20D body/lens recalibration?

How common is it to send a new camera back to the factory and have the AF adjusted?

I am new to UWP, but not new to SLR. I bought a 20D and have been learning some of the ins and outs of it over the past couple of weeks. All have been dry shots. I think I have shot 800-900 tests shots of various scenarios. Though I certainly can not rule out the photographer as the problem, I seem to have trouble getting a crisp focus. I have experimented with different focus techniques (ie. focus, recompose/focus with one of the nine focus points that is closest to the desired focal object without recomposing/adjusting DOF/etc.)

A buddy of mine has the same camera and lenes as I (20d, 10-22mm, and 100mm Macro). Insuring that our settings were the same, there were still noticeable differences in the focus. It looks almost like a "soft focus." It isn't horrible, if it were a cheap "point and shoot" I probably wouldn't be as particular. But after seeing the results of my buddy's 20D, I wonder if it is possible that the camera and/or both lenes need calibrated.

I spoke to CanonUSA yesterday. They said to ship it to their New Jersey service center for adjustment. So Canon sort of made it sound like this happens a little more often than I thought. I guess I haven't read any threads regarding recalibration, and thats why I question if it needs adjusted.

Any experience with this?

Thanks--Aaron

As a folloup:

I got back the body and one of my two lenses. The 2nd lens is in route. It turns out that Canon did have to make adjustments to the lens. There is a noticeable difference overall. I won't go into further detail unless someone is curious.

- Aaron

did Canon adjust the lens or the camera? or both?

thanks.

Marty,

It seems that adjustments were made only on the lenses. The 10-22mm came back with a summary page from Canon that was quite vague. It states that adjustments were made, nothing more. The body came back with no summary page. I will call Canon tomorrow and see if they did any adjustments. I have been waiting to call since I am supposed to receive my 100mm macro tomorrow via fedex. I found it odd that Canon sent the three pieces back separately--maybe they did this for liability reasons. I do know that they calibrated both lenses specifically to my body. Prior to this experience, I did not know that lenses/bodies may be in need of calibration. I have heard of firmware updates made to earlier releases. The firmware version I have is 1.1.0, so I don't believe they made any changes to the body. I will try to confirm tomorrow.

Thanx

Aaron

This is a problem that goes back to the 10D. It was actually a major issue with the 10D. Mine went back to Canon 4 times within a month and a half before they got it right. In the year/half I had my 10D, I put on over 150,000 frames - maybe 60% didnt have focus problems. Although I shoot everyday, I definitely tended to OVERshoot to make up for the focus problems. (Fashion Photography)

My 20D has not not the same problem, thank God, but I do get some low light OOF shots - just not the same unreliable focus of the 10D. I have a 1DMkII as primary body now and there are zero probs with it.

Glad yours is working proerly now. Just be glad you didnt have the 10D. You would have been going out of your skull.

-GageFX