I'm doing something wrong...

Nikolai

I have 20D for almlost two days now - and 90% of the shots are OOF or blurry.
Of course, that may be the lens (kit 18-55), but I think I'm doing something wrong, not focusing right or someting..
Are there general mistakes every beginners make, or is it just me?
A bit frustrated.. I was so looking for those crispy clear shap images - and instead I'm getting... well, not the ones I want.
And I've tried manual focus too - with the same crappy results..
Any hints/ideas?
TIA

Andy

Nikolai wrote:

I have 20D for almlost two days now - and 90% of the shots are OOF or blurry.
Of course, that may be the lens (kit 18-55), but I think I'm doing something wrong, not focusing right or someting..
Are there general mistakes every beginners make, or is it just me?
A bit frustrated.. I was so looking for those crispy clear shap images - and instead I'm getting... well, not the ones I want.
And I've tried manual focus too - with the same crappy results..
Any hints/ideas?
TIA

camera:
what mode are you shooting in? p or auto can force slower shutter speeds. try av or tv mode, and ensure that you are getting high shutter speeds - like 1/125th or faster. iso 100. shoot test shots in well lit daylight. use center focus, single focus, not ai servo. do not focus and recompose. then share some results with us.

technique:
have you learned to "have your elbows touch your nipples?" here's the world famous windoze demonstrating:

behr655

andy wrote:

technique:
have you learned to "have your elbows touch your nipples?"

Sorry for the stupid question but would that work for Pamela Lee Anderson?

pathfinder

Nik - you have not posted exif date or an image for us to inspect, so??

I know that you understand the exposure and shutter speed requirements for a sharp handheld image. Which AF points are you using? The 20D is set up to use all nine, but I find that I strongly prefer to choose my AF point and then use the point I chose without recomposing for critical focus. If you are doing this and getting focus lock - the little green light goes on in the viewfinder and lets you get your shot - then perhaps either the camera or the lens is defective. Borrow a different EOS lens and see if that helps.

Don't play with your nipples - Instead try some shots from a tripod also with the self timer and see if that makes a difference. DSLR shots also tend to be softer in RAW than you may expect - In the set up menu you can have the camera do more in camera sharpening to create crisper images also. You may find you prefer more color saturation also - I certainly do. Show us a few shots also.

Khaos

My start on the 20D started with I chose ISO, let the camera do the rest, observed pics and exif. I had a lot of blur on some shots or too much noise also becuase of too slow TV or crappy exposure.

Went to choosing AV and ISO. Observed results and EXIF. Started adjusting Exposure Bias.

Started thinking the camera was an idiot in choosing shutter speed and went to manual mode unless I needed a quick shot.

I chimp a lot now because I rely heavily on the first histogram in setting up the shot. I've found my pics have gotten a lot better since and have been pleased with the increased color saturation and better DOF and exposure. Not that I still don't screw things up, but it was a learning curve.:D

Just wait until you try to master the external flash. It's a whole new learning curve.

Nikolai

Thanks, guys!
I appreciate all the support and ideas.

I'm especially grateful to DavidTO:


who found some time to meet with me over a glass of ale, share his wisdom and his lenses (the picture above is taken with my 20D and his 50mm prime, click on the picture to get an exif) and teach me some tricks.
Basically, it was confirmed that I'm a total n00b in dslr world who needs to master the basics, be careful with the settings (it turned out that I had my AF on servo, silly me:-) and practice more.

The pic above was PP-ed in PS - curves (auto), noise reduction, sharpening in LAB, L channel. Taking into account this was a pretty dark bar (local TGI Friday's - they didn't have Guinness tonight, suckers) I think camera worked OK. I also used the trick that David taught me (I think he heard it from Andy) - set it on continuous drive mode and take several exposures. the trick worked - first one was kinda blurred, but #3 and #4 (above) turned out to be decent.

Anyway - I'm in much better mood now (I'm not sure if the two pints of baas ale helped:-), very grateful to all of ya for your help - and I'm looking forward to shoot more with my new toy!!

Michiel de Brieder

WTG Nik, there's a whole new world out there you will definitely have the time of your life with your new toy!!!

pathfinder

ISO 3200 f2.0 1/60th hand held - Not too shabby in my view Nik. I think the camera is just fine. :

His eyes are kinda dark tho - they really are dark. Just a touch of fill flash at -2 stops might have added catchlights to his eyes. But I am a sucker for the way fill flash works on the EOS cameras. Many may prefer it as it is - real available light.

Nikolai

Michiel,

Michiel de Brieder wrote:

WTG Nik, there's a whole new world out there you will definitely have the time of your life with your new toy!!!

I will!
BTW - EOS Capture works fine w/o any extras: you can "shoot" from your PC, using only provided s/w and USB cable:-)
Cheers!

Nikolai

Thanks, PF!

pathfinder wrote:

ISO 3200 f2.0 1/60th hand held - Not too shabby in my view Nik. I think the camera is just fine. :

His eyes are kinda dark tho - they really are dark. Just a touch of fill flash at -2 stops might have added catchlights to his eyes. But I am a sucker for the way fill flash works on the EOS cameras. Many may prefer it as it is - real available light.

I agree, flash could make it more lively, but I was really going after availalbe light at the moment..

Cheers!

DavidTO

Nik,

Had a great time, it was fun, and I also learned a bit about the camera by going over your problems.

I hate that picture, though. Course I hate most pictures of myself.

lynnesite

Well...it LOOKS just like ya, in my educated opinion, in your "serious mode". Did he take any of you smiling?

Glad you got Nik started on the path to righteous shooting! It's nice to have a neighbor with the "habit", I've got one now as well.

DavidTO

lynnesite wrote:

Well...it LOOKS just like ya, in my educated opinion, in your "serious mode". Did he take any of you smiling?

Glad you got Nik started on the path to righteous shooting! It's nice to have a neighbor with the "habit", I've got one now as well.

He was just testing the camera. I wasn't posing. As my kids would say "NO FAIR!"

Course, posed would prolly look even worse...

wxwax

You're close to your subject and shooting at f2. I think you have a simple depth-of-field issue here. I think the tip of his nose is close to being in focus but nothing else is. It's also possible you're slightly inside the focus range of this lens (is this shot cropped?)

I would imagine depth of field would be a big difference between the 20d and your Sony.

Nikolai

Not only that..

wxwax wrote:

You're close to your subject and shooting at f2. I think you have a simple depth-of-field issue here. I think the tip of his nose is close to being in focus but nothing else is. It's also possible you're slightly inside the focus range of this lens (is this shot cropped?)

I would imagine depth of field would be a big difference between the 20d and your Sony.

It was also pretty darn dark.
With Sony I'd be dead in the water w/o flash.
With Canon's ISO 3200, David's 50mm f/1.8 prime (today I purchased the same:-) I at least had a chance:-)

I'll get better, I promise:-)

Cheers, Sid!

Nikolai

I guess..
... I understimated the power of the f/stop...
I always thought of f/5.6 as of decent "portrait-to-mid" aperture.
However this shot proves me wrong:



With the focal point at 18" mark (I actually was metering off that mark:-) it's easy to see that the DOF is only one inch both ways (two inches total).
No wonder that a slightest mistake during AF lock can bring the relatively flat subjetcs totaly OOF..

The next shot of my exterior stucco wall (happened to be at f/7.1) shows that with the enough light my 20D a+ 50mm f/1.8 has no trouble of a perfect focusing:



However, at the open aperture and NOT enough light it seems to "undershoot". The following shot (at f/2.0) was targeting the leaves, but, as you can see, it actually "got" the piece of tree bark just an inch closer:



I need to practice more...

Angelo

behr655 wrote:

Sorry for the stupid question but would that work for Pamela Lee Anderson?

Only when balancing a 400

wxwax

Autofocus definitely struggles in low light. I know everyone says not to focus and recompose. I'm stubborn and I ignore them. When shooting people with a wide open lens, I focus on the eyes then recompose. So shoot me.

Khaos

wxwax wrote:

So shoot me.

I'll need your address.:D:rambo:gun2:D

wxwax

Khaos wrote:

I'll need your address.:D:rambo:gun2:D