10D soft pics

[bob harris]

Ok I have read all the posts on the 10/20D softness in pics. I have had my 10D for 1 1/2 years now and am ticked about this. I read that some post processinf is required on your pics with a digital SLR but this is just a cop out. I would much rather manually soften the few pics out of a thousand than sharpen 998 out of a thousand.
I love my camera but this is redicilous out of a $1500.00 camers.
My wifes 2MP $100.00 fuji takes sharper pics than my 10D.
There I said it the emperior is naked>>>

[rent]

hi bob, care to post a sample pix or two? what lens(es) are you using with your 10D?

-alex

[mblanton]

When switching from film to digital there are pros and cons. You have to decide if its worth it to you. The fact that I don't have to buy film and pay to have it developed and can preview my results immediately verses having to sharpen a small percentage of my shots is worth it to me. I will agree that some point and shoot digital cameras render shots slightly sharper than my 10D straight from the camera, but my 10D out performs them in every other area....so I am happy. If sharpness is your highest priority then maybe you should go back to shooting film. Just my opinion.

Mike

[BigRed450]

Bob go into the camera menu > parameters > Set up > set a # for the set you are about to create, either 1, 2, or 3 then set your contrast to +1, set sharpness to +2, set saturation to +2, leave color tone at 0, > menu > menu. Now again select parameters > select the set # you just created > set. Now your 10D images should look like the P&S images right out of the camera. Problem is they will also show the same sort of degradation that overprocessed P&S images show when you try and enlarge them. Sorry can't have the best of both worlds without giving something up.....

[bob harris]

I will see if I can post a pic. I fail to understand why people feel it is desirable to have fuzzy images (Not over processed). What is the benefit of not having crisp pics out of the camera?
I have shot 7000 or so pictures with this camera so I'm not new to digital cameras I just can't see the reason nobody ever complained that film SLR's didn't put out fuzzy pics but think it's desireable for digicams to do so.
I use a 10D
Sigma 28-200 lens (Have used other lens') with the same results

[bob harris]

BTW I had my parameters set as follows saturation +1, Sharpness +2

[SAZABI]

I am totally with u. however, people tell me that "it is part of the SLR photography and u have to live with it". Then I realized their mind is "the emperior has the best shirt". lame :rolleyes:

[BigRed450]

Bob ... A film SLR will not match your 10D for sharpness. If it does you may have a faulty unit. What size prints are you comparing?
The point I was trying to make was very simple, P&S cameras are designed for simple photography to print 4x6s direct from a printer no processing required. You will not and cannot produce anything bigger then 8x10 with acceptable results. DSLRs are designed to produce above and beyond that. For instance try and shoot a picture at ISO 1600 with a P&S (if you can find one that will have ISO 1600) then with the 10D and compare. Try and print a 13x19 with that P&S and compare. IN order to understand the WHY you must understand photo processing. There are so many reasons and benefits why ALL manufactures have designed DSLRs to produce somewhat soft looking images out of the camera that I just don't have the time right now to explain. There are numerous discussion all over the net about this very topic. If you are not happy with the 10D don't bother buying any other DSLR, buy a P&S with available screw on adapter lenses.

[bob harris]

Red:
I really like my 10D but don't like that aspect of it. Most of my pics get viewed on the monitor but I have printed pics up to 24X36. They are acceptable but even after applying USM the sharpness does not clean up completely. In this instance I used a tripod and bracketed with several aperatures and with manual and auto-focus.
Your saying 35mm does not produce sharp images? Do I understand that correctly?
Here is one. See the gauges in the center of the panel? That is where the focus point was. You may need to enlarge it to see what I mean

http://bobharris146.fotopic.net/c605277.html

[BigRed450]

Bob, yes I see the gauges in the middle and still I maintain if you aren't getting that and better quality out of your 10D you need to try a focus check and/or re-evaluate your lenses. Of course I can post alot of pictures whos' sharpness would blow you away, but then of course I could also be accussed of post-processing. Web comparisons like this seldom prove anything. You have to compare for yourself. You can check my website (link below) if you like. There are a few websites available where you can download and print a focus target with instructions to check for front or back focus.

[tim]

Fuzzy/out of focus pictures are usually a problem with the technique of the photographer. It's true that to look their best images need sharpening, but that's because it's digital, you need to understand the nature of digital capture to understand why. If you shoot JPG just bump the sharpness up a notch or two and the images from the camera should look great, if they don't it's most likely the fault of the photographer, or possibly the camera or lens.

[Hellashot]

Compact digital cameras apply a lot of in-camera corrections so that post processing isn't neccessary 90% of the time so that people can print directly from the camera. That is not the point of a dSLR. dSLRs underexpose images and are undersharpened on default settings so that images are not oversharpened when needed to crop a portion out or print big.

[Swanick]

Hello Bob:
I had a very similar situation with my 10D camera and know what you are talking about. I posted my concerns on several web sites and received many helpful tips and the usual talk that all pictures need processing. I just didn’t think anyone could relate to the soft pictures that I was experiencing. I also read many posting on the 10D soft pictures and knew that I must not be alone in this. Being displeased with the pictures I returned my camera to Canon 45 days after purchasing. The camera was returned 30 days later without any improvement in the picture quality. I was very frustrated that I spent all this money and not satisfied with the camera. About a month before the warranty ran out I took identical pictures with my camera and two other 10D cameras. I sent the pictures and my camera back to Canon once again using the pictures to express my situation. I have to tell you that Canon hit the nail on the head and correctly fixed the camera. I can’t be happier with the pictures the camera is taking. My camera is now performing as good as if not better than my two friends who also have a 10D camera. My hat is off to Canon for a job well done.

My suggestion to you Bob is to setup a tripod and take identical pictures with your camera and another 10D. Send the pictures, camera and lens back to canon using the pictures to express the soft pictures. It worked for me.

[tim]

Also try this focus test (http://www.canon-dslr.com/Canon_Jan05/Canon_SLR_Focus_Test.htm).

[bauerman]

The detail that your 10D is capturing is at least equal to or in most cases BETTER than that of a point and shoot digital camera - I guarantee you of that. You just have to go get it......no free lunch......you may be happier in the long run going back to a point and shoot camera.....as I doubt you are going to find the DSLR that does exactly what you are looking for.

If you are having a focus issue - that is another story - but if not - the detail IS there........

[tdaugharty]

I bought a 10D second hand and the Ultrasonic IS lens for Wide angle and 128mm everyday use IS lens as well.


I'm just getting to a point where I can get good pics out of it but the images are indeed soft. The sharpening filters in Adobe Elements are a bit weak. Are there any third party filters available for elements that will improve focus and sharpness?

[TheBender]

I have been working out the bugs of going from film to digital and it's not real easy. I even ragged on the people in this group one time (please forgive my stupidity and I hope accept my apology) because I got so frustrated. I am, I believe a typical prosumer. Let me tell you what I have found....The camera (D20 for me) or the lense is not at fault 99.9 percent of the time. Just look at the results photographers are getting with the Canon line (10D,20D, ect.). Look at the portraits Monte Zucker shoots with a D20 in the Shutterbug articles. Look at the photos that win the awards in the various photo mags that are shot with Canon digital cameras (many not with the L series lenses). I had to come to the conclusion that I have a good camera and I need to have fun with it and enjoy the pursuit of excellence in my shots. As a result they are getting better. One thing I'm not is a quitter, and I know that if these guys in the mags can learn to do it so can I. My Nikon 995 P&S took sharp pics. I've got some 8X10 flower pics that adorn the wall of my kitchen, but I had little control over the output. If I luck up and come up with a keeper on my D20 I can blow it up and hang it on the mantle. For me that would be like a hunter getting a trophy Buck I suppose. I still am working at the post processing, and I enjoy it, or I should say I enjoy the finished product. I just invested $300.00 in a tripod and head. I had around $5000.00 invested in camera and lenses and a $30.00 Wal-Mart tripod. I was complaining because my pictures weren't sharp. What's wrong with that picture? Anyway, please forgive the length of this post, but it's taken me a while to discover this stuff, and I also wanted to sincerely apologize to the group as a whole for my foolish post of a few months back.

[ToneB]

I too bought a 10D second hand, with a throw in zoom lens. The orig owner thought I needed something to shoot with and threw it in. He said it was a cheapo low end zoom lens from Canon. Well the first time out the pictures were horrible. Soft, out of focus. But I noticed the middle of the frame shots at about 135mm were fine using f8 and above. So I took the advice from members on this forum and bought a Canon 50mm mkII lens. Now the 10D came alive with great contrast, sharp shots and this with default settings in the camera . So my adivce is: buy a cheap 50 to provide a reference point for lens sharpness and listen to the sage advice offered on this forum. If you are still getting soft pics then contact Canon.
my .02 Tony

[chtgrubbs]

The fact that the 10D needs some additional processing is not a flaw or a cop out, it is the nature of the digital beast. The 10D has an anti-alias filter in front of the CMOS sensor. The filter softens the image in order to avoid digital artifacts such as Moire' and color fringeing. The Kodak Pro SLR's have no filter in front of the sensor and produce sharper images but have a host of other problems because of it. Look at the reviews of the Kodaks on DPReview to see what I mean.

[ed2day]

A couple things:
1) Sharpness on film is capable of at least equaling the 10D.
2) Film photograhpers have for many years scanned their photos digitally and sharpened with Post Processing. So it's long been part of the professional workflow, not something Canon is trying to shove down your throat.