Canon 7D - Nothing is sharp

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copperband

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Ed
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Hope someone on here can help me with this as it's driving me crazy.

Not sure exactly how to classify the problem I have but the symptoms are that every shot I take seems to be soft or ever so slightly out of focus.
Zooming in on a photo seems to show everything has a soft edge to it rather than a sharp one.

I use the camera in either Av or Tv and have this issue regardless of whether I use any of my 3 lenses 50mm F1.4, 24-105mm F4 or 70 - 200mm F4 IS. It's slightly worse with the 2 IS lenses but I don't think that's the issue but could be contributing?

I spoke with Canon today who weren't overly helpful, I got the impression that their technical experts do nothing other than run through an script with you using a computer based troubleshooter. At the end of the call I was told I could take it or send it to an approved service centre to have the focus adjusted/calibrated?

In many ways I wish I'd hung onto my 40D which never had any of these issues and always took nice sharp images.

Can anyone suggest any tests or advice based on experience?
I've googled this and come up with the usual tales of other peoples problems but would be nice if someone her has first hand knowledge of this and how it got sorted out?

Many Thanks :)
 
Have you some sample images? to look at..
 
show some pics, i dont want to be condescending (sp), but maybe the shutter speed is a tad too long?
 
If you are comparing 100% views of your 40D against the 7D, they will look softer as you are effectively looking alot closer than 100%. The 7D does require a bit more sharpening, but don't get obsessed with pixel peeping. That said, you do need to make sure that focus is accurate and no camera shake as the increased resolution will show up poor technique more so than earlier lower resolution models.
 
Post some sample images - ones with a shutter speed at least 1/focal length and stopped down a bit...
 
kman, can you clarify what you mean?
What's the best way to show photo's - upload to my Smug mug then link?
 
copperband said:
kman, can you clarify what you mean?
What's the best way to show photo's - upload to my Smug mug then link?
Click to expand...

As a general rule of thumb for handheld shooting, if your focal length is 50mm then the speed should be at least 1/50th of a second to not introduce blurring from your hand movement.

If you are a real "steady Eddy" with your hands or prop your arm against a wall you can go a bit slower without noticeable camera shake.

Actually best thing if you can for test shots is put the camera on a tripod or on a desktop and take a shot on a remote or timer. That will eliminate any issues of your hands or finger press on the shutter being the cause of any blur.
 
Btw the type of test you need to do or I'm assuming your doing is a focus test. You can use anything but something like a book with some small printed writing is ideal. Go wide open and shoot at a 30-45 degree angle to the page, taking careful note which letter hits the focus point. Then compare to see where the focus is on your image.

Make sure your also greater than the minimum focus distance your lens requires otherwise it can never hit focus.
 
Artyman

Why would you need to sharpen pictures out of the 7D more than the 40D.

The 40D has less pixels per square MM so surely the 7d should record in much finer detail.

My 5D2 needs about 50% less sharpening than my 40D did.
 
Here's a quick example of a photo where I just can't find anything in Focus!

1112315159_nJhfx-X2.jpg


Will have a go at some other test shots in the morning
 
Bottom right corner, the wood and rope looks to be the best focus, what do other's think?
 
Which AF are you using? All points, centre, centre expanded etc etc?

It looks to me as though focus has locked onto the post and rope to the right.

Can you also confirm that you're using One Shot v AI Servo, and not focusing then recomposing?
 
I disagree slightly, I think the focus is something around the bottom right on the rope / plank?!

might be my eyes though! :D
 
haha! all posted at 41mins and all agree!! lol
 
I assume you were trying to focus on the bird? had a look at the exif data focal length -200mm, shutter speed - 1/100s, iso - 100.

Given the rule you should be at 1/200s shutter speed or faster (if handheld). Set to aperture priority, then increase the ISO here til your meter gives you 1/200s (in aperture priority mode) at f/4. Or try a wider angle lens where a lower speed will do (50mm = 1/50s).
 
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kman said:
I assume you were trying to focus on the bird? had a look at the exif data focal length -200mm, shutter speed - 1/100s, iso - 100.

Given the rule you should be at 1/200s shutter speed or faster (if handheld). Set to aperture priority, then increase the ISO here til your meter gives you 1/200s (in aperture priority mode) at f/4. Or try a wider angle lens where a lower speed will do (50mm = 1/50s).
Click to expand...

Shutter speed has nothing to do with the primary error here, the AF has 'missed' focus, hence the post and rope being on.

Apart from which the f4 should be able to hold 1/100th at 200mm with IS on anyway!
 
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Well yes in that case it is a focussing issue but we don't know what the intended focus point was and how the focussing was set up. I just wanted to make sure any test eliminates the possibility of introduction of camera shake. On inspection, the right corner wood does look like the focus point.
 
Definitely looks like the bottom right hand corner is in focus, around the plank and rope. So that would rule out camera shake. What focus mode where you using, and which focus zone? Also is this a new camera or a second hand one?
 
I don't think there's any problem with the camera focusing, as this shot taken which is tack sharp, with the same combo, shows (and a rather good photie btw!):

http://eddmiller.smugmug.com/Pets/Dragibus/11472924_oiLBV#1112234751_Zry9u-A-LB

I've got a feeling that it's more to do with the set up of the camera. The 7D can be a fairly complicated beast if you are coming to it from an xxD series and it takes a bit of getting used to.


- Ed, I hope that you don't mind me posting a link to that other shot btw!
 
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Agreed, bottom right is in focus.

Has this image been cropped from original at all? If not, then you have a focus error there. If it is consistent with all lenses you may need to get it fixed by Canon.
 
By default the 7D is set up for all points focussing and one shot drive. In this combination the 7D tends to focus on the nearest object, even if it is quite a way over to one side.


I suspect that is why the plank and rope in the bottom right are in focus as they look to be the nearest objects. You could always try switching on focus point display in the review screen to confirm this.

I generally stick to single point focusing and only move up to centre zone and then to all points if I think the situation would benefit from it.
 
ChrisH said:
Artyman

Why would you need to sharpen pictures out of the 7D more than the 40D.

The 40D has less pixels per square MM so surely the 7d should record in much finer detail.

My 5D2 needs about 50% less sharpening than my 40D did.
Click to expand...

it doesn't work that way

the 7D has much greater pixel density so in order to produce the same kind of sharpness at 100%, the lens is worked much harder, because it's the equivalent of zooming in more and more. E.g., images from my 1Ds look pin sharp as it's a large sensor low megapixel machine - it doesn't demand high resolution from the lens. On the 450D I had before, the same lenses weren't quite as sharp.

I am sure Canon has documented this.
 
So because the 7D can resolve greater detail it makes pictures blurred.

I think it probably just shows up the shortcomings on the lens.

Thankfully I went all L glass so have no real problems they all look sharper on my 5D2 than they did on the 40D, I don't know why or care LOL . :D
 
I agree with where people think the focus is on the photo.
The slight fly in the ointment is that the 7d doesn't have any focus points there.
So if the camera is working, then the only reason could be that the image has been recomposed.
My concern would be (and I have seen it on my own lenses, I think, in that I have changed the way my IS works, and it hasn't happended again since), that the IS is not spinning up fully on the lens by the time the camera attempts to focus.
 
You can rule out lens resolution/sensor size/pixel density, camera shake or subject movement!

Any one of the above will affect the whole image. There is one part which is comparatively sharp and the rest isn't! Even IS on with a tripod will not affect one portion of a static image

To mind there is a problem with either the sensor plane, lens plane (parallelism) or focussing error.
 
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Looking again at the image there is a lot of depth to it, it's not a flat subject plane (it's diagonally arranged) so it could well be focussing error. And a telephoto as well so that will compound the issue.

Finished now! :lol:
 
Yog said:
By default the 7D is set up for all points focussing and one shot drive. In this combination the 7D tends to focus on the nearest object, even if it is quite a way over to one side.

I suspect that is why the plank and rope in the bottom right are in focus as they look to be the nearest objects. You could always try switching on focus point display in the review screen to confirm this.

I generally stick to single point focusing and only move up to centre zone and then to all points if I think the situation would benefit from it.
Click to expand...

Sounds favourite.

7D's AF is complex and well known to fox people before they get the hang of it.
 
woof woof said:
Can a lens be that bad?
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possibly

I'm drunk so might not be talkking in my right mind but generall y speaking a given lens will perform worse the more pixels are packed into a small sensor, because it is sessntially asking more of that lens in terms of resolving power.
 
I think that even the bottom of your glass / bottle should give a better whole image than that :)

My money would be on focus / recompose or multi point, or summot.

PS. Cheers. :)
 
trencheel303 said:
possibly

I'm drunk so might not be talkking in my right mind but generall y speaking a given lens will perform worse the more pixels are packed into a small sensor, because it is sessntially asking more of that lens in terms of resolving power.
Click to expand...

Pretty much what I thought when I asked if my kit lens from my 400D, would be any good on a 7D, as I wanted to save the cash so I afford get a 70-200mm F4, Clicky Linky
 
trencheel303 said:
possibly

I'm drunk so might not be talkking in my right mind but generall y speaking a given lens will perform worse the more pixels are packed into a small sensor, because it is sessntially asking more of that lens in terms of resolving power.
Click to expand...

Well yes (under the circumstances ;) ) but no lens will ever perform worse with more pixels - it can't. Its shortcomings may become more evident, at a higher level. They will always have been there, just previously concealed by a less revealing sensor.
 
Except that the lens in this case is an 'EF70-200mm f/4L IS USM' (direct Exif quote), which is hardly junk!
 
HoppyUK said:
Well yes (under the circumstances ;) ) but no lens will ever perform worse with more pixels - it can't. Its shortcomings may become more evident, at a higher level. They will always have been there, just previously concealed by a less revealing sensor.
Click to expand...

Well, that's just down to semantics... I am sure you knew what I meant. I know what I meant. :thinking:

Having been able to actually see the picture properly this morning it looks like missed focus.
 
Could the OP upload the original jpeg so we can load into dpp and check the focus point to be 110% sure?

I had a similar issue when I got my 7d and was down to me being using the centre AF point recompose which worked great with my sony a300 but was never as good as manually selecting the closest af point.
 
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