p.1 #1 · 5D Mark III files - What am I dong wrong ?
The files from my 5D Mark III seem to have multiple-frames-in-one kind of effect SOOC for some and for almost every one I am unable to get a decent amount of detail show up after a round of PP.
With my earlier Mark II I used to resize it 33% using Bi-cubic Sharpener, noise removal using Define 2.0 at defaults and then re-size to 1105x 1105 and add a USM of 35/1/0.
Where am I wrong ? All the photos are from an immovable stand. I have bolted a ball head to my kitchen island
p.1 #4 · 5D Mark III files - What am I dong wrong ?
When you mentioned that you are shooting from a kitchen island I thought you might still be shooting through a window that has a screen in it. I can clearly see in the second image the screen you mentioned behind the wooden patio, but I wouldn't expect that particular screen to create the effect we're seeing in your images. I've seen this before and it was the result of shooting through a window screen.
Have you captured any other images from another location?
p.1 #7 · 5D Mark III files - What am I dong wrong ?
Thank you Adam. For the first time I took the 5D-III on an birding trip to Jasper Pulaski NWR Indiana to shoot SHC's. I came back with about 300 images. Most of them shot on a weighty tripod and gimbal head and some from inside the car dampened by a jelly pillow. Almost all of them have this in-explicable multi frame look. Specially pronounced if I try to use my old workflow.
p.1 #8 · 5D Mark III files - What am I dong wrong ?
Thanks Tim. I just checked and both are disabled. One thing I have noticed with this camera is if I switch off and switch back on, the ALO seems to be turned on. It never stays 'OFF'. I have to manually turn it off everytime. Could this be the culprit ?
p.1 #9 · 5D Mark III files - What am I dong wrong ?
Any chance you have IS turned on. If so, try turning it off when you shoot from a tripod.
Another possibility would be optical disruption in the transition between indoor and outdoor air, from shooting through a window. Temperature and humidity differences can do funny things to light at the interfaces. It's no accident that astronomical observatories are kept open to the outside air, and in equilibrium with it.
p.1 #12 · 5D Mark III files - What am I dong wrong ?
I would reset to factory defaults, set it to P mode, remove the filters, and take a picture outside (not through a window). If you have more than one lens, try both. If you still have a problem, your camera is probably defective and you should call Canon.
p.1 #13 · 5D Mark III files - What am I dong wrong ?
The Jasper Pulaski NWR shot does not look multiplied. It looks overexposed.
The ones you shot at home look multiplied, and it would seem you are shooting through window glass. Don't.
In the second shot, you are getting bird movement. In the Cardinal shot, you are getting lens bokeh. The Cardinal seems fine.
Some of those images also seem a bit flared out. Are you shooting with the proper lens hood in place? Overexposure accentuates that. Window glass accentuates that.
Window glass adds two optical surfaces with additional internal reflections. Also, just like a 'protectant' filter on a lens, the two extra surfaces can rob colour contrast without touching sharpness. Get rid of the UV filter, especally indoors!
There is something very strange about your workflow that is sucking the vitality out of the photos. Perhaps you could detail exactly how you convert your Raws, and your camera JPEG settings (which can default your Raw conversion, though they can be over-ridden since the Raw contains true image data).
splathrop wrote:
Any chance you have IS turned on. If so, try turning it off when you shoot from a tripod.
This is a strong possibility to cause the ghosting.
Also, are you using mirror lockup or live view? If you are not, then mirror slap can make a huge difference at those shutterspeeds, even on a very good tripod.
It is a bit counter-intuitive, but (for say a 300mm lens), shutterspeeds in the the range of maybe 1/200 to 1/4 second are very problematic on a tripod without the mirror locked up (on a good tripod; go down to 1 or 2 sec on a lesser tripod). The reason is that longer shutter speeds (say 4 or 8 seconds) allow the camera & lens to stop resonating early in the shot and then build up density in a stable situation. In the intermediate zone the camera & lens may be resonating on the tripod during the whole shot. Of course even faster speeds will freeze the tripod shake too.
p.1 #14 · 5D Mark III files - What am I dong wrong ?
Unless hand holding, turn the IS off. I've tried using IS with both monopods and tripods; including a small tabletop that supports 20+ lbs and I most often get a jittery look, I just turn it off when mounted on any support system. Mirror lockup and a remote shutter release help a ton with sharpness as do higher shutter speeds (as mentioned above.)
The 300 f4L IS uses Canon's older IS, it gives you about 2 stops, but gets rather erratic when on a support. If your shots don't clear up after turning IS off you might send it in to Canon for a check up!
Hope things get fixed, the 300 is a fav lens
Jerry
p.1 #15 · 5D Mark III files - What am I dong wrong ?
Shreeni, indeed there is something odd going on with those pictures, almost as if they are suffering from a major haze/flare.
Now, a few observations up front, before I make my suggestion.
(1) The little birds coming to your feeder are better shot with a higher/safer shutter speed such as 1/1000-1/2000 sec. That way you also have a chance of catching them in flight.
(2) The Sandhill cranes are overexposed by a lot.
(3) Have you mounted the hood on the lenses when you took those shots ?
Now, I have a following suggestion for testing your 5DMkIII.
(1) Shoot JPG only, Standard picture style, set sharpening to 5, everything else to default or 0.
(2) Turn off all auto features such as auto ISO, Highlite priority, exposure bracketing, multiple exposures, safety shift and whatever else might be there.
(3) Set camera to AV mode, partial metering, center AF point w/o expansion, one shot AF, shoot at f/4.
(4) Have your 300 f/4 on the camera, turn IS off.
(3) The test target is 3 popcans, 10-15 ft distant, and well lit, but no strong back/sidelight. The popcans are staggered by 1/2 inch, ie., the left can is 1/2 inch behind the centre can, and the right can is 1/2 inch in front of the centre can.
(4) Do at least a dozen or so shots of the centre can. Defocus the lens between individual shots. Make sure that you've got ample shutter speed for the type of support.
(5) Do not do any JPG postprocessing, evaluate JPGS SOOC.
p.1 #16 · 5D Mark III files - What am I dong wrong ?
1. shooting through a window in some?
2. not letting IS spool up long enough in others and clicking the shot while it is spooling up?
3. IS used on tripod or with longer exposures?
4. IS breaking on one lens
5. shooting out of an open door or window (house or car) and the heat escaping the house or maybe a nearby furnace chimney is making heat mirage waves?
6. overexposure?
7. bad filter?
p.1 #17 · 5D Mark III files - What am I dong wrong ?
Thanks Monito & Jerry.
I am not shooting through a window or glass. I have a walkout patio when the feeders are. I sit inside in the kitchen and shoot. I have 75lbs rated ball head screwed onto the kitchen island so that the support is rock solid. I will try tomorrow with the IS turned off and lens filters removed.
There is something very strange about your workflow that is sucking the vitality out of the photos. Perhaps you could detail exactly how you convert your Raws, and your camera JPEG settings (which can default your Raw conversion, though they can be over-ridden since the Raw contains true image data).
This is definitely true Monito And I can't put a finger on where. I open the file ACR which has all defaults turned to zero in 16 bit/326 ppi. Straighten and open in CS5. Crop and reduce by 67% using Bi-cubic. Apply USM 35/0.2/1. Nik Define at defaults. Use levels with Black and white dropper. Add frame and then USM again with 35/0.5/1. Save to Web in 80% quality.
p.1 #18 · 5D Mark III files - What am I dong wrong ?
Peter/Skibum - Thanks. I will try this tommorow AM.
The filter are B+W's and I have never removed it from the day I have got the lens. 300/500 came back with a clean chit a few months ago. I just went outside and checked that the gas chimney leads out somewhat close to the place I am sitting inside which may be playing something ?
p.1 #19 · 5D Mark III files - What am I dong wrong ?
"try tomorrow with the IS turned off" -- that right there is probably your problem.
All the factors can take one or two percent off the quality of the photos, but when they combine, the effect is muliplicative. Inappropriate use of IS might be a 50 % sledgehammer. Mirror slap can be 10% or worse. Filter plus no lenshood can be 5% (numbers are subjective, but you get the relative idea).
A kitchen island can have a lot more resonance than a tripod unless you are screwing into a granite slab. I would not assume it is "rock solid" unless it is heavy rock. A wooden framed counter top with formica surfaced particle board can be like a drum. Kitchen floors in wood frame houses can vibrate too. Wind can vibrate a wood frame house.
When you get rid of the IS shudder and use Live View or mirror lockup, take some shots using PetKal's suggestions. You might also upload somewhere the Raw for the first photo since it wonky and not worth much due to the wonkiness. That way others could convert and process it to debug your workflow.
All the photos are from an immovable stand. I have bolted a ball head to my kitchen island 
