EOS R7 Focus Issues continue even after Factory Service

[edwardfranklin]

I bought an EOS R7 with kit lens RF-S18-150mm 3.5-6.3 IS STM and a separate RF 100-400 5.6-8 IS USM lens in December 2025. After seeing that my RAW files with both lenses were not tack sharp and talking with Customer Service, my equipment was sent in to the Factory Service Center for evaluation. All products "performed according to specifications" and sent back to me. 

In their notes they suggested some recommendations to see if those ideas helped my images and my focus concerns, but they did not. 

I would expect to see tack sharp images in Photoshop and Lightroom with my RAW files, but I still do not. Maybe my visual expectations are too high (I don't expect it to be top of the line camera), but I expect my images to be sharp. Maybe this camera just doesn't perform well even though "it meets specifications". Canon says I can't return it at this point. I'm not satisfied. I'd like to return it and get maybe a better camera. What can I do?

[Enthusiast]

edwardfranklin wrote: Question: why would I choose a JPEG format when I want to use editing features that a RAW file provides? And also, why JPEG when I want the highest quality file. I don't understand.

The suggestion was made as a potential aid to the diagnosis of the issue. The processing of a JPEG image by the internal camera firmware is not necessarily inferior to the manipulation of the raw data. A sharper JPEG image would imply that the software app or editing technique could be responsible.

[edwardfranklin]

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ny9t19pu7wgcw4bxiwizl/AIQhrvFho9SjwStoDPtS5N0?rlkey=1ikrnmkf6ke9k52tz...

John, this link provides my 200% view of the air conditioner image in photoshop and then showing a side x side in Topaz. I don't see the image "as fine". It's blurry and not as detailed and crisp as when I bring a little sharpening to it.

[edwardfranklin]

appreciate your opinion on this, but i don't see my images as sharp with this camera and trying to figure out why and whether my expectations are out of place

[edwardfranklin]

understand. i will try that

[jrhoffman75]

You don't indicate what your initial settings are, but it's not surprising that a little sharpening makes the image sharper. Find the settings that give you images you are happy with and create a preset.

[stevet1]

Edward,

There are two other things you could try:

1) Take your camera out of autofocus (AF), and use Manual focus. Hit your magnifying button and fine tune the spot where you want the focus to be. See if your AF is doing the job.

2) I don't know what Picture Style you are using (Standard or Landscape or Neutral or whatever), but within each Picture Style, there is a way of adjusting various settings like Sharpness, Fineness, Contrast, etc.) On my camera, I choose a Picture Style and then hit the Info button. You might go to your preferred Picture Style and increase your Sharpening by a touch.

Steve Thomas

[Waddizzle]

“ John, this link provides my 200% view of the air conditioner image in photoshop and then showing a side x side in Topaz. I don't see the image "as fine". It's blurry and not as detailed and crisp as when I bring a little sharpening to it. “

Food for thought.

The problem you are experiencing is caused by the degree of cropping being used to view the images.

Once you begin cropping, then you will lose signicant resolution.  The 32.5 MO (6960 x 4640) resolution is lost. 

What does cropping actually do?  This can vary depending upon the resolution of your display.  A 100% crop means the following. For every pixel in your image will be reproduced as one pixel on your display.  A 1:1 ratio. If you are using a Full HD (1920 c 1280) display, you have cut out a fairly small portion of the original image.

If you zoom in to 200%, then you’ll see a quarter of the image compared to 100%. For every pixel in the original image will be reproduced by four pixels on your display.  A 1:4 ratio. That is close to GameBoy resolution. 

Why do your images look soft, instead of pixelated like a handheld video game? Color resolution. The video game used 4-bit color resolution. A JPG can use 8 bits, or more.

The purpose of a super telephoto lens is to enlarge your subject in the field of view.  It’s not a tool to capture images from a great distance.

Also, capturing images from a distance introduces a new set of problems, light diffraction as it travels through the atmosphere.  

Hope this helps.

[shadowsports]

Based on his response it looks like it's not technique, but what's happening in post-processing to a degree.

[kvbarkley]

To add to Waddizzle's analysis:

At 300 dpi printed - the standard resolution for *small* prints - your image would be 23 x 15.5 inches. The standard viewing distance for a print that big is about 36", so by zooming in so much you are basically putting your nose on the print. If you blow up to 200% you are asking the viewing software to manufacture about half the pixels. No wonder it does not look sharp! I would never exceed 100%.

https://pixelcraft.photo.blog/2022/11/01/viewing-distances-dpi-and-image-size-for-printing/

[edwardfranklin]

Steve, when I go into Info button on Picture Style is 1 the best and 5 the lowest, or the other way around?