Images not sharp issues

I can not get sharp images outside with natural light no matter what I tried. Settings on this photo was 1/800 f/2.0 and ISO 200, Canon T3I and 85 1.8. What am I'm doing wrong, I'm in manual, using one focus point (center), one shot focus, shot in RAW. I'm focusing and recomposing. Is that my problem or is it the aperture too wide with my lens?

Since I wasn't shooting wide open I thought 2.0 would be pretty good. Should I have been at 2.8 or higher and should I toggle my focus points? I started toggling at the beginning of the session because I read somewhere a few days ago that focus and recomposing is a no no especially that close to wide open but when I zoomed in the image was kind of blurry so I switched back to recomposing because I'm used to it. I really want to be able to shoot in the middle of the day (in shade) and still have sharp focus. I'm always having soft images outside but indoors with strobes it's fine.

If you can zoom in you can tell his eyes is soft, when he wasn't even moving.

Unedit besides a few raw adjustments

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/s4SY​nn

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/s4SX​di

Judging from the ground detail in the second photo, the lens/camera combo is slightly front focusing. Unfortunately, your camera does not have MFA capabilities, so you will have to send the lens in.

Are your other lenses focusing properly?

Can you get proper focus in Live View?

Heya,

Test focusing with Live View in a similar situation (natural light, outdoor, like that). Shoot wide open at F1.8 and at least 1/400s shutter, ISO whatever it takes to get there depending on light. If it's sharp, you're good.

Test your other lenses if you have other lenses. See if they're soft like that.

As mentioned above, it looks like minor front focusing so the calibration is off. It's common enough even for common Canon gear. If you just bought the 85 F1.8 you could return it for another copy, or sell it and get a different copy of another lens and roll the dice again (maybe swap out for a 100 f2).

It's not a big deal, just luck of the draw. I had a 70-200 F4L that backfocused horribly and I didn't have MFA on my camera, and I refused to send it off for calibration, so I sold it.

Very best,

I can check my other lens and see if I'm having the same issues. I thought it was user error with shooting at 2.0 or my camera. I also been trying to shoot with the sun behind the subject and noticed really bad focused. I never really used live view either. How will that help with the focuss?

OneDeep wrote in post #17535085
I can check my other lens and see if I'm having the same issues. I thought it was user error with shooting at 2.0 or my camera. I also been trying to shoot with the sun behind the subject and noticed really bad focused. I never really used live view either. How will that help with the focuss?

Heya,

Live View's autofocus and what happens in the view finder are different. If the Live View focus is sharp, you know it's just a front/back focusing issue with the more common focus engine (viewfinder). This is common. If both are out of focus, then it's a totally different issue.

Very best,

to figure out if it's really a focus issue with the lens, you're going to want to mount it on a tripod, and shoot something static...

the 2nd shot his hands look to be in pretty good focus...where was your focus point on that shot?

OneDeep wrote in post #17535050
Settings on this photo was f/2.0 and ISO 200, Canon T3I and 85 1.8. What am I'm doing wrong, I'm in manual, using one focus point (center), one shot focus, shot in RAW. I'm focusing and recomposing. Is that my problem or is it the aperture too wide with my lens?

Your depth of field is going to be quite narrow, even a slight back/forward movement between setting the focus and taking the shot can easily cause this problem. Focus/recompose almost guarantees it. Folloe Dre's advice and test with a stable setup first.

OneDeep wrote in post #17535050
this photo was 1/800 f/2.0 and ISO 200, Canon T3I and 85 1.8. What am I'm doing wrong, I'm in manual, using one focus point (center), one shot focus, shot in RAW. I'm focusing and recomposing.

The 85 1.8 is a sharp lens, using those settings with this lens I would expect the image to be tact sharp. I would agree with others that the images are indicating front focussing issues. I have had to MFA all my canon lenses to each of my camera bodies as I found all were out. I noticed an immediate improvement by doing this exercise. There is no doubt that this is likely to be the problem. Although your camera is not capable of the adjustment I suggest you go through the MFA motions just to prove if the lens is front focussing and then decide either to send to Canon to adjust for the variance or replace the camera body. After owning a few different bodies, using a bunch of different lenses, and shooting for several years, I will never buy a camera without this MFA capability.

The lens has very shallow depth of field on a crop at F1.8 or F2, and it will be sharper stopped down. My copy backfocuses by about a 1/4", and I can easily compensate when shooting near wide open. Outside, try shooting with the lens stopped down to F2.8 or F4, and I bet you will be happier. Just make sure your shutter speed is high enough, i.e., over 1/135.
I would check to see if the lens is showing front or back focus. I had to send my first copy of the lens back, since back focus was excessive. Stopping down can compensate for this, but one gets an F1.8 lens so you can shoot at F1.8 or F2 when lighting is low, or for intentional shallow depth of field.
I find it easier to hit focus with any lens when it is stopped down a bit, since kids move. This can present a challenge for getting shots in focus.

Front focusing maybe? Where are you focusing in the first one? The hand looks to be more in focus. The second one looks decent, but that could be the edit.

I thought I was focusing on his eye in both shots that's what I always tend to do and recompose. I'm going to test it with the tripod, live view and test my other lens as mention above. I'm not an outdoor natural light photographer so I was trying to learn and step out my comfort zones. He's my nephew so I can easily try again

hollis_f wrote in post #17535459
Your depth of field is going to be quite narrow, even a slight back/forward movement between setting the focus and taking the shot can easily cause this problem. Focus/recompose almost guarantees it.

Yep. With a larger f/ it may not be a problem, but ay f/2 or even f/2.8 it will be. As you mentioned in your first post, selecting your focus point vs recomposing would be the way to go.

focus may be a tad off, and I think the photos are farely sharp, however looks like the first image has quite a hit on contrast. The 85 wide open may be at capacity, and you may be doing a bit too much pixel peeping.

I don't think these look too bad (and seeing at web resolution is always hard) but highly recommend tripod+live view to really confirm things.

I would be curious to know if MFA can fix this problem.