24-105mm L IS problems

I'm having some problems with the 24mm . I'm getting quite a bit of noise in lower light situations where canon claims it shines the best ,as well as the picture not being as sharp when viewed on the monitor (actual size) . Take this pic for ex(bedroom). iso800 / is_on f/5 1/8 is it me? any advice?

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any high iso + slow shutter speed will result higher noise.

but i dont see any on your sample image?...

this one as well... hard to see the noise @ this size but plenty is there

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The noise would come from your camera, not the lens. Also, noise is also more visible with an underexposed image than in a properly exposed one.

As for the sharpness issue, if you're only using a shutter speed of 1/8 then it's more than likely camera shake. With my 17-55 I get a percentage of blurry images at that shutter speed even with IS on.

thanks jo makes sense, you think if I up my exposure comp that would help in low light?

btw, what body are you using?

rebel_xti

There are several things you can do to help with the noise and blur situation:

1) use a tripod and a remote (or timer). You can set the ISO to a low level and just use a longer exposure. As long as your tripod is sturdy you should get nice clean images. While it's on a tripod you can also use a bigger f/number to get more depth of field, so everything will look sharper.

2) shoot manual mode. I've recently started doing this and I'm kicking myself for not doing it sooner! It's not that hard, and once you get used to it going back to AV or TV mode is a bit frustrating. Exposure comp is a good alternative until you do start using manual. Also check what metering mode your camera is using. I tend to use Evaluative metering mostly. The camera often gets it wrong, so if you're not sure, shoot the same scene with different shutter speeds.

3) Use a different aperture. A lower f/number will let it more light but give you a more shallow depth of field. Stopping down your lens with possibly give you a sharper image with a greater depth of field but at the expense of a slower shutter speed. You might want to experiment to see which gives you best results.

4) Check your focus point and read up on hyperfocal distance. Focusing on the back wall of the room is a waste, it's better to focus closer.

5) Shoot RAW. RAW files are bigger but are virtually untouched by the camera's image processing algorithms, and that includes any noise filtering. You can also buy software to help remove noise from images - these usually do a far better job than your camera's de-noising algorithms.

6) A new camera. Probably the most expensive option, and not one you probably want to take right now. The 40d creates less-noisy images than the xti/400d, and the 50d even more so it would seem. Personally I'm still learning how to get the most from my camera so by the time I want to buy the 50d will probably be priced at what the 40d is at the moment.

Hope this helps...

Jo york is spot on - also read up on exposure... you need to understand that before you can understand whats going wrong..... the IS in your lens is helping you - if you didnt have it you would get blurry shots at 1/60th shutter and you would need f4 and iso 3200 resulting in a much worse image...

as previously mentioned...

You need to brace yourself better - the cross is still blurry - and as for noise - nothing you can do except get more light in - to lower the ISO - also use the widest aperture - for you its f4 - focus on the bed not the wall which was mentioned - or use a tripod - - set av to f8 - set iso 200 and set timer to 10 sec and shoot.

noise ninja does wonders too - its a program. at the cost of a tiny bit of detail you can remove alot of noise.

and for wonderful noise reduction and a true 24mm - and the most expesive option - get a 5d hahaha

and dont forget - printed - even big at a4 size... you;ll hardly see the noise...

and dont forget too - noise sort of belongs in alot of dark photos where its kind of expected... think black and white iso 3200 film...

another trick is to actually convert your pic to black and white and increase the shadows, bump the highlights and the noise really adds to a pic -

WOW! I just got back from a small shooting trip in the alley ways by my house. What a difference. I experienced less blur and hardly any noise. I like to shoot in darker dingy areas... they have more character , but are more difficult for me (newbe)<------ JO , It's funny you mentioned full manual mode, I've ben wondering to that setting more and more since I bought this lens. Nicko , your right , I was focused on the wall , not the bed, that made all the difference in the world thank you both.

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i had this blur issue also from my xti. it turned out that i had set the camera picture style parameter set "faithful" which is (0,0,0,0). changed that to "standard" which is (sharpness=3, 0, 0, 0) and the blur issue virtually gone!

and like the poster above, i have just discovered M mode...i have more control in this Mode. But i'm still learning....

Tripod, long shutter, and proper exposure will definitely be key in low light.

I regularly shoot at night with my 5D handheld at 3200iso. Often ive shot with my 35 at f1.4 or f2 with a 1/40 shutter. The 5D gives clean images in print even without noise reduction. The xxxD series is fine at 800iso and below. With the 24-105 though, I almost always need a tripod in low light. That lens is large, and an XTi is a small body. Your hand should be holding pretty much the lens only and not the camera body on that combo. (i have an XT for IR too) Remember, since you have a crop body, its 1/focal length...with the crop. So at 24mm, you would need to shoot at least 1/50 shutter for a sharp image. And almost 1/200 @ 105. Even with IS on...I wouldnt shoot the high side with lower than 1/60 on the crop. Keeping this in mind will surely help with sharpness.

Noise is either lower ISO, better exposure, or preferably both!

this helps a lot... you have know idea.