Constantly having trouble getting shart photos!

[acrit478]

Hi everyone! I would really appreciate any help I can get with an issue i have been having. I am constantly misfocusing or my gear is misfocusing. I get one tac sharp image for every 20 or so I take. The rest are soft focused. They are ok but not professional grade pictures. i really am practicing but I cannot get this problem under control! I have a canon 60d ... please help ...

 

[Snakeguy101]

can you post the images with the EXIF attached and explain the light environment that the pics were taken in?

 

[TCampbell]

When you post the sample photo, please just crop in very tightly on your intended focus point and give us a "100% crop" of a small detailed region of the photo. When large images are scaled down to post on the web, the ability to detect out-of-focus areas is substantially reduced. Having a sample of a 100% crop will let us see how well the camera is really doing.

Also, please describe what you are doing to ensure a blur-free photo (even though you're not satisfied with the results.)

It is possible to have a problem with the lens which can result in front-focus or back-focus (the true focused point is either nearer or farther than your subject distance.)

What focus mode are you using?
Which AF points are active. Are you SURE the camera used the AF point which was covering your intended subject (Note: If you allow your 60D to use any of the 9 AF points, then it will ALWAYS select the AF point which can achieve a focus lock at the CLOSEST focusing distance. THAT MEANS that if your subject is in the center, but some distracting object was located on the right side of the frame only much closer (and the right-side AF point was located on that distracting object) then the camera WILL focus on the distracting object and NOT on your intended subject.
Do you have more than one lens?
If so, do you have this problem with all of your lenses?
Is the camera on a solid tripod or are you hand-holding the camera (because it's possible the blur is caused by camera movement and not focus error.)
If these are hand-held shots, which lens are you using, what is the focal length of the blurry shot, and what was your shutter speed (these are related - the minimum shutter speed will depend on the focal length of the lens.)
Take a photo by looking through the viewfinder to focus and shoot.
Take ANOTHER photo by using "Live View" (using the LCD screen on back) to focus and shoot.
Compare those two shots (they use COMPLETELY different focusing systems. So if there's a problem with your camera, this may reveal the issue.)

If you are more specific about your shooting circumstances (equipment, settings, technique, etc.) then your responses will be more helpful.

 

[fjrabon]

Oh my.

 

[jhodges10]

Oh my.

Yeah autocorrect is a cruel mistress sometimes....or the OP has an odd fetish.

 

[KmH]

Here is everything you need to know - How Do I Use My Digital SLR?: How to Get Sharply Focused Images

 

[Solarflare]

Oookay ... lets just agree to never link that page again, ok ?

A guy who FIRST tells you you need a tripod, expensive lenses etc to get sharp pictures is really not much of a source ... yeah thats stuff you need in certain circumstances, but not ALWAYS. He doesnt discuss hand holding techniques or image stabilization in lenses either.

For example, Ken Rockwell's version is much more enjoyable and to the point: Fixing Unsharp Images

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

Constantly having trouble getting shart photos!

You may want to look into, uhhh, errrr.... waterproof housing for this type of photography... :neutral:

Amazon.com: Ikelite 6870.60 Underwater Camera Housing for Canon 60D DSLR Cameras: Camera & Photo

 

[sxesweets]

Thanks TCampbell... I have been having this same issue, frustrating to say the least... I suspected the lense was back focusing but once I ran through a couple lenses I wondered if it was something I was doing. I went back to all the basics and came back to "it must be me" but upon trying your live view shooting (I hadn't ever actually done that before) and shooting exactly the same scene/ picture in viewfinder mode I am on to something!!! Off to the camera store to talk to them now...

 

[Derrel]

Oh my.

Yeah autocorrect is a cruel mistress sometimes....or the OP has an odd fetish.

For those unfamiliar with the term shart, and to my knowledge, its official introduction to the American vernacular, I present this clip from the film Along Came Polly:

Sharted - YouTube

 

[photosbydanij]

What kind of photos are you having problems with? Any movement? If so, make sure your f/stop is large enough. What lens are you using? If you yourself are doing everything right, it might be the lens. The glass can make a world of difference in our sharp/crisp your photos are.

 

[mwild]

Oh my.

Yeah autocorrect is a cruel mistress sometimes....or the OP has an odd fetish.

For those unfamiliar with the term shart, and to my knowledge, its official introduction to the American vernacular, I present this clip from the film Along Came Polly:

Sharted - YouTube

Bahaha Derrel, I thought of this scene instantly when I saw the title. Awesome!

 

[StandingBear1983]

to stop getting 'shart' images D), forget about AF-A, use AF-S or AF-C, preferably one focus point and select where you want it in the viewfinder, or put it in the middle and recompose.

 

[gsgary]

I am going with shutter speed too slow, which is usually 99% right with a beginner

 

[KmH]

Where did the OP go? They haven't been active on the forums in the 1/2 month since starting the thread.