Hi everybody,
I just recently purchased a 5D. I shot a graduation party last night and I noticed its not focusing in the dark.
Does any of you (5D user) encountering this problem?
If yes, how do you deal with it?
Thank you for stopping by.
Aloha!!!

Yeah, unfortunetly the 5d not good in the dark and dim situations. I've been really fustrated lately so if anyone else has any tips too that would be great. I sent mine into Canon repair and its really not acting any better. Lately I've been shooting the really dim lit receptions with my 40d as it seems to handle it better.

Someone told me to enable the assist focus point.
Anybody heard of that before? Is that in the flash or camera?

I haven't really had this problem with mine. I think it might have as much to do with the lenses you're pairing with it as the body itself. I'm not aware of an assist focus point, but I know if you're using ETTL, there is a focus assist beam in the flash. It's a red light. Another thing that might help for portraits in low light is to use a flashlight to get your focus. Of course you'd need someone to hold it for you, and that method wouldn't really work for candid shooting.

I dont think its my lenses. All of the lenses that I use most of the time in low light situations are f/2.8 L-lenses.

Welcome to the world of the 5D...that is one of the reasons I sold it.

If you use a 550/580/580II, etc. there is a custom function to use the flash to focus (and if doing natural light, even low light, like I do, NOT fire the flash)

I don't have my 5D, it's off at Canon having it's LowPass filter replaced (which I should create a post about... )

But when it comes back this week, if you can't figure it out, I'll tell you how when it comes back... works wonders AND best thing EVER for sticking your hands over your head and aiming. Once you get the idea of where the AF beam is hitting, you can aim pretty damn reliably, even over your head!

oh, my b...

the reason i was thinking maybe the lenses, is i've read several discussions about the 85mm f/1.2 lens versus the 85 f/1.8, and the only gripe people seem to have with the 1.2 is that it has a harder time focusing in low light - they say the 1.8 does it faster!

Yeah, I rented the 85 1.2 when I had my 5D...man that was so slow!!!

I shot a low light wedding last week and I was losing my mind with the 5d's performance and major issues focusing at this event.

Ended up switching to my backup 30d for the darker shots, and it did a whole lot better on focusing in low light than the 5d.

I am really starting to think about going to the dark (no pun intended) side...

This works really well.

Curious, what did you replace it with?
T

That night, I kept using my 5D and just asked the people if I could shoot them by the light. Fortunately, they all agreed.

For some reason, my 5D focusing is better now. I don't know if has something to do with my customize set up. I changed the first curtain to second curtain.

Another reason to get a 1D Series body!

The AF on the 5D has a lower working EV range than the 1-series, so that's not the solution. Having used the 5D along with a 1D IIN and 1Ds II, I found the 5D to focus more quickly and accurately in low light, in One Shot mode. The 1D IIN tracks like nobody's biz, though.

I honestly don't know what to tell you all, and I'm not trying to be a contrarian, but my 5D's are champs in low light. It might be that all my lenses are f/1.2 or f/1.4, or that I'm just used to how they work. I don't have issues focusing in situations where the lighting basically nonexistent. If my eyes can see, the camera can focus.

If it's really not working for you, then either give up and switch to Nikon (and give up the Canon glass), or just keep practicing.

the best ways to get the most out of the 5D's decent focus system is to really really carefully shoot and understand that the focus spots are looking for contrast/difference between two spots (i.e. the whites of someone's eyes standing out against their face). Pairing with L series lenses will really help.

The center focus point is probably the best to use, and I backfocus with the (*) button (custom function 4 - set to 3) for slightly more control in low light situations. Jason Groupp clued me in to the above mentioned tip on using your flashes focusing system (which can focus in pitch black, thanks to that red light it fires) to focus ur camera in low light without firing a flash and i'd say thats been my go to method lately for super dark receptions where I still want to shoot natural light. Its custom function 7 set to 1. Lol the biggest problem with this is remembering to turn it back one when I actually need flash...

[quote name='Tim Co.' date='July 15 2008, 03:36 PM' post='360954'the biggest problem with this is remembering to turn it back one when I actually need flash...
[/quote]


Timco, just use the ST-E2 for your focusing in the near dark situation, and the pull out the 580 slaved to the ST-E2 and hold the flash in yoru hand for when you need a bit of flash.

I feel like my 5D focuses in low light better than any camera I've used. Generally the focus light from the 580ex2 is sufficient. Occasionally, when it is exceptionally dark at the reception, I carry a small battery powered very low watt video light. I hold it with my left hand against the camera, and press the on button when I need to focus. It's on for about a second, the camera focuses fast. Works great.

Ron

+1 to everything said here.... no experience with the L glass though.... yet.

+100000 to Tim

I have a 5d and have had very few shots where the camera didn't focus at the speed I expected it too. Wierd that Timco summed it up though! LOL

~matthew