# 5d mark II help



## enerlevel (Oct 19, 2011)

just when i thought i got my dream camera, it turns out to be my worst nightmare..... i saved plenty for a used 
5d mark II
24-105 f4 
50mm f1.8
580 EX 

this setup is what i have been dreaming off....  i brought it today, my first shot was unbilievable... image focus soft... i tried micro adjustments, firmware update, nothings working.... 
i tried to bump up the sharpness, plus no iso nr ... still image is not pin sharp as i would expect from a such am expensive setup....
i have used canon 600D with 17-55mm f2.8. and nikon d7000 with 18-200vr, both produced sharper image then this..... any idea wats wrong?  and is this problem very common on the mark II ?


----------



## Overread (Oct 19, 2011)

You'll have to show us an example of the photo along with further details for us to have any idea what the problem might be (if indeed there is one). 

A photo resized for the net along with a 100% crop* as well as details of the settings used (aperture, shutter speed, ISO); how you took the photo; the conditions/lighting at the time of the shoot and any additional info (the more you give the more we have to work with).



* a crop from the fullsized photo made so that we can view the 100% image quality but without having to upload the full photo to the net and thus giving us a more manageable crop of the shot.


----------



## GeorgieGirl (Oct 19, 2011)

It took me a while to go from the xti to the 7d due to the change in MP's and I promise you my initial reaction was the same as yours as in what a mistake I made. I  love my 17-55, I know what to expect from it. Give a few photos here and let's see what's what. It took me a little bit to focus and learn the features. No regrets at all. I am quite anxious for a FF and know after this upgrade that I will need to be patient. Let's make sure you don't have any defects that are blocking your path and see if it might not be just learning curve like me.


----------



## Big Mike (Oct 20, 2011)

Yes, you'll have to show us some examples.
9 times out of 10...it's user error.


----------



## gsgary (Oct 20, 2011)

Sounds like user error to me, what was your focal length and shutter speed ? i love it when people blame the camera because expensive cameras should need no input from the user


----------



## enerlevel (Oct 20, 2011)

gsgary said:
			
		

> Sounds like user error to me, what was your focal length and shutter speed ? i love it when people blame the camera because expensive cameras should need no input from the user



yes i will post pics as tht will make things better to understand..... 
but the thing is that from the samples i took, the place of focus is soft, things above left of the focus point (1-2") is sharp.. or sometimes 1-2" below left or right...  i would believe microadjustments if things were up or down... but this is more like left up or left below.... how do u adjust tht?


----------



## jimbotexas (Oct 22, 2011)

I totally understand as I, too, was dismayed, having previously used a 40D on well-lit subjects at f11 or higher. I got a 5DII when I got into low-light music shooting 2 years ago.

I often have to open up the aperture to f2.8-f3.5 at a slow 125-160, so camera shake (even with IS) and subject movement is a big factor. Decent shot yield is usually less than 20%.

I have concluded: 

1. L-series lenses made a big difference.
2. Autofocus works well but not perfectly and a sizable target is required.
3. In spite of the ISO 6400 capability, this cam (like any other) does much better with light. Shots at f16/s200/i100 are darn sharp.
4. Bump up your default sharpness. I'm using 6 (out of 7) and it works much better for me. If you shoot RAW, you can always adjust it in post.
5. Don't forget to update the firmware.
6. Just my opinion but I really think the sensor/computer is approximating to some extent.

The camera is not everything I had hoped in low-light so I'm moving to the 1DX as soon as possible.


----------



## MLeeK (Oct 22, 2011)

REALLY need to know your f/ and ss most of all. I would venture to guess they are your culprits. 
What were you shooting with before purchasing this? How much do you know about aperture, ISO and shutter speed?


----------



## KmH (Oct 22, 2011)

Cameras and lenses are complex and different enough from each other that there is an initial learning curve.


----------



## mangtarn (Oct 25, 2011)

enerlevel said:


> still image is not pin sharp as i would expect from a such am expensive setup....
> any idea wats wrong?  and is this problem very common on the mark II ?


don't blame it on the camera. it is not a problem on the mark II (unless you bought a botched used body). play with it a little more and figure out all the settings, then you'd be able to take photos properly.

by the way you recently got both a nikon and a canon?


----------



## enerlevel (Oct 25, 2011)

mangtarn said:
			
		

> don't blame it on the camera. it is not a problem on the mark II (unless you bought a botched used body). play with it a little more and figure out all the settings, then you'd be able to take photos properly.
> 
> by the way you recently got both a nikon and a canon?



i have tried the camera on various shutter speeds and F .... belive u its not me, during normal computer viewing, the image looks pin sharp..... but when u pixel peep, u see that its blurred or hazed like not sharp... i googled , and alot of ppl do have this problem... alot of ppl also reviewed it as saying it does take soft images but postprocess fixes it....... 
however for me, i have pumped the sharpness to full +7 .... now images seem to be sharp @jpgs out of the camera.... 
there are many post on the soft images from 5d... and those pl who have no complains, i cant believe they never noticed the image softness compared to 600d/60d etc.....


----------



## MissCream (Oct 25, 2011)

Can you post a sample with exit data?


----------



## mangtarn (Oct 26, 2011)

MissCream said:


> Can you post a sample with *exif* data?



yeah show us a photo and we might be able to tell you what the problem is.


----------



## enerlevel (Oct 26, 2011)

ok here is a perfect example of what i mean....     
5D mark II
picture style standard
ISO 200
1/200 Of a sec
F 8 
focus is the face.






image is nice and sharp when viewed on the computer but look how soft it becomes when i view full 100%


----------



## MissCream (Oct 26, 2011)

That looks fine to me. :S


----------



## Overread (Oct 26, 2011)

Looks perfectly fine to me as well. Remember a larger sensor and MP value means that your 5DMII 100% view is much more magnified than with previous lower MP camera bodies; this what can appear softer at 100% is actually a lot sharper when viewed at a more comparable magnification and when put into proper use (eg print or web posting) the shots (with processing of course to account for reszing for output) should be of a higher quality in general.


----------



## enerlevel (Oct 26, 2011)

humm thts weird.... the shot is pretty soft compared to my 600D with 17-55 f2.8 lens....
if u notice, the surroundings are very sharp but the main object of focus point is not as sharp as the surroundings...


----------



## Overread (Oct 26, 2011)

It's tricky to tell because of the material its made from - it might be the surface and the light itself resulting in muted contrast differences over the surface as compared to the background areas. However it could also be a miss-focus or even a slight amount of back focusing. 
You can test focus accuracy with a simple test - a ruler shot at 45degrees to the camera as close as you can - you can then see if the point you focused on is really in focus


----------



## enerlevel (Oct 26, 2011)

i have tried to play with the microfocus adjustments... but they dont yeild any difference except for going front focusing..... but from mid to back (right side) , the results seem to be the same even at +20.... however, with my sharpness adjusted to full +7, i am getting some good "out of the camera" sharp images... but i dont think this is how its meant to be ....


----------



## Overread (Oct 26, 2011)

Remember photography is always 2 part process of capture and process - you will need to process shots from your camera to get the best out of them - ie you will need to adjust things such as sharpness. If you shoot in RAW mode you'll have to do this since the camera editing settings won't be applied at all to the RAW files that come out.

In addition Sharpening depends on the output - different outputs (eg print or to the internet) require different amounts of sharpening to look their best and; in the ideal world; you'd only apply sharpening to the areas that need it not the whole shot (ie you don't need to apply sharpening to blurred background areas and application of sharpening to these areas can even cause problems of artifacts or banding).


----------



## mangtarn (Oct 26, 2011)

the focus in on the face but there is barely any contrast in the facial area. is there another shot of something with higher contrast and details (a whole bunch of flowers)?


----------



## dots (Oct 26, 2011)

In-camera JPEG or raw?


----------



## mangtarn (Oct 30, 2011)

did OP gave up?


----------



## enerlevel (Nov 4, 2011)

i think i got the fault....  it was the noise reduction....  it was set to standard or low which was why i was getting soft images..... i turned it to off now , and now the results are super sharp....  but there is an increase in noise...  
i will take about a week to show you guys the updated pics.. right now too busy working...
thanks all


----------



## sajorphoto (Nov 7, 2011)

Hey, which lense were you using?


----------



## JordanTarrant (Nov 21, 2011)

Check your eyes, maybe?


----------



## jimbotexas (Dec 2, 2011)

I understand your point because I have a 5D and I, too, was disappointed. However, there are a few things to think about and realize.

First, you're shooting upward at F8. Without knowing exactly which lens you used, where the AF point(s) hit or whether the camera was on a tripod, I'm thinking DOF is the main culprit here because the AF point(s) appear to be up higher. One way to fix that is to manually set your AF point and shoot at F16 or beyond. If I want absolutely everything in focus, I usually max out the F-stop for whatever lens I'm using.

Second, your screenshot shows a preview of a JPG. To acheive the best results, shoot RAW and edit RAW. You can then edit with the Canon software (which is free and really not a bad in a pinch) or Adobe Photoshop or, preferably, Adobe Lightroom. You also need to understand that sharpening a JPG is all about approximation. Conversely, a RAW file is NOT a photo but rather the data required to construct the photo. For example, the Canon software can change certain parameters (sharpness, white balance, tint, etc.) in post-processing that would otherwise have to be re-shot to achieve. Lightroom handles RAW files well but I don't believe it does it as well as the actual Canon software for certain parameters.

Third, there has been much discussion regarding the technology of the full-frame 21MP sensor in the 5D and how photons are recognized/recorded. It seems no matter what lens you use, some softness will occur. Remember, however, that the brighter a subject is lit, the better the clarity will be and chiefly due to more photons hitting the sensor. Also note that the sharpest results are realized with a prime lens rather than a telephoto or zoom lens of any sort. Even so, the lens I use most is the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM. For the shot you present, I might well have used my EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM.

Fourth, your full-size photo wouldn't normally be posted on the web "as is"; it would be downsized to accomodate whatever site (say Facebook, for instance) and therefore gain "sharpness" in the process. If you print the photo, DOF will not likely be noticed below 8x10. That's something to keep in mind when shooting.

That's my two cents.


----------

