Rebel XSi / 450D Users Unite

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Has anyone had focusing problems with their 450D? I'm trying to determine if it's the lens or the camera that is causing so much softness in the images at 100%. I'm seeing it at all f/stops and all lighting conditions.

Here's what i took over the weekend. Got lucky as this butterfly was sleeping. i had to walk up very close since i only have the 18-55mm. Comments are welcome!

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ignutzz wrote in post #6123176
Has anyone had focusing problems with their 450D? I'm trying to determine if it's the lens or the camera that is causing so much softness in the images at 100%. I'm seeing it at all f/stops and all lighting conditions.

It would be nice to see an example of what you're looking at. What's your shutter speed? What mode are you in? Were you using a tripod? Have you tried achieving focus via live view? Have you tried using a flash? Is this w/ the 50mm f/1.8? Do you have another lens to try such as the standard kit lens? Have you tried using a focus test chart?

borism wrote in post #6121567
I'll post a moon i took yesterday
I love my XSI
I took it with a 70-200 f4, My first shot of the moon

That's a pretty sharp pic of the moon. Is this a 100% crop?

e.omega wrote in post #6122638
Processed using GIMP.

I like it, especially the "My Little Angel"

j00sten wrote in post #6123840
It would be nice to see an example of what you're looking at. What's your shutter speed? What mode are you in? Were you using a tripod? Have you tried achieving focus via live view? Have you tried using a flash? Is this w/ the 50mm f/1.8? Do you have another lens to try such as the standard kit lens? Have you tried using a focus test chart?

I typically shoot in full manual. No tripod, rarely a flash. I do tend to shoot wide open because I like a very shallow DOF (especially with this lens) so that will definitely contribute to some softness. 50mm is the only lens right now. Live view is slightly better but I trust my corrected eyesight even less than I currently trust AF.

After doing a lot of shooting yesterday and today I think it's a combination of low light, RAW, wide aperture and/or slower shutter in most of the more problematic images (plus some amount of front focusing from the lens). The focus chart was very disappointing - it's very obvious the lens is front focusing.

Shots done in really bright light are very crisp but the focal area is forward of the intended target. Low light shots are the worst with the overall image (at 100%) looking very soft. I don't expect perfect clarity, but compared to some of the 100% crops in the 50mm Archive thread something seems off with this lens.

Here's a quick sample from yesterday:

Shot image: ISO 100, f 3.5, 1/100, RAW

The full image, no editing:

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j00sten wrote in post #6123854
I like it, especially the "My Little Angel"

Thanks joosten

That bird grabbing fish is a deadly shot, Hyun! You have a good trigger finger!

And some nice shots by Stargazer too. What lens did you use for for those birds, SG? (With a ID like SG77517, you sure sound like an exotic object out of the NGC catalogue! Do you do a lot of night shots or are you into astronomical photography?

The very best and thanks for sharing your pictures!

WOw Hyun posted those pics at the very first page of this thread! I don't he even think he even checks this thread anymore?

my moon shot with the 55-250, not bad i guess...

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TRU_DAH-V wrote in post #5789153
I just picked up the xsi for my girlfriends birthday gift its our first dslr heres a few shots in av priority.

Is it only me or these pictures are not sharp? also the picture of guy below is of terrible quality

ignutzz wrote in post #6127483
I typically shoot in full manual. No tripod, rarely a flash. I do tend to shoot wide open because I like a very shallow DOF (especially with this lens) so that will definitely contribute to some softness. 50mm is the only lens right now. Live view is slightly better but I trust my corrected eyesight even less than I currently trust AF.

After doing a lot of shooting yesterday and today I think it's a combination of low light, RAW, wide aperture and/or slower shutter in most of the more problematic images (plus some amount of front focusing from the lens). The focus chart was very disappointing - it's very obvious the lens is front focusing.

I agree. It does look like the lens is front focusing quite a bit. Being that the "error" is consistent is a good thing as it can be fixed. Your best bet would be to send the lens and maybe even the camera to get the focus set. The 50 f/1.8 can be a tad soft wide open, and a slow shutter speed can contribute to some blurring. The general rule for shutter speed is 1/(focal length)*1.6 for crop cameras, so ideally it should be 1/80 or faster. Get the lens adjusted by canon 1st, then see if that improves things a bit.

FYI, my camera is experiencing some front focusing as well, but I didn't notice it until I started using my 50mm prime. The lens itself is fine as I've tried it on a 20D and the focus is spot on. Luckily it's only about 1", so a minor focus adjustment is all that's needed. When I'm going to have some downtime I plan to send my body out for a focal adjustment.

Jacc wrote in post #6129857
Is it only me or these pictures are not sharp? also the picture of guy below is of terrible quality

If you view the exif data, you'll notice that the shutter speeds are very slow. This was done to compensate the low light situation. I'm guessing these were done hand held, so that will contribute to some softness. The 1st one isn't tack sharp, but I feel it's sharp enough for the scene. The second one is a bit deceptive as the water is sharp while everything else is out of focus. The third one could be that the lens is either back focusing or it was cropped as the shooter likes.

Owning a dslr does not mean you will get perfectly exposed, sharp pictures every single time. People sometimes post pictures for advise on how to improve their technique or to assess a gear choice.

Canon will refocus tune up the camera? And the lens!!! SWEET!