EF 70-200 2.8 IS II edges out of focus

[Xeroid58]

The lens auto-focuses just fine using the center point to focus and the center of the photo is sharp. The pictures get fuzzier as you get away from the center, even though the image subject is the same distance. Just to add oddness, I am using a 6D II and when I use live view, the images are clear to the edges. Any suggestions on what might be wrong with the lens?

[Tronhard]

Hi and welcome:
Without a sample image and the EXIF data is hard to make any constructive comment.

If you are shooting in RAW, can you post a link to the original RAW file via a file-sharing site please?

[ebiggs1]

Although people don't like to hear it but these issues are almost always user error. You are doing something wrong.

However as Trevor says this cannot be diagnosed without a sample image. Top of my mind is you aren't perpendicular or square on to your subject. If you are canted one way or the other this can happen. Although your subjects are in line with each other to themselves they are not to the camera.

[Xeroid58]

I understand about some people not knowing how to use the camera properly and the settings. I am submitting a sample, here, of the side of our dirty propane tank while sitting perpendicular to the tank and centered on the logo, using the center focus point only. I HAD NOT noticed that when I was in live view, the camera switched from center only focus spot to a box near the side and that was why I had clearer images in live view. Once I moved that back to the center, I get the same results in either mode.

[Tronhard]

Thanks for providing an image and the explanation.

Without the actual EXIF data, especially your chosen aperture and focal length, but looking at the image it looks like it's a lack of depth of field combined with some camera shake and what could be wind-driven vegetation movement on the top right, but it will be out of focus.

Given the propane tanks is curved and you are focused on the logo, if you are using the minimum f/2.8 aperture and a telephoto focal range while being close to the tank, your image will have a very shallow DoF. 

There are three things that determine DoF:
1. The smaller the f/stop value, the shallower the DoF
2. The longer the lens Focal Length, the shallower the DoF
3. The closer to the subject you are, the shallower the DoF

Note that the corollary of these applies.  The more of these factors are at play together, the more the dept of field will be reduced.  Another factor in the image may be camera movement.  I have no idea of your experience or technique, so please don't take offense at this question. 
Were you hand-holding the camera, and if so, were you using the following technique to do so?

[Xeroid58]

I am sorry about the missing exif data. The original was just over 6m so I had to resale the file at a slightly lower quality. The data would have shown iso800, 200mm, shutter speed 2000, f2.8. I am not home to do a retake at a lower resolution, right now. I was hoping people would, realizing that it is a curved tank, just look at the left and right edges in the middle. I will retake, tomorrow, at a lower resolution so the original file can be uploaded, with this lens and my second, exactly the same lens so you can observe the difference. I am quite familiar with depth of field and how it can be affected having used SLR's, and for the last 20 years DSLR cameras. I was hoping that someone here could help me figure out what was wrong with this particular lens so I could determine if it was a major, expensive, fix or a minor one. As I just mentioned, I also have another identical lens that does not have this problem. It is not always the person holding the camera that is the problem.

[wq9nsc]

The OoF change as you move from the center to the edges is obvious and that is certainly not typical for this lens.  Do you have a filter on the lens?  It is hard to imagine it causing this sort of astigmatism but remove it and test just to rule it out.

Rodger

[Xeroid58]

Thank you. No filter, no hood.

[Tronhard]

Thanks for providing the extra data.  Please note I am not saying that your technique is automatically the issue, but with absolutely no idea as to your background or experience, it s not something that I would automatically rule out. I am curious as to why you have a second identical lens, but it does present an opportunity to do a comparison.

I am surprised, given your stated experience, that you used a curved test surface with an aperture of f/2.8, which is bound to give you a loss of depth of field, and introduces an unnecessary variable into the evaluation.  Did you hand-hold the camera or have it on a tripod?

Since you say you have an identical lens, I would suggest the following.  For each lens:
Mount the camera on a tripod, shooting in RAW, with IS OFF
Point it at a flat, vertical surface, about 6m (20ft) away, with a strong regular gridded pattern, such as a brick or block wall.
Use each camera in Av move, with auto ISO, using the following apertures: f/2.8, f/4, f/8
Repeat the experiment at 3m (10ft) 
Please share the original images via any web sharing site and we can have a look at the results and try to resolve this for you.

[Xeroid58]

My granddaughter is taking a photography class in school. I found this lens at a cheap price, knowing it had this issue and, as I said, was trying to get an idea if it would be an expensive fix. Lens looks nice, looking through it.

Living in a small town in cold  western NY, brick buildings are uncommon and almost all are covered In vinyl siding, including mine, which doesn't give much detail at the same distance. That is why I chose the tank, assuming viewers would realize that and only look at spots centered on the curve going across the photo to see how it lost focus as you went away from the center.

I don't use cloud based file sharing service so will reduce quality of the JPG slightly on the camera to get you your EXIF data included original files that can be uploaded here if you think that would help you determine what might be wrong with the lens.