Focus problem with Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

orech · Sep 16, 2014

Heloo, I would like to ask you for advice. Here are few pics that I shot with my Canon EOS 600D (Canon EOS Rebel T3i) and with Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II lense. I don't think this is normal. It's toooo blurry. It drives me crazy :angry:

. Do you have any idea what could possibly cause this thing?

KmH · Sep 16, 2014

What shutter speed was used to make the photo?
Was the IS on or off?
What focal length was the lens set to?
What was the lens aperture set to?
Do you have a clear of UV filter on the front of the lens for 'protection'?

orech · Sep 16, 2014

Shutter speed: 1/100 sec
IS: on
focal lenght: 250mm (max of the lense, but it appears even in 50mm)
aperature: f/5.6
I do have a clear one.
Do you think there could be something wrong with the lense? Because when i bought it about a year ago everything was alright. Then i didn't use it for a while, and now this...
Thanks for answer

Derrel · Sep 16, 2014

Very,very VERY weird image rendering. The center is sharp, but the edges are utterly HORRIBLE!!!! My first thought was that the lens might have been dropped or banged hard. Second thought is that maybe the rear element is greasy or hazed over at the edges, but clean in the center; sometimes, certain fabrics or foams can out-gas, and deposit a film on lenses. Third thought was that the image stabilizer function is over-reacting or in a feedback loop. Fourth thought was cheap-o polarizing filter.

CameraClicker · Sep 16, 2014

Looks like the camera rotated a little. Something caused that gold globe to crawl up the right side of the pole on top!

Tape some newspaper to a wall at the other end of a room, put the camera on a table and shoot across the room. See what you get.

orech · Sep 16, 2014

I took off the filter and nothing changed.
also tried the wall thing:

this one is shot with timer on table:

What about the rear element? What should i use to clean it? I only use microfiber on the front one.

pgriz · Sep 16, 2014

Very weird. Turn off the IS completely. Turn AF off. Take off any filters. Put your camera on a tripod. Focus manually, using Live-view at 10x. Shoot a series with Maximum aperture (f/4 in your case), then at f/11, then at F/32. Do the same across the zoom range (say, 55mm, 135mm, 180mm, 250mm). Compare. Is there any trend to where the images at the edges is acceptable, and when it's bad?

NedM · Sep 16, 2014

orech said:
Shutter speed: 1/100 sec
IS: on
focal lenght: 250mm (max of the lense, but it appears even in 50mm)
aperature: f/5.6
I do have a clear one.
Do you think there could be something wrong with the lense? Because when i bought it about a year ago everything was alright. Then i didn't use it for a while, and now this...
Thanks for answer

You are prone to camera shake whenever you are shooting with a telephoto lens. You need a fast shutter speed to compensate for this. A good rule of thumb is to have a shutter speed faster than the focal length you are using. Also, sometimes at certain/faster shutter speeds IS can also cause problems with sharpness as well.

CameraClicker · Sep 17, 2014

Wow! Try the same timer on a table test with your 18-55, and the table closer. If the 18-55 looks good, it's time to send the 55-250 for repair, or just get a better lens.

tecboy · Sep 17, 2014

The photos look awesome, lol! My dumb guess is one of the lens elements is misaligned. If your warranty is still valid, send your lens to canon and have them check and repair.