Need some help and Advice (soft photos)

Very good explanation. I'd only add that the sensor crop and final image size amplifies any apparent camera or subject motion. The 80D contributes a 1.6x crop factor to all lenses, so your 135 becomes a 216 in terms of FOV. If you print the full frame at 4x6 the motion will be less apparent than if you crop 50% and print at 8x10.

@nathancarter ... thanks for all that.

I'm pretty convinced for me it's mainly a technique issue. Camera shake/motion blur whatever you want to call it. It happens way too much and I think my technique needs an overhaul as you suggest.

The breathing thing is also appropriate as is the shutter speed math.

Focal length x 1.6 x 2... would seem to work for me IF there is enough light. Otherwise gonna have to bump up the ISO to get the necessary shutter speeds.

Thanks again for your input.

Pratice. Pratice. Pratice. (Will do)

nathancarter wrote in post #18526618
Gently squeeze the shutter button, don't mash it with enough force to cause the camera to jiggle.

And don't let go of it too early. Wait for click, then release gently. Being prepared to do this may help smooth the finger movement that precedes the click. I try to think of approach to the button press and retreat from the button press as one continuous move. With this discipline and other points that nathancarter mentioned, I get good results with 1/80 and 1/60 handheld, sometimes as low as 1/40.

i-G12 wrote in post #18526669
Focal length x 1.6 x 2... would seem to work for me IF there is enough light. Otherwise gonna have to bump up the ISO to get the necessary shutter speeds.

That's fine. Sensor noise is usually preferable to motion blur, so go right on ahead and bump up the ISO. The 80D can handle it, with very mild and judicious noise reduction in post.
I find the Lightroom defaults to be fine for anything up to about ISO1600.

When going from 1/50 to 1/100s shutter speed, there will be a significant improvement in motion blur.

When going from 400 to 800 ISO on any modern camera, there will be an insignificant, nearly-imperceptible increase in objectionable sensor noise.

Remindes me of the time i just got the 7D, had way to much soft pictures.

In my case it was the learning how to use the ( at that time for me ) newer and more advanced AF system in the 7D.

Someone then adviced me to use the 50 mm F1.8 and set the camera to centerpoint AF instead of the more advanced AF. Getting to learn how the camera works, playing with DOF to see how much sharpnes your picture needs, use the joystick to select AF point. To my surprise after a weekend of practice i now had razor sharp images.

After that i learned how to work with the more advanced AF functions.

Normally with the IS on the 18-135 and the right AF settings the lower shutterpeed should not be the problem, like you said you saw more examples of sharp pictures at lower shutterspeeds.

Like i said for me it was the learning how to work with the AF system, don’t know how familiar you are with AF system on your camera?

i-G12 wrote in post #18525413
When we use the term "motion blur" we're talking abut slow shutter speed? Or are we talking about a user who can't hold the darn camera steady?
I'm trying to apple the 2X focus length formula for shutter speed and trying to improve my technique but am really struggling. On the other hand I'm wondering if I'm too much of a pixel peeper.

With people you need to consider motion blur = your subject moving. There is nothing you can do on your side to prevent this. Even a camera on a tripod will not help. Only faster shutter speeds will take care of this. With people I tend not to go below 1/125; optimally 1/160 and very rarely below 1/80. The lower the shutter speed, the bigger the probability that you have motion blur.

Then there is camera shaking, which can be minimized by many different ways: tripod, image stabilisation, good stance, breathing and/or faster shutter speed.

Appropriate fast shutter speed will take care of both - but it is still good to know what you need in which situation. As I said, I am comfortable to take hand held pictures at 1/40 for stills, but not below 1/125 for peoples. (edit: forgot to mention: on my narrow end of my beloved 24-70).