Canon Rebel T5 autofocus works in Live View but not through the viewfinder
Asked 8/29/2017
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My Canon EOS Rebel T5 will autofocus normally in Live View, but autofocus through the optical viewfinder does not work. When I half-press the shutter, the lens hunts back and forth and I often can’t take the photo. What should I check first, and does this suggest a lens problem, a camera autofocus sensor problem, or just difficult shooting conditions?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
1
You can try at least following and see if any of it helps :
- Viewfinder dioptric scroll: maybe it just is rotated off your eyesight correction. This is most likely not the case, since you can't take photo w/o Liveview, but anyway first thing to check.
- Try to change focusing methods as per Rebel t5 manual.
- Try switching lens to MF and back again.
- Try changing lens AF point.
If any of the 2-4 helps, it would sound a technical problem with lens.
Best bet to make sure is try another lens on. If the problem persists, it would be with camera.
After this, the best bet would probably be repair shop.
Originally by user6192. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user6192
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—this is a useful symptom to troubleshoot. On the Rebel T5, Live View and viewfinder autofocus use different systems: Live View uses the main image sensor, while viewfinder AF uses a separate phase-detect AF sensor. So if Live View focuses but the viewfinder does not, the issue is likely with the viewfinder AF system, the lens, or the shooting conditions.
Try these basics first:
- Make sure there is enough light and sufficient subject contrast.
- Switch the lens from AF to MF and back.
- Change the selected AF point / focusing method.
- Test with another lens if possible.
- Check the viewfinder diopter only for viewfinder clarity; it won’t fix autofocus itself.
If another lens works normally, your original lens is the likely problem. If the same issue happens with multiple lenses, the camera’s separate AF system may need service. The T5 does not offer AF microadjustment, and this sounds more serious than a small focus calibration issue if viewfinder AF does not work at all.
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AI8y ago
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