EOS 5D Mark II seems to have grainy images?

[Betsywtaylor]

I bought this camera second hand from a friend who had barely used it. The images never seem to be in focus. When I crop them a little it seems to bring them into better focus... Is this normal? I have a 70D as well and it's images are so much sharper

[Waddizzle]

Grainy images?  Images that are grainy is usually a result of high ISO exposure settings.  Do you get grainy images when the camera is set to "A" or "P" mode, too?  

[Betsywtaylor]

It's not the ISO - it just doesn't seem to focus as sharply as my 70D. I assumed because it was full frame, the images would be crisper...

Thanks all for your suggestions!

[Waddizzle]

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@Betsywtaylor wrote:

It's not the ISO - it just doesn't seem to focus as sharply as my 70D. I assumed because it was full frame, the images would be crisper...

Thanks all for your suggestions!

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Can you post a sample image with EXIF data?

[RobertTheFat]

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@Betsywtaylor wrote:

It's not the ISO - it just doesn't seem to focus as sharply as my 70D. I assumed because it was full frame, the images would be crisper...

Thanks all for your suggestions!

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I think what's got us confused is that graniness and lack of focus aren't closely related. The former results from cranking the ISO number up beyond the camera's sensible limit (probably around 2500 for a 5D Mk II), the latter from failure to focus accurately. The two conditions may occur simultaneously or they may not. That's why it would be very helpful to see a sample picture.

If the problem is specifically lack of focus, does it happen in "live view" mode or just when you focus through the viewfinder?

[jrhoffman75]

Can you have the previous owner send you a copy of a file taken just before the canera was sold to you?

[Avid1]

John, I did actually send the previous owner a message to send me one of  the RAW images taken with this camera before the sale, so I know what the benchmark is, as he says this is an unknown problem to him. He hasn't responded yet, but I am sure he will.

I asked another photographer with the same camera to send me a sample image in RAW format so I can do furter deducing.

[Peter]

Any raw sample you can upload?