jashegg

This is my first post here on UHH, so please be gentle. :) I bought a T1i used off ebay about 8 months ago. It came with the kit lens 18-55, and I have since bought the 55-250, and also the 50 f1.8. Hands down the 50 f1.8 gets me the best picture quality. I get a lot of soft photos with the two other lens (even tried tripod). Not all the time, but most of the time. I don't notice it when I look at the camera LCD, but when I put the photos on my computer and zoom in 1:1, the slight blur is obvious. I do alot of outdoor photography, as well as capturing my kids indoors (reason for the 1.8). I seem to always need a little more zoom, so I bought a used tamron 28-75 f2.8, thinking I'd get a "wide apeture" with some zoom. This lens is rated close in image sharpness to the canon L 24-70, but obviously the build quality is not even close. After several days out shooting the new tamron lens, I'm ready to sell it already. The Tamron pics look soft on my 21" computer screen, and they are terrible when zoomed in on the computer (way worse than my two cheaper canon lens). I understand photography has more to do with the shooter than the equipment, but it's gotten to where I worry more about the clarity of the photos than the actual subject itself. I look back at my P&S photos from years past and I think there's a greater percentage of clear photos in them than with my Canon Rebel. Is it possible there's a focus issue with my camera, or do I need to start saving for the dreaded price of the L lens? Any help/advice would be great, since I don't know any seasoned photographers close by to try out my camera and give their personal opinion. Thanks alot guys/gals.

donrent Loc: Punta Gorda , Fl

Any refund/return policy on the Tamron ??? If there is, take advantage of it and get a Canon lens....

jashegg

donrent, unfortunately I purchased the lens used. Just can't decide if I should send it in to tamron for repair, or if they'll likely just say it's fine. Does anyone have any suggestions for a canon lens inbetween a starter kit lens and an L lens? I tried a 28-135 and was happy with everything except the barrel wobble and internal lens dust.

donrent Loc: Punta Gorda , Fl

I buy 99% of my photo equip over ebay and alwaya get a good deal.... Thaats where I would look...

alienmurphy Loc: Alaska

Jashegg: I own a copy of the Tamron lens you reference. I got it on eBay in the spring of 2007. I used it with a Canon Rebel XTI in Dec 2009 to take photos at my daughter's wedding reception. (I was not the wedding photographer, I know how to say no) The photos turned out great. I now have a Canon 50D and still use that lens. Maybe you got a bad copy. www.photo.net gave it a good review. I purchased it on the strength of that review.

newtimes Loc: Indiana

Check out your focus.
Do an online search for "BACK FOCUS CHART" and download the chart (s) you can also check in Hedgehog for info on doing this there have been numerous posts about it.

http://focustestchart.com/focus10.pdf (one of many sites that will tell you what to do)

Set up you camera at about 45 degree angle, focus on the center of the chart using "spot" and take your pic and check your results.
do the same with your other lenses, any problems will show up really fast. You might post us the results how you get on, it could of courser even be the camera..................good luck
Chris

jashegg

Thanks guys for the response. Newtimes, I will try the back focus test as soon as I get some free time. Just out of curiosity, I will do the test with all 4 of my lenses, and I'm guessing it will help determine if it's the lens, camera, or neither. I went thru the link and basically I'm looking for the clearest focus at the 90 degree focus spot, with focus blurring as distance increases from this point, correct?

jashegg

Btw, I see tamron has a 6 year warranty. What if a guy purchased it used...still send it in?

docrob Loc: Durango, Colorado

before going all ballistic and inviting the photo devil onto your shoulder how about posting an example pic taken with the tamron and other lenses.

Lucian Loc: From Wales, living in Ohio

You can do a simple test, but if the lens has image stabilizTION, BE SURE TO TURN THAT OFF WHEN SHOOTING ON A TRIPOD OR YOUR IMAGES WILL TURN OUT BLURRED. Bloody caps lock... put you camera with that lens on a table, and let it focus on something at the other end of the room, either in autofocus or you can manually do it, then be sure the camera is help tightly down to be sure it is still and push the shutter, try this at say three different points in the zoom range then go and look at them on the computer to see if you are getting anything showing up sharp. You'd be surprised how often it is simply your own movement that is causing you problem. On a solid table you eliminate any chance of you being the problem.

newtimes Loc: Indiana

Yes correct, remember a lens can short focus also, just keep your spot focus on the center chart mark

alaskan

Sure,50mm F1.8 will beat any of the zoom lenses as the photo quality goes. So far nobody mentioned you can increase the sharpness in T1i by simply setting it to the max. sharpness.You can preprogram several different settings and it may be possible the previous owner decreased the sharpness for some reason and you are still in it.I know of several cases when owners of a brand new T1i complained about softness and it went away when the internal sharpness setting was increased.And if you test your camera as Lucian suggests do not hold the camera down but use the selftimer to trip it off.

Lucian Loc: From Wales, living in Ohio

Holding the camera down when you released the shutter as I suggested was to ensure that there was no vibration added from mirror movement when left on its own. On a tripod this would probably not be so important.

However, when just letting it sit on a table I would strongly suggest holding it firmly in place as the shutter was released, and not just putting the self timer on because that would not improve anything if there was vibration caused from mirror slap.

alaskan

When you have your hand on the camera there is always chance you move the camera if you realize it or not.As for the mirror "slap" I never had problems with it in 10 different cameras including T1i. Obviously you are not aware that with T1i you also have a feature called MIRROR LOCKUP located in the Custom Functions.I repeat that selftimer is the only reliable way how to trip the shutter without moving the camera.

MWAC Loc: Somewhere East Of Crazy

Please post a sample picture. I'm willing to bet you are shooting wide open and your depth of field is really, really shallow which is causing you to miss focus.

As a rule lens are not their sharpest when wide open, most have a "sweet spot" which is approximatley 2 stops from wide open. My 24-70 is spot on at f/3.5.