SL1 Rebel 18-55 IS Lens focus problems

[amatula]

Hi,

I had problems with getting people in focus and I posted on that; the problem is also wtih landscape. Even when other photographers use my camera this happens.

In the attached image (non-modified other than to decrease the photo size), I used the following settings:

high quality image (L)

spot metering

ISO 100

F8

Speed: 200

Focused on the mountains

With image stabilization on

Auto focus on

I can provide other photos, but they are all the same basically; with not being able to get good image quality/focus.

I am hand holding the camera as I am hiking. I hike and take photos so I am not going to be carrying a tripod; I am using high speeds (over 100).

I did not have this issue with my SLR cameras.

I really need a camera where it is easier to have good focus images. Would a 3/4s be better or is there another model that would be better? If I lose a bit of image quality that is OK. But I want/need focus.

Thank you for any insight/suggestions you can offer.

[TTMartin]

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@amatula wrote:

So the sensor is bigger; thank you That answered the question I just posted. Then I don't understand the 1.6 vs.2.

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The larger the crop factor the smaller the sensor.

So a very tiny sensor in a point and shoot camera or cell phone will have a crop factor of around 6.

The reason you don't hear about crop factor on those cameras is they have a fixed lens, so they do the calculations for you and tell you what the equivelent full frame lens is. Look at the front of the lens of this Canon PowerShot ELPH 510 HS.

You can see that it actually has a 5.0mm-60mm lens. That camera has a crop factor of 5.6 X. But when you buy it, Canon does the calculations for you (5.6X5mm=28mm and 5.6X60mm=336mm) and tells you it is a 35mm film equivalent: 28 (W) - 336 (T) mm lens on the box. 

The crop factor is just the number the actual lens size has to be multiplied by to give you the 35mm equivalent. The smaller the sensor the more you have to multiply the actual lens size. So a 4/3 camera has a smaller sensor than your SL1, so you have to multiply it by a larger number (2X vs 1.6X).

[amatula]

Thank you, everyone!

I was also speaking to a friend of a friend. And he mentioned holding my camera in the palm of my hand to decrease camera shake. He also mentioned a cable or wireless release for it.

And I am going to demo some lens and see what a difference that makes.

And last, yes, I would love to learn Lightroom (and / or advanced Photoshop) if classes are offerred locally. I have been looking.

I appreciate everyone providing valuable input!

Annie

[jrhoffman75]

[Waddizzle]

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@amatula wrote:

Thank you, everyone!

I was also speaking to a friend of a friend. And he mentioned holding my camera in the palm of my hand to decrease camera shake. He also mentioned a cable or wireless release for it.

And I am going to demo some lens and see what a difference that makes.

And last, yes, I would love to learn Lightroom (and / or advanced Photoshop) if classes are offerred locally. I have been looking.

I appreciate everyone providing valuable input!

Annie

---

A release cable is pretty useless without a tripod.  In fact, the built-in shutter timer serves the purpose for me.

If you have used Canon's Digital Photo Professional, then Lightroom is FAR more flexible and powerful version of that program.  I invested in it primarily for lens correction on non-Canon lenses.

I think Photoshop requires a bit more artistic talent than Lightroom.  If you want to "repair" or "create" images, then PS is probably the program to use.  I have both.  I only use PS to "fix" an image, like removing something unwanted from image.

[ebiggs1]

Annie,

"I would love to learn Lightroom (and / or advanced Photoshop) if classes are offerred locally."

Check your local community college.  They usually have either a full blown PS class for degree or an adult education class on PS. 99% of all the great photos you see from the pros go through PS.  That says something!

There isn't anything really wrong with DPP4.  It is just as like Canon said , well, OK, this is good enough we'll finish it later!  It just isn't a straight forward program. Kinda convoluted to me.  I keep trying it from time to time and I think it's not so bad.  Then I go back to LR and wonder why anybody uses DPP.  The only reason I ever come up with, it is free.  It is like the old not ready fro prime time players on SNL.

[ebiggs1]

Annie,

"He also mentioned a cable or wireless release for it."

You don't ned a cable release or even a wireless, ............................. yet.

[RobertTheFat]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

Annie,

"I would love to learn Lightroom (and / or advanced Photoshop) if classes are offerred locally."

Check your local community college.  They usually have either a full blown PS class for degree or an adult education class on PS. 99% of all the great photos you see from the pros go through PS.  That says something!

There isn't anything really wrong with DPP4.  It is just as like Canon said , well, OK, this is good enough we'll finish it later!  It just isn't a straight forward program. Kinda convoluted to me.  I keep trying it from time to time and I think it's not so bad.  Then I go back to LR and wonder why anybody uses DPP.  The only reason I ever come up with, it is free.  It is like the old not ready fro prime time players on SNL.

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To me, the biggest advantage of DPP isn't that it's free (although that's a nice thing when you use it on several different computers, as I do). It's that it saves all changes in the image file itself. Stop me if I'm wrong, but I believe that PS and LR save their changes only in a separate database or in "recipe" files. DPP lets you create recipe files to be applied to other images or to provide for multiple versions of the same image, but it isn't required.

[jrhoffman75]

DPP does save edits with the actual image file, but they are only readable by DPP. It's a different approach but not better or worse.

DPP can use Canon's Digital Lens Optimizer which utilizes data created by Canon for its lenses.

It exactly implements the Canon Picture Styles vs Adobe approximation. Some people prefer the Adobe look even though it's not accurate to Canon. From what I have read Adobe's base profile for the 5Ds was not well liked. It may have been corrected.

Unless one wants to subscribe to Adobe CC they may have issues with LR or PS Elements if they purchase a new camera. Once LR 7 or PS Elements 15 comes out no more updates.

[ebiggs1]

Bob from Boston,

"Stop me if I'm wrong, but I believe that PS and LR save their changes ..."

OK, stop!

Lightroom does not make changes to the original file. We all know that very well.  It does store each edit in a LR catalog. When you Export an image to a JPEG or TIFF, LR performs the edits.  It  creates a new file.   It never makes changes to the original. Whether it be a RAW or JPEG for that matter.

Agreed this is slightly different in LR as compared to DPP4.  But it is different not better or worse depending on your opinion.

LR is a complete program.  Meaning everything needs to be done with it.  All the file copying or moving or deleting.  This is where some people get cross-ways with LR. If you do all your work inside LR it makes no difference how many drives or cameras or lenses or network connections, etc, you have. Currently LR can operate on two computers.

The RAW file isn't really an image anyway being simply data. You view a RAW file because it stores a small JPEG inside the RAW file.

Photoshop is different.  The really only destructive thing in it is cropping.  Crop means crop.  Where folks get cross-ways with PS is they forget about or don't use layers.  Layers are the best thing that has ever happened to post editing. If you use layers your original file never gets altered or changed.  Unlike LR, PS does not care if you use it for all your computer work.

Free is the only advantage that DPP4 has over LR.  DPP4 does some of the same stuff as LR but no where, I can see, does it do anything better.  The biggest disadvantage to DPP4 is it doesn't work with anything but Canon gear.  And it even doesn't work with all of Canon's gear!

[ebiggs1]

"Once LR 7 or PS Elements 15 comes out no more updates."

Perhaps but not certainly.  ACR is where the updates for new gear comes from.  Not in LR irself.  Plus there is the DNG converter.