images not sharp when shot "landscape" or horizontally

[LizzyBstudios]

When I am shooting horizontally, or in the landscape position, most of my images come out soft. They aren't blurry from motion and my camera tells me focus has been achieved when I go to hit the shutter. When I turn my camera and shoot vertically or "portrait" the images comes out nice and crisp.

I have 2 different camera bodies and lenses, I have tried on all and gotten the same results. I am pretty sure it's a user issue- I just don't know how to fix it!

I hope someone out there has experienced this same error and knows how to correct it! Thank you!

Bodies: 1D Mark II and Canon 40D
Lenses: 35mm, 50mm and Sigma 18-200mm

 

[MLeeK]

Some image examples would really help.
It's with both bodies and all lenses? That just doesn't sound right.
Please post a portrait and landscape oriented shot that we can view the exif data from. Flickr works best!

 

[molested_cow]

What are you viewing them with? On your monitor or camera's LCD screen?
What software are you viewing them with? Photo editing software or just the windows picture viewer?
Also, when a photo is in portrait on the screen, it's smaller therefore the details appear to be sharper. Landscape will be more magnified.

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome aboard.

As mentioned, we really need to see the images to offer any help.

One thing that does come to mind, is that you may be viewing the images at different zoom levels, and some software will display images differently at 'odd' zoom levels. For example, I've seen times when an image looks worse at 33% zoom and 66% zoom...but looks much better at 25%, 50% or 100% zoom.

 

[KmH]

When I am shooting horizontally, or in the landscape position, most of my images come out soft. They aren't blurry from motion and my camera tells me focus has been achieved when I go to hit the shutter. When I turn my camera and shoot vertically or "portrait" the images comes out nice and crisp.

I have 2 different camera bodies and lenses, I have tried on all and gotten the same results. I am pretty sure it's a user issue- I just don't know how to fix it!

I hope someone out there has experienced this same error and knows how to correct it! Thank you!

Bodies: 1D Mark II and Canon 40D
Lenses: 35mm, 50mm and Sigma 18-200mm

No doubt it's a user issue since it happens with different cameras and lenses.

The most likely issue is poor depth-of-field control. Do you have 'protection' filters on your lenses?

Next likely are the lenses you are using. The Sigma 18-200 is a superzoom lens (11x+ zoom range) that is a jack of all trades, master of none lens that has a variety of image quality issues when used at or near any extreme of its zoom, aperture, or focus ranges.

You do not say what make/model 35 mm and 50 mm lenses you are using, but fast prime lenses usually do not produce sharp focus when used wide open, and deliver a very shallow depth of field if focus point distance is close to the camera (inside 10 feet).

So the fix is likely going to be a combination of changes you make in your gear, and improvements you make in your photographic technical knowledge related to camera/lens performance.