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03/17/2017 02:28:44 PM · #1 |
I bought my Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM a few weeks ago, and in general I'm loving it. Properly focused photos are a lot sharper than anything I've been able to produce with any of my other lenses. However I'm a bit concerned about the lens's auto-focus performance. From what I've read online, focusing is supposed to be quick and accurate, but my lens often tends to hunt a lot and sometimes fails to find focus on the first attempt. Today I tried shooting the rim of a glass and it failed more often than not, but even shooting things with better contrast and more distance sometimes give me a problem.
Although I bought my lens second hand, it came with a guarantee, so I'm planning to pay the shop a visit next week and see what they say. However before I go I'd like to get as much information as I can.
Is this normal performance for this lens?
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03/17/2017 06:23:13 PM · #2 |
AF at macro distances can be dicey, and that is true of any macro lens. AF at normal distances should be no worse than a non-macro lens of the same focal length, with the exception that it will be a little slower, because the macro lens has such a long focus travel. If you are experiencing hunting at non-macro distances, in situations where, for instance, your 50/1.8 does not hunt, then you may have a problem child. I suspecrt, however, that you do not.
I would definitely suggest making friends with manual focus for macro. Specifically, set your focus based on the magnification you want, then bring your subject into view, and adjust slightly if needed. An example would be if I want to fill the frame with an object 70mm long, I need a magnification of about 1/2, or 1:2 with my 36mm wide sensor. I set that on the scale on the lens (or a little less to allow for framing), and that's my starting point. Then I back off or add magnification by focusing once I have the subject in view.
For high magnifications near or at 1:1, it can be more useful to set magnification lower and "zoom in" once looking through the viewfinder. |
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03/17/2017 07:15:44 PM · #3 |
Kirbic has the right idea, for sure, but let me expand on the functionality of this particular lens.
1. Unlike pricier macro lenses, the 60mm does not have a focus-limiter switch on the lens barrel, so you can't "tell it" not to seek in the macro range when using it as a normal lens at normal focusing distances, say from 6 feet to infinity...
2. As Kirbic points out, autofocus is essentially worthless at true macro distances, and as far as I'M concerned even at "close-up" distances. It's much easier to switch to manual focus on the lens barrel, set the approximate focus you want, then move the camera back-and-forth a bit to fine-tune.
3. For normal photography purposes, it's a hell of a sharp lens and it should focus very swiftly for you without significant seeking, but this is entirely dependent on the contrast of the scene and the amount of light reaching the sensor. It's an f/2.8 lens so you get plenty of light at normal focusing distances. If the scene's very dim, or if it's very flatly lit, you're gonna have focus issues with ANY lens on autofocus. Try focusing several times on something contrasty on a wall in sunlight, say, at 6-10 feet. It xhouldn't seek at all in a case like that. It's a perfectly normal Canon lens with a USM motor... |
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03/17/2017 07:32:49 PM · #4 |
Thanks. I've been trying to use manual focus for macro when working with a tripod. Both of these were shot using manual focus, but I had plenty of time to get things right.
 
In the case I was referring to today however I was just playing with my camera while waiting for a meal, so I was shooting handheld. I'm not confident using manual focus unless I check my focus on the screen, but that really wouldn't work handheld, so I was forced to use auto. Same issue if I want to get a photo of a bug that doesn't want to keep still - the fly above was dead so no such issues.
I can understand it having a problem when shooting macros, but when I try to focus on something at a normal distance it sometimes seems to drift way off from where it should be focusing too. I don't remember any other lens doing that - not even the Sigma 18-200 which I hate so much. I'll definitely need to check it's performance against my 50mm 1.8 to compare their performance, but something just doesn't feel right.
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03/17/2017 10:17:49 PM · #5 |
Well, if that's the case you can get her tuned up, but for SURE when trying to shoot handheld bug macros autofocus is a lost cause. It simply won't work. Look, shooting handheld macro is an art, you have to practice it. But you ALWAYS do it by prefocusing then moving the camera. That's just the way it is.
For tripod macro work, a focus rail is a godsend; Here's an inexpensive one on Amazon. They allow you to position your tripod then make adjustments both left-right and in-out to fine tune focus and framing. You use the center column of the tripod for vertical adjustments. I have not used this particular brand; mine is a bit higher-end but it still ran me less than 50 bucks. REALLY professional focus rails are marvels of engineering and can cost 200-400 dollars, but no need for people like us to go there.
Now, for hand-held casual macro, it helps IMMENSELY to have something to brace your left and against. Kind of like "making a bridge" while shooting pool; wherever possible you can rest the camera on the side of your hand and splay the fingers on a surface and get a pretty steady base to shoot from. The biggest issue in hand-held macro is the moving in-and-out as you breathe while working. Another useful, even vital, tip is to shoot in burst mode, like 5 or even more exposures rat-a-tat-tat. one of that sequence is reasonably likely to hit the sweet spot. And of course, use as high an ISO as you need to for setting a decent DOF f/stop and a usable shutter speed. Unless you are VERY steady, you can't hand-hold macro any slower than 1/125 or 1/250, and if you want reasonable DOF you need to shoot f/11 or f/16. Of course, if you WANT "soft, dreamy" macros you can shoot at f/2.8 and that more or less solves the ISO problem, but...
With my Sony a7r and 90mm f/2.8 macro, I am usually shooting f/11 and ISO 800 or 1600 to have a viable shutter speed; but the Sony has excellent high-ISO performance. When I'm working with a tripod I will frequently focus-stack, usually at f/8 and utilizing 5-10 separate planes of focus depending on the subject.
Message edited by author 2017-03-17 22:18:08. |
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03/18/2017 06:27:08 AM · #6 |
Thanks Robert. I'll do some testing on the lens over the next few days.
When it comes to macro it seems I have a lot to learn. I'll have to look into buying a focus rail. Unfortunately buying from Amazon probably isn't going to work for me because they charge a fortune to mail things to South Africa, but I'll see what is available elsewhere.
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03/29/2017 02:27:00 PM · #7 |
I was at a camera shop today (not the one where I bought the lens) and mentioned the problem. I was able to test my lens on a brand new 80D and it seemed to behave a lot better. The salesman believes that the my 7D needs a firmware problem to fix this problem. The last time my firmware was updated was in November 2011, so I'll have to look into this. Certainly the camera has been a bit erratic with focusing on both the Canon 60mm macro and my Sigma 18-200, so it seems more likely that it's a camera issue than a faulty lens.
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03/29/2017 02:48:28 PM · #8 |
I think you are getting to the root of the issue. Certainly it seems like the body is the common factor in the misbehavior. Firmware may or may not help, no harm in updating and seeing if it improves things. The 7D AF system was regarded as very good, so this does not seem normal.
One comment on the 80D, it is a very good camera, great sensor. Keep in mind though that it is a step down the marketing ladder from the 7D series, and as such there will be features that are not present. I will not pretend to be cognizant of the exact differences, however. |
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03/29/2017 06:02:45 PM · #9 |
Thanks  kirbic. I've already been in touch with  Melethia who has moved "down" from the 7D to the 80D and she's very happy with her new camera. I've been fighting myself over my desire to make the move and when I found the combination of 80D and 18-135mm Nano USM at a very reduced price (until Saturday only) I couldn't resist any longer. I paid a deposit and will be getting my new camera on Friday. I still plan to get the 7D sorted out though as I want to keep it as a back-up body.
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03/30/2017 02:22:05 PM · #10 |
Sounds good!
I think you will be very happy with the image quality from the new camera. |
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03/30/2017 03:04:36 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by kirbic:
Sounds good!
I think you will be very happy with the image quality from the new camera. |
Thanks. I'm sure I will.
I still need to get the problem with the 7D sorted out though. I went into the shop where I bought the 60mm lens today - a shop staffed by proper photographers who know more than most about cameras. He played around with the camera for a while and seemed confident that it's a software problem, so I hope he's right. I'll try doing a firmware upgrade myself and with a bit of luck that will be the end of the story.
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