'm going budget and use the 70-300mm IS micro-USM (slower than ring).

I ask about 700D vs 60D because the autofocus is the same. I presume the focus grab using manually selected centre point in bright light is the SAME? Am I wrong?

I also compare 700D with 70D because the autofocus system might be different - is it? will the focus grab speed be faster?

(I know for a fact compared with the 600D, my 5DMk3 grabs focus in good lighting before I can focus my eyes myself, but I think shooting telephoto with a 2nd body might give an advantage of not needing to change lens mid shoot - but that's a different issue)

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# 1028494 21-Apr-2014 09:45

I'd have thought cheaper cameras could be a bit slower, but in good light I doubt it would be much slower. 60D vs 70D I doubt there'd be a huge difference, that's a mature camera line now.

I find it much easier to have two identical cameras, so you can pick up a camera no matter what lens is on it and use it without thinking. Muscle memory builds up. You might hinder that by having two bodies with different controls - though I think Canon controls are reasonably similar between ranges they're not quite the same.

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# 1028495 21-Apr-2014 09:47

the 70D uses the 7D's everything, and rather similar to the 5DMkIII. Completely different from the 60D which shares most things with the 650D!

(and for the benefit of other readers the 6D has the 600D's autofocus mechanism - primitive - don't buy)

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timmmay

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# 1028503 21-Apr-2014 10:26

I had a 7D, it was the straw that broke the camels back and tipped me over to Nikon. maybe they've improved it though. Strangely it was great at focusing on moving subjects in low light, but was pretty bad at static subjects in good light - this is L lenses, calibrated by Canon NZ multiple times. Strangely when I went to Nikon everything Just Worked, so it wasn't my technique.

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# 1028537 21-Apr-2014 11:54

Their focus circle is very big (the circle diameter is just under three times the dimension of the square you're looking at) so it tends to focus on something else other than what you thought it was going to focus on. Hence models with spot focus points is what one needs. THe focus area is exactly the square that you see in the frame.

Not sure what nikon focus area size is, probably much smaller from what you describe.

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# 1028546 21-Apr-2014 11:58

Nikon's great - in camera lens distortion correct, flash for full frames, focus LED light, much more detailed pixels in good light, etc

But I went Canon as the Mk3 has crosstype sensors all over the place that can be selected with a joystick, where as the D800/E needs more steps to get there. Also the Digic 5+ has supreme very high ISO PQ.

Very close. It's unfortunate I know nothing about Nikon lenses hence went canon. No turning back now ;p or is it :( who knows

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# 1028554 21-Apr-2014 12:28

Even putting the focus area right in the middle of a person, with good contrast, no luck. I had similar problems with 40D, 30D, 20D. 1D3 was better in some ways, still not perfect. Nikon focus suits me much better.

Nikon D700 you control the focus point with a little directional controller, from memory. I almost always use centre. If you use off centre a lot I don't think it's as good, but I still use whatever focus point I want in a dark church tracking a bride walking up the aisle.

My vote is buy another 5D3!

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# 1028561 21-Apr-2014 12:39

ah i see ... the d700 joystick has been erased from the d800!

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RileyB

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# 1030905 25-Apr-2014 03:34

joker97: the 70D uses the 7D's everything, and rather similar to the 5DMkIII. Completely different from the 60D which shares most things with the 650D!

(and for the benefit of other readers the 6D has the 600D's autofocus mechanism - primitive - don't buy)

The 6D does not share the 650D's focus system. In fact the 6D had THE BEST AF system of any canon camera when it comes to low light (-3EV Centre Point). Although the 6D has a low number of AF points, it's centre AF point is very very good.

In answear to the OP, The 70D and 7D Should AF the same as they ahve the same system, the 60D will be potentially slower, but mainly has quite a few less AF points then the 70D/7D.

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# 1030907 25-Apr-2014 06:16

Also when bodies like the 700D and 60D share AF systems, although they should pull AF the same, there can sometimes be small software changes, and also body to body, even on the same model can have differences, due to tolerances on the manufacturing.

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# 1030919 25-Apr-2014 08:40

RileyB:
joker97: the 70D uses the 7D's everything, and rather similar to the 5DMkIII. Completely different from the 60D which shares most things with the 650D!

(and for the benefit of other readers the 6D has the 600D's autofocus mechanism - primitive - don't buy)

The 6D does not share the 650D's focus system. In fact the 6D had THE BEST AF system of any canon camera when it comes to low light (-3EV Centre Point). Although the 6D has a low number of AF points, it's centre AF point is very very good.

In answear to the OP, The 70D and 7D Should AF the same as they ahve the same system, the 60D will be potentially slower, but mainly has quite a few less AF points then the 70D/7D.

I (and as it appears a large chunk of the google community) have tested the 6D and found it wanting in the autofocus department. It is unusable. I think the centre point is a genius marketing gimmick. Unless of course Canon wants those who buy 6D to use only the centre autofocus point. Keepers' rate for all the other points are very low when ISO is above 1600 and/or subject is not 100% still, same as the 600D (which I happen to own)

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# 1030920 25-Apr-2014 08:41

RileyB: Also when bodies like the 700D and 60D share AF systems, although they should pull AF the same, there can sometimes be small software changes, and also body to body, even on the same model can have differences, due to tolerances on the manufacturing.

I have been shooting with the 600D using the centre point only (or manual focus), focus grab is incredibly quick. I am going to propose the answer to my own question is - negligible difference

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RileyB

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# 1031045 25-Apr-2014 12:50

Guess it depends on how you shoot, I've never used anything but the centre point on any DSLR I've used and use back button focus to either pre-focus or focus and re-compose shots.

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# 1031084 25-Apr-2014 13:24

that works for landscape, won't work for shallow depth of field or moving targets. google is full of people returning their 6Ds.

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RileyB

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# 1031090 25-Apr-2014 13:37

Can probably find stories on the internet of every camera being returned, but there is 680 pages of people who love their 6D here:http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1252637&page=680

Either way, the 6D's AF is a world better than its predecessor, the 5Dmk2.

Also the back button technique is more commonly used for Sport/Action than anything else.

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# 1031092 25-Apr-2014 13:42

Yeah it's either back button af servo using centre point, lock using centre point and recompose and never use any other af point. Or buy a nikon ff, or the 5d3. Clever marketing ploy. I wonder out of the 680 pages how many have saved up for the 5d3.

But yes, comparing with a 7 year old camera (5d2) it is much superior. Just that the world have moved on.

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