Settings that could cause missed focus?

[SquarePeg]

went out for some sunset- blue hour photos tonight and ran into an issue that I just can’t figure out. All of the photos are blurry with what looks like camera shake. I’ll post a few shortly. Here are the settings and circumstances:

xt2 and 16-80 and Samyang 12mm
Sturdy tripod that has been used successfully in worse conditions
mf
Single shot
Using a remote release
ISO 100 or 200
Tried several focal lengths and apertures
Long exposure noise reduction off
Used focus peaking and then tried split screen to focus - I feel like it was a focusing issue
Samyang doesn’t have VR/OIS so nothing to turn off
Fuji 16-80 has OIS but Fuji says not necessary to turn it off it will know when it’s on a tripod. I would think this was the problem but Samyang had same issue
I tried everything I could think of and changed every setting that I thought could be causing the issue
I even tried ditching the remote release and using the self timer.
The longer the shutter speed the more camera shake/blur
Several other photogs were there, some Fuji shooters too and no one could figure it out.
There was very little breeze.


Your thoughts? I feel like I’m missing something super obvious.

 

[SquarePeg]

These are sooc

 

[Derrel]

Photo number 3 definitely looks like bad Focus to me. The others could be camera Shake. Were these made with different lenses?

One sneaky little problem can be a smudge on the rear lens element. It does not take much to wreak havoc, whereas a big thumbprint on the front element will have very little effect.

 

[480sparky]

Do you have a Mirror Up option? IE, one press of the remote to raise the mirror up and let the camera vibration go away, then another press of the remote to actually actuate the shutter?

Another possibility is movement caused by large trucks rumbling by on a nearby road.

 

[SquarePeg]

And now that I am home everything is working fine.

@Derrel Photo 3 was made with the 12mm Samyang. The issue was with both lenses so I think it was the camera or a setting on the camera but I will check the lenses for smudges.

@480sparky it’s a mirrorless No trucks going by. Was on a stationary pier. No movement that I could detect. No trucks anywhere close and others on the same pier did not have the issue.

 

[480sparky]

1,2 and 4 are definitely camera movement. Pixel peeping I can see the 'smearing'.

Maybe something loose in the tripod?

 

[weepete]

Did you have one of your triopd legs touching the railing? Could you have been brushing up against the tripod while the shutter was open ir indadvertantly putting a hand on your tripod?

If there were other togs there and they were unaffected we can rule out some larger environmental issue, it must be something to do with your setup or process when you were shooting. Could it be something simple like your camera strap blowing about and causing vibration?

I've had this happen a few times that I recall, once was inside and a washing machine in my kitchen was causing vibrations to come through the floor. Occasionally my QR plate has been loose and the camera has moved slightly under it's own weight, very occaisionally my centre column has not been quite tight enough and has rotated slightly during a shot, the other time that springs to mind I was shooting on sand, close to the water and the tripod was slowly sinking under it's own weight.

 

[SquarePeg]

1,2 and 4 are definitely camera movement. Pixel peeping I can see the 'smearing'.

Maybe something loose in the tripod?

must have been but I did check it all during the shoot and I’ve used the tripod before on windier nights with no issues.

Did you have one of your triopd legs touching the railing? Could you have been brushing up against the tripod while the shutter was open ir indadvertantly putting a hand on your tripod?

If there were other togs there and they were unaffected we can rule out some larger environmental issue, it must be something to do with your setup or process when you were shooting. Could it be something simple like your camera strap blowing about and causing vibration?

I've had this happen a few times that I recall, once was inside and a washing machine in my kitchen was causing vibrations to come through the floor. Occasionally my QR plate has been loose and the camera has moved slightly under it's own weight, very occaisionally my centre column has not been quite tight enough and has rotated slightly during a shot, the other time that springs to mind I was shooting on sand, close to the water and the tripod was slowly sinking under it's own weight.

I removed the strap and tripod was not touching anything. I checked the plate and was careful not to shift my feet or touch the tripod during the shot.

 

[480sparky]

must have been but I did check it all during the shoot and I’ve used the tripod before on windier nights with no issues.

It could be something loose that you typically don't have to mess with when using it. I found a bolt buried deep in the center post of mine that took a lot of socket extensions to tighten up.

 

[goooner]

A mate of mine had a similar problem with his samyang on his fuji. He sent the lens back-you might have a bad copy.

 

[tirediron]

On these I'm not seeing enough (possibly due to resolution) that I can say for certain that I'm seeing camera movement. One thing that does occur to me, and is especially likely with a third-party type of lens is slop in the focusing helicoid. I used to have an old 400 'T' mount lens, one of those ones you could buy in the back of the photo magazines for $99... it was VERY easy to focus 'past' infinity with it and it would render in exactly the same manner as this. The other thing that makes this possible in my mind is that the clouds don't seem to show any sign of movement; granted it would be difficult to tell, but they appear focused.

 

[480sparky]

The 4th image is easy to see the camera movement, even at the low resolution. Every red aircraft warning light is 'double exposed', the same amount, and at the same angle, and across the same angular distance.

 

[tirediron]

The 4th image is easy to see the camera movement, even at the low resolution. Every red aircraft warning light is 'double exposed', the same amount, and at the same angle, and across the same angular distance.

Okay, have to agree; I wasn't seeing it on the first couple, but that's pretty conclusive.

 

[SquarePeg]

must have been but I did check it all during the shoot and I’ve used the tripod before on windier nights with no issues.

It could be something loose that you typically don't have to mess with when using it. I found a bolt buried deep in the center post of mine that took a lot of socket extensions to tighten up.

I will do some test shots in the tripod today with the 16-80 and see if it recurs. Maybe the Fuji OIS for whatever reason didn’t recognize it was in a tripod. That lens doesn’t have an OIS on off switch but I should have tried turning it off in camera. I think this was the first time I used the 16-80 on a tripod.

A mate of mine had a similar problem with his samyang on his fuji. He sent the lens back-you might have a bad copy.

i have used the 12mm successfully several times lately for astro and for some night shots and it was fine. It may have been bad focusing on my part with the Samyang. I just put it in and took a few quick shots to try to see if it was the lens or the body causing the issue.

The 16-80 look like camera shake and the 12mm look like missed focus.

I really appreciate all of these suggestions. Need to figure this out so it doesn’t happen again.

 

[JBPhotog]

You don't say the tripod of head type, this is where minute vibrations can influence the image. Aluminum tripods are more prone to vibration than carbon fibre. Was the pier being hit by swells?

I'd try this test a home to reduce the wind or environmental vibration, set up a candle or low power light(LED twinkle lights) and do a long exposure at mid f-stop. Check those for sharpness and you may reveal the culprit.