D30 with 28 135IS help

[MarkG]

Just got my D30 and 28 153 IS lens. Most of the images shot seemed pretty soft. So I went to Walmart and bought a cheapo Canon 80-200 4.5 5.6II. Stuck this lens on, and shot a few pics with it .The difference in sharpness and contrast is very noticeably better than the 28 135 lens.

I did try NUMEROUS different settings on the camera and 28 135 lens searching for what might have been a "sweet spot", but cant seem to find one. After seeing the images shot with the cheapo lens I am concerned I might have got a defective 28 135.

Is the 28 135 that soft that a cheap 80 200 45 56 lens will produce sharper more contrasting images?

Any help would be appreciated before I contact the cmera store for a refund or exchange.

Thanks
Mark

[f8 and be there]

I have the 17-35L and 70-200L I use the 28-135 in the middle. Canon rep locally siad that the 28-135 is canons sharpest non L lens. You might have a dud. See if they let you shoot some side by side with another in stock. Hopefully the warm buzz of the recent sale will let you get a trade without getting too noisy. Another reason to buy local not from 'noservicepeeonu.com'

Good luck
Steve

[DoctorMoth]

I have the same 28-135 IS zoom from Canon, and I also think it's quite soft. I've been photographing some geese and ducks that are wintering in the river near my home, some as close as a couple feet away, and it's incredibly hard to get those feathers crisp enough to satisfy me. I think the lens just might not be that good, I got it for around $500 bucks from canoga camera, but I think the money mostly went for the IS technology rather than the glass. The printed images from these pictures seem sharp enough at 5 by 7 or so, but are noticably soft focus when printing larger than that.

[soumya63]

Folks, you have discovered one main feature of D30, it dislikes cheap lens. The reason in however scientific. First of all, in 35 mm camera, what is the normal print size you use to make? Mostly postcard size huh? So all the blemishes and lens aberrations are kind of masked in that little magnification. Think about it, how much sharpness would you expect from a 35mm negative if you blow it up 10x12? Not much, and that is why Professionals use Medium format for that print size.

Now in D30, the situation is more acute. Its sensor size is smaller than 35mm negative size. So your effective imaging area is magnified 1.6 times when you try to make a print of normal 35 mm equivalent size. On computer monitor (though the resolution is only 72 DPI), you are seeing the big 10x12 size equivalent view of the 1.6 times magnified picture. So no wonder, any lens shortcoming will scream at you. For example I can very well see all the purple fringing on my 450$ Sigma 17-35mm zoom on monitor screen. So folks, save money for great lenses and if you want best go for the best, and also go for the fastest as permitted by your pocket.


In my personal opinion, these are few great lenses

Canon 24mm f2.8
Canon 50mm f1.8
Canon 85mm f1.8
Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro
Canon 135mm f2L
Canon 300mm f4L
Canon 70-200 f2.8L
Sigma 70-200 f2.8

Also beware of minimum shutter speed to use. 35mm rule of thumb does not work for D30, always multiply minimum shutter speed with 1.6, so for 50mm lens minimum handheld shutter speed should be 50x1.6=80

[Kintama]

>Canon 70-200 f2.8L
>Sigma 70-200 f2.8

Soumya63,

Why do you have both of these? I'm planing on the Sigma cause it's $500 less and nearly as good according to photodo, but curioius if you bought the canon because you felt it was worth it over the sigma.

I've noticed my 50mm 1.4 is blurry at 1.4 and becomes clear at 2.2, but the closer to 22 it gets the brighter and clearer it becomes. (this is based on a test out of my office window to another building about 800yds away so I don't think DOF is the culprit cause it's uniformly blurry to for/background objects as well as target object at each stop.

James

[MarkG]

Thanks for all the feedback.

F8,
Unfortunately, the lens and camera came from an internet source so testing side by side is impossible. I am finding it hard to believe the plastic lens is producing sharper images, so the 28 135 is probably going back.

soumya,

I am QUICKLY learning.... In fact, after reading your reply I got the camera out again and fired off some more tests... seems part of my problem was the low $$$$ UV filter I stuck in front of the lens. After removing it, the image did become a bit clearer, yet still seems softer than the "plastic" lens. Ill have to try the naked lens outdoors tommorow and see how it does than.

I picked up the "plastic lens" just to see if image quality improved over the 28 135 or not, and Intend on returning it. I too am curious as to how well the Sigma 70 200 lens works.

Mark

[reittila]

MrkG: Did you shoot with a tripod _and_ IS ?
If you use a tripod you should switch IS off, because shooting with a tripod results some erratic behaviour in IS. This "techical" detail can be found from Canon's web site. I have experienced it also by my self.
If that is not the case there is propably something wrong with the lens, because it's really a very sharp one.

[soumya63]

kintama wrote:
>Canon 70-200 f2.8L
>Sigma 70-200 f2.8

Soumya63,

Why do you have both of these? I'm planing on the Sigma cause it's $500 less and nearly as good according to photodo, but curioius if you bought the canon because you felt it was worth it over the sigma.

I've noticed my 50mm 1.4 is blurry at 1.4 and becomes clear at 2.2, but the closer to 22 it gets the brighter and clearer it becomes. (this is based on a test out of my office window to another building about 800yds away so I don't think DOF is the culprit cause it's uniformly blurry to for/background objects as well as target object at each stop.

James

Sorry for replying late. No I do not have both of them. in fact right now I do not have any one of those two Zoom with me. I have tried both of them and found Sigma is optically equal to Canon 70-200. Now with the new 70-200 IS, people are disposing off Canon 70-200 at ebay. The avarage price for a used lens in mint condition is hovering around 850$. So you can either buy a new Sigma or a used Canon :D I am actually saving money for the 70-200 IS. For D30, I believe IS is extremely helpful in handheld shooting, though I am now doing quite fine with my new Monopod. Thanks goes to Chris and Pekka for sharing their proper monopod handling technique.

[sasc]

I think its very soft too.

[reittila]

28-135mm IS zoom is so called "varifocal" lens ie. the focus changes with focal length. That means that the focusing must be done with the same focal length the picture will be taken. If not the picture will be out of focus=soft.