Canon 1D mark 3 Soft Images

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steve2109

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Name
Steve
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Good Evening

I am having issues with my 1D Mark 3 continuously producing soft images at 100% zoom, I have been photographing cricket for a few years now and recently upgraded to a 1D, all the images last week were unusable and I ended up sending the camera back thinking it had the dreaded focusing issues ! the camera was replaced with another and its serial number is outside the affected range. I have just uploaded the new images from today and at least 80% are soft. I use either a Sigma 70-300 or a sigma 150-500 and they have always presented me with sharp images on my 40D. Can anyone point me to what I am doing wrong please, i know there are a host of settings and I am hoping it is something to do with that. I have some presets fromCanon that can be used for sports but they have given me the soft images as well !! I was shooting in TV mode at 1/1000 f8 using high speed shooting and AI Focus, I tried changing to one shot etc but to no avail

All suggestions will be gratefully accepted

Steve
 
my bad, i mean't AI Servo, might have to try it with some L series glass but really didn't expect to be that bad, will post some examples
 
Are you using centre focus point?
 
yep, just expected it to be sharper when cropped, maybe I am expecting to much
 
If the first one is the full-sized image, you are correct that the crop should be much sharper than that. Looks like a focus or lens issue to me. I'd try a few tests on static subjects (using a tripod) to see if the focus needs calibrating. It's always a bit hard with moving subjects to know whether it is the camera or not.
 
yeah the first one is the full size, will try some static shots with my 50mm lens, I would expect this camera to be able to handle moving stuff with ease
 
out of intrest is it a new camera could it be some one has set the AF Microadjustment in the camera and thats throwing the lens out?
 
I'd check the micro-adjustment settings, and then give your lenses the treatment on that as well. Then I'd do a tripod/locked down manual focus test on them to see if you can get sharp images without the AF. Finally I'd make sure you have the latest firmware, even those outside of the hardware fault needed later firmware to *sort out* the issues.

You'll know when it is sharp - when it focussed the 1D MKIII was a good body.

I'm assuming you have the same degree of in-=camera JPEG sharpening as your 40D, or if you are shooting RAW you are sharpening in post.

Sadly I had a pair that were never right after all the hardware, firmware, and AF adjustments, and lens matching CPS could muster - even they admitted defeat with them. Which is why I have been shooting Nikon since December 2008.

I know people who had them and had no issues whatsoever, and a few close friends and pros who couldn't get theirs acceptable. I hope you can get yourself to the point you are happy with it - but be prepared for the fact you *might* have one of the lemons.
 
Thanks, bit worrying you never got yours right, this is the second one I have tried, I am hoping its just my cheap lens ! will try some 50mm stuff on and off a tripod and also one shot and AI Servo mode. trouble is i got the body for sports photography !
 
I don't think testing with a 50mm will help ,I would shoot a parked car at about the same distance and focal lenth you were shooting in and see what that looks like .
also if you MA the lens do it at the focal lenth close to what you shoot most, I would think around 400 mm for cricket
 
Thanks, I was shooting at 300mm yesterday which was the maximum focal length, I couldn't borrow the 150-500 I used before, I have read how poor the sigma 70-300 is but my other zoom is ef-s only, really hope it's the lens, sent one back allready and now this one, fingers crossed it is me
 
I'd say it's most likely your lens. In the picture you posted it doesn't look like anything is sharp (front or back of the target). Put a different lens on and compare :)
 
I might be wrong, but maybe you are expecting too much with that lens hoping for good 100% crops.
If you are anywhere near Cambridge welcome to try your camera with my 70-200
 
are you on flickr? if not join it its free then upload them full size hi rez and we can have a better look leave the exif showing to be honest not a lot looks sharp in the photos are you using dpp? if so click show your af point to make sure you hit what you aim for
 
ryanyboy said:
I'd say it's most likely your lens. In the picture you posted it doesn't look like anything is sharp (front or back of the target). Put a different lens on and compare :)
Click to expand...

Tend to agree that it looks like the lens. Has the lens been subjected to any rough handling? Might be something slightly out?
 
Thanks for all the replies, i believe it is indeed the lens, ran the same test on the 1D and my 40D (photo at 300,200,100mm) and all were unusable, i then used my 17-40 on the 1D and it is perfect, just need to run a test at a sports event now with another lens

results below of the 17-40 at full frame and 100% crop



 
Glad to hear it's the lens and not the body.
Whens it's 'in tune', the 1D3 is a great sports body. I have one i use for football and wildlife and it's superb!
I too had a 40D previously, and the 1D does take a bit of getting used to compared to it.
 
used it yesterday with my 17-40 and the images were excellent, crunch will come on saturday at my next cricket match ! will try to use a decent lens this time
 
nice one bud glad you got to the route of the prob
 
Great news that you can get sharp images from your 1D MKIII with a shorter lens.

The next question I would have is if you are getting sharp images with those lenses on your 40D then why not on your 1D MKIII. Most obvious answer is that you need to micro-adjust on your 1D MKIII and that you are fortunate that your 40D has a good alignment with the lenses out of the box.

Personally I would also go back to the 40D and recheck those images. Sometimes when you go back with a more critical eye you'll look at older images and see they were not as sharp as you originally thought !

Good luck with it.
 
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