focusing issue after adjustment from Sigma

so i had my Sigma 85 adjusted and just got it back today.
one question tho, am i suppose to get sharp images at 1.4?
because it still seems soft to me!
and at what aperture would the image be sharpest?

any ideas?

From my sampling of the lens, it should be pretty darn sharp wide open at F1.4. It only gets better from there. Perhaps post a sample image with EXIF data intact and we can tell you whether it looks ok or not?

all images are focused at the word "phosforic" beside the dot

@ F1.4, 1/100, ISO 160

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

Based on those I don''t see a problem. Why do you feel it is soft ?

i feel that it is soft when i am taking portraits. when i focus on the eyes, it is not SHARP SHARP.
this is why i dont know how sharp would be normal...

Maybe it is your technique. If you are new to very fast lenses, they can expose problems in technique like locking focus and then swaying/leaning into the shot or other mannerisms before tripping the shutter.

At 1.4 you have a minute amount of DOF on a head shot. It takes very little to move the point of focus. If you can, try taking that portrait with the camera on a tripod and make sure you tell the subject not to move.

What camera are you using ?

Those sample shots look fine to me.

As for portraits, hitting focus at F1.4 can be tricky sometimes. As Bohdan had mentioned already, It could be your technique or it could be your subject moving slightly. It just takes practice.

Also, 1/100 shutter speed for this lens might also be a bit too slow if you are shaky at all. Try bumping up your ISO to get a faster shutter speed if you can.

focusing on eyes is hard, you'll often get the eyelash or the eyebrow which at 85mm F1.4 is more than enough to render the iris out of focus. IF you really want perfect focus on the eye each time, you'll likely need a studio like environment and manual focus in live view. Eyes are often too small to reliably grab.

But those bottle shots look perfect...very impressive.

Is it me or I couldn't see the difference in sharpness for the bottle test. All look pretty sharp to me.

Dr.TC wrote in post #12748446
i feel that it is soft when i am taking portraits. when i focus on the eyes, it is not SHARP SHARP.
this is why i dont know how sharp would be normal...

Look,, most lenses, even topshelf models aren't at their best wide open. Close them down a stop or two and things begin to heat up..

My 135L which is quite sharp at f/2. Stop it down to f/2.8 or smaller and it's razor sharp.

im using a 5D mark2.
if it is my technique, how can i improve on camera shake?

It's probably not camera shake but either, or both you and the subject (portrait), moving between getting focus and tripping the shutter. You have to be aware of your subject. If they move their head slightly, refocus. When you focus, just be conscious of your body. Don't move. Get comfortable with your shooting position and don't move. It might feel weird at first but it becomes second nature quite quickly. There really isn't a specific technique that I can recommend. You just have to do it.

I had the same problem when I got the 85/1.8. I got used to shooting with f2.8 lenses that I didn't realize I was leaning my upper body slightly forward just before tripping the shutter or my subject had moved their head or body.

It's a little more dsifficult for me since, often, I have my subject moving between shots and an untrained subject needs some coaching so they freeze their pose between movements. I usually communicate by saying something like, GO, between movements so the subject knows I have the shot and they can now change. It's important to develop a rhythm. It makes for faster shooting but, ultimately, more interesting images. I also pretty much always shoot in AI Servo And time the shutter release to when I think I'm focusing where I want to. Practice makes perfect.

those bottle shots are excellent. i don't think it could get much better.

Which focusing are you using - "fast" (phase detection), or Live View "slow" (contrast detection)? I believe most of the times fast lenses appear to be soft is not because of poor/uncalibrated optics, but because the "fast" AF is not accurate enough (this can be adjusted using focus MA feature if your camera has it, or calibrated by SIgma).

Here is the test: take the same shot of the bottle twice: once with fast AF, second time - with Live View AF (make sure you zoom in in Live view to the maximum). For both shots, use tripod, enable lockup of the mirror (in the camera menu), and use either wireless trigger or 10 seconds timer. Make sure there is plenty of light. Then pixel-peel at both shots - if the Live View shots look much sharper than the fast AF shot, you might have an issue with the AF calibration (or may be you didn't focus properly - try to do similar tests with other targets, to confirm).

pulsar123 wrote in post #12750818
Which focusing are you using - "fast" (phase detection), or Live View "slow" (contrast detection)? I believe most of the times fast lenses appear to be soft is not because of poor/uncalibrated optics, but because the "fast" AF is not accurate enough (this can be adjusted using focus MA feature if your camera has it, or calibrated by SIgma).

Here is the test: take the same shot of the bottle twice: once with fast AF, second time - with Live View AF (make sure you zoom in in Live view to the maximum). For both shots, use tripod, enable lockup of the mirror (in the camera menu), and use either wireless trigger or 10 seconds timer. Make sure there is plenty of light. Then pixel-peel at both shots - if the Live View shots look much sharper than the fast AF shot, you might have an issue with the AF calibration (or may be you didn't focus properly - try to do similar tests with other targets, to confirm).

I disagree!

First one has to establish if the lens/camera combination is misfocusing or if the lens is optically unsharp at full aperture.. There is a difference.

If you don't do this,you'll be only chasing your tail.