Focus problems with 10D

[Spike56]

This seems to be such a difficult subject and I read so much about the focusing issues with the 10D, that Im not really sure what the problem is.
I am relatively new to high end digital and autofocus photography that I may be missing something. I was previously using a sony 2.1 mps camera that always shot nice crisp pics, and much before that a minolta x-350 35mm that always took fanatastic shots ... it uses manual focus lenses. I am trying to capture wildlife, mostly birds with some close and some far away. My lenses are 28-90 USM, 75-300 USM and 75-300 USM IS. I do not have L type lenses as they a way out of my price range, but I would think the above lens should work. Yesterday I tried to capture a Goldfinch less than 10 yards away from me on my porch... I could not get a shot in focus or I should say that wasnt blurry when viewed at 100% in Photoshop. With the 300 Ive been trying to shoot at 1/500th or faster and when I zoom in to 100% in photoshop it looks really blurry. In fact anything Ive shot when view at 100% is blurry. Am I not supposed to expect to preview shots at this level? I realize this may raise a hundred questions but I've tried lots of settings, taken about 2000 shots and cant seem to get it right.

So Im open for suggestions and will be building an exhibits with Pekkas awesome software soon for these beauties.

spike

[Longwatcher]

Pekka has a focus thread with how to do a focus test and lists some of the common problems with new 10D owners. I just could not find it quickly right now.

The simple answer is one of the below possibilities

1. Pictures from the 10D come out soft (fuzzy/blurry) and need sharpening in Photoshop. This can be mitigated by adjusting the in camera sharpening. However, even that will not be as good as photoshop sharpening (unsharp mask).

2. You have a focus problem, which a very small percentage of cameras seem to have. If you can't find Pekka's thread, use a ruler at 45 degrees off camera at about 2 meters with you lens wide open (largest aperture (smallest number) Av mode) from a tripod or other stable surface. starting with the lens out of focus aim at a point on the ruler and see where the focus point is. repeat at least 3 times per lens. If all of your lenses end up in the same general area and the area you aimed at is not in focus; you may have an actual problem. note: the center of focus may not be directly on the aim point, but the aim point should be within the in focus area.

3. You have the lenses set on manual instead of autofocus and were not paying attention. (I had to mention this one, since I do it occasionally)

Note: From reading lots of threads, the 75-300 IS has some good and some bad lenses (I got a good one). So this is a possibility, but even more highly unlikely then the camera.

[Spike56]

Thank you so much for the valuable information, I plan on doing the tests this weekend and I'll keep you posted as to my results.

It may be more of a user (me) problem then anything else, I've always thought of myself as a pretty steady hand with firewarms but maybe with a lens pushed out to its maximum I'm not steady enough. I could also be asking the lense to do more than its capable of.

Last night I was reading through Robert Shaws book on Nature Photography and it pointed out that I may not have a fast enough lens for the type of shots I want to be able to take. But also my techniques may need some improvement as well as my understanding of exposure/shutter speed settings.

Spike