What is the matter with my photos?

lonescout - very useful thanks. I tend not to use one-third into scene, but tend to focus on object of 'interest', usually something in the distance. Then I'm surprised when the object looks soft/fuzzy/OOF, etc. But I am getting a lot of useful feedback on why this might be.

Is focussing 1/3 into scene generally a better approach than focussing on distant object? Presumably only works at smaller apertures (f8, f11, etc)?

For a targeting tool, much like what Gerry posted, I offer a free one. Just click my signature for the focus genie, and in the sale thread, I link to a DIY version.

JT,

It is my understanding (of course I may have misunderstood) that SOOF images will always be a little soft due to the inclusion of Anti alias filter fitted in a variety of strengths to most DSLs to prevent moire patterns occurring. Therefore a certain amount of post process sharpening helps.

The focus roughly a third into a scene thing, is about attaining an 'acceptable' degree of focus from the closest part of your scene to the horizon. Depending, of course, on what you are trying to achieve. Yes you are correct in assuming the use of f11-f16. If you focus on a distant object in that circumstance the foreground will be OOF.

The first opportunity to do some focus chart testing today after a week of really poor light. As far as I can tell there is no focussing problem with either lens (EF28-135 or EF-S17-55), at least with my 70D. I used live view to get the sharpest focus with lenses set to manual, then stayed in manual focus and used focus confirmation as I manually focussed, and then repeated with full AF. I can't see any difference in sharpness in this series of images. And nor did the lens perceptibly shift position after I switched from MF in live view to AF.

So hopefully I can now put the idea of focussing problems to bed and look for other explanation(s) for any perceived softness in my images. Recommended photography courses anyone?

It's pretty simple actually, IMO.

- Watch your shutter speed, use the 1/<focal length * crop factor> as a basic guideline
- Watch your aperture, try to keep the numbers small, not large
- Watch your atmospheric conditions, haze will kill a shot
- Learn DOF and the factors that go into it
- Watch your histogram and try to get most of the graph toward the right side more than the left