Having trouble with Canon Rebel XT focus

[thecameragirl]

Hi I new to the photo forum my name is Lizette. I've been doing video work and I mainly make short films and such. I recently entered the photography field with knowledge coming from film studies. I bought a Canon Rebel XT a few months ago and my pictures looked sharp and clear then. I am working with the kit lens and a sigma 70-300mm macro zoom lens. I still use both but now it seems like a lot of my photos are blurring. It looks like camera shake has something to do with this but if i'm in the sun I don't understand why this would be happening even on the basic focus and shoot mode. Can anyone suggest something to fix this? maybe another setting? I've tried setting the camera to One shot focus, and AI Focus (which I know doesn't allow me to use focus lock so I usually put the subjects head where the red AF point is, Is there a better way to focus?)
I love the camera, because when the pictures aren't blurred they look great (IMO)! You can check out my not blurry pics by going to my photo site: Click Here

Thanks for your help,
Lizette

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome to the forum.

It would really be helpful if you could post an example of your blurry shots, along with the pertinent information (aperture, shutter speed, ISO etc.)

 

[thecameragirl]

Here are the Blurry pics.

Photo 1
Photo 2
Photo 3
The settings are under each photo. ISO was set to 100.

Thanks

 

[EBphotography]

Could you post bigger pictures? Impossible to tell with thumbnails.

 

[thecameragirl]

Photos
The three pictures at the end of this album with the girl in the red shirt are the examples of the blur.
Sorry About the thumbnail pics didnt realize they were that small.

 

[sergie]

I've been having the same problem with the Rebel XT. Been using the camera quite a bit for a little over a year, and suddenly the camera has trouble focusing. I think the camera is broke. My plan is to call Canon, I just haven't got around to it yet.

 

[Garbz]

Not fast enough for the focal length.

If the data is right then it's a 1/40th shutter speed and a 133mm focal length. Even the best would have trouble holding the camera without at least a monopod and get a sharp image.

As a general rule of thumb a good start is a shutter speed of 1/corrected focallength, or in this case roughly 1/200th. To get this either drop the aperture or raise the iso level if you want to keep the exposures the same.

 

[usayit]

FYI:

Please don't cross post.... it just makes a mess and there is a reason for seperate forums. Most forum/discussion boards, no matter the topic, look down upon such behavior.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89792

Thank you.

 

[Jon, The Elder]

Using Garbz EXIF data. He is right on with his answer.

 

[thecameragirl]

I am new to the fourm and I realized I should have posted in a different section and I didn't know how to delete this one. So I tried to make up for it by posting in the right one and this happened.
It was a mistake, and not intentional.
Sorry about that, it wont happen again.