Canon 450D - focus issues

[karl-tkd]

Just wondering if anyone who has a Canon 450D has had focusing problems with certain lenses or all lenses.

I have been in the Yorkshire Dales and is the first time i have had the chance to have a good try with it and at first i thought it was great with the few shots i took with it last week. well this time no way am i happy with it, nearly every shot i've taken look out of focus and i have done nothing different to what i did with the Canon 350D.

I always use my Tokina 12-24 in manual forcus and use the hyperfocal distance scale and have always got great results.

[Chris Hawkins]

It's almost impossible to be OOF with that lens. Can't think what it might be,

[tenchy]

When i got mine out of the box, at work, I took a couple of shots out of the window with the kit lens on fully auto.
They didn't seem to be in focus at all. I put it down to there being a great chain link fence in the mid ground maybe confusing it.

Since then I don't think I have had auto focus on.

I have however thought (and been commented on) that some shots looked soft.

I now usually focus with the live view, and things seem to be better.

I'm not convinced I can focus well through the viewfinder. I've tried the diopter wotsit too.

[chaz]

I was going to say check the dioptr adjuster for you eye, but using the method that you use, ie the H/F distance scale, I think this would rule that out.

[karl-tkd]

For example i set the F/stop to 16, set the focal distance 3 feet like i have done countless times with no problems at all, but for some reason now they look terrible and are extremely soft.

I don't and should not have to rely on useing live view, that isn't why i upgraded, but i do like to use the live view for macro.

Also another thing happend to the camera which was kinda worrying, the whole cam seemed to just suddenly go dead on me, switching an and off did nothing, i had to take the battery out and replace it then it worked, i never had this problem at all with the 350 except when a bettery was complely drained.

[tenchy]

Also another thing happend to the camera which was kinda worrying, the whole cam seemed to just suddenly go dead on me, switching an and off did nothing, i had to take the battery out and replace it then it worked, i never had this problem at all with the 350 except when a bettery was complely drained.

I've definitely not had anything like that happen. Also didn't come across any reports while scouring the reviews on the 450D.

Is the firmware up to date?

[karl-tkd]

Here are 2 images 350 Vs 450...

All i've done here is sort the exposure out from the RAW file, i have added no sharpening at all. Both shots are where the cam has been tripod mounted, cable release, F/16, hyperfocal distance of 3-feet.

There also appears to be much more clarity in the 350's RAW files, but that could be down to getting to used to how the exposure might work a bit different on the 450??...

Top pic 350 bottom 450 of course...in my view there appears to be a sharper view in the 350 file.

[PaulG]

Hi Karl

I've got a 400D and have always been concerned about 'Focus' issues with it. The only way round it for me was to sharpen at the end in PP using 2 pixel diameter and slide to at least 70% I have to sharpen images from my Sigma 10-20mm which I use at f16 focused to infinity. I am a specs wearer and I've changed the diopter thingy and that did help a little.

Paul

[chaz]

I am not familiar with this lens Karl, does the distance scale read 3 ft - infinity @f16, because some lenses will read 6 ft-infinity @ f16, meaning half the hyperfocal distance = 3ft-infinity will be in focus.

[karl-tkd]

I am not familiar with this lens Karl, does the distance scale read 3 ft - infinity @f16, because some lenses will read 6 ft-infinity @ f16, meaning half the hyperfocal distance = 3ft-infinity will be in focus.

Hi Chas,

What i used and have used for sometime is this for hyperfocal distance settings, this site has been talked about on the forum before as you remember??

http://www.dofmaster.com/doftable.html

[karl-tkd]

Hi Karl

I've got a 400D and have always been concerned about 'Focus' issues with it. The only way round it for me was to sharpen at the end in PP using 2 pixel diameter and slide to at least 70% I have to sharpen images from my Sigma 10-20mm which I use at f16 focused to infinity. I am a specs wearer and I've changed the diopter thingy and that did help a little.

Paul

Thnx...

I have spoken to Martin Henson about this and has assured me that i have to get used to a higher spec cam and that the 'anti aliason filter' in front of the sensor might be stronger and thus making the RAW files look soft. He has shown me by sharpening the RAW file i have been concernd about and to my surprise it was showing signs of brillient sharpness and with no noise at all even at 300% magnification....

[PaulG]

Hi Karl

This is the first time anti aliasing filter has been given as a reason for the focus issue. I've been to Wikpedia and found this comment regarding
Optical Anti Aliasing Filter

"The choice of spot separation for such a filter involves a tradeoff among sharpness, aliasing, and fill factor"

So it's not me!! Thank God for that!

This thread has helped a lot Thanks Karl

Paul

[Alan W]

Sometimes a shot will look out of focus when in fact this is due to a too slow shutter speed being used or the operator unconciously tipping the camera down as he takes the shot (stabbing) or possibly if the image is lacking in contrast.

A RAW file can look soft and subdued depending on what you are viewing it in but with your camera RAW files will retain far more detail than jpegs . My favourite way of viewing RAW files is with the Fastone Image Viewer which is totally free to download and far less power hungry than Bridge.

[PaulG]

Hi Alan

Yes I use Fastone also. I find that I have to sharpen both the RAW file and also Jpeg conversion to get a nice sharp image.

I wasn't aware of the effects of "Stabbing" and low shutter speed but I'll be more conscious in future thanks

Paul

[PaulG]

Also another thing happend to the camera which was kinda worrying, the whole cam seemed to just suddenly go dead on me, switching an and off did nothing, i had to take the battery out and replace it then it worked, i never had this problem at all with the 350 except when a bettery was complely drained.

This happened to me when I had my 55-250mm lens on and AF selected and the focal distance was too close to focus onto everything just froze! A quick switch off & on and a distance shot outside the window brought everything back.

Paul

[tenchy]

Thnx...

I have spoken to Martin Henson about this and has assured me that i have to get used to a higher spec cam and that the 'anti aliason filter' in front of the sensor might be stronger and thus making the RAW files look soft. He has shown me by sharpening the RAW file i have been concernd about and to my surprise it was showing signs of brillient sharpness and with no noise at all even at 300% magnification....

So is that just a case of opening the RAW in ACR and sliding up the sharpness slider some did the job?

Glad your sorted BTW Karl.

[karl-tkd]

Sometimes a shot will look out of focus when in fact this is due to a too slow shutter speed being used or the operator unconciously tipping the camera down as he takes the shot (stabbing) or possibly if the image is lacking in contrast.

A RAW file can look soft and subdued depending on what you are viewing it in but with your camera RAW files will retain far more detail than jpegs . My favourite way of viewing RAW files is with the Fastone Image Viewer which is totally free to download and far less power hungry than Bridge.

I did use a tripod and cable release...

[karl-tkd]

It looks like i'm going to have to go back to using the 350D.

There is something wrong with the image quality because i have compared it with a 40D raw file and WHAT a huge difference in image quality....but i hear you say that there will be a difference because the 40D is higher in spec, but i doubt that would be the case because thet both have the same sensor, digic 3 and are 14bit.

I have contacted Canon UK and am now waiting for a response....

[PaulG]

I have contacted Canon UK and am now waiting for a response....

Karl I'd be very interested in their reply.

Paul

[karl-tkd]

Karl I'd be very interested in their reply.

Paul

I spoke to Canon and they have decided that the camera maybe defective and have advised me to send it back where it came from, all has been arranged and the camera gets picked up on Monday.

I do have another thought on this though, it's about the SD card that it uses. Could this also be that the SD cards can't hold as much detail as CF cards....just a thought??....