Focusing problems: May I please have some help with some hints on how to get my images in better focus. These photos were taken with Canon 80D and Tamron 24-70 lens. My daughter did...

karenmr

May I please have some help with some hints on how to get my images in better focus. These photos were taken with Canon 80D and Tamron 24-70 lens. My daughter did some posing for me. Her face is out of focus in every shot I took. I used single point focus on her eyes in every shot. Is this camera shake or am I doing something wrong?

(Download)

Old Timer Loc: Greenfield, In.

If you have a tripod take some with it and then some with out a support. The second one defiantly looks like camera shake. A tripod is one item that I believe that is under utilized and can make your pics sharper in a high percentage of the time. I have tried both ways shooting ten pics both ways and I have almost 100 percent success with tripod and less than 50 percent hand held.

Don, the 2nd son Loc: Crowded Florida

I use a monopod, helps steady the camera a lot and less a problem than tripod.

lowbone

karenmr wrote:

May I please have some help with some hints on how to get my images in better focus. These photos were taken with Canon 80D and Tamron 24-70 lens. My daughter did some posing for me. Her face is out of focus in every shot I took. I used single point focus on her eyes in every shot. Is this camera shake or am I doing something wrong?

Hard to say because I am looking at the photos on an iPad but two things come to mind. The first is that your shutter speed may be too slow. In the last photo the grass in front of your daughter seems to be sharper then the grass where she is standing which would indicate that your camera-lens is front focusing. I would do a test with a focusing target or diagonal batteries to see if this is the problem. If it is, you can either fix it yourself or if the lens is new enough Tamron will do it for you.

BebuLamar

Did you focus then recompose?

CO

LensTip.com does extensive lens testing. I downloaded the charts from their image resolution testing of the Tamron 24-70mm lens. This is the testing of the first Tamron 24-70mm not the G2 version. I don't know which one you have. The focal lengths and apertures you shot at are where the lens has its worst resolution. I drew arrows to the apertures and focal lengths you shot the photos. Try taking some shots at f/5.6 and compare the photos.

A UHH member mentioned front focusing. That's another thing to check.

Tamron 24-70mm center
Tamron 24-70mm center...

Tamron 24-70mm edge
Tamron 24-70mm edge...

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

karenmr wrote:

May I please have some help with some hints on how to get my images in better focus. These photos were taken with Canon 80D and Tamron 24-70 lens. My daughter did some posing for me. Her face is out of focus in every shot I took. I used single point focus on her eyes in every shot. Is this camera shake or am I doing something wrong?

Your settings - Shutter speed 1/1600 - F2.8 - 70mm

Shutter speed fast enough - how good is your Tamron at full length? and F2.8 does not give you much DOF.

Perhaps slow shutter to 1/800 and close aperture two stops. Maybe compensate exposure? Pretty Girl!

DanCulleton

Try a faster shutter speed, especially if you have plenty of light as you so here.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Single spot focus was my first thought, but you did that. Do a test with the camera on a tripod to eliminate camera shake. Have things at various distances from the camera, in front of and behind the subject. When you look at the results, you might that see things in front of or behind the subject are in focus.

Let us know how this goes.

TomV Loc: Annapolis, Maryland

CO wrote:

LensTip.com does extensive lens testing. I downloa... (show quote)

I agree. This lens is clearly inadequate for sharpness at this wide aperture, though it may be fine for AF in low ljght.

Mi630

My 2 cents worth (which probably isn’t worth that much). Check ISO. I find the crop sensor cameras are not sharp at higher ISO levels. If you want to shoot at f2.8 set camera to Aperture priority, ISO to 400 or less and let camera pick shutter speed. Hold camera very steady and slowly press shutter.

karenmr

Thanks for everyone’s help. I have the G2 version. I did some test shots with a tripod as recommended and the lens is not focusing clearly at all, especially at 70mm. It was better at 24mm. I am in the process of shipping to Tamron for adjustments. I really appreciate all of the input and feel better because I was always blaming myself for out of focus images.

agillot

going blind ??? dont see what you are talking about .is there such a thing as over sharp /processed pictures ?

Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx

Recommend you print out a resolution target, which you can get at http://www.gpsinformation.org/jack/photo-test/pics/lens-tests.html . Hang it on a well lit wall, put the camera and lens on a tripod with a remote release, shoot in A mode with the aperture wide open lowest ISO spot focus, start at 70mm and have the target fill about 1/4 or 1/3 of the frame (want to use the center of the lens), take a test shot and adjust exposure so the target looks black and white, not gray. Go to live view mode, move the focus ring off focus a bit, push shutter 1/2 way using the remote and let the camera focus, take the shot. Get out of LV mode and take about 5 shots the same way. Download the pics to your computer and examine. The LV mode shot should look sharp. Compare to the best of the AF shots. If the AF shots are not as sharp as the LV mode you probably need to calibrate the lens to your camera.

CO

karenmr wrote:

Thanks for everyone’s help. I have the G2 version. I did some test shots with a tripod as recommended and the lens is not focusing clearly at all, especially at 70mm. It was better at 24mm. I am in the process of shipping to Tamron for adjustments. I really appreciate all of the input and feel better because I was always blaming myself for out of focus images.

Back focusing and front focusing are caused by manufacturing tolerances of lenses and camera bodies. Without the camera, I'm not sure how much they could do. I would get Tamron's TAP-in console and a target such as the DataColor SpyderLensCal. You could do your own AF fine adjustments.