Definitely not right, looks OOF. Were you using Autofocus or Manual focus? If autofocus, you should redo the test with manual focus. Best way is to enter live view and magnify to 10X
If you were using manual focus, I would exchange the lens.
The 35L is very sharp wide open, as sharp as my 50 f/1.8 II wide open (50 f/1.8 II is a bit better in corners wide open). They are both only a smidge worse than the 85 f/1.2LII at comparable apertures.
Shouldn't be embarrassed about pixel peeping, we all do it I prefer to call it "consumer quality control"
I wouldn't be very happy with that performance.
Others will chime in here, but I'd try to get another copy, or at least first
verify that you are nailing the focus.
Add another vote for "sub-par" and "unsatisfactory". And not just a little. Results might be just a tad soft at f:1.4, but f:2 and f:2.2 should be totally sharp. Anthony, does your have micro-adjust?
Bought new? Trade it in for a replacement. Looks like an AF calibration issue, which isn't the hardest thing to get fixed, but if it's new might as well try your luck with another copy.
I would auto focus micro adjust the lens for the body you are using. I wouldn't use a test target that has so little contrast, just pick another item. I would get a baseline MF shot, but base my final opinion on the actual AF performance.
I never hesitate to shoot wide open with my 35...it's super sharp @ 1.4. There might be something amiss with your testing though...your 2nd 1.4 shot looks much softer than your first one.
Yeah it was manual focus, with the use of live view, so it was definitely in focus. I'll do another test, but i'm pretty sure i nailed the focus. on the test.
damn it...
it was second hand and no warranty left, so i'll have to send it back to canon with fingers crossed, that the bill aint too high.
To know for sure, one needs to see 100% crops from the center and each corner. I want to say that the lens is misaligned because I get the vague impression that the focus is sharper on one side than the other.
I have a 35L currently being repaired for OOF images as well. The Canon tech suggested a way for me to test the lens, that you might want to try, to more accurately identify what's going on.
He told me to get 4 cans, preferable, the same.. ie., 4 cans of campbell's soup.
Put them in good light (I had a table set up outside!) on one end of a 5' table, and line them up at a 45 degree angle... I had each of my cans one whole can length behind the other, so from above, they made a perfect 45 degree line from a spot towards the center of the table towards the outer corner.
Next, with the camera resting on the opp end of the table, I focused on the 3rd can, wide open. I chose the 3rd from the front, using a single focus point.
Of 20 images I took, ALL of them had the 3rd can OOF, and the 4th can, though blurry, in better focus than the 3rd, and hence, it was clearly back focusing...
I HOPE TO GOD THEY FIX IT THIS TIME. THIS WILL BE ITS SECOND TRIP BACK SINCE I BOUGHT IT NEW, it has never, focused properly. I sent my 5D in with the lens this time too...
I thought this was a cool real life way of testing... which they prefered to the chart.
By all means test the lens in good light, but the 35L should be a champ in low light, too. I wish you luck and hope that Canon fixes it for you, Anthony, and you too, Princell.
i've owned 2 copies of the 35L. both needed a service trip for calibration based on my own 45 deg ruler test wide open. both came back much better, although the 2nd one, which i still own, came back slightly better than the first. i wonder whether this lens has bit of copy variation, but my sample of 2 proves nothing of course.
i second sending it in provided the prior owner will not stand behind the lens - good luck with the service.
incidentally, i had the same experience with a 50L. never a problem with any canon lens with a focal length > 50mm.
ok just did another test this morning and results below:
as above: mlu, tripod, remote shutter release, live view @ 10x mag, (-1 ec) as it was pretty bright this morning, aperture priority, 100% centre of image crops in LR
Did the cans test, with the focus targeted on the crane, from f/2 onwards it becomes acceptable, anything below that looks very similar to f/1.4
I prefer to call it "consumer quality control"
I sent my 5D in with the lens this time too...
