Need advice on lense issue?

[tnraines]

First off my name is Troy, I live in the Dayton ohio area. I am new to the forum though been behind the camera for about 3 years off and on. So I am no expert.

I basically have taken over my wifes canon 40d. I have A few different lenses. The lense that my wife go with her camera few years ago is a promaster digital xr edo AF aspherical LD (IF) 18-200mm 1:3.5-6.3 Macro. That said I do most (almost all) of my photography outdoors so I never noticed the issue till my wife mentioned it.

Anyway she says the camera no longer takes photos inside very well anymore though she said it was fine when she first got the camera. I have tried myself and the AF does indeed seem to lag sometimes never actually focusing on the subject. When it does focus most of the time the image is blurred.

I have tried restoring stock (lack of better terms) settings on the camera.

I have also tried turning on lights and turning the off i.e change the lighting.

There is no issue focusing when outside. She swears she never had issues before and indeed inside our house or her mothers house we do have problem.

I have had one camera shop tell me its my camera itself which is bs as I have no issues with this lense or anyother lense I put on it when outside, otherwise the camera works fine. I have also been told by another person at a different store tell me its the lense and put a tamron lense on it and it worked with no issue, though it was in the shop with Flouresant lighting. He was the less pushy of the ones I have spoken with and the orginal store where she got the camera.

I have taken inside product photos with the camera but a canon fixed focal length and had no issues what so ever.

Doing a internet search I can not find the lense she has for canon, i find it for pentax and nikon etc. but not canon, I am wondering if they sold her a wrong lense?

So all that said I am welcome to idea and suggestions from the other members here

 

[gsgary]

Get yourself a proper lens like the Canon 50F1.4 if you want to shoot inside because the lens you have is a pile of poo

 

[tnraines]

Thank you for the wonderful insight.

 

[gsgary]

Thank you for the wonderful insight.

No problem, doorstops don't make very good lenses

 

[tnraines]

Anyone else have suggestions?

 

[bobandcar]

Autofocus needs light to function properly and quicklu

 

[Groupcaptainbonzo]

Well , I have to admit that I have seen some more constructive and informative comments to problems, But at least he didn't swear. So, no doubt you are asking this because you would like to know how to improve your chances.

If indeed the images were being recorded well before, and with the same kit, in the same circumstances, and with the same settings. But are now under or over exposed, then you may have a problem which can only be solved by having a technician look at the camera.
But before we go spending money... Inside the contrast is a bit different and there is less light. so you may have trouble focusing, also under exposing. Try a shot in full auto (Green Square) this should open up the lens and the ISO and time settings to let the most light in available. If this doesn't work you may need a faster lens and / or flash.
If blurred you may find a tripod or something to rest the camera on during long (Over 1/60th second) exposures.
With lenses (as with everything else) you get what you pay for. and a Canon EF70 - 200 f2.8l series lens will knock you back $2,800 and you will be missing the 18mm to 70 mm part. So it is all a trade off.
outside the light should be better so the camera/lens finds it less of a struggle.
Quick fix I would suggest shooting at ISO 800 or above wide open (f3.5 at 18mm to f6.3 at 200mm) and with as slow a shutter speed as you can get away with. You may loose some quality, but you should still get some pictures. The green square is also a usefull place to start as the camera will be working as hard as it can to produce a result, without you having to resort to techy genius mode.
Hope this helps.

 

[gsgary]

It has nothing to do with the camera, it is probably the worst lens you could choose to use inside

 

[gsgary]

Well , I have to admit that I have seen some more constructive and informative comments to problems, But at least he didn't swear. So, no doubt you are asking this because you would like to know how to improve your chances.

If indeed the images were being recorded well before, and with the same kit, in the same circumstances, and with the same settings. But are now under or over exposed, then you may have a problem which can only be solved by having a technitian look at the camera.
But before we go spending money... Inside the contrast is a bit different and there is less light. so you may have trouble focusing, also under exposing. Try a shot in full auto (Green Square) this should open up the lens and the ISO and time settings to let the most light in available. If this doesn't work you may need a faster lens and / or flash.
If blurred you may find a tripod or something to rest the camera on during long (Over 1/60th second) exposures.
With lenses (as with everything else) you get what you pay for. and a Canon EF70 - 200 f2.8l series lens will knok you back $2,800 and you will be missing the 18mm to 70 mm part. So it is all a trade off.
outside the light should be better so the camera/lens finds it less of a struggle.
Quick fix I would suggest shooting at ISO 800 or above wide open (f3.5 at 18mm to f6.3 at 200mm) and with as slow a shutter speed as you can get away with. You may loose some quality, but you should still get some pictures.
Hope this helps.

Be careful i'm working in Nottingham

 

[gsgary]

Well , I have to admit that I have seen some more constructive and informative comments to problems, But at least he didn't swear. So, no doubt you are asking this because you would like to know how to improve your chances.

If indeed the images were being recorded well before, and with the same kit, in the same circumstances, and with the same settings. But are now under or over exposed, then you may have a problem which can only be solved by having a technician look at the camera.
But before we go spending money... Inside the contrast is a bit different and there is less light. so you may have trouble focusing, also under exposing. Try a shot in full auto (Green Square) this should open up the lens and the ISO and time settings to let the most light in available. If this doesn't work you may need a faster lens and / or flash.
If blurred you may find a tripod or something to rest the camera on during long (Over 1/60th second) exposures.
With lenses (as with everything else) you get what you pay for. and a Canon EF70 - 200 f2.8l series lens will knock you back $2,800 and you will be missing the 18mm to 70 mm part. So it is all a trade off.
outside the light should be better so the camera/lens finds it less of a struggle.
Quick fix I would suggest shooting at ISO 800 or above wide open (f3.5 at 18mm to f6.3 at 200mm) and with as slow a shutter speed as you can get away with. You may loose some quality, but you should still get some pictures.
Hope this helps.

Shooting at 200mm with that lens at iso800 there is no way you will get a fast enough shutterspeed to stop blur handheld even iso3200 will probably not work handheld

 

[Groupcaptainbonzo]

Sorry if I offended you Gary, But I saw a person who had a problem, and who didn't know the answer. So thought that a whole forum devoted entirely to people who enjoy and discuss photography as a possible answer.

of course you just saw someone who was ripe for a cheap insult and a not very clever remark.
Who's to say who was right in this case... Have one in the the bell for me on your way home.

To be honest 200mm inside is probably not going to be used THAT often. But if you look at the description of his lens, that would be the wide open setting, and he is not going to be able to open it any more than that...The camera shake , I think was dealt with inthe "Tripod" and "Something to rest the camera on" bit.

 

[gsgary]

Sorry if I offended you Gary, But I saw a person who had a problem, and who didn't know the answer. So thought that a whole forum devoted entirely to people who enjoy and discuss photography as a possible answer.

of course you just saw someone who was ripe for a cheap insult and a not very clever remark.
Who's to say who was right in this case... Have one in the the bell for me on your way home.

To be honest 200mm inside is probably not going to be used THAT often. But if you look at the description of his lens, that would be the wide open setting, and he is not going to be able to open it any more than that...The camera shake , I think was dealt with inthe "Tripod" and "Something to rest the camera on" bit.

Only pulling your leg

 

[tnraines]

I can tell you my Canon EFS 18-55 seems to work fine indoors if I get close enough even at far less lighting then what I have tried with the promaster.

 

[tnraines]

Seems to be as I am not a proffesional and really just starting I don't have 800 dollar or up lenses that is the problem. Or so I am told. Perhaps it is the lighting perhaps it is bad lense or such. I have not learned much more then where I started off other then I need a more expensive lense to do something I hardly do. Thanks to those who have tried to answer my question.

 

[gsgary]

Sorry if I offended you Gary, But I saw a person who had a problem, and who didn't know the answer. So thought that a whole forum devoted entirely to people who enjoy and discuss photography as a possible answer.

of course you just saw someone who was ripe for a cheap insult and a not very clever remark.
Who's to say who was right in this case... Have one in the the bell for me on your way home.

To be honest 200mm inside is probably not going to be used THAT often. But if you look at the description of his lens, that would be the wide open setting, and he is not going to be able to open it any more than that...The camera shake , I think was dealt with inthe "Tripod" and "Something to rest the camera on" bit.

I was shooting a band last night using my 200mm for a few shots