Canon EOS 40D problems with soft images

pritchi83

pritchi83

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Hi

Happy new year to you all. I hope you will be able to help me I bought a Canon EOS 40d a few months ago and i have started to notice that the images that i am getting are very soft. I am using a Sigma 70-300mm lens, i shot some pictures today using a tripod and a two second delay on the camera to make sure there was shake. I also shot at 100 iso. I also got a lend of a 50mm macro lens from a friend to rule out the lens it was a lot better but still not pin sharp. Any suggestions on how i can solve this?

Many Thanks
John
 
is your camera set to neutral in the settings menu?
 
Try menu, picture style, standard
 
Flamez said:
is your camera set to neutral in the settings menu?
Click to expand...

That doesn't matter. Don't use JPEG, always shoot RAW and convert as required.

The problem will probably be a combination of very soft lens, and focusing technique. If you really want max sharpness, set f/8 and very high speed like 1/500s or faster, and then make sure the focus is spot on (you can confirm it with live view).

There is another issue using long lenses and tripod. The vibration of the shutter is strong enough at 300mm to make pictures blurry, so also use mirror lock up custom function, and remote release.
 
These two shot with 70-300mm lens
IMG_4191.jpg


IMG_4190.jpg


This one with canon 50mm macro lens
IMG_4093-2.jpg


Thanks for the replys, i always shoot in Raw and JPEG. When i am focusing i try to focus on something sharp and then move to where i want to shoot if i am not sure about the focusing. Ill try and lock the mirror lock and see if that helps. I am going to get a remote release tomorrow. Hopefully it wont take me too long to sort this out
 
not sure about the back focus as the first photo not show this.
How are you focusing auto or manual can you show teh photo with your focus points showing.
I see the lamp is 1/60 f4 108mm ISO 400
the box is 1/8 f5 190mm ISO 400
1/125 f4 70mm ISO 200
It hard to tell what is going on for a test you need all shot with same settings.
Above you say tripod ISO 100
Are the 3 shoots from RAW or the JPG if RAW what have you done to them like sharpening them?
 
pritchi83 said:
When i am focusing i try to focus on something sharp and then move to where i want to shoot if i am not sure about the focusing.
Click to expand...

The problem with doing that is that if you're using Single Shot AF the AF is locked once you attain sharp focus and remains so as long as you keep the shutter half depressed. If you now recompopse the shot it's very easy for the subject to be out of focus once you've recomposed due to any slight alteration of the camera to subject distance.

Try shooting in Servo AF mode which focuses continously all the time you have the shutter half depressed.
 
The other thing to consider is have you sharpened these images after reducing them in size for web viewing? This is something that you always MUST do as the image will lose definition and appear soft once reduced in size. Giving your last image the normal sharpening I'd expect to do after reduction in size, it's difficult to see much wrong with it tbh.

4234370866_97886ff6a1_o.jpg
 
The Sigma 70-300 likes to be closed down a little to get the best from it and also if you shot wide open you have a shallow focal plane so any movement backwards or forwards will move the focal plane. The sigma is also slightly soft at the 300mm end too. Try re-shooting at f8 and see how they come out ;)
 
pritchi83 said:
When i am focusing i try to focus on something sharp and then move to where i want to shoot
Click to expand...

daugirdas said:
The 2nd shot looks like backfocus (Manfrotto on the side looks much crisper). The 3rd is too dark, and your AF may have struggled with all three.
Click to expand...

I think these two are related, did you by any chance focus on the corner of the box and then recompose?

Are all the pics recomposed as you describe?
 
Also you dont say if this is a new problem, something that you have only just noticed and possibly had all along etc?
Did you buy second hand or from a shop?
 
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