Canon 5D or lens not sharp??? - DPChallenge Forums

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

07/21/2010 10:37:35 PM · #1

Hey all, I just bought a Canon 5D and am noticing really soft images. Heck, my Nikon D80 was sharper!

I have the 50mm 1.8 lens, and am using my moms 35-80mm until I have money to get more decent ones.

On both lens, the image is quite soft, and I am getting very frustrated. I don't think it is the lens?

Is there any chance the 5D is defective and produces soft images... the sensor maybe? I don't know.

I tried USM on photoshop
I shot 2 f-stops above the highest to maximize sharpness
I tried shooting in nice light

I'm just really frustrated and any help would be greatly appreciated.

-Drew M

Yo_Spiff

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

07/21/2010 10:42:29 PM · #2

If you can post the RAW file, some of us can look at it and give a more informed guess as to what is going on. I like to use Yousendit. You can upload a file to someone's e-mail and it will also give you a link to the download page that you can post here.

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

07/21/2010 11:18:56 PM · #3

Shoot a picture at f/8 with that lens at least at 1/250th. If it is still soft, it isn't your lens.

MattO

Nikon D4

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

07/21/2010 11:28:50 PM · #4

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

Shoot a picture at f/8 with that lens at least at 1/250th. If it is still soft, it isn't your lens.

Are you 100% sure that can be relied on?

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

07/21/2010 11:32:01 PM · #5

Thanks for the quick comments guys... will try and post ASAP. I don't have USB to PC cord at the moment -.- so hopefully soon!

-Drew

cpanaioti

Canon EOS-40D

07/21/2010 11:33:43 PM · #6

How close to your subject were you? Further than the minimum focusing distance?

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

07/21/2010 11:47:14 PM · #7

Hey cpanaloti, it's not an issue of focus, but of sharpness. Thanks though! I will be posting a RAW image shortly.

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

07/22/2010 12:12:25 AM · #8

Originally posted by MattO:

Originally posted by DrAchoo:
Shoot a picture at f/8 with that lens at least at 1/250th. If it is still soft, it isn't your lens.

Are you 100% sure that can be relied on?

Hmm, I suppose you are right and it could be a bum lens. I guess I made the assumption he had used this lens before. I guess doing this would remove the possibility of handheld blur and the softness of the lens at an open aperture.

spiritualspatula

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

07/22/2010 12:18:29 AM · #9

Are you using manual focus? If so, maybe your viewfinder diopter isn't set correctly?
Also, try resetting everything to default, perhaps there are some focus adjustments left from the previous user.

MattO

Nikon D4

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

07/22/2010 09:13:05 AM · #10

Drew I tried to figure out where you live, but your profile doesn't state. Maybe find another local DPC member and put a different camera to the lens and lens to the camera. This will help determine which may be at fault. I've had two 5D's and now have a 5DII and while they are both very unforgiving to bad glass they should still produce good images with the 1.8 stopped down to about F2.5

ambaker

Google Glass Google Glass

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM

07/22/2010 09:20:58 AM · #11

You can go HERE to download a focus test chart. It's written by a Nikon guy, but don't hold that against him. ;-)

Print it out, lay it on a flat surface, focus at the centerline from a 45 degree angle, and take a picture.

It will tell you if your camera is focusing in front of, or behind, the subject, or not at all (worst case).

Best of all, it's free.

MelonMusketeer

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 50mm f/1.4

07/22/2010 12:18:53 PM · #12

One of my friends bought a 5D, and his first sensor cleaning resulted in getting grease on the sensor. He sent it to Canon, they cleaned it up and shipped it back. He later found that this was a problem that was common with the 5D. You might try having a careful look at the sensor with bright sunlight reflecting off of it to see if there is any smutz on it.

I second the diopter adjustment suggestion too. Look in the viewfinder, and adjust the diopter until the display numbers look sharp and clear, then while focusing, rock your visual "point of concentration" between the numbers and your focus point on the subject. My eyes tend to try to "help" focus the image while manually focusing, and this technique helps to correct that. Thanks for that tip

Bear_Music.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

07/22/2010 12:29:29 PM · #13

Originally posted by MelonMusketeer:

I second the diopter adjustment suggestion too. Look in the viewfinder, and adjust the diopter until the display numbers look sharp and clear, then while focusing, rock your visual "point of concentration" between the numbers and your focus point on the subject. My eyes tend to try to "help" focus the image while manually focusing, and this technique helps to correct that. Thanks for that tip Bear_Music.

Actually, I specifically recommend setting your diopter to the focusing marks on the viewfinder, then focusing your eye on the viewfinder mark that overlays the part of your subject you want in critical focus, then bringing the subject "up" by focusing so it's on the same plane as the chosen mark.

R.

vawendy

Sony Alpha 1

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS

07/22/2010 02:07:12 PM · #14

I'm a little confused... if you're using manual focus, I could see this being an issue. But if you're using auto-focus, the diopter adjustment shouldn't make any difference in the photo itself.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

07/22/2010 02:32:59 PM · #15

Originally posted by vawendy:

I'm a little confused... if you're using manual focus, I could see this being an issue. But if you're using auto-focus, the diopter adjustment shouldn't make any difference in the photo itself.

It was just a little detour on the path of the thread :-) Probably irrelevant but ya never know.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

07/25/2010 12:17:30 AM · #16

Hey all,

Thanks for your time and fine comments. I did get a chance to test out my Dad's 5D Mark II and his L lenses... so I shot with his Ls on his camera, then his Ls on my camera, and they are the exact same sharpness.

So like

MattO said, I do have some bum lenses.

I did some further research on the internet, and for the love of God cannot find the site again, but it talks about camera/lens calibration and how it works. The author repairs cameras and said that factory cameras have a calibration from -3 to +3 to the focus plane (or w/e... forgot the technical term) and lens also have -3 to +3. So if you have a camera that is +3 and lens that is +3, then it is a bad combination and will not turn out to be good pictures. However if the camera is +3 and the lens is -3, the result is 0 and you have a perfect match. Hence is why there are many reviews on the net with some people saying "these" lens are super sharp, or super dull. Lens are lens, and are build the same way. Sure there is a flaw in some of them, but very few to make a significant difference (according to the author). So replacing the same focal lens until you find out that is sharp and colorful with your camera is sometimes what needs to happen.

If you are a pro, you can sign up for Canon's Calibration services (the name is along those lines) and you send in all your gear and lens, and they will professionally calibrate it for you.

So that being said, I have ordered an 85mm EF 1.8 because I love primes, and 85mm is my favorite focal length, so it should be sharp if the calibration is correct. I will follow

ambaker's advice and manually calibrate my lens to the camera... but I have found a link just for canon cameras. CANON FOCUS CHART Not that it matters whether it's a nikon or canon chart... they both are the same.

Thanks again guys!

Message edited by author 2010-07-25 00:18:28.

Yo_Spiff

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

07/25/2010 01:06:59 AM · #17

My 50D has an autofocus microadjustment in the custom functions. I can fine tune each lens if needed. Check to see if your 5D has that.

Message edited by author 2010-07-25 01:07:12.

Cory

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

07/25/2010 02:20:25 AM · #18

Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:

My 50D has an autofocus microadjustment in the custom functions. I can fine tune each lens if needed. Check to see if your 5D has that.

Rather rare feature Spiff.. :)

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

07/25/2010 11:19:29 AM · #19

My lens does have autofocus microadjustment fortunately!

Cory

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

07/25/2010 12:13:52 PM · #20

Originally posted by drew_makeanimpact:

My lens does have autofocus microadjustment fortunately!

Your lens does? Well that's fantastic!