soft focus or oof??

[Carla_]

I am getting a lot of critiques (valid of course) that my photos are soft. Can you tell the difference between soft focus due to lens effects and out of focus due to camera shake/poor lighting/photography skills by looking at photos? I know I shouldn't blame the tools for my camera skills but how can I tell if my lens is the issue? If you want examples feel free to look back at some of my older posts. I just purchased a Canon 7d and I'm still having the same issues with focus, using my old Sigma 18-200 OS lens. BTW I have no regrets for purchasing the 7d even if it is my lens. I felt it was time to upgrade my 5 year old Rebel xTi in any case.

TIA for any help!

Carla

 

[Overread17 5]

It depends.

Generally just looking at a photo can give some ideas as to the properties, eg:

1) Motion blur from the subjects can be easily seen when you've the greatest amount of blurring occurring on elements that are moving within the scene. This is even more apparent if there are in focus static elements which are rendered sharper than those moving in the same plane of focus (and thus which should be equally as sharp).

2) Handshake blur can be told when the amount of blurryness over the whole photo appears to be fairly constant (if one ignores moving elements since those will typically also blur at most slower shutter speeds that would show handshake blur).

3) Soft can be harder to tell though is generally less drastic than the above two examples, especially if you've edited and sharpened a photo for online display.


That said its hard to really judge just from the photo alone. Definitive answers come not just from the photo, but also knowing:

1) The shutter speed, aperture and ISO used

2) The lens and camera used

3) The setup of the shot (handheld - tripod - monopod - leaning on something)

4) The conditions of the shoot (eg strong winds present).

The more information you provide to those you ask to review your photos the more they can give a clear and direct answer to the possible problems within the photo itself. These details also help yourself as you are far more likely to take note of and pay attention to how you are shooting and how to correct it if you are taking note of the method that you are using to perform photography with.



EDIT - note that the 18-200mm is a superzoom lens, as such it covers a massive focal range from 18mm all the way to 200mm. This is a big range and the lens it self is budget market - the result is that the lens will be going softer at the longer end. This is a lens property and is something that no camera body can correct. The camera is actually one of the last and more minor factors in determining sharpness of a shot - with lighting and the lens being foremost.
If you want sharper shots, esp at the longer end of the lens, then provided your shooting method is sold, the only way to get better is with better glass.

Post some shots though as there might be ways to adjust your method that can give you a bit more quality with the lens.

 

[enzodm]

+: wide open might be softer than, e.g., f/8.

 

[timor]

Some lenses examples are inherently soft by developing small (microns) changes. Plastic may disintegrate, mount may be not anymore so tight and so on. Try other lenses on your camera and if soft images are still a problem, lets talk other possibilities.

 

[Solarflare]

Fixing Unsharp Images

 

[amolitor]

Out of focus actually just means that the focus is in the wrong place. Think of it as "the thing I wanted in focus is out of focus". It is the nature of lenses that SOMETHING is always in focus.

If you're having focusing problems, something will be sharp, it just won't be the right thing. The subject's ears are sharp but the eyes are soft, say.

Lighting generally won't affect sharpness.

Motion blur is often somewhat directional, everything will look as if it's "smeared" in a particular direction. Not always, but if all your photos are soft all over (so it's not a focusing problem) and some of them look a bit "smeared" you might just be having issues with holding the camera steady.

You can do some tests:

- set the camera down on something and use the self-timer. If these photos are suddenly much sharper, you're probably moving the thing around too much when shooting.
- take some pictures in full sunlight. With tons of light around, you or the camera will select a shutter speed plenty fast enough to "freeze" any motion, including your hands shaking the camera. Again, if these photographs are suddenly Much Sharper, you might have a problem holding the camera still.
- Try taking pictures at various apertures, by setting the camera down and using the self timer to remove "shaking" as a source of blurriness. Some of the pictures are going to be sharper than others. Now
you have some notion of which apertures your lens is sharpest at! (Note: ALL lenses are softer at some apertures, and sharper at others).

If none of the above makes your photographs come out any sharper, you may have a damaged piece of equipment, or possibly your camera simply isn't very good. Or, it's also possible that you're doing something to the images after they're taken. Maybe you're uploading them to a web site that ruins them, or you're doing something in Photoshop or whatever that ruins them.

 

[Carla_]

Thanks for all the quick responses! I'll try some of the suggested tests next time I'm out with my camera.

 

[dbvirago]

Try testing the lens in the studio. Put it on a tripod or sturdy surface, use the self-timer and manual focus on something - a ruler laying parallel with the lens works great. Focus on one number and take a couple of shots. If it's sharp, then it's not the lens. If something is sharp, but not what you focused on, or nothing is sharp, then there is probably a problem with the lens.

 

[KmH]

One member that was having repeated image soft focus issues finally realized the problem was the cheap, low quality 'protection' UV filters she had on her lenses.
Once she removed the UV filters she solved her soft focus issues.

Check out this info and focus test chart - Nikon D70 Focus Chart

 

[Carla_]

Thanks for the help! I did some "studio" tests (on my dining room table) with a ruler and I traced at least part of the issue to the OS on the Sigma lens. I got a lot of missed focuses when the OS was turned on. I'll have to remember to turn it off at least while using the tripod .

Carla

 

[Overread17 5]

most modern OS/IS systems had a tripod detect side to them; however it does not work perfectly and often has to spin up the OS/IS before it can detect and then spin down (which creates a long lagtime where, because its on a tripod, the OS/IS is generating its own blur). For this reason its generally always best to leave it off when shooting from a stable platform - however do remember that mode 2 is stabilization for panning (side to side motion only) and does work on tripods.

 

[MLeeK]

Well, when I first read this I'd have guessed it was the lens, but then I went back and looked at your images. A big part of it is in your post processing and shutter speeds/long exposure techniques. That lens is weak, but the softness and problems you are having are far more than what the lens would cause.

As I look back thru your posts:
The rose is an extremely shallow depth of field, but the bud petal closest us is nicely sharp.
The flower set I am making a second guess on this one: you used a tripod, but did you use a remote on the camera or did you press the button? If you pressed the button and did not use the delay that causes movement in the camera. And yes, you should have raised the ISO. You have a camera that is capable of ISO's that are 10 times what you used as long as you properly expose. Stop thinking with your XTi
The landscape HDR-I think there are a multitude of things going on there, but in short they are user error both in camera and in editing.
As I go further back you have images that make me think you are having problems in post and editing causing a lot of your problems. You seem to want to use a very slow shutter speed over raising your ISO. Stop. You can remove noise, but you can't fix blurry. Make sure your exposure is proper or JUST above perfect to minimize your noise and use an appropriate shutter speed. To hand hold with that lens fully zoomed that would mean 1/250. Not zoomed I'd aim for 1/125.