Hey guys,
I have a Canon 30d and when I use the standard lens that comes with that comes with the camera, the 50mm f/1.8 and the 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6. I get a lot of soft focus pictures. I do not know how to fix this problem and it seems to become worse when I use bounce flash. The camera says the are I would look to focus is in focus, so I do not understand the problem. The example I show here looks worse at actual size, but you can still understand my point. I focused specifically on the contents of the glass, but it is not sharp. The pictures were shot at 1/80 with f/1.8. Thanks ahead of time for your help.
Click to view attachment
Full Version: Soft focus problems!
Uh oh dude... if it happens with all your lenses then it's probaby the camera. Take your 50 1.8, set the aperture to 2.0 or 2.8 and take a picture of a willing (or unwilling) subject approx 5 feet away. Use the center focus point only and set focus right on their fore head. Then bring the picture to your computer view at 100% (and i mean exactly 100% no more no less) right on their forehead. If it's not sharp, send your 30d and 50 into canon for repairs, it should all be under warranty.
However if that picture is sharp then it could very well be your method. How are you focusing/framing these shots? What do you have your focus points set to?
Who makes your 28-200? Tamron or Sigma? Those lenses are notoriously not sharp and especially if you compare it to your 50 you'll surely be disappointed in quality... also canon will blame that lens as being the problem if you send it in with the 30d so be sure that if you do send it in to send in with the 50mm.
However if that picture is sharp then it could very well be your method. How are you focusing/framing these shots? What do you have your focus points set to?
Who makes your 28-200? Tamron or Sigma? Those lenses are notoriously not sharp and especially if you compare it to your 50 you'll surely be disappointed in quality... also canon will blame that lens as being the problem if you send it in with the 30d so be sure that if you do send it in to send in with the 50mm.
Check and make sure you weren't using AI-servo mode when shooting with flash. The camera won't use the focus assist beam from the flash. You need to use One shot mode.
QUOTE(Bryce Leo @ July 1 2007, 03:29 AM) 
However if that picture is sharp then it could very well be your method. How are you focusing/framing these shots? What do you have your focus points set to?
Who makes your 28-200? Tamron or Sigma? Those lenses are notoriously not sharp and especially if you compare it to your 50 you'll surely be disappointed in quality... also canon will blame that lens as being the problem if you send it in with the 30d so be sure that if you do send it in to send in with the 50mm.
Who makes your 28-200? Tamron or Sigma? Those lenses are notoriously not sharp and especially if you compare it to your 50 you'll surely be disappointed in quality... also canon will blame that lens as being the problem if you send it in with the 30d so be sure that if you do send it in to send in with the 50mm.
Usually I set my focusing point on the center. That is where my subjects are usually standing in the photos.
The 28-200 is a CANON 28-200/3.5-5.6 EF USM.
My cameras focusing mode was on AI Focus. I am not to familiar with the focus modes. Can somebody help me with that?
Do you think it may possibly be the shutter speed I use? I do have pretty steady hands, but maybe the pictures are motion blur.
Before you assume it's the camera--can you borrow or rent a better lens to test with?
In general, I'm not the first to jump in and say that your glass is the issue, but in the case of those three lenses, it just might be. While I've gotten some amazingly sharp pictures with some lenses that are traditionally viewed as really crappy, it's as much luck as anything else--and the percentage of those I considered sharp straight out of camera was a lot lower than what I get since I upgraded.
Having said that--a few other things to consider:
High ISO's often seem to produce softer images, especially when they're underexposed even slightly. I was looking recently at last year's Time Magazine images of the year, and I was amazed to see that virtually every interior shot was soft--and I felt glad that at least it wasn't just me!
At 1.8, your depth of field is extremely tiny. It's hard to tell with the small compressed pic you attached, but there may be a very small part of the glass in focus while the rest won't be. If your focus point for this image was the center point, and yet you say you were focusing on the contents of the glass, did you recompose the shot after focusing? At 1.8, your depth of field may be too short to do so.
All digital images require sharpening. While we've all heard that before, I have to admit that I didn't realize just how much sharpening they might need until I read Johnny's settings in this thread. Using those settings has made an amazing difference in my perception of my images.
And of course, you might be dealing with camera shake, as you mentioned.
Since it's most likely to be a combination of things, hopefully this will give you some areas to test before having to send the camera in to Canon. Good luck!!!!!!
In general, I'm not the first to jump in and say that your glass is the issue, but in the case of those three lenses, it just might be. While I've gotten some amazingly sharp pictures with some lenses that are traditionally viewed as really crappy, it's as much luck as anything else--and the percentage of those I considered sharp straight out of camera was a lot lower than what I get since I upgraded.
Having said that--a few other things to consider:
High ISO's often seem to produce softer images, especially when they're underexposed even slightly. I was looking recently at last year's Time Magazine images of the year, and I was amazed to see that virtually every interior shot was soft--and I felt glad that at least it wasn't just me!
At 1.8, your depth of field is extremely tiny. It's hard to tell with the small compressed pic you attached, but there may be a very small part of the glass in focus while the rest won't be. If your focus point for this image was the center point, and yet you say you were focusing on the contents of the glass, did you recompose the shot after focusing? At 1.8, your depth of field may be too short to do so.
All digital images require sharpening. While we've all heard that before, I have to admit that I didn't realize just how much sharpening they might need until I read Johnny's settings in this thread. Using those settings has made an amazing difference in my perception of my images.
And of course, you might be dealing with camera shake, as you mentioned.
Since it's most likely to be a combination of things, hopefully this will give you some areas to test before having to send the camera in to Canon. Good luck!!!!!!
QUOTE(Tish @ July 1 2007, 10:18 AM)
At 1.8, your depth of field is extremely tiny. It's hard to tell with the small compressed pic you attached, but there may be a very small part of the glass in focus while the rest won't be. If your focus point for this image was the center point, and yet you say you were focusing on the contents of the glass, did you recompose the shot after focusing? At 1.8, your depth of field may be too short to do so.
In the example, I did not focus on the center, but on focus point near on the glass. How much does canon charge to fix the camera if there is problem? It is still under warrranty, so they should only charge for shipping, right? Thanks for your help everyone.
QUOTE(roro @ July 1 2007, 01:10 PM)
Usually I set my focusing point on the center. That is where my subjects are usually standing in the photos.
The 28-200 is a CANON 28-200/3.5-5.6 EF USM.
My cameras focusing mode was on AI Focus. I am not to familiar with the focus modes. Can somebody help me with that?
Do you think it may possibly be the shutter speed I use? I do have pretty steady hands, but maybe the pictures are motion blur.
The 28-200 is a CANON 28-200/3.5-5.6 EF USM.
My cameras focusing mode was on AI Focus. I am not to familiar with the focus modes. Can somebody help me with that?
Do you think it may possibly be the shutter speed I use? I do have pretty steady hands, but maybe the pictures are motion blur.
Wow. go fig. I didn't know canon made a 28-200. That's pretty cool. Anywho, why don't you post up the settings of that glass shot before you go sending any equiptment in.
Why not take the lens and do some testing of your own. Setup a picture frame, and take a couple different shots at different focals and apertures. And see the results. If the results come out ok, well then you know that it's just somehting you need to work on as a photographer, otherwise then you can assume that it's the gear.
i have a 50mm 1.8 and it's soft. there are a few things with your image that i can see that would make me expect a soft shot from this lens/camera/situation combo...
1 - you are inside with no flash and very little natural light (or at least it appears this way). if you are using a low iso to reduce noise, increase it - yes, increase it - the noise is not as soft and the lack of focus (i hope that makes sense). if you are at high iso, unfortunately, you gotta get more light in the (OFF camera flash) NOT on camera flash!!!!! this is kind of an advanced idea - takes lots of practice and set up! not worth it for this kind of detail shot, but totally worth it for this kind of detail shot, imho:
Click to view attachment
2 - you are quite close to the glass - back up. this lens needs about one of my arms-lengths +6" to focus well. (in other words, if i can touch the subject, TOOOOO close.) i use my arm as a gauge, since i don't carry a ruler with me when i'm shooting - over time, you'll know how close you can get.
3 - you are trying to auto focus on a subject with very little contrast - you need to use manual focus for this situation - the camera is confused.
4 - shooting this lens wide open, that close will soften the image, stop down, just a third or so
imho - there is nothing wrong with your camera. this is where is would like to get on my little box and start preaching about the importance of good glass over camera body. again, imho, the reasons stated above are more than likely going to give you the soft image, but there are suggestions there, too, for how to improve. try putting a glass near a window for light and trying out the suggestions.
hope that helps.
~robin
one more thing- it appears to be right out of camera, or very little post processing. you could clean up the image and make it 'pop' a little, and that would give the impression of a little sharper focus, but it won't look razor sharp with processing alone.
1 - you are inside with no flash and very little natural light (or at least it appears this way). if you are using a low iso to reduce noise, increase it - yes, increase it - the noise is not as soft and the lack of focus (i hope that makes sense). if you are at high iso, unfortunately, you gotta get more light in the (OFF camera flash) NOT on camera flash!!!!! this is kind of an advanced idea - takes lots of practice and set up! not worth it for this kind of detail shot, but totally worth it for this kind of detail shot, imho:
Click to view attachment
2 - you are quite close to the glass - back up. this lens needs about one of my arms-lengths +6" to focus well. (in other words, if i can touch the subject, TOOOOO close.) i use my arm as a gauge, since i don't carry a ruler with me when i'm shooting - over time, you'll know how close you can get.
3 - you are trying to auto focus on a subject with very little contrast - you need to use manual focus for this situation - the camera is confused.
4 - shooting this lens wide open, that close will soften the image, stop down, just a third or so
imho - there is nothing wrong with your camera. this is where is would like to get on my little box and start preaching about the importance of good glass over camera body. again, imho, the reasons stated above are more than likely going to give you the soft image, but there are suggestions there, too, for how to improve. try putting a glass near a window for light and trying out the suggestions.
hope that helps.
~robin
one more thing- it appears to be right out of camera, or very little post processing. you could clean up the image and make it 'pop' a little, and that would give the impression of a little sharper focus, but it won't look razor sharp with processing alone.
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