canon 24-105L lens question sharpness
wheresdavid
Registered Users Posts: 297 Major grins
I posted a somewhat different question regarding this lens but I still have "concerns" about my canon 24-105L lens.
Here is the situation. It seems that the majority of my "people" shots taken with my 24-105L are soft or out of focus. Most of the shots are taken in low light but the subject are absolutlely still, i am shooting on a monopod and if the lens is at 80mm lets say, i am trying to have a shutter speed of at least 125.
I am in Thailand and yesterday I went out on a shoot with a professional photographer. He was shooting with a nikon D200 with a 18-200VR. we are standing side by side shooting, both on monopods. When i zoom in on my screen to check my shots all my shots are soft or out of focus. we are shooting at the same exposure leves and both are using the IS/VR functions. His photos appear tack sharp on his LCD. He tells me I have a bad lens. I am thinking, that is what I have thought all along. This lens is suppose to take tack sharp Photos. I switch to my 135L lens and sure enough I notice a big difference. After the shoot I go to a local camera store here in chiang mai thailand and they let me use one of their 24-105L for me to confirm that I have a bad copy.
First I look at the photos that I shot earlier in the day with my 24-105L on their computer and they all looked soft and or out of focus. now i take a few shots in the store with my lens and their lens and what happens. all the shots look ok and similar, ie no big differences between the lenses. Kind of like going to the Dr. and the pain has gone away.
here are some photos from yesterday. unfortunately i was also using my new flash for the first time so that may have contributed to the problem yesterday, but again, almost everytime i take "people" shots they don't come out tack sharp. the shutter speed on these may be low but again the other photographer was shooting at about 4 stops below the recomended exposure using his VR and getting great shots!
http://fotosbydavid.smugmug.com/gallery/3229891
So my questions are:
1) is there anything i can do to "test" the lens to make sure It is a good copy (remember I am currently in thailand).
2) is there some secret to this lens that I am missing?
3) any advice?
as always, thank you for your help!
cheers,
Dave
Here is the situation. It seems that the majority of my "people" shots taken with my 24-105L are soft or out of focus. Most of the shots are taken in low light but the subject are absolutlely still, i am shooting on a monopod and if the lens is at 80mm lets say, i am trying to have a shutter speed of at least 125.
I am in Thailand and yesterday I went out on a shoot with a professional photographer. He was shooting with a nikon D200 with a 18-200VR. we are standing side by side shooting, both on monopods. When i zoom in on my screen to check my shots all my shots are soft or out of focus. we are shooting at the same exposure leves and both are using the IS/VR functions. His photos appear tack sharp on his LCD. He tells me I have a bad lens. I am thinking, that is what I have thought all along. This lens is suppose to take tack sharp Photos. I switch to my 135L lens and sure enough I notice a big difference. After the shoot I go to a local camera store here in chiang mai thailand and they let me use one of their 24-105L for me to confirm that I have a bad copy.
First I look at the photos that I shot earlier in the day with my 24-105L on their computer and they all looked soft and or out of focus. now i take a few shots in the store with my lens and their lens and what happens. all the shots look ok and similar, ie no big differences between the lenses. Kind of like going to the Dr. and the pain has gone away.
here are some photos from yesterday. unfortunately i was also using my new flash for the first time so that may have contributed to the problem yesterday, but again, almost everytime i take "people" shots they don't come out tack sharp. the shutter speed on these may be low but again the other photographer was shooting at about 4 stops below the recomended exposure using his VR and getting great shots!
http://fotosbydavid.smugmug.com/gallery/3229891
So my questions are:
1) is there anything i can do to "test" the lens to make sure It is a good copy (remember I am currently in thailand).
2) is there some secret to this lens that I am missing?
3) any advice?
as always, thank you for your help!
cheers,
Dave
0
Comments
Hey Dave, you globe-trotter you :-)
One thing you can do is to have a wide open shot of a 1-yard ruler with its middle being located near a distinctive small target. This way you will see which parts of the ruler are in focus and which are not.
If there is no ruler, you can simply put a few small objects in front and behind the target and use them as your ruler marks.
As to the chimping - even the best LCD does not give you a real thing, even if you zoom in.
You can definitely check the general composition and, most importantly, the histogram, but as to the OOF issues, LCD is not gonna be a big help.
Good luck!
My advice for that particular set of shots is move so she is side lit rather than back lit. The strong back light is causing a degree of lens flare and if some of that back light was falling on her face you would get an extra stop or light letting you lower the ISO and bump the shutter speed.
Like LiquidAir, my 24-105 is my most commonly used lens, and I have 24x36 inch prints from a 1DsMkll with the 24-105 L IS that are exquisitely sharp.
Yours should be also.
I have posted about the sharpness of the 24-105 IS L previously. You can see some shots from mine -here that demonstrate center, and corner levels of sharpness to expect with this lens. These frames were all shot with a tripod, remote release and Mirror lock up. f8 1 second ISO 100 70mm
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
When it came back 2 weeks later there was note in the box saying my lens had been adjusted for back focus issues.
Now I love my 24-105 and it spends 95% of it's time on my 30D.
Eric
It's better to be hated for who you are than to be loved for who you're not.
http://photosbyeric.smugmug.com
maybe i should have went with the 24-70l instead. i am not sure what to do with this lens. it was going to be my walk around lens but now ....?
The 24-105 is a great walk around lens and it is fantastic for landscape and other scenics. However, if your passion is taking pictures of people in very low light, it is not your best choice. I would suggest getting a 50/1.4 or an 85/1.8. Cocasana, who shoots images similar to yours, uses an 85/1.2L which is probably the ideal lens for this kind of image. However, it is heavy and expensive so it is a bit of a committment to carry it around.
http://www.chrislaudermilkphoto.com/
My 24-70 stays home unless I need the faster lens, as for a wedding.
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
My personal experience is that when I want a fast lens, 2.8 is often not fast enough. My minimalist do anything kit for the 5D is the 24-105/4 and the 85/1.8. If I had a crop body, I replace the 85 with 50/1.4.
Tac sharp now.....Send it in for calibration
Dan
My 24-70 had to be sent in for calibration and has worked beautifully since. I decided not to buy the other when three lenses in a row had the problem. (If you want to know how I determined that it was a back focus issue, PM me.) It happens. Once adjusted (assuming that incorrect focus is the problem), your lens should do a great job when used in the right conditions.
Good luck. Having been there, I know how frustrating it is.
Virginia
"A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you, the less you know." Diane Arbus
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