Dilemma, sharp photos.....

[photoguy99]

I suspect that you need to go spend some time experimenting. Put your camera on manual, learn how to "meter match", and try taking the same photo with various settings, to see what happens. You need to get a feel for where the limits are, and what the result is likely to look like based on one setting or another. Spend an hour at it, and then spend another hour pixel-peeping the results. Take notes.

Congratulations, you're done. You've just learned more than 100 hours of reading the internet will teach you!

Then, by all means, use Av or Tv, but now you'll know what it means when the shutter speed says "15" instead of "500", in terms of what the results will be.

 

[James Baranski]

I suspect that you need to go spend some time experimenting. Put your camera on manual, learn how to "meter match", and try taking the same photo with various settings, to see what happens. You need to get a feel for where the limits are, and what the result is likely to look like based on one setting or another. Spend an hour at it, and then spend another hour pixel-peeping the results. Take notes.

Congratulations, you're done. You've just learned more than 100 hours of reading the internet will teach you!

Then, by all means, use Av or Tv, but now you'll know what it means when the shutter speed says "15" instead of "500", in terms of what the results will be.

Ohh, I have been experimenting and I have used manual mode.... I know what shutter speed is just was not looking at it in AP mode..

 

[photoguy99]

Ok, then! I guess what you need to do is be more attentive to the information in the finder, and you should be fine.

 

[James Baranski]

I suspect that you need to go spend some time experimenting. Put your camera on manual, learn how to "meter match", and try taking the same photo with various settings, to see what happens. You need to get a feel for where the limits are, and what the result is likely to look like based on one setting or another. Spend an hour at it, and then spend another hour pixel-peeping the results. Take notes.

Congratulations, you're done. You've just learned more than 100 hours of reading the internet will teach you!

Then, by all means, use Av or Tv, but now you'll know what it means when the shutter speed says "15" instead of "500", in terms of what the results will be.

Ohh, I have been experimenting and I have used manual mode....

I suspect that you need to go spend some time experimenting. Put your camera on manual, learn how to "meter match", and try taking the same photo with various settings, to see what happens. You need to get a feel for where the limits are, and what the result is likely to look like based on one setting or another. Spend an hour at it, and then spend another hour pixel-peeping the results. Take notes.

Congratulations, you're done. You've just learned more than 100 hours of reading the internet will teach you!

Then, by all means, use Av or Tv, but now you'll know what it means when the shutter speed says "15" instead of "500", in terms of what the results will be.

Ohh, I have been experimenting and I have used manual mode....

Ok, then! I guess what you need to do is be more attentive to the information in the finder, and you should be fine.

Work in progress

 

[Overread]

Thanks, this was shot in lower light and AP mode...... This is what I figured.... Next time in similar conditions, I will move to Shutter Priority or manual... As mentioned earlier by another person, I was not looking at shutter speed in AP mode..

I'd use a mode suitable to the lighting:
1) AP mode - I'd normally use this without question in most situations. IF the light isn't strong enough you select a wider aperture yourself and the camera gives you the fastest possible shutter speed. If that isn't fast enough the ISO goes up by your choice until the shutter speed is fast enough.
You can use exposure compensation to underexpose the photo if you want - ergo the ISO and aperture are not enough to raise the shutter speed fast enough.

2) Manual mode - I'd use this if the lighting is fairly constant (ergo not changing and subjects are not moving in and out of shadow); or if the lighting is so poor that my settings are maxed out and changing isn't viable (this would typically assume that I'm underexposing a fair bit in some shots).
EG the other week I was shooting equine at f2.8 (widest aperture); ISO 12800 (highest ISO) and 1/640sec (slowest shutterspeed without blur on hooves/tail/mane/rider). I shot this in manual because whilst the light varied a little it was always too weak to warrant using different settings. So instead of the camera having fits in a semi-auto mode I used manual.
Semi-auto works when the scene and situation change a lot - for the equine I shot like that nearly all day so I had no need of the fast changablity of semi-auto.

3) Shutter priority - honestly I tend to use this only when I need a very specific shutter speed for creative purposes. Eg shooting aviation photos with propellers where I want blur on the propellers. I set the fastest suitable shutter speed and then let the camera deal with the aperture.
In low light shutter priority isn't really a huge help unless the light is so low that you're underexposing each shot.

4) Flash - if you're underexposing lots then flash really should start to become a key addition where possible. Boost the ambient light with it and you can suddenly get cleaner shots closer to the settings you want.

 

[vintagesnaps]

4 months is the thing... that's just not that long to get good at something. Maybe find someplace you go often (or can go back to, a local park or something), and take pictures of the same things in the same light conditions (nice bright sunny day, or not so much).

Try taking along a small notebook to write down what you did; if you want to shoot everything in one mode then in another mode, or manual, etc. Then go thru your photos and compare, see how the pictures turned out and what worked. And yes the camera can keep track of how it was set, but it can help to write it down to help you remember later what you did. (The act of writing it down, not just having the note, can help us remember something.) So later you can look at your pictures and go, oh yeah for that I did this, and that did/didn't work... etc.

I don't like using modes because the camera determines how to set it, like in the example that shutter speed of 1/15 was way too slow, so the camera goofed. I mostly use manual to control the shutter speed and aperture etc. Find what works for you. And it takes a lot of practice.

And FWIW I like the ones of the building and the sculpture; with the people shots think about how you're framing so you get in your viewfinder what you want in your picture and keep out any distractions (parts of objects etc. in the corners/sides of the frame).

 

[James Baranski]

4 months is the thing... that's just not that long to get good at something. Maybe find someplace you go often (or can go back to, a local park or something), and take pictures of the same things in the same light conditions (nice bright sunny day, or not so much).

Try taking along a small notebook to write down what you did; if you want to shoot everything in one mode then in another mode, or manual, etc. Then go thru your photos and compare, see how the pictures turned out and what worked. And yes the camera can keep track of how it was set, but it can help to write it down to help you remember later what you did. (The act of writing it down, not just having the note, can help us remember something.) So later you can look at your pictures and go, oh yeah for that I did this, and that did/didn't work... etc.

I don't like using modes because the camera determines how to set it, like in the example that shutter speed of 1/15 was way too slow, so the camera goofed. I mostly use manual to control the shutter speed and aperture etc. Find what works for you. And it takes a lot of practice.

And FWIW I like the ones of the building and the sculpture; with the people shots think about how you're framing so you get in your viewfinder what you want in your picture and keep out any distractions (parts of objects etc. in the corners/sides of the frame).

I agree on the 4 months. That is why I am posting the thread. great advise. I am gonna spen a couple hundred of bucks sending my Camera back to Canon to re-calibrate it just in case. I got a sweet deal on it second hand...

 

[bratkinson]

James...do NOT send your camera and lenses to Canon at this point in time. In my estimation, it's more about learning the exposure triangle and what affects what and how increasing or decreasing any of the settings affects the resultant picture.

In short, wider aperture = reduced Depth of Field - aka Plane of Focus - In the dog picture, your DOF is perhaps 2-3 inches.

Slower shutter speed = subject- and/or camera-motion caused blur. For handheld shots, I rarely shoot slower than 1/160th these days as my hands aren't as steady as they were 40+ years ago. For living/breathing/moving/waving/flying/crawling subjects, I sometimes get subject motion blur in 'posed' subjects at 1/60th. Anything slower than that you will very likely get some subject-motion blur...even the slightest twitch of an eyelid can't be stopped at 1/30th. Due to low lighting situations, I've been forced to shoot as slow as 1/10th and then toss out perhaps 20 or more to get ONE shot that does not have subject motion blur! I've been known to zoom in on the eye and hand when viewing the pictures on my computer to find the 'most sharp' of a series of shots of human subjects.

Higher ISO speeds = more noise, particularly in darker, somewhat underexposed areas. When I had my 60D and 24-105, ISO 2400 was where I typically stopped going any higher. But at times, I've 'pushed it' to 3200 and gotten acceptable results, with the noise mostly correctable in Lightroom. In my opinion, the 60D 'tops out' at ISO 3200 for usability. There are numerous threads in this forum about "I keep my ISO speed at 100 or 200 or <some ridiculously low value> and get poor results for indoor or nighttime shots". The low ISO speed is EXACTLY why they are getting poor results.

As someone on this forum mentioned perhaps 2 years ago already and I've "made it my own", getting the correct exposure is a 'compromise'. What are you willing to 'trade' to get '...'? I think of my 'compromising' with the exposure triangle is more of a battle than anything else. Give a little, get a little...etc. Many times I've pushed my 60D to ISO 3200 and STILL have to slow down the shutter to 1/30th or so to get good exposure per the meter in the viewfinder and histogram after the shot. But at that speed, I KNOW my keeper rate sinks very fast. And that was shooting wide-open at f4 on my 24-105.

In short, when I'm "maxed out" on two of the three exposure triangle settings, I have no choice but to 'make do' with whatever I have to do with the other setting.

Which brings me to another point... Very few lenses are at their sharpest at their widest aperture, or close to it. As you've indicated in this thread and an earlier one, shooting at f8, give or take, will produce sharper results. Yep! That's one of the 'compromises' that is not part of the exposure triangle, but is an important part of getting sharp results. Of course, shooting at f8 forces compensations in the other 2 triangle settings, which may cause less than 'the best' results, such as subject movement blur or ISO speed induced noise.

Lastly, as I was slow to learn until I had my 60D maybe 5-6 months, set your AF-mode to AI-Servo for ANYTHING that does or can move! No exceptions! My faulty thinking at the time was to use one-shot AF since I wasn't doing any multi-frame-per-second shooting. Dead wrong! AI-Servo, AI-Servo, AI-Servo. I can't tell you that enough!

And on the subject of AF (oops...one more, one more thing), limit the camera to only the cross-type AF points. That way you'll know you're getting the better focusing abilities of the camera. And, for what it's worth, I've learned to do most of my work using center AF point only. That way I ABSOLUTELY KNOW I am focused exactly where I want it focused, not where the camera thinks is a 'better' AF point.

Edit...yet another 'one more thing'...35 years ago when I banged my FD 35-70 f2.8-3.5 SSD lens against a door-jam as I was walking, I managed to knock something inside out of alignment. Living in Milwaukee at the time, it was a 90 minute drive to Canon just south of O'Hare airport. I got instantly 'looked at' by a service person and they concurred it needed to be repaired. Hopefully, Canon repair is still conveniently in the Chicagoland area.

 

[James Baranski]

James...do NOT send your camera and lenses to Canon at this point in time. In my estimation, it's more about learning the exposure triangle and what affects what and how increasing or decreasing any of the settings affects the resultant picture.

In short, wider aperture = reduced Depth of Field - aka Plane of Focus - In the dog picture, your DOF is perhaps 2-3 inches.

Slower shutter speed = subject- and/or camera-motion caused blur. For handheld shots, I rarely shoot slower than 1/160th these days as my hands aren't as steady as they were 40+ years ago. For living/breathing/moving/waving/flying/crawling subjects, I sometimes get subject motion blur in 'posed' subjects at 1/60th. Anything slower than that you will very likely get some subject-motion blur...even the slightest twitch of an eyelid can't be stopped at 1/30th. Due to low lighting situations, I've been forced to shoot as slow as 1/10th and then toss out perhaps 20 or more to get ONE shot that does not have subject motion blur! I've been known to zoom in on the eye and hand when viewing the pictures on my computer to find the 'most sharp' of a series of shots of human subjects.

Higher ISO speeds = more noise, particularly in darker, somewhat underexposed areas. When I had my 60D and 24-105, ISO 2400 was where I typically stopped going any higher. But at times, I've 'pushed it' to 3200 and gotten acceptable results, with the noise mostly correctable in Lightroom. In my opinion, the 60D 'tops out' at ISO 3200 for usability. There are numerous threads in this forum about "I keep my ISO speed at 100 or 200 or <some ridiculously low value> and get poor results for indoor or nighttime shots". The low ISO speed is EXACTLY why they are getting poor results.

As someone on this forum mentioned perhaps 2 years ago already and I've "made it my own", getting the correct exposure is a 'compromise'. What are you willing to 'trade' to get '...'? I think of my 'compromising' with the exposure triangle is more of a battle than anything else. Give a little, get a little...etc. Many times I've pushed my 60D to ISO 3200 and STILL have to slow down the shutter to 1/30th or so to get good exposure per the meter in the viewfinder and histogram after the shot. But at that speed, I KNOW my keeper rate sinks very fast. And that was shooting wide-open at f4 on my 24-105.

In short, when I'm "maxed out" on two of the three exposure triangle settings, I have no choice but to 'make do' with whatever I have to do with the other setting.

Which brings me to another point... Very few lenses are at their sharpest at their widest aperture, or close to it. As you've indicated in this thread and an earlier one, shooting at f8, give or take, will produce sharper results. Yep! That's one of the 'compromises' that is not part of the exposure triangle, but is an important part of getting sharp results. Of course, shooting at f8 forces compensations in the other 2 triangle settings, which may cause less than 'the best' results, such as subject movement blur or ISO speed induced noise.

Lastly, as I was slow to learn until I had my 60D maybe 5-6 months, set your AF-mode to AI-Servo for ANYTHING that does or can move! No exceptions! My faulty thinking at the time was to use one-shot AF since I wasn't doing any multi-frame-per-second shooting. Dead wrong! AI-Servo, AI-Servo, AI-Servo. I can't tell you that enough!

And on the subject of AF (oops...one more, one more thing), limit the camera to only the cross-type AF points. That way you'll know you're getting the better focusing abilities of the camera. And, for what it's worth, I've learned to do most of my work using center AF point only. That way I ABSOLUTELY KNOW I am focused exactly where I want it focused, not where the camera thinks is a 'better' AF point.

Edit...yet another 'one more thing'...35 years ago when I banged my FD 35-70 f2.8-3.5 SSD lens against a door-jam as I was walking, I managed to knock something inside out of alignment. Living in Milwaukee at the time, it was a 90 minute drive to Canon just south of O'Hare airport. I got instantly 'looked at' by a service person and they concurred it needed to be repaired. Hopefully, Canon repair is still conveniently in the Chicagoland area.

great stuff Bratkinson. I appreciate it...

 

[weepete]

What you need to do is decide on the most important factor for taking your shots. Sometimes it will be aperture (like in landscape shots) sometimes it will be shutter speed (when looking for no motion blur or a spesific amount of blur). Other occasions you'll need a good combination of both.

The trick is to select an appropriate mode for your subject depending on whither you need to prioritise aperture, shutter speed or a combination of both.

 

[snowbear]

Your Mexican Girls photo was taken at 1/15 second. I may be taking a wild guess, but I bet that has something to do with it.

 

[The_Traveler]

If you look back at the old threads here, 99% of the time when people complain that their images aren't sharp, it is user error by relative beginners.
I've been shooting with digital cameras since 2005, owned about 9 since then, along with multiple lenses and all of my problems with equipment came in the first year or so; when I got more experienced, somehow the camera's output improved also.