Intermittent photo issues

botty.1963

botty.1963

Suspended / Banned
Messages
18
Name
Steve
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi All. A while ago I created a post as I thought that I had an issue with my Canon 24-105 f/4 L lens, with some photos being blurred. However, after coming back from a week away and using both this lens, and my Canon 70-200 f/4 L I have noticed that the issue is on both lenses, so it must be the camera. The issue is intermittent, but I took close to 1,000 photos over the week and around 100 have the issue. I have added 4 x CR2 files into the folder linked below, three were taken on a tripod and one was handheld. Other photos were taken around the same time, with the same settings, and in the same conditions and do not have this issue. I use a Canon EOS 80D.

The file names show the lens used, the aperture, the shutter speed (- not / due to windows limitations), the focal length, ISO and whether it was on a tripod and handheld. On some photos most of the image has the 'blur' and on some it is just some parts of the image.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what this could be?

Photos folder
 
Hi, the three on the tripod were manually focused. Also, to me the 'blur' does not look like it being out of focus, it looks a little like shift in the image.
 
They are dreadful, something definitely going wrong there Steve.
The first one is the best, but that's not saying much, was that the handheld one?
Tempted to say its the IS mucking them up if you left it on when using the tripod, but even so they look worse than that.
 
Last edited:
Is what you are seeing something to do with using live view and it's Dual Pixel AF ???
 
Did you use a remote shutter release or timer and was the mirror locked up?
Looks like some form of unwanted movement, in the last three nothing is in focus.
 
Hi all, thanks for the feedback. I tend to use a 2 second timer on the tripod photos, and I sometimes use AF and sometimes MF, and I switch off the IS unless it is very windy where I may leave it on to compensate. I've compared the issue to ones where I have deliberately not focused correctly, and this intermittent issue just looks different. I can see that it may be an IS issue as it looks like shake, but as the IS is in the lenses that would suggest both lenses have intermittent IS issues which is unlikely.
 
I'd guess it's the IS causing it. You should always switch that off when using a tripod otherwise it will cause vibrations rather than help to stop them.
 
Sky said:
I'd guess it's the IS causing it. You should always switch that off when using a tripod otherwise it will cause vibrations rather than help to stop them.
Click to expand...
:agree:

Unless the lens can be explicitly used on a tripod with IS left turned on, then turn it off.

If you think it is wind induced vibrations on the tripod then get a triangular cloth (commercial ones exist, still?) that attachs to all 3 legs and put some weight in it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sky
I also get the issue handheld, so not sure it is related to IS/tripod use. I started noticing it a few months ago, and that was when I had taken photos in what is my normal mode of operation, which is handheld with the 24-105 when out hiking. In all of those cases the IS and AF will both be on, and I normally have the aperture set to f/8 for just snapping when hiking. I will pop on a RAW file that I am happy with, when back on my desktop PC.
 
It would be ideal if you could test the lenses on another camera.
Have you a non IS prime you could try, that would at least eliminate the stabilisation question
Personally don't think its that, bit of a stretch that two lenses could be similarly affected.

I'm going for it now and saying misaligned lens mount or sensor, the latter possibly loose
 
I have my wifes 1300D that I can try it on, plus I have a 50mm prime without IS that I can try on mine. Always frustrating with an intermittent issue as sometimes I might go on a hike, fire off 100 or so snaps as I'm going, and no issues.

I have uploaded three photos that don't show the issue.
 
botty.1963 said:
I have my wifes 1300D that I can try it on, plus I have a 50mm prime without IS that I can try on mine. Always frustrating with an intermittent issue as sometimes I might go on a hike, fire off 100 or so snaps as I'm going, and no issues.

I have uploaded three photos that don't show the issue.
Click to expand...

Intermittent faults are always the hardest thing to find, can't test what isn't there at a specific time.
Putting my money on the mount or sensor, hope you get to the bottom of it soon
 
Do I read it as that the 100 out of the 1000 (in your OP) were spread across the total and/or are there any clusters of them?

Plus, any common denominator (e.g. shutter speed, aperture or ISO.......live view........et al) showing up in the EXIF data?
 
These things drive me bonkers, even when its happening to others.
Does it have a touch screen, I know dslr's have advanced a bit since I had a 40d and 5d2

If so and its active, could it be getting touched inadvertently and moving the focus point.
Happened to me that often on a Pansonic mirrorless that I turned the touch function off
 
tijuana taxi said:
These things drive me bonkers, even when its happening to others.
Does it have a touch screen, I know dslr's have advanced a bit since I had a 40d and 5d2

If so and its active, could it be getting touched inadvertently and moving the focus point.
Happened to me that often on a Pansonic mirrorless that I turned the touch function off
Click to expand...
Because I use my left dominant eye, l made sure to disable the touch screen on my Olympus camera to mitigate for that being a cause of issues ;)
 
Box Brownie said:
Because I use my left dominant eye, l made sure to disable the touch screen on my Olympus camera to mitigate for that being a cause of issues ;)
Click to expand...

I use my right eye and the focus point kept moving to where my nose touched the screen.
 
Sky said:
I'd guess it's the IS causing it. You should always switch that off when using a tripod otherwise it will cause vibrations rather than help to stop them.
Click to expand...
For these Canon lenses, the instructions specifically states that you can leave IS on when using a tripod which I have always done with no problem. This is because the lens using a motion detector and if motion is less than a certain amount (as it would when using a tripod), then the IS is temporarily disabled automatically. This may not be true for non-Canon Lenses.

Dave
 
j crossley said:
The first image shows that the camera locked focus on the bird with the RED focus point.

View attachment 294038


The second image shows that the camera did NOT lock focus as no focus points are highlighted in red.
Also the blurring in the red box seems to be inconsistent with the rest of the blurring in the image.
View attachment 294040
Click to expand...
That's really interesting (I forgot about DPP for checking focus points) as the area I focused on (or tried to) on that second image was the fields on the hill opposite. I wanted the wall to be soft focus.
 
Dave Canon said:
For these Canon lenses, the instructions specifically states that you can leave IS on when using a tripod
Click to expand...

Thanks for letting me know, it's nice to hear Canon can do some things right . . . ;)
 
UV/protective filters can cause this type of effect... usually cheap uncoated/single-coated ones. The amount/type and direction of the lighting (brightness/type of details) makes a difference in whether it will show up and how prominent it will be.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Sky
When I get time I will go through all the photos with this 'effect' and see if there are any common settings.
 
I have also checked your photos in ZoomBrowser and only one has focussed (Bird). Even ideally you should focus on the eye not the wing. Presumably if you do not have live view on, the touch screen will not be activated so should not be a problem. I recommend using a single spot (centre spot) and having the sound on so it beeps when focus is locked. Assuming you have a standard set up, by holding the shutter button half way it should focus then beep before you press all the way to fire the shutter. Also while holding the button half way, once focus is achieved, you can recompose before firing the shutter. You do need to think about what point you want to be the focus point and consider the DOF.

Dave
 
I use back button focus and have it set to single spot focus. With the bird, it was moving about hence it not being on the eye, and the photo was taken through the optical viewfinder.
 
FWIW, this is not a misfocus issue... and I do not think it is an IS issue either. IS would affect the overall image more evenly IMO; and misfocus causes blur/soft focus, not this doubling/nisen type of effect (but filters can).
 
Last edited:
Just read that when using back button focus, that DPP4 doesn't show the focus points.
 
sk66 said:
FWIW, this is not a misfocus issue... and I do not think it is an IS issue either. IS would affect the overall image more evenly IMO; and misfocus causes blur/soft focus, not this doubling/nisen type of effect (but filters can).
Click to expand...

Do you think it could be a misaligned mount or sensor issue Steven?
 
tijuana taxi said:
Do you think it could be a misaligned mount or sensor issue Steven?
Click to expand...
At first I thought it could be a lens mount causing something of a tilt shift effect... I had that once with a loose/bent lens ring; but that also causes soft focus/blur and not doubling. My other guess besides filters would be something to do with the sensor stack, like the AA filter being lifted due to using one of those tacky stick cleaners.
 
sk66 said:
At first I thought it could be a lens mount causing something of a tilt shift effect... I had that once with a loose/bent lens ring; but that also causes soft focus/blur and not doubling. My other guess besides filters would be something to do with the sensor stack, like the AA filter being lifted due to using one of those tacky stick cleaners.
Click to expand...

Thank you, I also think that is more likely than focus or IS issues.
I had something similar on one of my cameras when the lens was seating unevenly on the mount.
That gave blur on one side before I fixed it with a thin shim
 
j crossley said:
The first image shows that the camera locked focus on the bird with the RED focus point.

View attachment 294038


The second image shows that the camera did NOT lock focus as no focus points are highlighted in red.
Also the blurring in the red box seems to be inconsistent with the rest of the blurring in the image.
View attachment 294040
Click to expand...
Just realised that I think the focus point element relating to the bird is misleading. I use single-point centre/back button to focus, and then the re-compose. Therefore the display is showing the focus point that was used to lock focus, and not what was focused on. I have checked through a number of other photos where I know what I focused on, and then what it shows on the screen. So for example there were a couple of photos where I focused on white farm buildings, but if you look at the focus point it is suggesting that I focused on the sky. Which in fact would never have worked as the examples I looked at were clear solid blue skies so there was nothing for the camera to grab focus. Also, I am fairly certain that if you manually focus then looking for the focus point on the image will show nothing as it will only pick the data up if you use auto-focus.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top