How does one know if a Camera needs to be sent in for calibration or otherwise

My T1i is still fairly new having only been through a few thousand pictures, but I'm wondering what the warning signs are of a camera in need of calibration / cleaning / etc... and how you know its the camera and not the lens.

Thanks!

You test it. Do focus tests, controlled focus test, not just popping shots at something then pixel peeping. Do them with different lenses. If it works with one lens, but not another its probably not the body. And most importantly dont read too many threads here about calibration and softness. Its honestly not as big a problem as a quick reading of this forum would lead you to believe. Although there are certain lenses that are more notorious than others.

Focus test such as text on a page or something?

FastGT94 wrote in post #12359712
Focus test such as text on a page or something?

Do a search here for focus test. You can find several methods, using a test chart, or some people have used batteries lined up in a staggered row so you can see front or back focusing. The exact method is less important than doing it in such a way that you are consistent and eliminate other factors that affect sharpness (motion blur mainly).

Are you having a problem? Or are you just fearful?

when you're no longer happy with the quality/outcome of your photos

FastGT94 wrote in post #12359712
Focus test such as text on a page or something?

It could be the side of brick building, fences, static objects in good light with strong contrast. Do NOT test in poor lighting with little contrast as your images will tend to look soft and OOF. Basically just take regular pictures and enjoy the camera.

If you see a lot of small spots in the sky when you use small apertures then your sensor could be dusty and it may be time to hit it with a blast from a rocket blower.

If you are constantly having focus problems and are absolutely certain that it is not something wrong with technique, then you MIGHT have a problem. We see a lot of instances here of user error - not understanding basic principles of exposure, wrong camera settings, etc, incorrect mode for the situation - where people are quick to blame the camera.

Fast, is there something specific that leads you to believe there is a problem?

LeeRatters wrote in post #12359783
when you're no longer happy with the quality/outcome of your photos

Yikes then canon service would be overloaded with cameras. Its funny how many bad cameras there are and so few bad photographers

gonzogolf wrote in post #12359799
Yikes then canon service would be overloaded with cameras. Its funny how many bad cameras there are and so few bad photographers

You said it better than I did Gonzo .

gonzogolf wrote in post #12359799
Yikes then canon service would be overloaded with cameras. Its funny how many bad cameras there are and so few bad photographers

maybe i was a bit 'general' with how i phrased it

sapearl wrote in post #12359798
Fast, is there something specific that leads you to believe there is a problem?

Not really, I mean, there are times a picture of my son falls out of focus, but since he's 2, its more like him constantly moving at a relatively close range than the camera being bad

Just been reading up on a new lens and saw people sending lenses in for recalibration and wanted to know if there are indicators to watch for from a camera body perspective since I'm sure I'd rather have it done under warranty if it covers it.

But in short, no, I love the T1i, the only thing I don't care for is anything above iso400 being overly grainy which I thought wasn't supposed to really happen until about 1600 per the reviews I had seen. Could be user error there too, I'm no pro

FastGT94 wrote in post #12359900
Not really, I mean, there are times a picture of my son falls out of focus, but since he's 2, its more like him constantly moving at a relatively close range than the camera being bad

Just been reading up on a new lens and saw people sending lenses in for recalibration and wanted to know if there are indicators to watch for from a camera body perspective since I'm sure I'd rather have it done under warranty if it covers it.

But in short, no, I love the T1i, the only thing I don't care for is anything above iso400 being overly grainy which I thought wasn't supposed to really happen until about 1600 per the reviews I had seen. Could be user error there too, I'm no pro

Shots get grainy (noisy) when you underexpose them and then try to correct in post processing. Focusing on a child is hard, what mode are you using? I was being a bit snarky above an I shouldnt have been its just that most folks have a considerable learning curve with a new DSLR. They are often sold a DSLR by clerk who assures them that its the best and your photos will be great. The problem is with most point and shoots the camera is designed to protect you from failing. With a DSLR it assumes you are making choices based on some criteria known to you that the camera doesnt account for, in short it doesnt care if you fail. So after a month or so the new user finds that images arent as sharp as they should be, or that the output isnt better than they had before and decide it must be the camera's fault. Usually its because the user is not exposing properly, not focusing in the right mode, and often using the wrong shutter speed for the lens they chose. If you master those you will probably find nothing wrong with your gear.

I'm definitely assuming any issues are me and not the camera

FastGT94 wrote in post #12360459
I'm definitely assuming any issues are me and not the camera

Do a few tests to be sure, equipment does fail on occasion. If you have one of the lenses that have known issues, double check (Sigma primes are notorious). But dont let yourself get paranoid, which can happen if you read all the trouble threads here.