EOS-1D X Mark II Soft Images

[guybarron]

Hi there . I purchased a 2nd hand 1 dx 11 19000 shutters looks great condition …for holidays in Costa Rica …however not really happy with quality of shots …took 8000 photos in all sorts of conditions … but so many shots look so soft at jpeg large and raw … shot mainly on 100-400 mk 11 with 1.4.  But some on 70-200 2.8 and 100 2.8 macro.…shot on every program tv av p manual with auto iso but images were so inconsistent … mainly wildlife  …in fact my 20 year old 1ds shots 11mp look far sharper apart from a few… if someone could help please 🙏 

[ebiggs1 · Accepted solution]

Guy 90% of the time unsharp images are one of two or both issues. The lens or the photographer. It is almost never the camera. Remember the camera is mainly just a storage device that records what the lens saw and what the photographer told it to do.

"Picture 2 looks like its front focused." Once again front or back focusing does not make the image less sharp per say. In either case something in the photo will be in optimum focus and as sharp as the lens can offer. You merely move the critical focus point forward or backward.

If you still think you have a camera issue I would contact Canon and have a C&C done on it. You can do a simple test of your lenses all by yourself but under controlled conditions. Shooting out in the wild tells you nothing. Use a good sturdy tripod and set up a test subject. Do so at several distances. Different ISO settings different SS different apertures, the whole nine yards so to speak. Then you will learn and know something about your gear.

[guybarron]

Thank you … I did just that … does this look acceptable?It’s a jpeg… standard profile large #8 quality out of 10

[jrhoffman75]

Was the tape measure at an angle? Where was the single focus point placed?

[guybarron]

Yes single focus point on gate … 10 cm mark was parallel to focus point at a upward angle f8 1000/ sec  auto iso 800 shot about 25 ft away 100-400 L mk 11 is with 1.4 extender @ 560

[guybarron]

Shot on tripod 2 sec timer f8 400mm …10cm on the tape is parallel to focus point on gate looks a bit fuzzy on here …  but in Lightroom looks about the sharp point …. Probably right about user error but wildlife shots are tough 

[ebiggs1]

Guy like John Hoffman said above you will need to post the RAW files of the images you posted to Dropbox for us to really tell anything positively. A jpg suffers from severe compression and an #8 had even more. Even more to get it on a web based forum.

[guybarron]

Ok thx I will … new to Dropbox … about 5 minutes…. Can I directly load them to here ?

[guybarron]

Should I shoot jpeg quality # 10 max …  or sharpen in Lightroom… 20 years ago everyone used to say keep sharpening off in camera… but I used to print tiff files back then … also alamy want jpegs 🤦‍♂️instead of tiff files now so got to try and get the best quality jpegs as well as raw 

[FloridaDrafter]

guybarron, if at all possible, please remove the 1.4X extender for testing and any filters, including protectors.

I noticed in the EXIF data of your shots that you are using the initial release version of the 1.4X. Is that correct? If so, that is a piece of equipment from 1988 and may not match up well with the 1DX2 and EF 100-400mm L... But, that is just a thought. Actually, any extender is going to soften your image just a bit and will normally require sharpening in post. Note that the sharpest image you posted, the frog, was taken without an extender.

Newton

[ebiggs1]

"Should I shoot jpeg quality # 10 max …  or sharpen in Lightroom… "

You should be shooting using Raw format. Not jpg...ever. All your editing should come from Lightroom. Raw is the uncompressed image file as shot by the camera. All the data. Any jpg is done from that Raw file and converted in the camera. This means a lot of the image data is discarded. You see the problem. You are telling the camera to go ahead and decide what is important and what is not. However, when you use Raw and LR, you decide what is important.

Now the issue becomes you want to edit your photo but the jpg you just shot already has been processed and data trashed, a smaller file so to say. On the other hand you want to edit your Raw file and you have access to all the data. This means you have tons more editing ability. When shooting Raw the main most thing is focus and exposure nothing else actually. All that is set by you in LR to exactly how you want it.

After you finish with your masterpiece you can export that photo to whatever format you prefer. I suspect you will want jpg. You can also select a size and quality for that jpg. Raw and LR is as good as it gets.

[ebiggs1 · Accepted solution]

"... if at all possible, please remove the 1.4X extender for testing and any filters, including protectors."

I disagree with that advice to a degree. Testing should be done in the manner of how you use the gear. If you are testing for actual lens IQ then, yes, remove all add-ons. Further there isn't any issues or problems using the first version of the 70-200mm on a 1DX Mk II. The ef 100-400mm Mk II isn't the sharpest lens made but it is pretty darn good. You see you are in the world of "good enough".  What is good enough? Well that depends on how you intend to use the photos. In other words a photo destined to go to FB isn't the same as something NatGeo would want. If you are a pixel peeper than the ef 100-400mm is not a good choice but for general real life use it is a fantastic lens.

So, always keep in mind the final product, how am I using my photos. Last word here ditch the tel-con, especially on the 100-400mm (if you are after the best IQ).