After I returned from Yellowstone I decided to send my 500mm, extenders, 5Ds R and 7D II in to Canon and have Canon check out the lens and calibrate the AF system on both bodies. Since the 500mm will be out of warranty next month I asked them to check it out thoroughly, they obliged. I also told them that both bodies required a focus adjustment of +4 on the lens. Without fuss they sent me a shipping label. I was only out of pocket $18 for what I paid for the packing service by UPS. Service took 5 days, however it was in transit back and forth about a week. I shipped it on a Tuesday and received it back two weeks later on a Tuesday.

So with my excessive compulsive disorder in hand and my gear back I set out to check and see how Focal and CPS compare in AF adjustment. I have a cabin / man cave that I am constructing. It has enough room to set up inside at the minimum suggest distance of 25x, about 41'. However I forgot the cable for the camera once I arrived, so I choose to take the pics and analyze at home. I had to download the new release and the tests were run on it, the beta had expired.

What I found;

The 5Ds R setting of 0 is optimum. CPS nailed it and FoCal matched it exactly.
The 7D II setting is +2, it didn't quite make it.

The precision of the 5Ds R is in line with what I always received from the 1D IV. The quality of focus didn't vary more than 2.5% in all the shots. No shots were lost. I had known it would produce like this before today, but this test once again confirmed.

The precision of the 7D II is not in the same class. It is closer to the 5D II than the 1D IV. The quality of focus varied 6.8%. Out of 12 shots at each setting it always lost one shot. The spread on the chart was much wider. Again I had know this before today, but this test once again confirmed this.


My final conclusion is that if I had a camera lens combo that was off, especially under warranty, I wouldn't hesitate to send it off to Canon to have it calibrated. Especially if still have warranty and there is no charge.