Canon 7D Mark II and Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art back-focusing: can the Sigma USB Dock fix it?
Asked 10/10/2019
6 views
2 answers
0
I’m using a Canon 7D Mark II with a Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art bought second-hand. Through the optical viewfinder, autofocus back-focuses badly: at portrait distance, focusing on the eye gives sharpness somewhere between the eye and ear. With in-camera AF microadjustment set to the maximum (-20), it improves but still does not fully correct the issue. In Live View, focus is accurate.
I tested at f/1.4 while calibrating. Another copy of the same lens worked on my 7D2 after some tuning, and my copy also behaved properly on a friend’s 5D Mark III after adjustment.
Could the Sigma USB Dock solve a problem this large, or does this suggest my particular lens copy should be replaced?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
1
There are several thing to consider here:
- Based on reading a lot of reviews from a lot of different sources one can learn that the Sigma Art series of prime lenses are very sharp when focused manually but tend to not do very well on Canon cameras in terms of autofocus. I probably wouldn't consider such a lens unless my intended usage was primarily as a manually focused lens.
- Autofocus performance basically has two components: accuracy and consistency. Accuracy describes how close to a target the center of a pattern of attempts is. Consistency describes how close to each other the attempts are. If a system is consistent by not accurate, it can often be corrected by moving the "point of aim" to compensate. If a system is inconsistent, there's not much that can be done. If the lens you have now is consistently the same amount off in the same direction and you trade it for another one, then next one may be more accurate but less consistent.
- The Sigma dock is only about $69 new. That's not very much in the grand scheme of camera/lens expenses. It wouldn't hurt that much to at least try and see how well it can deal with your problem.
- A lens that far "off" may be more than on the edge of manufacturing tolerances - it may be well on the other side of what is acceptable. If it left the factory meeting specs that it now does not meet, then obviously something has happened to the lens to put it in that condition.
- The lens is used and presumably has no warranty. If whatever caused the AF to be that far off starts manifesting itself in other ways...
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Because Live View focuses correctly, the optics are probably fine and the problem is with phase-detect AF calibration through the viewfinder. A USB Dock can help if the lens is consistently off and still within the range of electronic adjustment, since it lets you fine-tune focus at multiple distances.
But if your camera already needs the maximum AF microadjustment and the lens is still back-focusing, that points to a lens/body mismatch that may be beyond normal adjustment—or to a bad copy. Another key factor is consistency: if focus lands in the same wrong place every time, adjustment may fix it; if results vary shot to shot, calibration won’t.
Given that another copy worked on your 7D2, and your copy behaved differently on another body, the safest conclusion is that your particular lens copy is not a good match and replacement is more sensible than trying to rescue it. The dock might have helped, but based on your testing, exchanging or selling that copy is the more reliable solution.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI6y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Can I use my Canon 7D Mark II AF microadjustment settings to program a Sigma 150-600mm Sport with the USB Dock?
Do I need the Sigma USB Dock for the 18-35mm f/1.8?
How can I reliably test and micro-adjust autofocus for a specific lens on my camera?
Can a lens cause different autofocus accuracy on different AF points?
Why does my Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art show a large circular artifact on a Canon 6D Mark II?
