EOS 70D soft images

[drrhein]

Hello Everybody.  My name is Dennis and I'm a newb, not to dslr's but to this model, so please have mercy on me.

First question: When using the image processing software, PF 4  should I be able to go to 100% and still have a sharp image?

Every image I take, with any lens, whether I focus manually or with AF, seems soft to me and I can't often make it sharper in post. I use raw.

MY Iphone 8+ does fine at 100% and is razor sharp.

Next: How in the world do you get good focus on water fountains? I can't get any kind of decent focus with MF or AF.

The attached examples are resized to make size limit but to get the size limit I'm afraid I lost resolution, so there's another question.

BTW, my 10D does same thing

Dennis

[kvbarkley]

To get a focus on a waterfall, focus to the bank at the side with a half press of the shutter button, hold the button and recompose.

Generally, I have found that moving water has enough contrast to focus.

[drrhein]

The fountail I'm trying to get has nothing on either side to focus on.

[Waddizzle]

Your sample images are not good examples to use for comparison because the subjects are at significantly different distances from the camera.  Next time try shooting the same subject from the same distance.

What lens are you using on your 70D?  Many of the lenses sold in camera kits are not very sharp.  Another reason why your DSLR images might seem less sharp is DOF, depth of field, which can becomes more pronounced when the subject is closer to the camera.

Finally, what are your exposure settings for the DSLR photo?  Too slow of a shutter speed can cause an entire image to seem out of focus due to camera shake by the photographer.

[Waddizzle]

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@drrhein wrote:

The fountail I'm trying to get has nothing on either side to focus on.

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Depending upon the nature of the fountain, you can focus on the edge of the water.  Sometimes you can focus on the base of the fountain, down where the water is being released.

It helps to know the DOF, depth of field, of your shooting scenario.  The plane of focus will give you the sharpest image.  But objects a little behind, or in front of, the plane of focus can appear “acceptably” sharp, too.

[drrhein]

EF-S 17-55mm USM f 2.8 was used on both those, Although I use the 75-300mm kit lens a lot.

Both those shots were f14 1/125  ISO 100. All on tripods using remote release.

I can't even think about any faster shutter speed because of either shady or cloudy conditions.

I can stop to f 22 but I end up with 1/4 or 1/8 second and iso 800.

I was trying handheld landscapes the other day at f8 at 1/60 iso 500 and everything was blurry. this is both with MF and AF.

I wanted f20 for DOF but that yielded insanely slow shutter speeds.

Auto mode is worse.

Dennis

[Waddizzle]

Why such a narrow aperture? If you are using a tripod, you can use f/8. Post a sample photo of the problem. Filters can impair focusing, too.

[BurnUnit]

Try making something like a 800 x 600 px crop of a detail area of the whole image where you think you're seeing the problem. And try to leave your EXIF data intact so we can see the actual shot settings.

[ebiggs1]

Dennis,

For the settings you stated your shots are typical. I really don't see anything to complain about.  ANyway as far as sharpness goes. Your orchid is OK but the hibiscus is over saturated as is the whole shot.. A common mistake for new folks.  Ease up on the sliders in post.

The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens is a great lens. The 75-300mm is more of a challenge to get super sharp photos with. You are using One shot and just the center focus point?  Raw file format? P mode or my choice for this type work Av mode. "Auto mode is worse."  Put a small piece of black electrician's tape over that selection on the mode dial so you never even think about using it again.

[ebiggs1]

"When using the image processing software, PF 4  should I be able to go to 100% and still have a sharp image?"

Not necessarily.  What is PF4?  Does it have Canon lens correction built in? 

Focusing on a fountain or any subject that doesn't offer a good point to focus on is easy. Find something that is nearly the same distance and focus on it. Keep your finger on the shutter button and recompose. Plus there always the old way and do a manual focus. Not as easy as it was in the olden days but still viable.