5d mark II help

enerlevel · Oct 19, 2011

just when i thought i got my dream camera, it turns out to be my worst nightmare..... i saved plenty for a used
5d mark II
24-105 f4
50mm f1.8
580 EX

this setup is what i have been dreaming off.... i brought it today, my first shot was unbilievable... image focus soft... i tried micro adjustments, firmware update, nothings working....
i tried to bump up the sharpness, plus no iso nr ... still image is not pin sharp as i would expect from a such am expensive setup....
i have used canon 600D with 17-55mm f2.8. and nikon d7000 with 18-200vr, both produced sharper image then this..... any idea wats wrong? and is this problem very common on the mark II ?

Overread · Oct 19, 2011

You'll have to show us an example of the photo along with further details for us to have any idea what the problem might be (if indeed there is one).

A photo resized for the net along with a 100% crop* as well as details of the settings used (aperture, shutter speed, ISO); how you took the photo; the conditions/lighting at the time of the shoot and any additional info (the more you give the more we have to work with).

* a crop from the fullsized photo made so that we can view the 100% image quality but without having to upload the full photo to the net and thus giving us a more manageable crop of the shot.

GeorgieGirl · Oct 19, 2011

It took me a while to go from the xti to the 7d due to the change in MP's and I promise you my initial reaction was the same as yours as in what a mistake I made. I love my 17-55, I know what to expect from it. Give a few photos here and let's see what's what. It took me a little bit to focus and learn the features. No regrets at all. I am quite anxious for a FF and know after this upgrade that I will need to be patient. Let's make sure you don't have any defects that are blocking your path and see if it might not be just learning curve like me.

Big Mike · Oct 20, 2011

Yes, you'll have to show us some examples.
9 times out of 10...it's user error.

gsgary · Oct 20, 2011

Sounds like user error to me, what was your focal length and shutter speed ? i love it when people blame the camera because expensive cameras should need no input from the user

enerlevel · Oct 20, 2011

gsgary said:
Sounds like user error to me, what was your focal length and shutter speed ? i love it when people blame the camera because expensive cameras should need no input from the user

yes i will post pics as tht will make things better to understand.....
but the thing is that from the samples i took, the place of focus is soft, things above left of the focus point (1-2") is sharp.. or sometimes 1-2" below left or right... i would believe microadjustments if things were up or down... but this is more like left up or left below.... how do u adjust tht?

jimbotexas · Oct 22, 2011

I totally understand as I, too, was dismayed, having previously used a 40D on well-lit subjects at f11 or higher. I got a 5DII when I got into low-light music shooting 2 years ago.

I often have to open up the aperture to f2.8-f3.5 at a slow 125-160, so camera shake (even with IS) and subject movement is a big factor. Decent shot yield is usually less than 20%.

I have concluded:

1. L-series lenses made a big difference.
2. Autofocus works well but not perfectly and a sizable target is required.
3. In spite of the ISO 6400 capability, this cam (like any other) does much better with light. Shots at f16/s200/i100 are darn sharp.
4. Bump up your default sharpness. I'm using 6 (out of 7) and it works much better for me. If you shoot RAW, you can always adjust it in post.
5. Don't forget to update the firmware.
6. Just my opinion but I really think the sensor/computer is approximating to some extent.

The camera is not everything I had hoped in low-light so I'm moving to the 1DX as soon as possible.

MLeeK · Oct 22, 2011

REALLY need to know your f/ and ss most of all. I would venture to guess they are your culprits.
What were you shooting with before purchasing this? How much do you know about aperture, ISO and shutter speed?

KmH · Oct 22, 2011

Cameras and lenses are complex and different enough from each other that there is an initial learning curve.

mangtarn · Oct 25, 2011

enerlevel said:
still image is not pin sharp as i would expect from a such am expensive setup....
any idea wats wrong? and is this problem very common on the mark II ?

don't blame it on the camera. it is not a problem on the mark II (unless you bought a botched used body). play with it a little more and figure out all the settings, then you'd be able to take photos properly.

by the way you recently got both a nikon and a canon?

enerlevel · Oct 25, 2011

mangtarn said:
don't blame it on the camera. it is not a problem on the mark II (unless you bought a botched used body). play with it a little more and figure out all the settings, then you'd be able to take photos properly.

by the way you recently got both a nikon and a canon?

i have tried the camera on various shutter speeds and F .... belive u its not me, during normal computer viewing, the image looks pin sharp..... but when u pixel peep, u see that its blurred or hazed like not sharp... i googled , and alot of ppl do have this problem... alot of ppl also reviewed it as saying it does take soft images but postprocess fixes it.......
however for me, i have pumped the sharpness to full +7 .... now images seem to be sharp @jpgs out of the camera....
there are many post on the soft images from 5d... and those pl who have no complains, i cant believe they never noticed the image softness compared to 600d/60d etc.....