Was it me, or the camera?

[JustJazzie]

I'm just curious if there are factors here I am just not understanding. My first DSLR was a canon xsi with a to tokina at-x280af pro 28-80 f/2.8 aspherical, and the same brand in a 70-300 I believe, but I don't have the model number handy, I usually- but not always, kept a uv filter on the 28-80. Unfortunetly I sold this entire setup for $200 thinking I wouldn't need it again :-(

At that point in time I was a shutter or aperture priority girl. Usually shutter priority when shooting the kids. I was browsing old photos yesterday and not one single image is sharp. Every single one is VERY soft. Not as in I missed focus every time, because I can't actually find a point of focus. Oddly enough, I had no idea my lens was a 2.8 back then....looking at the exif data, it would hike my iso up to 800 or 1600 and insist on keeping the aperture at 5.6....pretty sure that was the lowest it ever went. Then when I had it in aperture priority- it was NEVER shot at 2.8.... I'm am absolutely confused at how I never got the aperture down that low because I always just "flicked" the dial as low as it could go for portraits. So often in ap I noticed that my SS was way to low, that accounts for SOME blurry photos, but not all of them.

So fast forward to when I got my nex- I was still using AP or SP but there is an immediate difference in my work, photos at similar settings are sharp. The comparison image I shot side by side of a tree at the same settings were night and day difference..

However, when I google the setup that I had- they get pretty awesome reviews, so I have to think it was just me...
Was it me? Was it the equipment? I did buy the set grey market off ebay....could I have just gotten a bad copy and didn't realize it? I'm curious what others ideas are on this.

 

[TWright33]

Could have been backfocus issues with that lens and camera setup.

I didn't notice I had backfocus issues until I started helping with shooting weddings.

This past weekend both my 35mm and 50mm primes where backfosuing a hair.

I'm inclined to think it is my camera since they both needed -3 adjustment.

 

[JustJazzie]

Could have been backfocus issues with that lens and camera setup. I didn't notice I had backfocus issues until I started helping with shooting weddings. This past weekend both my 35mm and 50mm primes where backfosuing a hair. I'm inclined to think it is my camera since they both needed -3 adjustment.

Maybe so! Back then, I was editing on a small lap top and I guess I just didn't know any better. They looked fine to my untrained eye, but now it's embarrassing that I didn't notice! It's the ONLY camera I have ever had issues focusing with.

 

[Designer]

I usually- but not always, kept a uv filter on the 28-80.

If the filter was of somewhat lower quality it may have been the cause.

 

[JustJazzie]

If the filter was of somewhat lower quality it may have been the cause.

I origionally thought this too. But I only had it on 80% of the time. Wouldn't the other 20% have been decent? I wish I were joking when I say not ONE picture out of around (I have )10,000 shots (in my aperture library from that camera) is in perfect focus. Some are better than others, but none are sharp.

 

[Designer]

Yeah, being able to see sharpness in photos, even on the computer, is not my strongest suit.