What is going on?!

kira

kira

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Kira
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Ok I have a weird problem

I've just tried to practice with my canon 400D and a Tamron 70-300mm lens

I have it on a tripod and on the centre focal point only

F5.0

I focused it on a flower several times and yet the flower is out of focus every single time, yet the leaves and grass and everything but the flower is in focus??

what is wrong with me? and what am I do wrong?
 
you need to post some photos really, it could be front or back focusing or it could just be that the flower isn't very big. The focal points aren't exactly the same size as what you see so can throw it out as well.

Post a couple of photos and we can look at it. There are ways of testing focal accuracy using rulers etc. I have some links on my other PC I will look for later on.
 
does the Canon have multi-focus points

one of which u can select with a 'thumbwheel'

dumb question - - but have you moved the focus point to the top..?

edit
#1374 doesn't appear sharp to me

what was the focal length used ..?................f5 will give a small DOF maybe
shutter speed ? = camera shake..?
did you use a remote release
 
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Some things to think about:
At 1/100 shutter speed any wind will have played a factor (either moving the plants or moving the tripod, particularly if it's a cheap one) so try upping the ISO to get a higher shutter speed in order to eliminate this possibility.
Also you knocking the tripod can cause problems at that sort of shutter speed so you need to use the ten second timer, move away from the camera and try not to move so as not to disturb it.

At that aperture you're not getting an awful lot of depth of field, possibly so little depth of field that a whole flower can't be in focus which is making checking focus difficult. The leaves are flat to the camera so they can be fully in focus and look sharp while the flowers are more spherical in overall shape so only a slice of them is truly in focus.

Remember that the focus points are bigger than the viewfinder makes them look, the camera will lock onto strong contrast and it'll struggle in darker areas like these appears to be in.
 
Here's a thought.......does the Tamron lens have IS or an anti-shake setting?

Canon recommend these are turned off when using one of their 'own brand' IS lenses on a tripod.
 
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