EOS 3 vs 1v Autofocus performance?

[tomfrh]

eye control focus aside, and assuming manual selection of focus points, is there any speed/performance difference between these bodies?

 

[CropDusterMan]

I tested the EOS 3 and its "Eye Focus" extensively (thanks to a Canon Rep)back when it came out and there is a reason why
Canon canned the concept...it's not very effective. Don't get me wrong though, the EOS 3 is a great camera...use it as I describe below. The EOS 1V is superior in every respect though, especially on flash sinc with off-camera flash.. One thing
you might want to consider when it comes to using AF on Canon or Nikon bodies is to use the rear button
on the back of the camera for AF and only use the shutter release button for shooting...in the custom
functions (CF #4 if I remember right), you can set the back button for AF...it allows for much more precise AF function.

 

[MattKing]

I think the reason that Canon got rid of the eye control focus function is that it doesn't work as well for some people as it does for others - a marketing headache.

I have both a 7Ne and an EOS IIe, and the eye controlled focus works really well for me. So I recommend it!

 

[Les Sarile]

According to Canon, these three share the same AF system with differences in fps, ECF and AF EV range. Excerpts from Canon site at http://www.canon.com/c-museum/en/camera-film-eos.html?1933?2015?Americas?.html

EOS1V "45-point area AF gives predictive AI servo AF at about 9 fps for outstanding subject tracking and blazingly fast focusing, all automatically. AF EV range 0-18."

EOS3 " 45-point Area AF, high-speed and precision Eye Controlled Focus, and 7 fps high-speed predictive AF continuous shooting mode. AF EV range 0-18. ECF."

EOS7NE "In addition to a continuous-shooting speed of 4 fps, the EOS 7s boasts predictive AF performance equivalent to Canon’s flagship 35mm AF SLR-model EOS-1V. AF EV range 1-18. ECF."

From personal experience with the EOS3 & 1V, AF performance with a Canon L - even in dark settings, is perfect and super fast. EOS3 ECF worked perfectly for me. I have no experience with the EOS Elans but the spec for AF seems impressive.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

AF performance across all EOS bodies is heavily influenced by response times at the lens side, ergo L-series lenses will have faster AF response times than the stock-level EF-series lenses. Battery type also has an influence e.g. a 2CR5 battery will drain faster with intensive AF use (especially with L-series lenses and the bigger telephotos), while a power drive booster or battery pack will provide stabled extended power (rechargeable packs especially).

The EOS 1N (not the early 1), 1V, and 3 all had a system level tweak that recognises an L-series lens and optimises AF performance for that lens.

Eye-controlled focus was a risky marketing lark from the start with the EOS 5 (I still have my long-decommissioned EOS 5), a bit better with the EOS 50E and 3 (vertical/horizontal and improved speed). Tthe most common irritation is that it constrained photographers to 'look' at a spot fixed by the camera instead of all around the viewfinder, in effect, having the camera "look" for the photographer (so do you get your LF camera to look at a fixed spot for you??). The "benefits" were largely imagined and philosophical. People with glasses, eye irregularities (even a very slight cataract would interfere with ECF calibration) and fiddly recalibratiion/profiling... I recall a Canon Australia service technician in 2008 saying, "it's gone, thank God for that!" in reference to ECF and photographers thinkingn their camera was malfunctioning and bringing it in for servicing (incurring a cost to themselves because they couldn't be bothered reading the instructions...).

Frame rates with any camera/power drive are highly dependent on the power source and lens response (as stated above).

 

[tomfrh]

thanks for the feedback guys.

I use custom function 4 Already, and generally use single point focus. typically the centre point. Sometimes outer points. Rarely do I let the camera choose the points.

I don't tend to use the ECF. It does work for me, however I find it gets in the way.

I have a 7NE / 30v at the moment and have an EOS 3 on the way.

I had the 1v, however I found it a bit heavy and I kept bumping the EC wheel without realising, meaning Id over/underexpose shots by accident. For some reason I only ever did that with the 1v.

Interesting that canon says the 7ne has "predictive af equivalent to 1v". It has far fewer focus points....