Issue with Canon Autofocus?

I'm considering buying the Canon Digital Rebel XT. Someone suggested
that they may have heard that the autofocus on the camera doesn't work
as well as some of the other choices (such as the Pentax or the Nikon).
He had some difficulties, but he thinks it might also have been the
lens. How does the autofocus on that camera compare to similar cameras?

I've seen webpages like...
http://www.canon-dslr.com/
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/es...oversies.shtml
Have me wondering...

In article , David P. Summers
wrote:

I'm considering buying the Canon Digital Rebel XT. Someone suggested
that they may have heard that the autofocus on the camera doesn't work
as well as some of the other choices (such as the Pentax or the Nikon).
He had some difficulties, but he thinks it might also have been the
lens. How does the autofocus on that camera compare to similar cameras?

If you disable all of the focus points except one, you should have no
problems.

Randall Ainsworth wrote:
In article , David P. Summers
wrote:

I'm considering buying the Canon Digital Rebel XT. Someone suggested
that they may have heard that the autofocus on the camera doesn't work
as well as some of the other choices (such as the Pentax or the Nikon).
He had some difficulties, but he thinks it might also have been the
lens. How does the autofocus on that camera compare to similar cameras?

If you disable all of the focus points except one, you should have no
problems.

Autofocus is a tool. It will focus on whatever is the most prominent
item in your shot. If you are behind a fence in a zoo and shot the
animal, the lens may focus on the fence instead of the animal. If you
are at a hockey game, behind the netting at the end of the rink, the
lens might focus on the netting instead of the action on the ice. You
have to know when to use the auto focus, and when to turn it off.

Auto focus is a tool.

roland

"David P. Summers" wrote in message
...
I'm considering buying the Canon Digital Rebel XT. Someone suggested
that they may have heard that the autofocus on the camera doesn't work
as well as some of the other choices (such as the Pentax or the Nikon).
He had some difficulties, but he thinks it might also have been the
lens. How does the autofocus on that camera compare to similar cameras?


Depends on the lens.

I've seen webpages like...
http://www.canon-dslr.com/
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/es...oversies.shtml
Have me wondering...


Those have nothing to do with the Rebel XT. Are you just a troll?

Greg

"David P. Summers" wrote in message
...
I'm considering buying the Canon Digital Rebel XT. Someone suggested that
they may have heard that the autofocus on the camera doesn't work as well
as some of the other choices (such as the Pentax or the Nikon). He had
some difficulties, but he thinks it might also have been the lens. How
does the autofocus on that camera compare to similar cameras?

I've seen webpages like...
http://www.canon-dslr.com/
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/es...oversies.shtml
Have me wondering...


I would look to see if the actuator pin that moves the autofocus mirror is
plastic, or metal. The digital Rebel EOS 300d is plastic, and mine broke at
9000 shutter clicks. Not happy. I don't know if the XT is plastic or metal,
but supposedly the higher end cam's are metal. The function of the autofocus
is fine, its the long term durability I am questioning.

David A wrote:

I would look to see if the actuator pin that moves the autofocus mirror is
plastic, or metal.

What "actuator pin" of what "autofocus mirror"? The only moving parts
in the system are the focus motors.

The digital Rebel EOS 300d is plastic, and mine broke at
9000 shutter clicks. Not happy. I don't know if the XT is plastic or metal,
but supposedly the higher end cam's are metal. The function of the autofocus
is fine, its the long term durability I am questioning.

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=...Search&met a=

wrote in message
oups.com...
David A wrote:

I would look to see if the actuator pin that moves the autofocus mirror
is
plastic, or metal.

What "actuator pin" of what "autofocus mirror"? The only moving parts
in the system are the focus motors.

The digital Rebel EOS 300d is plastic, and mine broke at
9000 shutter clicks. Not happy. I don't know if the XT is plastic or
metal,
but supposedly the higher end cam's are metal. The function of the
autofocus
is fine, its the long term durability I am questioning.

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=...Search&met a=


If.....The XT is anything like the Rebel ???

There is a sub mirror behind the mirror you see when you take a lens off.
This sub mirror has to do with the autofocus and it is driven by or
activated by a little pin thingy kind of down at the bottom right corner.
When the main mirror you see is flipped up out of the way of the sensor when
you click the shutter, the sub mirror pops up too, out of the way. If the
little (plastic) pin mechanism is broke the sub mirror stays down and blocks
about 2/3's of the shutter. It is possible to manually flip the sub mirror
up and take pictures but then you can't you use the autofocus.

This is all contigent on the Rebel 300 and the XT being the same.

I have had two camera repair shops tell me that the piece in question is
plastic on the Rebel 300 and metal on higher end camera's. I don't know if
the XT is the same or not. If it is the same, and its plastic. Watch for
it - it sucks. $200 fix

David A wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
David A wrote:

I would look to see if the actuator pin that moves the autofocus mirror
is
plastic, or metal.

What "actuator pin" of what "autofocus mirror"? The only moving parts
in the system are the focus motors.

The digital Rebel EOS 300d is plastic, and mine broke at
9000 shutter clicks. Not happy. I don't know if the XT is plastic or
metal,
but supposedly the higher end cam's are metal. The function of the
autofocus
is fine, its the long term durability I am questioning.

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=...Search&met a=


If.....The XT is anything like the Rebel ???

There is a sub mirror behind the mirror you see when you take a lens off.
This sub mirror has to do with the autofocus and it is driven by or
activated by a little pin thingy kind of down at the bottom right corner.
When the main mirror you see is flipped up out of the way of the sensor when
you click the shutter, the sub mirror pops up too, out of the way. If the
little (plastic) pin mechanism is broke the sub mirror stays down and blocks
about 2/3's of the shutter. It is possible to manually flip the sub mirror
up and take pictures but then you can't you use the autofocus.

This is all contigent on the Rebel 300 and the XT being the same.

I have had two camera repair shops tell me that the piece in question is
plastic on the Rebel 300 and metal on higher end camera's. I don't know if
the XT is the same or not. If it is the same, and its plastic. Watch for
it - it sucks. $200 fix

Did this $200 fix include a metal cam or a plastic cam?

roland

I'm considering buying the Canon Digital Rebel XT. Someone suggested
that they may have heard that the autofocus on the camera doesn't work
as well as some of the other choices

There was a problem with AF accuracy on some unquantified percent of
the 10D's but I've not seen anything mentioned about the Rebel having a
similar problem.

"piperut" wrote in message
ups.com...
David A wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
David A wrote:

I would look to see if the actuator pin that moves the autofocus
mirror
is
plastic, or metal.

What "actuator pin" of what "autofocus mirror"? The only moving parts
in the system are the focus motors.

The digital Rebel EOS 300d is plastic, and mine broke
at
9000 shutter clicks. Not happy. I don't know if the XT is plastic or
metal,
but supposedly the higher end cam's are metal. The function of the
autofocus
is fine, its the long term durability I am questioning.

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=...Search&met a=


If.....The XT is anything like the Rebel ???

There is a sub mirror behind the mirror you see when you take a lens off.
This sub mirror has to do with the autofocus and it is driven by or
activated by a little pin thingy kind of down at the bottom right corner.
When the main mirror you see is flipped up out of the way of the sensor
when
you click the shutter, the sub mirror pops up too, out of the way. If the
little (plastic) pin mechanism is broke the sub mirror stays down and
blocks
about 2/3's of the shutter. It is possible to manually flip the sub
mirror
up and take pictures but then you can't you use the autofocus.

This is all contigent on the Rebel 300 and the XT being the same.

I have had two camera repair shops tell me that the piece in question is
plastic on the Rebel 300 and metal on higher end camera's. I don't know
if
the XT is the same or not. If it is the same, and its plastic. Watch for
it - it sucks. $200 fix

Did this $200 fix include a metal cam or a plastic cam?

roland


The metal cam. I don't think the plastic price is much different, its mostly
labor. The price was closer to $175 before tax.

If I could get my hands on the part, I would be tempted to tear the camera
apart myself. I have not actually paid for this fix, just had it quoted by
two different repair shops.

There is this looming possibility that Canon will fix this out of warranty
problem, with maybe the metal cam piece too, so I am told by the repair
shops - fat chance I think, plus it would take 4 to 6 weeks or some gawd
awful time like it. regular shops want 2 weeks to fix it.

David A.