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]

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@Avid1 wrote:

Hi Bob, thanks for responding and trying to help.

This particular image was shot with a 28mm SMC Takumar (in M42 mount, no corrective glass in bewteen) at ISO 400, shutter speed 1/250 at f/8. Shot in manual focus mode, of course. At hyperfocal distance, stopped down optimally for deep focus and with a high enough shutter speed, I would expect a sharp output. This RAW image was processed with Phtoshop CC's ACR engine. Has a curve adjustment and sharpening of 42 inside of the ACR processor. This is what I do with images shot with other Canon bodies and get a certain result. The non Canon lens shouldn't be the cause of it. The halftone-like noise pattern is more disturbing than the soft focus at this point (it is still a concern, though). I don't know much about these sensors, but could it be somehow heating up or something and causing such anomaly?

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That photo does not look good, and your above post does point to the camera body.  If you can get a refund, do it.  That photo looks like something taken [by] a NASA rover on Mars, or somewhere..

[BurnUnit]

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@Avid1 wrote:

Hi Bob, thanks for responding and trying to help.

This particular image was shot with a 28mm SMC Takumar (in M42 mount, no corrective glass in bewteen) at ISO 400, shutter speed 1/250 at f/8. Shot in manual focus mode, of course. At hyperfocal distance, stopped down optimally for deep focus and with a high enough shutter speed, I would expect a sharp output. This RAW image was processed with Phtoshop CC's ACR engine...

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According to the attached EXIF info this shot was taken at 1/100 sec at ISO 400 and shot at a 50mm focal length. Are you sure you're looking at the right EXIF data? Does the body serial number match the camera in question?

EXIF IFD0

Camera Make {0x010F} = Canon
Camera Model {0x0110} = Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Picture Orientation {0x0112} = normal (1)
X-Resolution {0x011A} = 3000000/10000 ===> 300
Y-Resolution {0x011B} = 3000000/10000 ===> 300
X/Y-Resolution Unit {0x0128} = inch (2)
Software / Firmware Version {0x0131} = Adobe Photoshop CC 2015 (Windows)
Last Modified Date/Time {0x0132} = 2019:02:10 04:04:01

EXIF Sub IFD

Exposure Time (1 / Shutter Speed) {0x829A} = 1/100 second ===> 0.01 second
Exposure Program {0x8822} = manual control (1)
ISO Speed Ratings {0x8827} = 800
EXIF Version {0x9000} = 0221
Original Date/Time {0x9003} = 2019:02:09 17:33:48
Digitization Date/Time {0x9004} = 2019:02:09 17:33:48
Shutter Speed Value (APEX) {0x9201} = 6643856/1000000
Shutter Speed (Exposure Time) = 1/100 second
Exposure Bias (EV) {0x9204} = 0/1 ===> 0
Metering Mode {0x9207} = pattern / multi-segment (5)
Flash {0x9209} = n/a (16)
Focal Length {0x920A} = 50/1 mm ===> 50 mm
Last Modified Subsecond Time {0x9290} = 53
Original Subsecond Time {0x9291} = 53
Digitized Subsecond Time {0x9292} = 53
Colour Space {0xA001} = sRGB (1)
Image Width {0xA002} = 585 pixels
Image Height {0xA003} = 726 pixels
Focal Plane X-Resolution {0xA20E} = 5616000/1459 ===> 3849.21
Focal Plane Y-Resolution {0xA20F} = 3744000/958 ===> 3908.14
Focal Plane X/Y-Resolution Unit {0xA210} = inch (2)
Custom Rendered {0xA401} = normal process (0)
Exposure Mode {0xA402} = manual exposure (1)
White Balance {0xA403} = manual (1)
Scene Capture Type {0xA406} = standard (0)
Body Serial Number {0xA431} = xxxxx8049

EXIF IFD1

Compression {0x0103} = JPEG compression (6)
X-Resolution {0x011A} = 72/1 ===> 72
Y-Resolution {0x011B} = 72/1 ===> 72
X/Y-Resolution Unit {0x0128} = inch (2)
Embedded thumbnail image:

[Avid1]

Yes, the last 4 digits of the ser# is correct. Camera firmware 2.1.2

I shot 2 or 3 at the same time at different exposure values, to test for this exact problem, and I probably remembered the wrong shutter and ISO setting for this particular exposure, but it wouldn't matter if it is on a tripod as far as the softness is concerned. With a non Canon lens, it just deems it to be a 50mm as de facto. The problem happens at all ISO settings, not just at 800 ISO.  And I heard shooting at 800 ISO on the 5d Mk2 is not a problem.

The soft focus is less of a concern than the patterened noise. Perhaps, I should reset the camera and see if it helps.

[BurnUnit]

Just wanted to make sure we weren't chasing our tail trying to solve this.

You're right... ISO 800 probably isn't high enough to make much or any difference. A camera reset would be a good place to start. And when you're doing your RAW conversions turn off any sharpening and see if that makes any improvement. Have you tried to do any of your RAW processing in Canon DPP4?

[Waddizzle]

“Image Width {0xA002} = 585 pixels
Image Height {0xA003} = 726 pixels”

No aperture data and a 50mm focal length is pretty normal for a lens that does not talk to the camera.  But, that is a pretty tight crop for a 21MP camera.  How can you be sure that what you are seeing is not just simply noise?

[Avid1]

I will upload a RAW file from the same shoot when I get to my camera tomorrow. That might be the best way to analyze it and see where the problem lies. Seems like this one and the original post are rare cases of soft and grainy images from the 5D Mk II.

[Avid1]

Here is a link to the RAW image I shot to troubleshoot the softness and noise issue:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ntQgG3pnYoYhkCl3-73kmi_hFeg5uiz4/view?usp=sharing

The pertinent info are: Takumar S-M-C 28mm f/3.5, shot at f/8, 1/100 sec, ISO 800, tripod mounted camera. This vintage lens is known to be quite sharp at f/5.6 and f/8.

[Peter]

Not strange you get noise in the image, check the raw histogram. Then pattern you showed in the print screen before seems to be due to NR and sharpening.

[Avid1]

Thanks, Peter. Could the sharpening be accentuating the noise that's already in the RAW file? I don't believe I had cranked up the sharpening in ACR that high. If you look at the pale colored brush in the lower right, you will notice it is very noisy even in the RAW file (and has ample chromatic aberration), which is getting amplified in the post processed image by just lifting the gain up. It's a curve adjustment that is making the noise visible. Is that normal in the 5D Mk II at ISO 800? Also, given the exposure settings, nothing seems to be in focus. Would you agree? I am trying to be sure the problem is not in my particular camera sensor.

[Peter]

Lower right is really underexposed. It doesn't have to do to ISO 800. I can't see something wrong with your sensor.

About the focus it is hard to tell. Seems you have put the focus closer to you than to the subject.