Do Canon EOS DSLRs have an in-body autofocus motor?
Asked 8/16/2016
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I’ve found conflicting information about Canon EOS DSLRs. Some sources say Canon bodies do not have a built-in autofocus motor because EF lenses contain their own AF motors, while others claim Canon EOS bodies do have AF motors. Which is correct, and are there any exceptions?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
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No Canon EOS body needs AF motors because every single Canon EF lens released since the EOS system was introduced since 1987 has a focus motor in the lens. Thus no Canon EOS camera has ever had a need for a focus motor in the body.
There are a few manual focus lenses in the EOS system, but they are clearly designated as such by not being named as an EF lens: The MP-E 65mm 1-5X Macro lens is one such example. The TS-E series of tilt & shift lenses are another. Beyond those few rare lenses every EOS lens has AF capability built into the lens. The vast majority of those lenses have Ring type UltraSonic Motors driving the focus mechanisms of those lenses. A few lenses have newer STM motors which are more suited for use capturing video. A few others use micro-USM motors and a few others use plain old geared motors to drive the AF system. But all of them have the AF motor located inside the lens.
Not only do Canon EOS bodies not need a clunky, noisy mechanical interface between the body and lens for autofocus, but they don't need a mechanical linkage prone to adjustment issues left over from the 1950s to control the lens' aperture either. This means that all communication between a Canon EOS body and a Canon EOS lens is communicated electronically.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
9y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
No—Canon EOS DSLRs do not have an in-body autofocus motor. The Canon EF mount was designed as an electronic system with no mechanical autofocus linkage between camera and lens. Autofocus is driven by a motor inside the lens itself.
For Canon EF and EF-S autofocus lenses, the lens contains the focus motor, so the camera body does not need one. This is why Canon bodies don’t have the screw-drive style AF coupling found in some other systems.
There are a few Canon EF-mount manual-focus lenses, such as TS-E tilt-shift lenses and the MP-E 65mm macro. These are manual focus not because the body lacks a motor, but because those lenses were designed that way.
So the correct summary is: Canon EOS bodies do not have AF motors; Canon autofocus lenses do.
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