Troubleshooting: unable to take a sharp shot with Canon EOS1200D

Derrel · Apr 23, 2017

bobbysafety said:
Thanks Designer for this.

I tried something similar, because I tried 4 different lenses and then tried all four of these lenses in my girlfriend's body. They worked with her, same settings, but not with my body, with a few exceptions (especially the tele-objective). Does this make sense or do you recommend your test nonetheless?

As for sending it back to the shop, Canon has a bad reputation re. speed and costs here in Switzerland. So I am a bit reluctant, especially because this body is not worth very much money, relatively speaking.

I will attempt a firmware update as I don't seem to have the latest version.

If ALL the lenses worked fine on another camera, then the issue is most likely with your camera!!! I expect that your camera's autofocusing system is out of proper adjustment, and needs to be repaired/adjusted. Perhaps there is a hair or a clothing fiber covering the AF sensor? This can happen! The sensor I am talking about is sort of hidden inside the miorror box area, inside the camera.

No matter the cost of the camera--you DESERVE to have good pictures, and it likely could be repaired easily by an authorized Canon repair center worker.

SuzukiGS750EZ · Apr 23, 2017

Have you tried updating the firmware and then resetting the camera back to factory? If you have any STM lenses, they may also have firmware updates... I don't know about USM. Can you take a few RAW shots with your camera they way it is now in at least P mode and upload the CR2 files in dropbox or something so we (or I) could download them and play around with them a bit?

bobbysafety · Apr 24, 2017

Here is a link to 4 pictures (2x2, RAW and JPEG). Again, the picture is sort of ok, but really not that good. It's as if things are in focus but that the image quality is just bad nonetheless.

I should send it back to the factory. My worry is that it will cost at least 50$ for shipping and packaging, will take at least one month as I understand from Canon Switzerland, and will cost at least an additional 150$ which I heard is their basic fee just to have a look at the camera. I can actually buy a second-hand body for about that price. Not sure what to do.

Oh, the firmware update did not seem to help.

SuzukiGS750EZ · Apr 24, 2017

I Will download them later and see what's going on!

bobbysafety · Apr 24, 2017

Thank you so much! Much appreciated!

Also, just thinking ahead, this here second-hand body is sold for circa 130$. Any thoughts on this in terms of pricing and how it stacks up to the 1200D?

Thanks again.

SuzukiGS750EZ · Apr 24, 2017

I've owned the 400D or the XTi as mine was called. It would be a humungous step backwards for you in terms of features and quality. That camera actually made me stop taking photo's for a long time. I bought it, learned the basics of photography quickly and quickly realized I bought a glorified point and shoot. Don't do that to yourself. I'm taking a look at those RAW files now.

SuzukiGS750EZ · Apr 24, 2017

Ok. Looking at the Exif, can I make some suggestions?

Put it in manual, not landscape.
Shoot RAW
ISO 100, F11 and 1/125 I would change to ISO 100, F8, 1/600 if you can balance that out with the light you have available. If not, try not to go below like 1/400 for now.
take it off automatic AF selection and try to do single point AF
turn auto lighting optimizer OFF
high ISO speed noise reduction OFF
peripheral illumination correction OFF

Take that RAW file (just to see if this helps) and put it into Digital Photo Professional (the canon software that came with your camera). This is what will allow you to manipulate your RAW file (which is like a film negative). Change the white balance in there to "daylight" or whatever mimics the scene you shot. go down to "advanced" and play with that stuff. For now, try not to go more than + or - 2 or 3 on any of those settings. Do not max out your sharpness. Go to file, convert and save and save the file as a JPEG, also when you're in the "save as" box, bump the image quality slider up to 10. Now, open the file in a photo viewer and look at it. Does it look any better than you're used to?

bobbysafety · Apr 25, 2017

Thanks for this. So I'll avoid that XTi then

As for the shots, sorry for the landscape mode. I tried using your suggested settings, but it came out black. I could not get a reasonable shot without going below 1/100 in shutter speed or raising the ISO way up. What do you suggest I opt for?
I turned off those other settings, except for "high ISO speed noise reduction" which I cannot seem to find in the menu.

SuzukiGS750EZ · Apr 25, 2017

You could try manual mode and set the aperture to wide open (smallest number it has). Set it to single auto focus point and keep it in the center. ISO 400 and watch the meter in the middle bottom of the viewfinder. It will be a green number line. Adjust your shutter until it gets to 0 (the center). If it goes below 1/600 (I'm suggesting this to try to eliminate as much shake while allowing more light than 1/1000) push the ISO up one more stop to 800.

bobbysafety · Apr 25, 2017

I could not do what you ask because I got home late from work.. However, I added two pictures to the dropbox. Taken indoors, but using my tripod. The results actually look somewhat normal compared to the landscape shots.

Will try to come home earlier tomorrow and try what you ask.

Braineack · Apr 25, 2017

all shots look like youre shooting through bad plastic.

SuzukiGS750EZ · Apr 25, 2017

I'm curious to see the results with the settings in manual.

SuzukiGS750EZ · Apr 25, 2017

I'm guessing the blur is caused by a low shutter speed. You keep it stable enough to capture an image that you can discern, but there's enough shake introduced to affect sharpness.