What's wrong? Help needed.

wippers · 19 Apr 2010

I have recently got my hands on a Canon 70-200 F2.8 IS and have been finding quite a lot of the shots are a bit soft, particularly candid shots of people (which is very new to me having previously only done macro and landscapes).

This one is straight out of the camera shooting in RAW mode. I know the background isn't great and it was just a quick snap, but any advice on where I may be going wrong would be very helpful. Is the shutter speed too slow for the focal length? Would increasing this make the shot sharper? :bonk:

F4.5
130mm
ISO100
1/50th

Mr G · 19 Apr 2010

Are you using a tripod ? if not you need to up your Iso or shutter speed I think at 130mm you should be round about 125 if handheld to stop any camera shake

Euan · 19 Apr 2010

Have you got the stabiliser switched on? At that sort of shutter speed any movement by the subject will make your images go a bit soft.

ziggy© · 19 Apr 2010

With the weight of that lens and camera i wouldnt be able toget a sharp shot at that shutter speed unless im using a tripod.

gheesom · 19 Apr 2010

I can get a sharp shot at 1/50th, but you have a few variables here, how steady where you as the lens is to heavy not to have good technique, even with IS, even tougher if it wasn't on.....what was the subject doing? moving, any movement going to show up.

wippers · 19 Apr 2010

The subject was pretty motionless (she was doing her nails at the time

) but the shot was hand-held. I just grabbed the camera and shot pretty quickly with little time to set everything up. The lens has IS which was on Mode 1, but I thought I was holding the camera pretty steady. It may have been my poor technique, so any pointers on would be welcome. :thinking:

AliB · 19 Apr 2010

I's recommend you check it on a tripod with the IS off. If the shots are sharp then it's your technique I'm afraid.

I've shot a fair bit on that lens and with a static subject I could hand hold down to 1/15 at 200mm so I know that it is possible but you need to be rock steady and not waving the thing around.

There are a few techniques from shooting guns that you can use shooting long lenses, they are not best suited to grab shots and there is also the chance that the IS was still trying to stabilise that upwards swing as you took the shot.

Test it and then spend some time shooting static objects to practice.

wippers · 19 Apr 2010

Well I had another quick play tonight and got this shot, which seems sharper but not sure what I've done differently. :thinking:

F4, 1/20, ISO250, 140mm:

AliB · 20 Apr 2010

refer to post #7

The IS system is gyroscopic and takes time to settle, you can't just swing this lens up and shoot because the IS is still spinning in the wrong orbit (so to speak) You need to give it a chance to settle and grab shots can easily be affected by the Is not working correctly.

Get your feet in a good firm stance, elbows in, hand under the lens to support it and squeeze a shot off slowly and time it with your breathing (end of exhale)and you should notice a big difference.

To test the lens, switch off the IS, stick it on a tripod and use the timer. Sharp shot = technique requires work. Simples

awp · 20 Apr 2010

Actually your first shot doesn't look OOF - the eyes look sharp - it is 'soft' because of the shallow DoF - the subjects face in shadow and the b/g being a lot brighter. The second shot looks better because there is a lot more contrast in the lighting - also has shallow DoF but looks good. I don't think you have much of a problem - sjow us a few more in good light.

Musicman · 20 Apr 2010

^^ I agree.

Though it's difficult to tell for sure at web resolutions it looks fine to me in terms of sharpness at this size.

wippers · 20 Apr 2010

I think I maybe just need to practice more then! This is a new lens to me and it is pretty heavy compared to what I'm used to. As previously I have only done macro and landscape shots, I also have to sort out my technique as I'm sure my trusty tripod won't be available when doing my candid shots.

HoppyUK · 20 Apr 2010

The problem with the first shot is the light, not the lens. And that's what's different with the second image.

In the portrait, the background is very bright (and that has probably influenced the light meter into under-exposing a bit) but the face is in soft shadow. If you increase the exposure it will brighten up a lot, but then the background will bleach the outline of her hair.

What that shot needs is a dash of fill-in flash. That would transform it. Nowt wrong with the lens there.