Image Quality - Help!

[K1 Imagery]

This is my first post and I am definetly a newbie. I have been struglling with IQ issues with my photos. At first I thought the problem to be my kit lens 28-135, so upon the encouragement of a friend I purchased the 70-200 2.8 and it doesn't look like the IQ has improved. The colors look great but the pictures lack sharpness. I know the problem is me, I just don't know what the problem is and how to fix it. Take a look at the photos any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I shot the two phots in AV mode and neither pictures have been cropped. Thx.

[K1 Imagery]

For some reason or another it will not allow me to upload the other image.

[adrian5127]

You have got the aperature at 2.8 is most likely your problem especially if the image you have posted has not been cropped. The depth of field is very shallow ie the bit in focus in not very deep. The feathers at the back of the duck are in focus. I imagine you would want f11.

Have a good play, try shooting the same subject and the same distance but just change the aperature. Try this with something quite close to the camera and something further away. The closer the subject to the lens the smaller the depth of field.

The lens is meant to be very good by all accounts it is just getting used to using it.

Welcome to POTN you will find it full of inspiration and knowledge

[K1 Imagery]

Thanks for the feedback Adrian. I'll try your suggestions. I was using f2.8 because I thought that would give me that boke look. If I shoot at f11 would it still blur the background? Also how do you know when to adjust the f stop? Thanks for the welcome!

[Stutterbug]

Originally Posted by adrian5127

You have got the aperature at 2.8 is most likely your problem especially if the image you have posted has not been cropped. The depth of field is very shallow ie the bit in focus in not very deep. The feathers at the back of the duck are in focus. I imagine you would want f11.

Have a good play, try shooting the same subject and the same distance but just change the aperature. Try this with something quite close to the camera and something further away. The closer the subject to the lens the smaller the depth of field.

The lens is meant to be very good by all accounts it is just getting used to using it.

Welcome to POTN you will find it full of inspiration and knowledge

some great advise!

As far as blurring the background the shallow DOF with a low number f stop will work but you might want to try manual focus so you can decide exactly what is sharp rather then letting the camera decide.

[K1 Imagery]

Thx Stutterbug! When you manual focus will you see whats in focus vs. the camera deciding whats in foucus? I'm just trying to understand if I can see whats in focus and not if I manual focus. Hope I didn't sound to stupid. To late

[Bill Boehme]

Originally Posted by K1 Imagery

This is my first post and I am definetly a newbie. I have been struglling with IQ issues with my photos. At first I thought the problem to be my kit lens 28-135, so upon the encouragement of a friend I purchased the 70-200 2.8 and it doesn't look like the IQ has improved. The colors look great but the pictures lack sharpness. I know the problem is me, I just don't know what the problem is and how to fix it. Take a look at the photos any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I shot the two phots in AV mode and neither pictures have been cropped. Thx.

Welcome to the Critique Corner on POTN. One thing that would help us in diagnosing your problem is to post a small 100% crop from the image. With the image that you posted being downsized, it is very hard to see the problem.

I will hazard a few guesses

• You might be having a problem with camera shake if your shooting technique is not smooth and steady.
• You have the camera set to a slow shutter speed. This is related to the item above.
• You do not have the camera set to use center point focusing only. If you have focusing set to multi-point, there is no telling what will be in focus with a wide aperture shot.
• When shooting people or animals,focus on the eyes with the center focus point.

Originally Posted by K1 Imagery

For some reason or another it will not allow me to upload the other image.

I suspect that the file size is greater than 150K or the image dimensions is larger than 1024 pixels width or height.

Originally Posted by K1 Imagery

Thx Stutterbug! When you manual focus will you see whats in focus vs. the camera deciding whats in foucus? I'm just trying to understand if I can see whats in focus and not if I manual focus. Hope I didn't sound to stupid. To late

The only reason for ever using manual focus is when autofocus won't work.

Even in AF, you do not need to let the camera decide which focus points to use. If you use multi-point focusing, you are letting the camera decide. You can take control of the situation by setting AF to use only the center point. The center point is also the most accurate.

[adrian5127]

K1 F11 will blur the background but it does depend how close you are to the subject.
If you are minimum focus distance than I would imagine around f8-f11 to try and get as much as the duck in focus. If you are 20 foot away than open her up to 2.8.

Bill raises a good point about the focus point as it is the bottom of the picture that is in focus. ( don't know what cropping you have done )

I hope for your sake it was not camera shake as you were shooting at f2.8 1/2500

This was shot at f4, no cropping and you can see only a very small amount is in focus

[beano]

Here ya go K1... http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html This will help you work out how narrow your focal plane will be. The closer you are to the subject, the narrower the plane. Try setting your camera to AI Servo, and make sure the focus point you have set the camera to, is on the head/eyes.

[adrian5127]

Originally Posted by beano

Here ya go K1... http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html This will help you work out how narrow your focal plane will be. The closer you are to the subject, the narrower the plane. Try setting your camera to AI Servo, and make sure the focus point you have set the camera to, is on the head/eyes.

That is really handy. Can't quite work out who is following who round POTN

[beano]

Originally Posted by adrian5127

That is really handy. Can't quite work out who is following who round POTN

Stalker!!

[APG-Angus]

Some great advice here, but perhaps too much to start.
What I would start with is to set the AF point to the center point, as stated by others it is the most accurate and its right there in the center where its easy to find. Aim at the head, depress your shutter halfway and hold it, recompose as you like and let it rip. I would stay away from AI Servo unless this duck was flying, One Shot is great specially when you are shooting wide open and need to focus and recompose.
The 70-200mm F/2.8L is a wonderful lens and you learn to love it I am sure!
btw, white ducks in bright sun are tough to expose well, what for hot spots. You might want to bracket your exposures 1-2 stops over/under and be mindful of your metering mode.
Yes, yes so many variables, so many choices, but hey that's why you got the 50D right?
Keep at it and stick around here, these guys/gals are a great bunch!

[beano]

Originally Posted by APG-Angus

Some great advice here, but perhaps too much to start.
What I would start with is to set the AF point to the center point, as stated by others it is the most accurate and its right there in the center where its easy to find. Aim at the head, depress your shutter halfway and hold it, recompose as you like and let it rip. I would stay away from AI Servo unless this duck was flying, One Shot is great specially when you are shooting wide open and need to focus and recompose.
The 70-200mm F/2.8L is a wonderful lens and you learn to love it I am sure!
btw, white ducks in bright sun are tough to expose well, what for hot spots. You might want to bracket your exposures 1-2 stops over/under and be mindful of your metering mode.
Yes, yes so many variables, so many choices, but hey that's why you got the 50D right?
Keep at it and stick around here, these guys/gals are a great bunch!

With a focalplane that narrow, recomposing will put the focus out straight away, then take into consideration any movement of the bird, or the photographers hands? If you're going to use this method, i'd close the aperture down a bit.

But i do agree with everything else Angus has said, about the centre focus point being the most reliable, and the exposure issues etc.

[APG-Angus]

Originally Posted by beano

With a focalplane that narrow, recomposing will put the focus out straight away, then take into consideration any movement of the bird, or the photographers hands? If you're going to use this method, i'd close the aperture down a bit.

But i do agree with everything else Angus has said, about the centre focus point being the most reliable, and the exposure issues etc.

So are you saying to set the focus point to the one the corresponds to the subjects eye and use AI Servo? If so, I had never thought of that and it is definately a more accurate method of achieving focus. I would just have to train my thumb to "click and roll" a little faster but I am going to give it a try.

Of course it really comes down to filling the frame with the subject as the OP has done, I have decided, for me that if I can't fill the frame then I am not taking the shot, I got a ton of pretty good birds at distance but if I can't get closer or don't have the glss to get there then I do something else

[beano]

Originally Posted by APG-Angus

Of course it really comes down to filling the frame with the subject as the OP has done, I have decided, for me that if I can't fill the frame then I am not taking the shot, I got a ton of pretty good birds at distance but if I can't get closer or don't have the glss to get there then I do something else

I couldn't agree more, much better to fill the frame. So you're left with 2 choices.. Smaller aperture, or manual focus, because the focus points are NEVER where you want them!


BTW, i wasn't talking about using AI Servo with this shot in particular, as the head would be nowhere near a focus point. You'd have to be shooting a bit wider, then crop in for composition.