EOS 550D testing focus/sharpness and RAW question

I have bought an EOS 550D as a replacement for my EOS350D. I'm wondering if everything is allright with my unit.

I use the 550D with the 50mm F1.8 and the 18-200 F3.5-5.6 IS (if I'm not mistaken in the details), both Canon lenses. I used to use the 350d mostly with Canons 28-105 f3.5-5.6 USM lens and the 18-55 kitlens.

Generally speaking I was happier with the image quality of my EOS 350. Which is surprising and annoying me. There is one major difference though... The 350 was exclusively used fo JPG shooting, whilst the 550d (as I've improved as a photographer) is always in RAW+JPG mode.

I always understood that the 350 improved it's images before saving them as they were saved as JPG. The 550 in RAW+JPG doesn't seem to alter the images in any way. On screen, both the RAW and the JPG file look the same in colour etc. So am I right here, could part of the reason why I seem to prefer the colours etc. of the 350 be that it optimised the images before saving? That had I shot in RAW+JPG or RAW only those same images would have looked different? With the 550 I constantly have the feeling I should run an optimiser over every image (Paint shop pro for instance has a one step correction process that seems to deliver a much nicer image, in CS5 I have not yet found such a one step optimisation process).

So the first question is really am I fooled by the difference in chosen shoot/save modes?

Secondly, although I feel I'm a much beter photographer than I was with the 350, I find that I often miss the crispness/sharpness I was used to with the 350D. So though my shots are much nicer in terms of use of DOF and light, I feel I too often end up with slightly out of focus or unsharp images. I feel it is not to do with long shutter speeds or misusing recomposition after focussing. This issue has only gotten bigger for me as I've been looking through the various galleries here to find stunning spot on sharp photographs.

I have read about micro adjustments that can be made to the focussing system, but have no knowledge so far of the process.

Basically what I'd like to know is how do I verify the focus of my camera is spot on and the problem is with me or that the problem is indeed with the 550 or possibly the lens (most used is the 18-200 until funds are free to buy some other lenses).

Final question. I have some pictures off the tripod, focussed correctly according to the camera, 1/60th F4 at ISO 400 (indoors with 580 flash with diffuser cap on) and at 100% on my screen in adobe photoshop CS5 I was quite shocked by the amount of grain. Sharpening and levels etc made that even more visible. How much grain is normal for an ISO 400 shot? I'm inclined to shoot only ISO 100 if the visual deterioration in grain is really this massive.

Does anybody even recognise what I'm describing?

I'm very interested to hear from those of you with far more experience in both photography and hardware.

You can set the camera to apply whichever picture style you like to the images. You can crank up sharpness and saturation, if you like that, use the landscape style for a more intense green/blue color reproduction etc.

However, most of the RAW shooters prefer instead using neutral or faithful picture styles, then do the whole processing in the computer instead.
If you don't use Canon's DPP software, chances are that this is what you actually are doing, since not all third party software recognizes the camera's settings. Canon's DPP will apply the camera's setting as a default, but you can change it to whatever you like, if you shoot RAW.

Shooting both RAW and jpeg rarely has any value. The point of using RAW is that you want to develop the image in the computer, not in the camera.
The point of jpeg is that you want a ready image out of the camera.
Wanting both at the same time can have its merits, but usually it's just a waste of memory card space.

If you look at images at 100%, then you should realize that the significantly larger resolution of the 550D will imply a much larger magnification, in which case all faults caused by lenses, possible focusing errors, camera shake, air pollution and whatsoever, are more obvious.
Look at the whole picture, on screen or printed, and see what you think.

The same goes for noise. It'll look worse in 100%, since it's much more magnified. Another thing to think about is that the 18 Megapixel sensor is known for requiring a rich exposure. What the camera measures as correct may be too dark, and then noise will be much more prominent. Expose as bright as possible (without clipping highlights that are important) in the camera, and pull back in post, if it got too bright.

I have to let your response soak in a bit...

Although I did mention the feeling of shock when zooming to 100%, as far as sharpness/focus goes, I have that same feeling when zoomed to full view of the pictures.

I know about the picture styles, and believe I don't add any to the pics taken in Av/Tv/M. Ik believe the camera does add them in say portriat setting. However, I would have expected to see a difference between the jpg and the raw image. And they look the same. In DPP as well.

You did give me something to think about and just test with some test shots.

The reason I use RAW+JPG setting is that I'm currently starting to edit images in CS5. So I want every image I make to be available in raw. On the other hand I also use this camera to shoot al lot of my hobby shots (restoring an classic car) and also having the jpg file available for simple resize and upload to my website saves time. But I agree with what you are saying about that as well.

I still hope more people will chime in.

It's very difficult to assess what's going on without more information. I'd suggest you post a sample image clearly showing a specific issue you're concerned about, so people here can take a look and provide suggestions. For example, if you want advice on a sharpness/focusing issue, ideally you'll post the original image and a 100% crop from the image clearly showing the issue, along with all relevant information, such as shooting conditions, EXIF data, the focus mode and focus point selection method you're using, and exactly where you focused.

Concerning the question of why your RAW images look the same as your JPEGs, it would be helpful to know what picture style you are using along with any custom settings for sharpness, contrast, etc., and also have a description of your post processing workflow (i.e., what you do once you have the RAW image file on your computer and start processing it in RAW conversion software such as CS5's Adobe Camera Raw).

Also keep in mind the 18MP crop sensors (550D, 7D, 60D) generally require more sharpening in post to achieve the same appearance of sharpness with previous models. I had the T2i and did not see an issue where pictures styles were not being applied to the JPG. I suggest taking pictures of the same subject using different picture styles and then view them side by side or sequentially to determine if the styles are being applied.

What picture style do you generally use?

I don't think I have made any settings for in camera processing. Just out of the box basically and save mode raw+jpg. So I'm not really aware of applying picture styles. I thought I didn't...

I'll go back an check those settings and make some test shots. I'll get back with more info when I can...

There is an option to set the picture style.. Standard, Landscape, Portrait, Neutral, Faithful and custom styles. Shoot the same scene and choose standard and then again with landscape and yet again with faithful. Compare - if they look different at all, then styles are being applied. You will need to post process the raw files to get the look you want or setup a custom user style for the camera to apply to the jpg for you.

If I'm interpreting the OP correctly, he/she is expecting the RAW images to look "better" or different than the corresponding JPEGs right out of the camera. In which case, he/she isn't understanding the concept of RAW.

RAW doesn't record photos with different settings, it merely gives you the ability to adjust the image using all the initial data captured instead of letting the camera make predetermined, permanent adjustments and compression. If you shoot RAW+JPEG, the same initial settings are applied to the RAW that were used for the JPEG unless you either manually adjust or apply some presets in post.

And a picture style is always applied, of some sort. If you don't select any, the default picture style, with default settings, is still applied. That's the camera's internal RAW processing that does it, when it converts to jpeg. Even if you shoot RAW only, it still happens, since the preview you can see on the camera's display is a jpeg, converted with the current picture style.

So there's no difference there, between RAW and jpeg. As stated above, the difference comes in post processing, where you for example can replace the picture style used at shooting time with another, if you use RAW, but have to live with what you selected in the camera, if you use jpeg.

No, I was not expecting the RAW to look better. But I wasn't sure whether to expect the JPG to look the same.

But I think I have been living with a misconception from the past. I thought my 350D always applied post processing to any picture taken when set to jpg large save mode for best possible capture. Therfore I was used to getting very nice looking pictures.

I realise now that in the 550d picture styles when applicable are applied to both the jpg and the raw file. So that explains why at least the jpeg and the raw file look basically exactly alike. And true, I thought that only the jpg would get the styles applied, I stand corrected.

But that then raises the question again why I feel that the pictures with the 350D were basically more lively/vibrant in appearance then those of the 550d. They give me the feeling that post processing is necessary whereas the 350 pictures never prompted me to even think about post processing. I feel generally the pictures from my 550d combo look more flat/dull then those from the 350d period.

So why do I have that feeling? And also, I still feel that the shapness/crispness is less than can be expected, but I will more actively monitor that and possible causes of that. I also have the feeling that this combo just focusses less efficient, as when I had an out of focus picture with miy 350 I knew I went wrong, for various reasons (too slow shutter speed etc.) whereas now I thought I was right, the camera showed the focussed symbol and yet I still end up with some focus issues. This feeling is further enhanced by not being able to get decent pictures in sport mode/ai servo. Trying to get a sharp picture of our dog running towards me, the camera just doesn't seem to be able to track him, not fron left to right, nor from back to front. But maybe that is just me using the option wrong. In any case it doesn't help the general feeling that this camera as the successor to the 350/450/500 etc should be able to do better. In no way am I saying I'm not part of the problem, I may be. But I can;t really understand that I have gotten to be an better photographer, and was able to take great shots with the 350 and that I would suddenly not be able to do so with the 550d. There has to be something more to it. It's not that I don't get any good shots, I do, but the rate good shot/bad shot is less than it was before.

This morning I was mostly expressing an overall feeling i get, which is not what I'm used to from Canon. I learned the basics on mij dads A1 from 1973(?) and have myself had an EOS 5 analog and the 350D and 550D as digital examples. So far Canon has always fulfilled my expectations, yet this time there is something wrong with either my expectations or the camera/lens combo.

I hope I have clarified somewhat...

If the pictures don't have the "look" you want, then you have to change the way that "look" is produced. If shooting JPEG, you change it by selecting a different picture style and/or by tweaking the settings for the picture style you're using. If shooting RAW, you change the look by changing your RAW conversion settings and possibly by subsequent editing.

As noted above, focus issues cannot be evaluated without having additional data, preferably in the form of sample images.

Some image processing software, like Canon's own Digital Photo Professional, does apply the same picture style as you used in the camera, as a starting point.
If you use the Standard one, try increasing sharpness and saturation. That usually makes the pictures look more "vibrant", so to speak.
Different Canon cameras have different output, so you shouldn't expect them to be identical. Usually, the more advanced the camera, the duller the output, since that leaves more leeway for your own post-processing.

Thank you all for your contributions.

You've set me straight regarding picture styles and I will look into that the coming time.
You've also given me enough things to think about.

I will also gather sample images regarding the focus issue.

In another thread I will ask advice for the issue I found shooting sports, tracking moving objects with correct focus.

Thanks.

As I'm short on time as many of us are, I have only had time to really check the camera settings. Turns out that for any shot I take the Standard picture style is applied. This seems to be set to just sharpen the image a little.

So in regards to what has been said here, I was wondering how many of you actually create a custom picture style for general application?

just go into the picture style and edit it.

If your Jpegs looks Identical to your RAW files I assume you use the DPP software that came with your camera. Dont worry its great software and i use it myself.

What is happeneing is the DPP software applies the same incamera settings to the RAW file by default. This then allows you to change them but setting up your picture style can save a lot of time.

A good way to find out what you like is to load up a RAW shot into DPP. Then look at the options and adjust the Sharpness, Saturation, Contrast and colour tone until you get something you like. Then go into your camera and change the settings to be the same.

DPP has a lot more things you can tweak but getting these 4 things about right in camera can give you a head start.

For example on my 500D i have my contrast and colour tone set to 0. My sharpness set to 5 and my seturation set to 2. Seems to be about right for me. Then i just have to tweak the white balance and then play with the tone curves (on the RGB tab) and sometimes play with highlight and shadow recovery (under the contrast slider.