shutter speed verses sharpness: Canon 6d @300mm no IS.

[dsullens]

I recently sent my camera back to Canon for recalibration after I noticed all of my telephoto shots seems to be fuzzy after cropping. The results came back and they basically found nothing wrong with the camera or lens..

My question is based on the results below is there a shutter speed for taking telephoto shots where the sharpness falls off due to internal vibration of some sort?

I am also at a loss as to why mirror lockup ,(with MF) would not be the same as a shot using live view with AF.

Is there shutter movement that occurs during mirror lockup using eyeview that does not occur using LiveView AF?

(I have not performed this test at higher shutter speeds due to internal lighting issues)

I performed these tests using the following fixed points:

RAW mode

focal length 300

Fstop 5.6

ISO 200

Shutter speed 1/60

No IS enabled

Camera mounted.

All shots were taken with 10 second shutter delay

Calibration target area is dead center of focus area.

Here are the tests I performed:

1.LiveView AF mode: sharp as a tack consistently

2.LiveView Quickmode: slightly less sharp but still extremely good

3.EyeView Miror Lockup,(switched to MF after allowing LiveView AF mode to find focus)

4.EyeView No MirrorLock,(switched to MF after allowing LiveView AF mode to find focus)

1.LiveView AF mode

2.LiveView Quickmode

3. Eyeview Mirror lockup

4.Eyeview NO Mirror lock

[TTMartin]

Honestly you need to stop shooting focus targets, and go out and start shooting real things.

[dsullens]

Getting the best pictures requires more than just going out and shooting real things. it also requires a complete understanding of the capabilities of the camera you are using in order to get the most out of it.

[TTMartin]

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@dsullens wrote:
Getting the best pictures requires more than just going out and shooting real things. it also requires a complete understanding of the capabilities of the camera you are using in order to get the most out of it.

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And the best way to learn that is by shooting real 3 dimemnsional things.

This is the second thread you've started with photos of 2 dimensional targets.

The difference you are seeing between liveview and other photos is caused by one of two things. Either the micro focus adjustement is not correct. You wont know that unless you shoot 3 dimensional objects so you can see where the focus actually is. Or, vibration caused by mirror movement. 

[cicopo]

I'm confused. Does it get sharp photos when using JUST AF? Why are you using MF? Maybe it's your eye & the lack of an old fashoned focal aid such as a split prism.

Also just how stable is your tripod? When I'm doing serious testing I mount to something solid, not a tripod. Here's an example.

[cicopo]

One more question. Which 300 mm lens are you using?

[dsullens]

I have found the focus is much more accurate,(but a lot slower) when using LiveView AF focus verses using one of the 11 points with AF with eye view. So my process is as follows: Set to LiveView Mode obtain focus(green box) switch Lens to MF then change to to EyeView mode and take exposure. Lens is EF 70-300mm F4-5.6 IS USM, Tripod is as follows: Dolica GX650B204 Proline GX. In addition I ran some more tests today and can confirm that as the shutter speed increased (above 1/125) the lack of sharpness decreased significantly. (LiveView and Eyeview were nearly identical) I also ran some long exposures (in excess of 1 second) and found the difference was almost non-existent as well. It appears that shutter speeds between 1/125 and 1/2 second will show some type of shutter lag or resonance from the shutter. I am speculating the longer the lens, the wider the range affected by the shutter. It may well be my Tripod but at least I know what shutter speed to stay away from when shooting at the long end of my lens for birds, etc.

[cicopo]

I'm still confused. You are shooting a mid grade lens wide open at a rather slow shutter speed using ISO 100. What are the lighting conditions? Is the lighting that bad that you feel the AF can't do it's job?

[dsullens]

The lighting, ISO, shutter speed, Fstop, and focus used are constant in all testing modes. I also use ND filters in order to slow the shutter down. The goal was to isolate the shutter speed with a solid mount, that still shows shots that are blurry due to mechanical "noise". This is how I was able to Isolate the shutter speeds between 1/125 and 1/2. The lens is plenty sharp for determining this since it is clearly visible between a LiveView shot and a EyeView shutter shot.. Thank you.

[TTMartin]

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@dsullens wrote:
The lighting, ISO, shutter speed, Fstop, and focus used are constant in all testing modes. I also use ND filters in order to slow the shutter down. The goal was to isolate the shutter speed with a solid mount, that still shows shots that are blurry due to mechanical "noise". This is how I was able to Isolate the shutter speeds between 1/125 and 1/2. The lens is plenty sharp for determining this since it is clearly visible between a LiveView shot and a EyeView shutter shot.. Thank you.

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Except there is a flaw in your thinking. Liveview still uses the shutter, so you are introducing the difference somewhere else. When you switch from AF to MF that might be enough to make the differnce you are seeing. Liveview and mirror lock up are functionally the same when it comes to taking a photo.