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Is the E5 AF truly bad?

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old or new version of the 50-200 ? [nt]
EspE1 said:
I have had some few episodes with my 50-200, with and without the EC-14, where I have experienced that it doesn't start to focus at all, and that with motives that in my mind should have enough light and contrast.
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As in most Oly DSLR's, the AF on the E-5 is great.

As in most Oly DSLR's, the greatness of the E-5's AF makes it more painful when a glitch occurs, and glitches do occur.

I have one glitch and one annoying "normal" thing on the E-5 so far:
  • With the 12-60mm, in C-AF tracking (subjects coming towards or going away) - the camera relies so much on the depth of field of the lens that it doesn't like to focus much. It will just wait for the subject to shift enough to justify a change in focus. And relying on the depth of field for correct AF is not always optimal. On the 50-200mm, because of the narrower depth of field, the camera is actually busy adjusting focus, which it does great and accurately.
  • With the 50-200SWD, in "diamond pattern" AF points selection, my E-5 will sometimes decide to not change focus when pointing from a close subject to a subject far away. When going from infinity to close, it will be always flawless. This behavior occurs with or without teleconverter, as well as with the 70-300mm. System would "come back to it's senses the second the focus ring is touched in any direction.
  • Compared to a EOS 1Ds Mk3 with L lenses (100-400mm, 70-200mm mk2, 24-105mmm), the E-5 is at least as fast as far as the focusing speed itself goes, when the 12-60mm or the 50-200SWD are used. Consistency is worse, though. The EOS will nail focus more often than not, without so much jumping back and fourth, and the lenses are way more silent.
  • As far as AF sensitivity in low light goes, I was surprised to see that the E-5 + 12-60mm, then E-5 + 50mm combo consistently beat the crap out of the EOS + 50mm 1.2, which goes against any logic. In the same conditions (dark room, no AF assist of any kind), the E-5 was substantially better locking focus, while the EOS had some hunting issues. The E-5 held its own on that one.
 
Mr.NoFlash said:
EspE1 said:
I have had some few episodes with my 50-200, with and without the EC-14, where I have experienced that it doesn't start to focus at all, and that with motives that in my mind should have enough light and contrast.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
It has happended witht the SWD version.
 
My findings with the 12-60 and 50-200 are very similar. There are times when it gets confused. But once it has locked on to a subject it stays locked on the issue arises when quickly moving from near to far subjects. Strangely the bigma does not show these symptoms and is a pleasure to use in CAF and is also has a SW type focus motor.

This is a flyer but maybe less light F/4-6.3 as to f/2.8-3.5 makes the AF system less sensitive and more accurate.

As you have both systems your input is invaluable.

But beware those that will say " How can you compare it to the MKIII as that camera has known bad AF." Sorry my BAD sense of humor. LOL

--
Collin

http://www.pbase.com/collinbaxter
http://collinbaxter.zenfolio.com/

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. (George Carlin)

 
If all you're going to do is repeat second-hand reports that aren't even verified and add some "doom and gloom" hyperbole then what's your value add?
--
Bruce
 
EspE1 said:
Mr.NoFlash said:
EspE1 said:
I have had some few episodes with my 50-200, with and without the EC-14, where I have experienced that it doesn't start to focus at all, and that with motives that in my mind should have enough light and contrast.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
It has happended witht the SWD version.
Click to expand...
I have had that happen frequently with both versions of the 50-200, on various bodies, with and without the telecon. I think it's just a quirk of the lens and a known issue that is discussed here every once in a while. It usually happens at 200mm. If you zoom out to around 180mm and try again, that will jump start the AF, and then you can zoom back to 200mm and go on shooting as usual ... until the next time.

Julie
 
I bought the 35-100 then the 14-35 because the E5 was so darn good a camera it deserved them.

I started with(and still have) E1(two of them), E510 and an E3. I did not think I'd want any other lens after the 12-60/E3 but the E5 was such a surprisingly good upgrade to the E3 that I plunged for a 35-100 to really see what the camera could get.

I shot lot's of outdoor and studio light stuff with E5/35-100 and found no more/less OoF shots than with anything else I used. however the detail/crispness was something else and so much so that I then took the plunge on a 14-35. No regrets with E5/14-35/35-100. I was even thinking of adding 7-14 and i'm not a WA shooter.

BTW-I have the; 14-42 (E510 kit), 14-54, 11-22, 502, 50-200, 12-60 and lot's of OM glass to compare.

14-35 and 35-100 kick butt and i haven't used (other than 14-54 with R72 [filter thread size) any other lens since getting these two.
also BTW i have not played with E5 micro-AF settings at all for any lens.
--
Thanks,
Paul
 
So some people are implying that the E5 has issues with an older lens, such as the 35-100 that an E3 does not? Surely the E5 is newer and better auto focus technology? So its only good for SWD units? I's be surprised if that were the case.

I have an E3, but no SWD glass. I do have a 35-100, 14-54 Mk1 and a 50mm and am sort of considering getting an E5 at some point. So obviously I'd like to hear of any issues people are having.

edit - just saw your post above Paul - we must have been writing at the same time. Thats good to know and very encouraging thanks.
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdloudon/
 
windsprite said:
EspE1 said:
Mr.NoFlash said:
EspE1 said:
I have had some few episodes with my 50-200, with and without the EC-14, where I have experienced that it doesn't start to focus at all, and that with motives that in my mind should have enough light and contrast.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
It has happended witht the SWD version.
Click to expand...
I have had that happen frequently with both versions of the 50-200, on various bodies, with and without the telecon. I think it's just a quirk of the lens and a known issue that is discussed here every once in a while. It usually happens at 200mm. If you zoom out to around 180mm and try again, that will jump start the AF, and then you can zoom back to 200mm and go on shooting as usual ... until the next time.

Julie
Click to expand...
Could be, but I have also experienced it in the long end also a few times with the 40-150 mk II. However, that has been when shooting very small subjects, and the issue of selecting small or large focusing areas hence comes into the picture - without me testing this out at those occasions.
 
Kweide said:
In C-AF i set the diamond pattern for AF AND set the speed SLOW ( 3 frames/second )

Just a hint but the keeper rate increased a lot :) Now the AF has enough time to refocus each frame :) and i am happy too...
Click to expand...
Did the same with my E-30 (although had the FPS rate up to 4) but I don't think this is necessary with the E-5. If I get everything right, it delivers 8 to 10 out of 10 with 5FPS. And I'm talking about running dogs approaching.
 
If you want a true picture, don't listen to anything that guy says. He's the most negative a## on the forum.

I've tried not to respond to this guy's c%%% for a long time.

I've had excellent results with the 50-200 SWD.

Edit - at 5 fps tracking flying birds.
 
I had E-510 then E3 and added the E-5 last December (sold the 510).

My E-5 had a poor record of sharp shots. I could never quite put my finger on it but checking the focus to calibrate it seemed to check it was OK. Hit rate was sometimes very poor, 50%. Notably worse than the E-3.

I assumed it was a technique issue for months before finally deciding something was amiss. Took it to the dealer a couple of months ago who sent it off for servicing.

They didn't find anything wrong, they did upgrade the firmware though and checked throughout. It seems much better now, hit-rates are back to what the E-3 was giving me.

My experience prior to the service was, when the E-5 nailed it, the shots were glorious, but there was a substantial number that were fuzzy for no apparent reason. I'm not on this forum much but I'm sure others have had similar experience.

I'm using the single centre point, S-AF. Most of the sharpness problems were seen on the 50mm F2 but since that has the shallowest DOF I'm not sure the lens was at fault. Also have 14-54 Mk I, 11-22, 50-200.
  • Steve
 
Tekmar said:
My E-5 had a poor record of sharp shots.
Click to expand...
If you are talking about 100% viewing, this is because the E-5 can resolve stunning detail and every camera shake, subject movement can show. I'm serious, it is a lot harder to get sharp pictures with the E-5 than with the E-620 I had for example. Same ,,problem,, with Nikon D7000 and other cameras with huge resolving power.
 
d3xmeister said:
Tekmar said:
My E-5 had a poor record of sharp shots.
Click to expand...
If you are talking about 100% viewing, this is because the E-5 can resolve stunning detail and every camera shake, subject movement can show. I'm serious, it is a lot harder to get sharp pictures with the E-5 than with the E-620 I had for example. Same ,,problem,, with Nikon D7000 and other cameras with huge resolving power.
Click to expand...
Absolutely - I experienced the same when switching from the E-30 to the E-5.
But when you get it right, you will be rewarded with stunning pics.
 
After 60000 pictures with the E3 and 9200 with the E5, I would say that the E5 AF is a bit better than the E3, but only marginally.

However, my E5 (and others) has bugs that the E3 doesn't have. Sometimes the E5 simply refuses to AF (even with the best light), exactly as if you have turned AF to MF. In general moving the focus ring makes the E5 AF wake up. Sometimes, you have to turn it off and on. This happens to me about 1 picture in 30 or so. This has been described in threads here, do a search.

Good luck,
L.

--
My gallery: http://luis.impa.br/photo/index1.html



Oly E5/E3 + 12-60 + 50-200 + EC14 + EC20 + FL50R
Pany FZ50 + Oly FL50 + TCON17 + Raynox 150 & 250
 
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