60d focus issue - need help please!

Hi there,

I have owned my 60d for some time now and I have suspected a focusing issue with the camera - initially I thought it was down to my nifty fifty and having a dodgy copy.

I cant understand what is wrong - even on a tripod the shots are not always in focus.
I have ensured there is enough light, correct shutter speed etc and Im lucky to get one in three in focus.

I have tried my lovely new 85mm lens tonight with the softbox and beauty dish set up and still not quite right. Even on a tripod, with remote shutter.

I always use selective point focus method, so I have what I thought was full control over the focus point. BUT, I noticed tonight that it seems to have a mind of its own. Say for example, the camera is in landscape orientation and I choose the top focus point, but the nose of the model is in focus, and the eyes are not (but should be) - i have varied the aperture size etc, but to no avail.

I would be grateful for any relevant pointers/help.

many thanks

Don

Sounds common, but not the last paragraph you're talking about. Example shots?

i dont have a 60d, but are the outer focus points both horizontal and vertical line sensitive?

does the center focus point give you higher keepers?

Here is a shot straight from camera - excuse the pose - my daughter wasnt happy

I selected the focus point as her left eye (our right) and it seems as though the nose is more in focus?!

It does this quite often - initially I thought it was my technique, then the lens, now the camera!

What do I do?!

thanks again

40dbaby wrote in post #13606017
i dont have a 60d, but are the outer focus points both horizontal and vertical line sensitive?

does the center focus point give you higher keepers?

Yes it does seem to give me more keepers...(centre point)

Looks like it got her left eye just fine...what are you talking about? Lets see 100% crops upclose. Id say her bangs are in focus more than anything. Also youre really pixel peeping, this photo as a whole looks perfectly fine focus-wise.

thedcmule2 wrote in post #13606060
Looks like it got her left eye just fine...what are you talking about? Lets see 100% crops upclose. Id say her bangs are in focus more than anything. Also youre really pixel peeping, this photo as a whole looks perfectly fine focus-wise.

No im far from pixel peeping - I wish I was

Its more apparent up close - look at the eye in the crop compared to the nose - now I was selected on the eye, yet the nose is more in focus.

I see it now. Your daughter isnt a statue, its possible she moved backward a half an inch and threw the whole thing off. Did you try a bigger dof?

thedcmule2 wrote in post #13606121
I see it now. Your daughter isnt a statue, its possible she moved backward a half an inch and threw the whole thing off. Did you try a bigger dof?

I agree. For a test the OP should take people (that can move) out of the equation.

I'm no pro, but I try to use between f/6.3 to f/8 for portraits and move the subject a bit further away from the background. I like shooting a bit more wide open when I want to blur distractions or get a specific effect.

Try to turn off the IS. I suspect it in my camera (also a 60D)... I have had similar experiences (not consistently) and I get the feeling that the IS is the problem

I had the same problems until I got used to my 60d.

have your daughter put her head against a wall and try again. that will make sure she doesnt move forward or backward.

to be honest it was shot at 3.2 as I was trying to find the sweet spot on the 85mm lens. I will set up some static objects under the lighting tomorrow and report back

thanks again

DONKEYTROLL wrote in post #13606221
to be honest it was shot at 3.2 as I was trying to find the sweet spot on the 85mm lens. I will set up some static objects under the lighting tomorrow and report back

thanks again

Well, you never know ... it could still be that the camera is out of calibration, or the lens, or a bit of both. If it's the lens keep in mind that for a zoom it could be out a bit at one end and spot on at the other.

If the focus issue is inconsistent it could be because:

- the actual focus area is much larger than the red rectangle you see in the viewfinder. If one area in the region of the AF area is higher contrast it will lock on to it.

- the subject is moving a bit after you lock focus

- the camera is moving a bit (when no using a tripod) after you lock focus. I'm often guilty of this one, especially when using a heavy lens.

- the AF mechanism in the lens is sticking.

Bob_A wrote in post #13606176
I agree. For a test the OP should take people (that can move) out of the equation.

It's not just the subject moving that can cause this type of problem. I had a friend who was convinced she had focussing problems. Then I watched her take a shot of some butterflies. She composed the shot, half-pressed the shutter, then moved slightly to fine-tune the composition. It took me quite a while to persuade her that this was the problem.

hollis_f wrote in post #13608851
It's not just the subject moving that can cause this type of problem. I had a friend who was convinced she had focussing problems. Then I watched her take a shot of some butterflies. She composed the shot, half-pressed the shutter, then moved slightly to fine-tune the composition. It took me quite a while to persuade her that this was the problem.

Come on Frank.
We all know that the user is NEVER the problem.
It's ALWAYS the camera, lens or the subject - or all three at the same time.
It could never possibly be the user who is at fault.