Blurry photos
Jul 18, 2018 09:05:14 #
Without seeing any really can't tell what is going on.... How about you post a few so we can all see what is going on.
Jul 18, 2018 09:20:38 #
warzone wrote:
Good morning. I am getting really frustrated. I take what I think look like decent pictures when I put them in Lightroom but when my husband sees them, he says they are blurry. I don’t know whether to get rid of my camera or my husband. Any suggestions?
Dump present husband and get a new husband (with lots of $$$) that can see clearly !!!
Jul 18, 2018 09:31:01 #
This isn’t an answer to the original question but rather a comment. After reading through all the comments I see most people are trying to help. But then I notice comments like “read the manual”. I think if I were out shooting with a friend who is just learning and doesn’t have the experience I have, (and I am no expert), and that friend asked me a question, I certainly wouldn’t answer by saying go read the manual. I like to think of my fellow Hoggers as friends. So please, be nice to people who want help. I take a lot of pictures of eagles in the winter time and I picked up a lot of pointers from experienced shooters when I started. One gentleman told me exactly what he used for settings and it made a huge difference; plus I made a new friend. I notice posters such as CHG-Canon are genuinely trying to help. That is what this should be about. OK My little spiel is done. Please continue with the help and advice.
Jul 18, 2018 09:53:32 #
amfoto1
Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
Can't see EXIF on the first or third image.
First image appears to have focused on the fishing pole, as other responses have noted. Leaving it up to the camera to decide where to focus would likely cause that. If memory serves, T5i has 9 AF points. If you leave all 9 active, it will choose to focus on whatever is closest and covered by one of those points. Selecting a single point yourself puts you in control of where the camera and lens focus. If you are using "A+" or any of the highly automated "Scene modes" such as "Scenic", those will likely force you to use all AF points, won't let you set up the camera to use only a single point so you can choose.
Without the EXIF data I can't tell any of the camera settings for the first image (fisherman), so anything else would just be guessing. But in addition to the missed focus, that first photo simply isn't very sharp (even the most in-focus area.... the fishing rod... is a bit soft). That might be due to too slow a shutter speed, or because you have a cheap "protection" filter on the lens, or some other reasons.
The second image (chainsaw) EXIF is there and shows that was shot at 1/250, ISO 1600, f/14. The lens used was Canon 55-250mm IS STM, which has image stabilization so 1/250 shutter speed should have been adequate to prevent camera shake blur and that's typically a fairly sharp lens. This image appears to have just completely failed to focus... maybe you shot too quickly before focus was acquired or the AF was turned off? The quite small f/14 should have made for greater depth of filed that would have HELPED with slightly missed focus (so it must be pretty far off). The f-stop used is smaller than I'd normally recommend (there's likely some loss of fine detail to "diffraction", but not enough to cause this level of image softness by any means). Using a bit larger f/11 or f/8 would have allowed you to use a bit lower ISO. With T5i I'd have expected ISO 1600 to be "cleaner" and less "noisy" than that, but the softness of the image might amplify the appearance of noise.
Other possible reasons for the image softness include a cheap "protection" filter (if you have one on the lens, try removing it and shooting without it). You also may be using the wrong focus mode... T5i has three: One Shot for stationary subjects (such as this) or AI Servo for moving subjects. The third possibility AI Focus really isn't a focus mode at all. It's more automation. The camera is supposed to detect whether the subject is moving or not and then switch to and use the correct mode. (In my experience, this is "iffy"... sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But to be completely fair, because I get much better results controlling AF myself I have avoided using AI Focus for many years and newer cameras might do better.) If you use "A+" or one of the "Scene Mode" settings, it's very possibly forcing you to use AI Focus.
The third image didn't load the original (so I cannot enlarge it to inspect it more closely) or store the EXIF, so can't really tell anything from that at all.
Are you new to the camera and lens? If so, I'd recommend you get one of the guide books for it and study that along with the user manual. Some of the problems I see are most likely due to relying on automation. Taking more full control of the camera. I don't see a problem with the camera.... yet. It looks to me more like "user error" such as incorrect settings or poor technique. Yes, there is possibility of an actual problem with the camera or lens (more likely if you've used it with better success for a long time). But in my experience probably 9 out of 10 "camera problems" are no fault of the camera or lens at all, end up being something the user is doing.
P.S. Also tell husband to stop judging image sharpness "at 100%" on computer monitor! With an 18MP camera like T5i and most modern monitors, that's like making a 4 foot wide print and then viewing it from around 18 or 20" away... Even the very best shots will look like crap when inspected ridiculously close like that. And "100%" is what a lot of people automatically use. Notice that the much smaller versions of even these "soft" images posted to UHH don't look bad on screen? It's only when the larger version is downloaded and enlarged further that the softness becomes very noticeable. Sure, it's okay to zoom in to high magnifications when retouching images... but back off to a more realistic 33%, 25% or something closer to the actual size the image will be used when evaluating and judging sharpness, noise, and some other image qualities.
First image appears to have focused on the fishing pole, as other responses have noted. Leaving it up to the camera to decide where to focus would likely cause that. If memory serves, T5i has 9 AF points. If you leave all 9 active, it will choose to focus on whatever is closest and covered by one of those points. Selecting a single point yourself puts you in control of where the camera and lens focus. If you are using "A+" or any of the highly automated "Scene modes" such as "Scenic", those will likely force you to use all AF points, won't let you set up the camera to use only a single point so you can choose.
Without the EXIF data I can't tell any of the camera settings for the first image (fisherman), so anything else would just be guessing. But in addition to the missed focus, that first photo simply isn't very sharp (even the most in-focus area.... the fishing rod... is a bit soft). That might be due to too slow a shutter speed, or because you have a cheap "protection" filter on the lens, or some other reasons.
The second image (chainsaw) EXIF is there and shows that was shot at 1/250, ISO 1600, f/14. The lens used was Canon 55-250mm IS STM, which has image stabilization so 1/250 shutter speed should have been adequate to prevent camera shake blur and that's typically a fairly sharp lens. This image appears to have just completely failed to focus... maybe you shot too quickly before focus was acquired or the AF was turned off? The quite small f/14 should have made for greater depth of filed that would have HELPED with slightly missed focus (so it must be pretty far off). The f-stop used is smaller than I'd normally recommend (there's likely some loss of fine detail to "diffraction", but not enough to cause this level of image softness by any means). Using a bit larger f/11 or f/8 would have allowed you to use a bit lower ISO. With T5i I'd have expected ISO 1600 to be "cleaner" and less "noisy" than that, but the softness of the image might amplify the appearance of noise.
Other possible reasons for the image softness include a cheap "protection" filter (if you have one on the lens, try removing it and shooting without it). You also may be using the wrong focus mode... T5i has three: One Shot for stationary subjects (such as this) or AI Servo for moving subjects. The third possibility AI Focus really isn't a focus mode at all. It's more automation. The camera is supposed to detect whether the subject is moving or not and then switch to and use the correct mode. (In my experience, this is "iffy"... sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But to be completely fair, because I get much better results controlling AF myself I have avoided using AI Focus for many years and newer cameras might do better.) If you use "A+" or one of the "Scene Mode" settings, it's very possibly forcing you to use AI Focus.
The third image didn't load the original (so I cannot enlarge it to inspect it more closely) or store the EXIF, so can't really tell anything from that at all.
Are you new to the camera and lens? If so, I'd recommend you get one of the guide books for it and study that along with the user manual. Some of the problems I see are most likely due to relying on automation. Taking more full control of the camera. I don't see a problem with the camera.... yet. It looks to me more like "user error" such as incorrect settings or poor technique. Yes, there is possibility of an actual problem with the camera or lens (more likely if you've used it with better success for a long time). But in my experience probably 9 out of 10 "camera problems" are no fault of the camera or lens at all, end up being something the user is doing.
P.S. Also tell husband to stop judging image sharpness "at 100%" on computer monitor! With an 18MP camera like T5i and most modern monitors, that's like making a 4 foot wide print and then viewing it from around 18 or 20" away... Even the very best shots will look like crap when inspected ridiculously close like that. And "100%" is what a lot of people automatically use. Notice that the much smaller versions of even these "soft" images posted to UHH don't look bad on screen? It's only when the larger version is downloaded and enlarged further that the softness becomes very noticeable. Sure, it's okay to zoom in to high magnifications when retouching images... but back off to a more realistic 33%, 25% or something closer to the actual size the image will be used when evaluating and judging sharpness, noise, and some other image qualities.
Jul 18, 2018 10:19:26 #
leftj
Loc: Texas
warzone wrote:
Good morning. I am getting really frustrated. I take what I think look like decent pictures when I put them in Lightroom but when my husband sees them, he says they are blurry. I don’t know whether to get rid of my camera or my husband. Any suggestions?
If they don't look blurry to you I would suggest having your husband's eyes checked.
Jul 18, 2018 10:24:01 #
warzone wrote:
Good morning. I am getting really frustrated. I take what I think look like decent pictures when I put them in Lightroom but when my husband sees them, he says they are blurry. I don’t know whether to get rid of my camera or my husband. Any suggestions?
POST SOME EXAMPLES SO WE CAN JUDGE.
Jul 18, 2018 10:30:50 #
CatMarley wrote:
POST SOME EXAMPLES SO WE CAN JUDGE.
Your contribution and effort to help would be enhanced by READING THE ENTIRE thread ...
Jul 18, 2018 10:40:19 #
Thank you all, especially those of you who took the time to offer valuable detailed suggestions. When you are beginning to learn, it helps to hear it from professionals rather than read the manual. So much to think about. I appreciate it more than you will know.
Jul 18, 2018 10:52:51 #
warzone wrote:
Thank you all, especially those of you who took the time to offer valuable detailed suggestions. When you are beginning to learn, it helps to hear it from professionals rather than read the manual. So much to think about. I appreciate it more than you will know.
WZ - hopefully, the several points of advice will help find something wrong, or at the least, give tips on best practices to help with technique. Checking / removing a filter, if applicable, is definitely something to do. Holding the camera steady, with the AF on and the stabilization active is another good point. From there, you begin to get into technical topics like using a fast enough shutterspeed and placing 1 or a group of AF points specifically on the eyes / face / people who are the focus of the image. Half depressing the shutter release button and giving the lens / camera an instant to confirm focus is another idea. Practicing with your equipment always helps.
Jul 18, 2018 10:55:49 #
NCMtnMan
Loc: N. Fork New River, Ashe Co., NC
warzone wrote:
Good morning. I am getting really frustrated. I take what I think look like decent pictures when I put them in Lightroom but when my husband sees them, he says they are blurry. I don’t know whether to get rid of my camera or my husband. Any suggestions?
Are you using a tripod? If not, get one and try it again. Could just be that your hand isn't as steady as you think it is.
Jul 18, 2018 11:03:40 #
warzone wrote:
Good morning. I am getting really frustrated. I take what I think look like decent pictures when I put them in Lightroom but when my husband sees them, he says they are blurry. I don’t know whether to get rid of my camera or my husband. Any suggestions?
Post a picture here that he says is blurry and don't forget to tick the box that says (store original) It's a must to tick that box. It's probably you that is making them blurry. The camera is just a tool. If you don't use the tool correctly, it won't give you the results you are looking for.
Jul 18, 2018 11:04:13 #
CHG_CANON and amfoto1 have given some very good responses. I have had the same issue with focusing - the auto-select just doesn't cut it - selecting single-point and reframing is the way to go. I would also add that single-point (using the eyes as the point) *and* tying the exposure together would have made the shot of the fisherman much better, especially considering his darker skin coloration. (Something that can usually help most shots, as well)
Another possibility that Alan mentioned - and I did some non-scientific tests myself and agree - is that a cheap "protection" filter really can do a nasty job on sharpness and quality the finished product. You might want to do what I did (as I said, non-scientific): a shot at f8 *with* the filter on, and one *without* the filter, and compare the results. This is one time you *should* use 100%, without any post-processing at all. For me, the result has been that for almost all situations I don't use *any* filter (except for a high-quality - [not the brand "High Quality"] - CPL). I really don't want to start the "protection filter v. no filter war again - it is just my preference.
In any case, I hope we Hoggers help you find the solutions.
Another possibility that Alan mentioned - and I did some non-scientific tests myself and agree - is that a cheap "protection" filter really can do a nasty job on sharpness and quality the finished product. You might want to do what I did (as I said, non-scientific): a shot at f8 *with* the filter on, and one *without* the filter, and compare the results. This is one time you *should* use 100%, without any post-processing at all. For me, the result has been that for almost all situations I don't use *any* filter (except for a high-quality - [not the brand "High Quality"] - CPL). I really don't want to start the "protection filter v. no filter war again - it is just my preference.
In any case, I hope we Hoggers help you find the solutions.
Jul 18, 2018 11:04:59 #
FiddleMaker wrote:
Dump present husband and get a new husband (with lots of $$$) that can see clearly !!!
Depending on the bride, sometimes a groom with blurry vision is the safest choice.
Jul 18, 2018 11:40:24 #
warzone wrote:
Good morning. I am getting really frustrated. I take what I think look like decent pictures when I put them in Lightroom but when my husband sees them, he says they are blurry. I don’t know whether to get rid of my camera or my husband. Any suggestions?
warzone wrote:
Good morning. I am getting really frustrated. I take what I think look like decent pictures when I put them in Lightroom but when my husband sees them, he says they are blurry. I don’t know whether to get rid of my camera or my husband. Any suggestions?
You have received some good responses, so I will just add a couple of comments/suggestions.
First, when you pick up your camera, check to make sure all settings are where you want them. Regardless of how well you store the camera between uses, it is always possible that something gets bumped and that changes a setting! This includes whether the camera is on AF or MF, and whether image stabilization of the lens is on or off. [On for hand-held, off for tripod.]
Second, when shooting a long focal length, you probably should try for a faster shutter speed. For 250mm you would do better with 1/375 sec. [This is 1.5 x focal length.] The reason for this is that the longer the lens, more magnified any bit of camera shake. You may be holding firmly enough for 50mm or 100mm that you could get away with 1/50 sec or 1/100 sec, but need to increase the speed when going longer.
Third, begin with the lowest ISO you can, and still get a fast enough shutter speed. The higher the ISO, the more noise in the image, which results in "softening" and that can translate visually into "blur".
A lot of suggestions have mentioned changing aperture size, which is also something to consider. Larger aperture lets in more light, so ISO can be lower and shutter speed can be faster. This is what the "golden triangle" is all about - understanding the ways in which aperture, shutter speed, and ISO each affect the others. It is a concept that is basic and definitely "need to know". Also involved is how each of these factors affect depth of field, exposure, sharpness. Variations in focal length also have an effect here.
There are a lot of places where you can read about this concept and how to use it. And of course there is practice, experiment by trying different settings on the same subject from the same distance, at the same focal length.. Change them up and see what happens!
[I would not be too hard on the husband for being blunt! As long as he is good in most other ways, keep him. Undoubtedly you have put in a lot of effort to maintain harmony, and if he has learned his part well, then he is a keeper!]
Jul 18, 2018 12:07:23 #
Wow. . . all these pages of responses and detailed advice, yet I did not see even one that seems correct considering the fact that she said:
". . . I used manual focus for the camera and the lens."
She (warzone) is manually mis-focusing.
Maybe poor eyesight or maybe you need to calibrate your camera's diopter
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/calibrating-diopter-your-camera
You might also consider using autofocus instead of manual focus
". . . I used manual focus for the camera and the lens."
She (warzone) is manually mis-focusing.
Maybe poor eyesight or maybe you need to calibrate your camera's diopter
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/calibrating-diopter-your-camera
You might also consider using autofocus instead of manual focus
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