Canon 10D focusing problems??

[fable]

:roll: I recently bought a Canon 10D and at first was really amazed with it. Even though I've taken pictures with my Minolta SLR for years this is my first "big" camera. Like I said at first it was great and took my breath away with it's abilities but on closer inspection i've not been happy with the detail in the pictues. It's like I put a slight soft filter over the lenses or something. All i keep thinking is how my little hundred and thirty dollar Minolta that I used for ten years gave a sharper image. I'm no expert yet as I'm trying to learn and after spending almost four thousand dollars of equipment in this new venture I'm really bummed. :( At first i thought the continuous softbox lights i got was doing something to mess up the lense and now it doesn't even seem to look right when every thing is on auto. I'll call Canon on Monday morning for sure but after reading through so much of the manual i'm pretty sure its not me anymore. I was wondering if anyone has had a similar problem and yet was still able to make their canon 10D work out. I keep thinking maybe i should have spent less and got the canon D60, i've heard no problems with that one. Ugggh, hindsight twenty twenty.

[samdring]

Welcome Fable

A quick search of this site will show many queries such as yours. DigiSLR manufacturers incl Canon assume you will want to do your own processing and, therefore, have control over such isssues as sharpness. Nowt wrong with your 10d, I suspect. Touch of USM and you're in business

[scottbergerphoto]

All digital images require sharpening. There is no way around it. In P&S digital cameras it happens in the camera and you don't worry about it. The drawback is that you don't control it. The DSLR's give you the option of letting the camera do it by setting the sharpening parameter when you shoot jpeg, or doing it in post processing (in the raw converter and PS CS or other photo editor) with Raw files. There are alot of good reasons for doing it yourself. Different kinds of images require different amounts of sharpening (architectural vs. portraits), and different parts of the same picture may need different amounts. You might want to sharpen a face and not the rest of an image for example, or you might want to sharpen the nose and eyebrows alot and the cheeks less. DSLRs give you that option. There is a steep learning curve. Many people think that digital cameras make taking pictures easy. I think it has made it much more complicated, but much more rewarding. When I look at pictures I print today vs. a year ago, I'm amazed at how much I've learned in the last year. When I look at pictures of pro's, I realize how far I still have to go.
Good luck,
Scott

[drisley]

You also dont mention what lenses you use.

[Sendide]

jsut one thing to consider, lots of 10D cameras present some front or back focusing problems including mine, check if items behind or in front of the focused item come out shaper, if it's the case then you need to call canon , they'll ask you to do some cards tests and send them pict samples. if it's a real focusing prb, you'll have to send the camera with the lenses you used for calibration. takes about two weeks

hope this helps

regards

Khaild

[Jesper]

The perceived focussing problem with the 10D is a very persistent rumour, but most likely your 10D is fine. It seems to have been an issue with the first 10D's that were made (around March, April 2003). Many people believe they have this issue when they see their first shots with their 10D, but in 99% of the cases it's either user error or wrong expectations.

First of all: Which lens are you using, and which settings (aperture, focal length, shutter speed)? Are you hand-holding the camera or is it on a tripod? If you want to do a serious test if your 10D focuses correctly, you should at least use a high-quality lens (not a cheap zoom lens), put the camera on a tripod and use mirror lock-up to prevent motion blur. (I've got a good tripod yesterday and made some photos with it, I was surprised at the difference this made vs. hand-holding the camera!).

Second: Most people who move up from a compact digicam to a 10D are somewhat disappointed by the lack of sharpness of images that they get from the 10D. With almost all compact digicams, the image is quite heavily sharpened by the camera itself. The 10D doesn't (by default) sharpen the image very much. It leaves sharpening for the photographer, who'll want to do that as the last step in the image editing process.

[drisley]

There is a thread here somewhere that links to the Sports Illustrated photo workflow with Canon digital cameras.

SI said that they love how noise free digital camera images are relative to film. However, the cost is a softer image than with film. SI said it's a tradeoff, but they do prefer digital now.

[fable]

I called Canon, they were helpful but said that the 10D does produce a slightly "soft" image. They said because most photographers like to go into photoshop and control what's sharp and what isn't. I guess that makes sense....sort of. I mean if i could get what i wanted i would rather have a sharp image that i could always easily soften with photoshop, i've found the opposite a little tougher to obtain. I have been able to obtain a better image after working with it for a while. I think part of the problem is that when i was taking pictures in a very small room that for now i use as a studio i was forced to stand in a box shaped hall way to take the picture. This somehow affected the image, i was forced to move closer into the same light that the subject was actually in, maybe some barndoors would help. I'm useing a Canon 28-135 mm lens with image stabilizer and mostly i want to take portraits of people. Would a different lens have been better? Thanks for all the advice anyway. I think the next thing i buy will be a book on lighting, my ignorance here is really hurting my images. :?

[Cadwell]

I'm useing a Canon 28-135 mm lens with image stabilizer and mostly i want to take portraits of people. Would a different lens have been better?

I've not found the EF 28-135mm to be the sharpest lens in the world. The Canon "L" glass is much better (also much more expensive). Something like the EF 24-70mm F/2.8L would work well or, if you are on a tighter budget the Tamron 28-75mm XR Di F/2.8L is very good and significantly cheaper.

[BobbyC]

I would also recommend judging sharpness from a print instead of the screen, if you could enlarge your film negatives to what we enlarge digital to on the computer screen, you would probably even be more unhappy with the results of film. At 100% on the screen you may be looking at the equivelant of a 16x20 or larger.

[jboyd]

fable,

I got my 10D in November, and have had the same issues. I have read all the threads here and on other sites about the 10D "focus issues." I have started to refer to them as "depth of field issues." I have read many places it was with the early cameras, but I beleive it still affects my November camera.

Regarding the difference between the 10D and P & S cameras - I started taking pictures in high school, over 20 years ago, with a Canon SLR film camera. I have also had a G3. I have had no problems with either of those cameras. Suddenly I am questioning my skills as a photographer.

As far as the replies about sharpening - sure, I use sharpening, but some of my photos cannot even be helped with that. They are just plain old out of focus.

Regarding lenses - I have used a 28-80, left over from my film SLR, now retired for a 28-135 IS. Some impovement, but not always. I also have a 70 -300, hoping to upgrade this one at least to an IS version soon. And you really can't say you have to have L glass to get a good, sharp focus. Yes, it certainly helps, but if that is the case Canon has a racket going! Not everyone can afford L glass. And I have tried L lenses at the camera shop, and will keep dreaming of one day having nothing but L glass!

I have not talked to Canon about this. I have not yet tried the tests I have seen posted to check the focusing. I believe it is a focus/depth of field issue. I have started using a smaller aperature to get deeper depth of field. That has helped some. But, I still think the quality of the pictures should be better. There are "issues!"

Jackie

[jboyd]

:cry: Ok, I did it! About an hour ago I called Canon and then proceded to pack up my 10D and send it in. The whole thing makes me very nervous!! I am afraid they will not be able to fix it, or may make it worse. I hope it will come back better than it has left. I am already having withdrawls!!

Jackie

:cry:

[harpoon]

What is the big deal about this L lens? It only means some of the elements in the lens are made of low dispersion glass, Canon calls it L, Nikon calls it ED. But it's still glass, it still has dispersion. If you use a reflective type lens, the mirror will have absolutely no dispersion. I haven't heard any woo ahh over a say, 500 mm reflective type telephoto.

I haven't worked with optical glass for a long time and I don't know how much more the material costs. But I think Canon is pumping this thing to make more money. Besides, I am sure only a few elements are of low dispersion. Others may just be the good'o BK7 or whatever you can find from a Schott catalog.