I am new to this forum and really to the world of "advanced" digital photography. My previous cameras have been non-SLR digitals. That said, I recently purchased a new 5D Mark II and 17-40L lens and 24-105L lens for a trip to Berlin.
I took the camera shooting and I am VERY disappointed with the sharpness of the images. It really feels worse than my worst P&S. I shot RAW+JPEG and while I know I have to sharpen RAW in post, with my RAWs I still can't seem to match my Canon A520 P&S!
I've uploaded a set of RAW photos taken with both lenses, at various focal lengths, handheld. The files are unmodified CR2s, usually shot Av @ f/8. I haven't tried Microfocus Adjust yet but even without it I feel like the images are just too blurry. Also, sorry for using a "file sharing" site, I didn't know of a kosher way of uploading 200 MB+ files.
I know it's asking a lot, but I would REALLY appreciate it if some of the experts here might take a few minutes to peek at my RAW files and let me know if what I am looking at is to be expected of my combination, or if something is wrong with my equipment. If anyone has a 5D Mark II + 17-40 or 24-105 setup and are willing to share example RAW files with me, I would really appreciate that as well.
I'll assume you've read the manual and understand how AF point selection works and how inturn that effects auto focus, Yes?
Then how shutter speed and appeture effects sharpness etc?
Then how to set the paremeters in camera for Jpeg quality?
Then how to post process images tp get them up to an acceptable standard.
Unfortunately digital SLRs though handy to have are not pick up shoot get great result cameras which goes against marketing and advertising trends.
This place however is as good a place as any to learn.
Start by reading the manual, then read it again and again.
I can't even begin to tell you where you need to start from, But learning how AF works AF selection points work is probably a good place to start. Then learn about shutter speeds and how to set them, then learn appeture settings how they effect DOF and exposure and corelate to SS. DOF I'll let you look that up.
I checked your pics,
most of the pics were shoot at 1/60, and some 1/30 and 1/50, this maybe the reason why the pics are burry... there are 3 pics have shutter speed around 1/100 to 1/125, is litter bit sharper
Pixelblurr, the other hugely helpful step to get you some help will be to post some pics here that illustrate your problem. Troubleshooting in the dark is just not effective. And, BTW, your camera and lenses should be very sharp indeed. Or else there is user error or a technical problem.
from the pics:
1. All of your focus point on each pic is at center
2. Shutter speed, 1/60, 1/60, 1/30, 1/125, 1/100, 1/50, 1/100 for 6 pics.
I think these is enough to explain why you feel is burry, coz you only choose center point as your focus point, and the shutter is too slow. I am not sure if F8 will give you good DOF or not, when I shoot 35L outdoor, I usually choose F18-F22
I would set the camera in full auto mode (green square), make sure the IS is on with the 24-105L, and go out shooting in good daylight. If those photos aren't good, there's a problem. The reason for this type of "beginner" shooting is to take user error out of the equation as much as possible (without going to the tripod, mlu, etc... methods of testing a camera/lens). This is how my wife shoots our 5d2 and she gets great results with very limited knowledge of what she's doing (I do the Post Processing). After you see that your camera is working well, then worry about learning to use the camera's advanced settings and editing RAW photos properly.
not sure if anyone mentioned this yet: how about reading a book on photography? then a book on digital photography. then a book on photoshop. then the manual again.
amyandmark3 wrote:
I would set the camera in full auto mode (green square), make sure the IS is on with the 24-105L, and go out shooting in good daylight. If those photos aren't good, there's a problem. The reason for this type of "beginner" shooting is to take user error out of the equation as much as possible (without going to the tripod, mlu, etc... methods of testing a camera/lens). This is how my wife shoots our 5d2 and she gets great results with very limited knowledge of what she's doing (I do the Post Processing). After you see that your camera is working well, then worry about learning to use the camera's advanced settings and editing RAW photos properly.
I'll add to this - Ensure you wait a few seconds after half pressing the shutter (to allow the IS to stabilize) before pressing the shutter fully. I say a few seconds for test purposes, in normal shooting my 24-105 is up and running in about half a second.
amyandmark3 wrote:
I would set the camera in full auto mode (green square), make sure the IS is on with the 24-105L, and go out shooting in good daylight. If those photos aren't good, there's a problem. The reason for this type of "beginner" shooting is to take user error out of the equation as much as possible (without going to the tripod, mlu, etc... methods of testing a camera/lens). This is how my wife shoots our 5d2 and she gets great results with very limited knowledge of what she's doing (I do the Post Processing). After you see that your camera is working well, then worry about learning to use the camera's advanced settings and editing RAW photos properly.
-Sign up for Flickr (or some equivalent). You just bought a pro camera, you'll want to show off your images somehow.
-I wouldn't shoot RAW if I were you. If this is your first DSLR, you have A LOT to learn and shooting large JPEGs for now should be fine. Look in to RAW later when you want more control.
-While it's true that you are expected to sharpen your RAW files, they should still look pretty good without any processing. Especially if you are viewing a 21 MP file in a "fit to screen" view mode or Photoshop or Lightroom or whatever you use.
-Make sure you understand the dynamic between shutter speed and aperture. You say you shot in Av mode mostly around f/8. While an aperture like f/8 will allow a greater portion of the photo to be in focus, this will drop the shutter speed as more light is needed for a proper exposure. Consider a larger aperture like f/4 (if this depth of field suits your photo) as this will pump up the shutter speed and allow the camera to freeze action better.
-Try MANUAL focusing some photos. This is VERY easy on a tripod and in Live View mode with the magnification tool. If these photos still look out of focus when you review them, then something is definitely wrong.
Thank you for your response and suggestions. I'll try to post some crops, I just figured RAW would be better since it's unmolested and there won't be questions about what RAW converter. I shot RAW+JPEG and the medium resolution JPEGs were so soft, I immediately went to the RAW. I am looking at the point of focus when complaining about sharpness (I use DPP to tell me what is in focus), not just the whole image, although the whole image seems disappointing as well.
I'm a seasoned Electrical Engineer so none of the technical aspects scare me or mystify me. To those who are suggesting books, etc, thanks, I appreciate all of that and I have several books on the subject, and I do have a good grasp on the theory, shutter speeds, aperture, focus modes, I understand DoF, it's relationship to aperture, how an exposure is really = shutter*aperture*available_light_flux, what ISO does, etc, etc. And yes, I have read the manual several times.
BUT!! I am NOT saying I didn't do anything wrong here (i.e. too slow shutter) or that I couldn't use more education. I actually figured 1/60 to 1/100 shutter would be good enough even without a tripod at my focal lengths, especially if using the 24-105. Some of the shots are "wide-open" at f/4 (bird picture).
I mostly used center point focus since on the 5D.2 that is supposed to be the most accurate (cross-type sensitivity) and when using the 24-105L I tried to allow enough "settling time" on the stabilizer. I tried to avoid using the outer focus points since they are not cross-type sensitivity.
Tonight I'll try some controlled tests with a tripod and my handy A520 to compare as well + crops of the RAW->JPEG.
I know it's a poor craftsman who blames his tools, I have plenty of people who report to me who do this sometimes (and they're usually wrong). I'm just looking for some help in verifying my tools are up to spec.
Henry, looks like you've got the idea. When I mentioned using the AUTO mode above, I did not mean to insult. I simply mean that it's good to use that mode to see if your camera is working properly. If you set it to AUTO, you should be getting good jpeg's out of the camera with little to no post processing, just a little saturation/contrast/sharpness fiddling to suit your personal preferences should produce keepers. If you're unable to get good photos in that mode, there may be something wrong with the camera itself. Of course, if possible, you'll want to try other lenses as well, it could just be the lens is out of calibration. The tripod testing is a good idea and, although I'm not sure if needed with the 24-105L, I'd turn the IS to OFF while on the tripod (just don't forget to turn it back ON when you take it off the tripod----I've done that more than once! lol). Good luck, keep us updated.
pixelblurr wrote:
..... I actually figured 1/60 to 1/100 shutter would be good enough even without a tripod at my focal lengths, especially if using the 24-105. Some of the shots are "wide-open" at f/4 (bird picture).
I mostly used center point focus since on the 5D.2 that is supposed to be the most accurate (cross-type sensitivity) and when using the 24-105L I tried to allow enough "settling time" on the stabilizer. I tried to avoid using the outer focus points since they are not cross-type sensitivity.
Henry.
With the IS on 1/60 and 1/100 should be fine with the 24-105 for stable subjects.
I'm guessing that most of you problem is DOF (depth of field). dSLR's have much less DOF (especially a FF camera like the 5D) than a P&S. I you shoot a wide angle shot at f/4 on a P&S everything will be in focus - not true with the 5D unless your very careful about the hyperfocal distance.
Also, P&S images usually look more saturated and have more pop right out of the camera. dSLR images often require some tweeking to get it the way you want it - have you used DPP (which came with your camera) to edit the RAW files? It works quite well.
a good way to get sharp pictures easily is set you camera to auto ISO and AV mode, then it will work out a shutter speed based on your focal length and bump the ISO to achieve it.
It's a good little feature to have.
Thing is, having an out of focus bird pic could be a number of things- slow shutter, shallow DOF, using one shot focus and missing the point (especially if the bird is going towards/away form camera), camera shake etc. Any one of these things would result in not a super-duper sharp picture (unless you're lucky of course).
You're going to need a faster shutter speed for moving subjects than you are with stable subjects because after all, trees and mountains don't move very fast these days.
This is just my opinion as someone who has jumped from a 400D to a 5D2 about a week ago. It does take a bit of getting used to. Most of my first shots with the camera were a bit rubbish, depth of field is a big difference on FF my settings tended to be wrong and I was getting shots out of focus at low shutter speeds 1/60. Most of the time it was user error bad light, wrong aperture, wobbly hands etc.. I did manage to get several very sharp images when I managed to figure out the settings, I am more than happy with the camera great IQ.
