Problems 7d

mamaturtle

Just got a 7d (finally) but I am not liking it. I feel like my photos are not clear at all. Called Canon they told me to switch a few things, I did but still not happy with the results. I switched my 19 points to just one so I can try to get a clear spot, not happening. Am able to focus on the one spot, but just not clear and really grainy. I had a xti and I had much clearer photos. I am using efs 18-55mm.

I do mostly portrait photos, should i switch to a different camera?

And advise??

Thanks so much!

Overfocused

I have the same issue. I am about to check if my warranty is up yet and send it to Canon for calibration

ziggy53

I believe you are witnessing 2 - related effects:

1) The Canon 7D has 18 MegaPixels (MP) in the same area as the Canon XTi with 10MP. Regardless of whether you view the resulting images in camera or on a computer screen you are, in effect, looking at the pixels at a higher effective magnification at the same relative camera or screen magnification. (i.e. 100 percent magnification of the 7D is looking at smaller pixels than 100 percent magnification of the XTi pixels.) This means that you need top use 50 percent magnification of the 7D in order to properly compare with a 100 percent magnification XTi image.

2) Because of the above, the 7D exposes any deficiencies in the lens system more easily than the XTi did. Since the EF-S 18-55mm "kit" lens is not considered a very sharp lens to begin with, you are just seeing the lack of sharpness in the lens more easily. In other words, don't look at other camera bodies, upgrade your lens to something much sharper that the 7D can resolve.

The Canon EF-S 17-55mm, f2.8 IS USM is an excellent upgrade zoom that would work very well with the 7D body, although it is fairly expensive. I have that lens and it truly something special and works nicely for "some" portraiture. It is my favorite lens for social events.

Using your existing 18-55mm lens should produce similar quality prints on either camera, so that should not have changed. Camera setup and processing workflow could be considerably different between the 2 camera bodies, so if your prints are looking different, please let us know more about your technique.

mamaturtle

ziggy53 wrote: »

I believe you are witnessing 2 - related effects:

1) The Canon 7D has 18 MegaPixels (MP) in the same area as the Canon XTi with 10MP. Regardless of whether you view the resulting images in camera or on a computer screen you are, in effect, looking at the pixels at a higher effective magnification at the same relative camera or screen magnification. (i.e. 100 percent magnification of the 7D is looking at smaller pixels than 100 percent magnification of the XTi pixels.) This means that you need top use 50 percent magnification of the 7D in order to properly compare with a 100 percent magnification XTi image.

2) Because of the above, the 7D exposes any deficiencies in the lens system more easily than the XTi did. Since the EF-S 18-55mm "kit" lens is not considered a very sharp lens to begin with, you are just seeing the lack of sharpness in the lens more easily. In other words, don't look at other camera bodies, upgrade your lens to something much sharper that the 7D can resolve.

The Canon EF-S 17-55mm, f2.8 IS USM is an excellent upgrade zoom that would work very well with the 7D body, although it is fairly expensive. I have that lens and it truly something special and works nicely for "some" portraiture. It is my favorite lens for social events.

Using your existing 18-55mm lens should produce similar quality prints on either camera, so that should not have changed. Camera setup and processing workflow could be considerably different between the 2 camera bodies, so if your prints are looking different, please let us know more about your technique.

I typed that wrong. I am using the 15-85 mm.

mamaturtle

I went out this evening and took the same photo, both different bodies with same lens, same settings, minutes apart. The results are crazy different. the xti is so much clearer. I can't figure out why. When I called Canon they told me to send it in and get it re calibrated, but if I can take it back to do that first and see if it makes a difference. I get my "new" one tomorrow to try out. Even doing the different magnification like you said ziggy, and am still not getting anything really clear. Sorry for the typo in the lens types. I have been told this lens EF-S 15-85 mm, should work great on the 7D.

ziggy53

mamaturtle wrote: »

I typed that wrong. I am using the 15-85 mm.

The Canon EF-S 15-85mm, f3.5-5.6 IS USM UD is a very nice lens. Yes, I would be a little concerned if it was not at least sharp in the center of most 7D images, assuming good technique.

Please share your camera setup and shooting methodology. Also please share some image files, with full EXIF, that demonstrate the problem.

jmphotocraft

It is very possible that your 7D's AF needs to be re-calibrated by Canon service. Mine did. I would send it in with the lens. It costs you nothing and you'll have your camera back in 7 days.

However you cannot compare a 10mp image with an 18mp image both at 100% view. Downsize a 7D image to 10mp and then compare, you'll be surprised.

mamaturtle

Thanks Jack, to me and my husband that sounds so weird, buy a brand new camera and it needs to be sent in right away. I suppose that is right, from what I am hearing, but it does seem a little odd. How do I change my mp to 10 on my 7d to compare? I did do what Ziggy told me and put one at 100% and one at 50% to view, but sadly I still see more problems with the 7d photo.

Aspecto5

I also had some sharpness issues. Sent my 7D, 50mm 1.4 and 24-105 F4 in with it so they could check it all out. Now I'm good to go.

Aspecto5

I don't think you can bring your 7D down to 10MP. What there saying is to downsize it in photoshop or some software and then compare it.

mamaturtle

Thanks Nelson, I guess I will have to send it in. I understand now i'll change things in photoshop, thanks!

Aspecto5

You bet. I know it's frustrating to spend that kind of money on camera gear and have problems like this, but when the bugs are all worked out, you'll be smiling.

Gazorg

Aspecto5 wrote: »

I don't think you can bring your 7D down to 10MP. What there saying is to downsize it in photoshop or some software and then compare it.

It is possible. MRAW is about 10MPIX for instance. I guess that there is a matching JPEG setting.

ThatCanonGuy

Post an image here so we can see what you're talking about. "Really grainy" could be a high ISO setting.

divamum

The 7d can be a curious beast sometimes. As Ziggy and TCG say, post a shot with exif so folks here can try to work out if the problem is hardware or "other", but some things I've found with mine:

- view photos at 1:2 resolution. Sure, you can pixel-peep at 100%, but it can be misleading
- the high resolution of the 7d shows camera shake far more than the lower res cameras. I've found I have to keep shutter speed at (ideally) 2x focal length (instead of 1/focal length or, more realistically given the 1.6 crop factor, 1.5/focal length).
- the cleanest high ISO's are unlikely candidates - mine likes 1250 and 2000. At lower iso's, however, I've found I need to stick with 200/400 for cleanest results. The worst I've used were 250 and 640 (both, I'm sorry to say, used by accident) - more noise in both than 1600!
- 7d files take noise reduction and sharpening far, FAR better than the lower-res cameras (I started with an XT, and stil have my xsi).

jmphotocraft

Gazorg wrote: »

It is possible. MRAW is about 10MPIX for instance. I guess that there is a matching JPEG setting.

MRAW is exactly the same dimensions as the full size image from the XTi (and 40D). There is no matching jpeg setting.

davev

Um, micro adjust the lens to that camera.
Yes, the camera may be so far out that the micro adjust won't get it, but I'd try that before sending it in.

As for the grain, I think these 18 mp sensors are some of the worst that canon has made.

As for making the pic smaller to view, find out how many pixels there are on the long or short side of the XTi, then downsize the 7D to the same number of pixels.

kdog

davev wrote: »

As for the grain, I think these 18 mp sensors are some of the worst that canon has made.

That's not been my experience. I often can't tell the difference between shots taken with it and my 5DMKII. The DxOMark website rates the 7D sensor as the best crop-body sensor that Canon has ever produced, exceeded only by Canon's full-frame sensors.

DeVerm

I would put it on a tri-pod and manual focus, ISO 100, Av with f11 aperture and check those captures first. Then switch to auto-focus and find out what's wrong.

There are special templates to print to check and micro-adjust auto-focus. The 7D will remember those settings for each lens. All my L-lenses were focusing correctly but my EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS needed a little micro adjustment after which it worked perfectly.

form

Post photo examples. Probably 99.9% of these complaints are from new camera users who don't understand what clear/sharp photos look like with modern cameras.

Overfocused

DeVerm wrote: »

I would put it on a tri-pod and manual focus, ISO 100, Av with f11 aperture and check those captures first. Then switch to auto-focus and find out what's wrong.

There are special templates to print to check and micro-adjust auto-focus. The 7D will remember those settings for each lens. All my L-lenses were focusing correctly but my EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS needed a little micro adjustment after which it worked perfectly.

ciao!
Nick.

F11 on a 7D will ALWAYS look soft at %100, if you're used to pixel peeping and you know what the highest capabilities of a camera's sharpness is. This camera suffers from diffraction starting at F6.3 because of a pixel packed sensor. The smaller you close down the lens the more and more detail you lose. It is quite noticeable from F11 and smaller if you compare it to a F6.3 shot.

Keep it at F5.6 and you'd keep optimum results for sharpness tests since whatever is in focus will be recorded at maximum clarity that the camera/lens combo can produce. Granted that it is properly focusing

form wrote: »

Post photo examples. Probably 99.9% of these complaints are from new camera users who don't understand what clear/sharp photos look like with modern cameras.

I could see a new user confusing DOF with sharpness... but are you saying modern cameras aren't capable of being that sharp? These cameras are capable of exceedingly sharp photographs, down to the pixel level.

jmphotocraft

jmphotocraft wrote: »

MRAW is exactly the same dimensions as the full size image from the XTi (and 40D). There is no matching jpeg setting.

davev wrote: »

As for making the pic smaller to view, find out how many pixels there are on the long or short side of the XTi, then downsize the 7D to the same number of pixels.

See above.

form

That's just the thing...modern cameras with higher resolutions aren't as sharp per-pixel. Then there's the noise reduction effects that blur detail more if you are looking at 100% zoom (even though the net result is superior in print).

mamaturtle

Thanks all! Canon told me to take it back if I could, so I did. Of course, they had just sold the last one. So I got the new one today, and have seen MUCH improvement. Something had to be off with the calibration or something in that old camera. I am now getting the photos I expected to get with the first one. I am very happy!

Thanks again for all the input!

Overfocused

form wrote: »

That's just the thing...modern cameras with higher resolutions aren't as sharp per-pixel. Then there's the noise reduction effects that blur detail more if you are looking at 100% zoom (even though the net result is superior in print).

Going from a point and shoot to a 7D should be a drastic improvement no matter what settings, really. Point and shoot cameras have dreadful pixel density now :uhoh

ziggy53

mamaturtle wrote: »

Thanks all! Canon told me to take it back if I could, so I did. Of course, they had just sold the last one. So I got the new one today, and have seen MUCH improvement. Something had to be off with the calibration or something in that old camera. I am now getting the photos I expected to get with the first one. I am very happy!

Thanks again for all the input!

Congratulations on the new camera.

PilotBrad

I am glad that you were able to resolve your issue. In any case, I thought this article could be useful in situations like this...

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2008/12/this-lens-is-soft-and-other-myths

davev

Glad to hear it worked out for you.