[Brightcolours]

Lenses are shimmed for correct distance to sensor etc., and so that they indeed can achieve, amongst others, infinity focusing correctly. This has everything to do with focusing, and therefore with AF as well.

 

Lens calibration is just the electronic/digital part of the equation, to tell the AF system where to stop to get focus at the correct point. However, without an accurately "set" or shimmed lens, to make sure the lens plane is completely correctly aligned and has the correct distance to the sensor, and hence the AF system, that is often not possible. Lenses are not individually calibrated for mount distance, they are calibrated to a standard with a standard deviation, directly, electronically. In short, if shimming is not done correctly, they will not necessarily focus correctly, especially not with current dslr focusing systems (PDAF).

 

As to extension tubes: I guess you are joking. A lens plane still needs to be aligned correctly. And many lenses do NOT AF correctly with extension tubes. AF often is not precise enough for macro focusing. AFAIK, every manufacturer of macro lenses tells users to manually focus in close-up and macro situations, and not to rely on IS and/or AF.

As to the noise profile: I prefer the extra few MPs over the slightly lower oise, as indicated I rarely shoot over 1600 iso anyway. And 6400 iso is eminently usable on the 5D II, FYI. As to the "trademark noise banding": have you personally actually ever used a 5D II yourself and indeed have had any images ruined by it? I guess not. Funnily enough, never have I. I happen to have been shooting a 5D Mk II for 7 years now.

 

I think you may take certain comments on the internet too serious, every so often.

 

As mentioned before: in the end it is the photographer who creates the photograph, not the tool, i.e. camera, used to record an image.

 

Kind regards, Wim

You again write a lot without being correct in any point. 

 

Calibration does not touch on telling the lens where to stop to achieve focus. It calibrates the steps a lens makes. The AF system can see when something is in focus, but does not check the end and leaves that to a rightly calibrated lens, for speed purposes (the camera manufacturers do not want a hunting game at the end, where focus is never really achieved).

 

The flange distance is only of interest for reaching infinity and determined MFD. It has no bearing what so ever on AF or AF accuracy. Again, see extension tubes (lenses work just fine with them, despite what your typing suggests).

You have no clue on how PD AF actually functions on DSLRs...  :ph34r:

 

The noise banding the 5D mkII gives is very widely known. The 5D mk II in my opinion is a nice tool, but in sensor output the 6D has passed it by some margin.