XL1 / XL1S focus hunting backfocus problems

[Rob Lohman]

The standard 16x lens is indeed changed on the XL1s... There is
a little II (2) besides it now. Most people that have compared
both think the new one is much better. Your the first I have heard
the other way around. I myself never had a plain XL1 so I cannot
compare. I must say that I have little trouble with my XL1s for
this moment though.

[Don Parrish]

I believe the viewfinder doesn't have enough resolution, for some reason, occaisionally it just looks pixelated. In focusing you just try to get the pixels to look there finest.

[Rik Sanchez]

I met up with my friend tonight and he tried out my camera, one thing we both noticed is the focus ring on my old XL-1 is a lot easier to turn than his new XL-1s focus ring. Maybe that's why I can focus so much easier, I have to turn the focus ring on his more to focus, he also wondered why it was a little hard to turn the focus ring on his camera.

Is each lens adjusted differently? do some lenses have focus rings that are easier to turn than others? Is it just his lens or do all the new lenses have a tighter focusing ring?

[Don Parrish]

The focus ring on mine is featherlight. In fact, I actually like the feel of actually moving elements. The ring feels to light for me.

[Rik Sanchez]

It must be my friend's lens only, his focus ring is about 4 times heavier than mine. Since I only used my XL-1 for these past two years, once I tried his I noticed it right away. Mine is featherlight also but now I'm used to it.

Do you know if they could readjust the lens the next time he takes it in for service? actually, he just bought it about 3 weeks ago, so the first time he takes it in for servicing, could they "loosen" the focus ring to let it turn more easily. He thought it was normal and was wondering why other people like the manual focus, with the tight focus ring, the manual focus seemed overhyped. I'll send him an email and have him give his 2 yen's worth on the focus ring. He was one of the unlucky 40 who got their account wiped out in the Great Crash of '02 (as Chris put it).

[Don Parrish]

Canon would be a good source of info for the focus ring. Chris would be also.

[Adam Wakely]

I have an older XL1 (1998) and the focus on it is great. I can zoom in and focus and then go wide and it's perfect. I find it hard to use this lens in manual so I usually leave it on auto as it performs better than I do! I'm sure the manual lens would make it more easier while using manual though. I love my 3x wide lens. 2 perfect combos would the 3x wide and the manual lens.

[Chris Hurd]

Rik -- ask that person to re-register please. I'll send out an apology to all the folks we lost, when I get home from MacWorld. Luckily I have a record of these folks with their contact info. I'll try to show this thread to the Canon tech reps here at the show tomorrow and get an answer about the tactile friction in the focus ring.

[Rik Sanchez]

Chris,
I had lunch with him today and told him to re-register and to check out this thread and for him to post a response, my friend's name is Rob Moreno.

Let us know what the Canon people say. When you show them the thread, tell them everyone in Japan says for Canon to give Chris an XL-1s or we'll sic some sumo wrestlers on them:-)

[Denis Basic]

Hi all, I also had the same problem with the manual focus a few times, i.e. though the camera was in the manual mode, the automatic focus tried its best to overcome my commands.

From time to time I press the AF button even when in the manual mode. That feature sometimes helps to find the focus faster if you are in a hurry. However, of course, very often the focus "breathes", i.e. goes in and out and sometimes hits, and sometimes it does not.

I accepted the fact that I cannot count on the automatic focus. It has betrayed me several times and even when I was filming a very important show (outdoors) from some odd 30-yard distance. It was one of my first attempts to use the camera and as a newbie I tried the auto mode. Horror! Too many faces were off the focus for a moment and then fine again and of course I could not have seen it on my CVF.

I read here that many people have sent their cameras to Canon to fix this problem with the automatic focus. My questions to all of you are:

1. Can the automatic focusing problem be really fixed or do we have to live with it?

2. Is the fix considered by Canon an adjustment or a repair and how much do we have to pay for the service? (N.B. I got my camera 4 months ago.)

Thanks in advance for your answers,

[Nathan Gifford]

Another thing you need to watch out for are changes in you DOF (depth of field). If the aperture changes, DOF changes too. If you are at that edge when the aperture moves, focus can change too.

Nathan Gifford

[Josh Bass]

For the guy who wanted to not have servo noise during zooms -- I have the manual lens, and if the servo is selected (as oppose to manuall operating the zoom ring) then you will still hear the zoom noise -- at least I can.

[Denis Basic]

Hi Nathan,

Thanks a lot for your advice. I thought that my focusing problem was related to the "soft focus problem", so I did several experiments in the auto mode following the recommendations from the Watchdog.

1. I turned on the ND filter, and the auto focus was still skipping;
+
2. I increased the shutter speed, even that did not help;
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3. I also reduced the gain to -3 and added a circular polarizing filter, even that did not help.

The only way for me to avoid that fuzzy focus was to turn off the automatic focus. However, even with the auto focus off and while operating in the manual mode, in a few cases I lost the focus for a second or two though I was filming around the "sweet spot", i.e. f 5.2-5.6.

<<If you are at that edge when the aperture moves, focus can change too.>>

1. Can you or somebody else, please, clarify more your previous statement?

2. Can somebody recommend a concise and clear manual/book dealing with optics and DV/35mm/16mm cameras where I could find all of the terms (like DOF, white balance, etc.) briefly explained and with advices as to trouble shooting while shooting?

(I have, for instance, the “Filmmaker’s dictionary”, and it defines the terms, but does not work much on concepts and solutions to problems.)

Thanks a lot again,

Have an XL1s. Took it to an air show over the weekend and found out that the auto focus was about worthless. Couldn't seem to stay in focus. I did have a circular polarizer as well as a
uv filter on it. Could this have been the problem?

Looking Glass

[Ken Tanaka]

What subjects and conditions were you shooting when you decided that the 16x lens' autofocus circuitry is "worthless"?