5d images not pin sharp?

[jaimesommers]

Hi,

Me again!

Okay, si I have just bought a 5dmk1 and brand new Canon 24-70 2.8 L lens. My previous camera was the Canon 300D with 18-55 kit lens.

My problem is this, despite trying auto, manual and the other settings, my images are not 'pin sharp' and i do not know why. I am assuming that it is my error rather then camera and lens. When i zoom in, the images are not pin sharp. Could it be the wieght?

Here are a couple of settings i used today, everything on the camera is set to default:

Image 1, portrait outside
F13
ISO 100
Metering: Evaluative (said Pattern in PS)
58mm
1/50 sec
Flash
Manual
SRGB

Portrait inside:

ISO400
F4.0
1/60
Flash
70mm
Pattern

I am sure it is me and am a bit concerned because i am shooting my friends wedding in 3 weeks. I never had a problem with the 300D.

Please help, what am I doing wrong?
Cheers
Jaime

PS, if anyone can suggest particular settings to try, please tell me!
sRGB

[Cathus]

to test you need to be shooting at a much higher speed, around 1/50 sec you are around the area where camera shake can play a big part in image sharpness and quality.

I'd get some good light, stick a newspaper or magazine or something with writing on on the wall and shoot it at something higher than 1/250sec, then check out the sharpness of the newsprint.

Try this around f8 - f11

[OldBoy]

Looks like your shutter speed is too slow. Unless you are good at holding the camera very steady then any slight movement will cause the pictures to be slightly blurred hence, not looking sharp. Set you shutter speed to at least 250s or even 500s. My D3 is set to 500s for auto shots in programme mode and if I need slower speeds, then I use shutter priority mode or manual. That way the camera is ready for a quick shot without me having to check the speed before taken it.

[jaimesommers]

Hi,

Thank you very much for the fast replies, I'm sure its me and my technique!

Cathus i will try that asap.

Oldboy i will practise that and report back, i really appreciate the help you are giving me guys!

Thanks
Jaime

[Cathus]

no problem, the best way to learn and improve is to take lots of pictures

[KeithT]

Try shooting at f/8. F/8 through to F/11. These are the sweetspot apertures for f/4 lenses. Shooting any lens wide open will give you problems with narrow depth of field thus making the focus point extremely vulnerable to the slightest movement, throwing the focus point out. Shooting at apertures beyond f/11 will bring diffraction into play. Take care on processing too as the full frame sensor will show up all the problems of cheaper lenses. You need to consider L series lenses to get the best out of your 5d if you are not already using them.

Your 2.8 lens will be best set at f/5.6 to f/8.

[jaimesommers]

Hi,

Keith it is the L series lens, will try that.

I have been shooting with it today and also let someone else have a look at it. They agreed that the images are out and very soft. They put the lens on a 5D mk2 and it improved but not by much. I think the concensus of opinion was that the camera could be at fault.

I am going to see if i can get it serviced etc and then try it again with the same lens. I have read about lens calibration, surely you should just put them on and that be good enough?

I have to say, i am a bit worried that i've spent a lot of money for something not so good - although my technique is probably to blame as well.

I will report back asap.

Thanks again everyone,
Jaime

[KeithT]

Hi Jaime,

In my experience many of the focus problems people have is usually down to user error. However, there is a chance that your lenses is front or back focussing, and maybe even both. If this is the case it will need a trip to Canon to have calibrated. It isn't a fault in either lens or camera as such, but just one of those anomalies that happen sometimes. The best way to have the lens calibrated is to send it with the camera body to Canon or some other centre that Canon recommend. I think they charge around 60 quid a lens to have this done.

Just to add that when I had my 5d and 24-105 the lens was pin sharp. When I upgraded to the MKII and kept the same lens I had some issues with focus. I always shoot raw and had to review my methods of sharpening images both in ACR and in Photoshop. Let me explain: I do not have any input sharpening (capture sharpening) set in-camera, but I do add some in ACR depending on the image. Sharpening to a minor degree at this stage is essential. It isn't destructive, but needs to be done quite gently. This is usually enough to give me a decent image when imported to PS. I then resize the image to a manageable level (around 49 or 50 MB and do my stuff on it. I save a tiff as my master file and then make a jpeg for posting to the web. I sharpen for these jpegs using LAB Colour and the Lightness channel as 10 times out of 10 the colour channels don't need any sharpening. I return to RGB after I have done this. For prints, I will take a copy from the master file and use the same method of sharpening. This is called Output sharpening. There are a few charts that you can download to check out your lens with before you send it away for calibrating. I use this one here that can be downloaded. http://www.scribd.com/doc/266756/Cam...cus-Test-Chart

If the lens is under warranty maybe Canon will do it free of charge. Give customer services a ring and tell them of your fears.

[jaimesommers]

Hi,

Thanks for all of the replies. I have just received my camera back after having the sensor cleaned professionally, I did clean it myself but was told there was a film over it. I asked them to check the focussing but they didn't.

I have sent the lens back and am awaiting a refund.

I want to buy a nother lens, and need one as i have none at the moment, but am not sure how to proceed as I do want pin sharp images. This maybe a stupid question but if you have your lens calibrated to the body, what happens if you want to use it on a different body?

I would like to buy a new lens this weekend but don't want to spend all that money on something that may or may not be alright. I accept a fair bit will be user error, however I still need a good lens. Should i be looking at the Sigma?

Thanks

[Cathus]

are you expecting too much from your kit? Did you try any of the options given in the other thread? Have you had anyone that knows what they are talking about look at your shots and compare them to known good setups?

How do you define 'pin sharp'?

How do your shots compare to other shots with the same equipment & same settings? Could you have found someone with the same lens & tried it on your camera, either someone you know or a friendly shop?

I don't think any lens is what I'd call 'pin sharp' straight out of the camera, that's the nature of digital imaging, most images look better when they are sharpened to some degree or another in software.

You may have had a dodgy lens, you may have a dodgy camera, or you may be using it incorrectly, but I'd want to be convinced that it was dodgy and that it wasn't the way I was using it before ditching what most people find is a perfectly good lens.

If you want another lens recommendation then a Canon 24-105 F4 L