20D fix.........follow up

[jordan_prussky]

ok, so we all know that digital images need post production. That is

a given, my question now is......when looking at the image full size

before that post production work is done, should they look "sharp"?

As well, on the LCD screen full sized, should it look sharp as well.

I got my camera back, "fixed" as per canon's specs, but about 16% of

what I shoot is still not tack sharp. In fact when looking at the

lcd screen full sized nothing looks "sharp". and again when looking

at the images on my computer, full size (not 11x7, which is print

size)they look soft..........<div></div>

[PuppyDigs]

Aren't 100% pixel peeps equivalent to poster sized prints viewed from 6 inches? They will

never be tack sharp. After all, you're viewing the pixels, the little "dots" that make up the

image. Nevertheless, in your 100% crops

faces are less sharp than the background. For example, the plants behind the woman are

much sharper than the woman. It looks like you locked focus on the flowers behind her (or

your AF is off).

[poulbh]

It looks like the plants in the background are sharper than the persons. This is a common mistake, when using only the middle focus point.

 

I had the same problem at a bullfight, where the motives are off center and the camera focused in the center, because I only use the middle focus point.

I did point to the motive(bull) and pushed the release halfways down BUT, this doesn't lock focus when you are using AI servo ;o))

 

Poul B-H

[tommyinca]

FWIW, I could be wrong. This may not be a simple mis-focus problem as the pearl and colar appear sharp. The picture also take sharpening pretty well. May be there are some problems with the RAW to JPEG conversion process (in-camera or low quality off-camera). Here is a post process USM version looks like.<div></div>

[dk.]

Hi Jordan, Looks to me like the plants in the background are what was focused on too and not the people? by the way the picture would look a bit better if you used fill flash also. Take care.

 

DK.

[john_myers4]

IF 16% of your shots are not tack sharp, but 84% are, I'd be hard pressed to blame the camera for that.

[byronlawrence]

yea I have to second or third the opinion that the plants in the background are in great focus.

[jim_youhouse]

I have about the same amount, maybe a little less (10%) of shots from a two month old 20d that come out "soft" or out of focus. After reviewing what other posts have said about "soft" or focus problems with the 20d I wanted at first to send the camera in. The other 90 % of shots though are perfect! Its not the camera as far as I can tell but where the focus point is landing. It seems to operate so fast sometimes you just gotta take the shot. When I have time (portraits) I usually let the camera re-focus and take another shot just to be sure , and usually there is something "in focus" on the shot that looks "out of focus".

[jim_larson1]

Bear in mind that the actual focus areas are significantly larger than the "engraved" areas on the view screen.

[phil_sugar]

It is just a quirk of the brain, but when one looks at an image of an animal (including humans) we look at the eyes. If the eyes are in sharp focus, then the entire image looks sharp. So, pick an autofocus point that is directly over the most prominent eye, and in custom functions program the camera so the selected focus point is the same as the exposure metering point.

Keep on shooting,

Phil