EOS R7 Blurry images up close

[jesthepirate]

I've started to teach myself manual mode. I've been practicing on dogs at the dog park. I prioritize high shutter speed (1500+), low aperture (3.5-6), and I try to keep my ISO low. My photos look great on the camera but once I download them and zoom in, they're blurry. 

I've formed a full list of settings I've learned through different YouTubes but I still haven't seemed to figure out why they're blurry up close. This is even with dogs 3 ft away and hardly moving. 

It's either my skill in getting the right combination between the 3 or there's a setting I haven't discovered I need to change. Any ideas?

My lens is 18-150

[rs-eos]

When subjects are that close, depth of field (what will be in focus) can be narrow.  Thus, if you and/or the subjects are moving (especially if the distance between the camera and subject changes), that can be leading to the blurry images.

You probably need to experiment with different focusing modes such as Servo AF.  See page 442 in the User Manual for details.

[jesthepirate]

That makes a lot of sense!

[BurnUnit]

To test out rs-eos' theory try stopping down the aperture another step or two and dropping the shutter speed to compensate. This should at least tell you if you're fighting a narrow depth of field problem. If you need more shutter speed you might consider bumping up the ISO a step or two.

I don't know what, if any, editing you're doing. But when viewing your shots on the monitor make sure to not view them at more than 100% or maybe 200% magnification. "Pixel peeping" at more than that can make you a little crazy!

Also, posting a sample pic here might help us figure out what's going on.

[jesthepirate]

I didn't know there was a thing as pixel peeping! I'll post a few pics I took today

[Waddizzle]

You have great gear.  How much experience do you have cameras?

There are two learning curves to climb to use a camera effectively.  The first learning curve is learning how cameras work.  The second learning curve is learning the basics of photography.

I would compare it buying a guitar and learning how play.  If you have never played a musical instrument before, then it is unlikely that you will be able to play it well when you first get it.  You need to learn the basics of music theory before you can ever play it well.

Notice how the dog’s head is in focus, but everything else is not.  This is an example of shallow depth of field the Ricky was describing above.

“Depth of Field” and “Exposure Triangle” are two of the most essential basics of photography that anyone using a camera should know.  If you like YouTube, then these are two topics worth exploring and investigating further.

Finally, pixel peeping.  Even the sharpest looking photos look soft and fuzzy when viewed zoomed in too far.  The camera wasn’t that close to the subject, and neither was your eyeball.  Pixel peeping can lead to many incorrect conclusions.  Here is the photo video that came when I did a search on YouTube for “pixel peeling cameras”

https://youtu.be/mB9Qzyq0af4?si=Y2KIMNkT6NZcYelZ 

[jesthepirate]

I've gone through a few photography classes. I do know depth of field and the exposure triangle. I've read the manual and watched many YouTube vids. 
I have a learning disability that includes dyslexia and basically dyslexia hearing (CAPD). So asking questions and hands on is my way to go.
I'll post a few pics of the ones I took today.

[jesthepirate]

So some questions I have... 
I understand "golden hour" but I've been trying to go to the park when I know there'll be some dogs there.
1, Do I use spot af or should I start with whole area and subject tracking (what I tried today). I've tried to keep my shutter speed at at least 1500 but man, it can be hard to keep my ISO down. Which from what I understand, the higher the ISO the more grainy it looks.

2, My camera switched to mf without the option of switching back (for the second time). I did the reset but my best guess as to why it's happening is that a dog nudges the focus ring on my lens. Could this be right?

[jesthepirate]

These are ones I practiced editing today...

[jesthepirate]

This is an example of when I used one point focus rather than whole area with subject tracking.