Is there something wrong with my new lens?
Discussion
I bought a 70-200 f/2.8 L IS USM a few days ago. I'm still learning how to use it. I tried to get some pictures of the moon today and they don't really come out sharp at all at 100% crop.
This is the sharpest I could get it, with MF set to infinity. AF gets pretty much the same result. Click picture to enlarge
Should I be worried? Can someone post an example of how sharp it should be, so I can compare it to mine, or is there anything else I can do to check if there's something up with the lens?
Here's a full size picture of the box too www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=D0CF9474160AC364
It looks fine at the top bu it seems to get worse towards the bottom. Taken at 200mm f/29 30 second exposure. I took them all with a Hoya UV filter on the lens too
This is the sharpest I could get it, with MF set to infinity. AF gets pretty much the same result. Click picture to enlarge
Should I be worried? Can someone post an example of how sharp it should be, so I can compare it to mine, or is there anything else I can do to check if there's something up with the lens?
Here's a full size picture of the box too www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=D0CF9474160AC364
It looks fine at the top bu it seems to get worse towards the bottom. Taken at 200mm f/29 30 second exposure. I took them all with a Hoya UV filter on the lens too
Edited by Typhon on Friday 2nd February 20:43
You don't mention which camera - which will make a huge difference. Also, check the setting to make sure you are not softening.
Most important... thats a 30 second exposure, so your tripod needs to be REALLY good and you should be using mirror lock up if you can (and as Gravy keeps point out to me, a cable release).
I'll try and dig out the exif for my last moon shot.
This was spot metered 2" 400 ISO, 5.6 from a 400mm mirror lock up, sharpened and desaturated (taken with a dark blue sky, which I find works best)
www.stevecarter.com/picaday/11.jpg
Sorry if this is a re-post PH seems to be playing up a bit.
Most important... thats a 30 second exposure, so your tripod needs to be REALLY good and you should be using mirror lock up if you can (and as Gravy keeps point out to me, a cable release).
I'll try and dig out the exif for my last moon shot.
This was spot metered 2" 400 ISO, 5.6 from a 400mm mirror lock up, sharpened and desaturated (taken with a dark blue sky, which I find works best)
www.stevecarter.com/picaday/11.jpg
Sorry if this is a re-post PH seems to be playing up a bit.
Edited by GetCarter on Friday 2nd February 20:58
GetCarter said:
This was spot metered 2" 400 ISO, 5.6 from a 400mm mirror lock up, sharpened and desaturated (taken with a dark blue sky, which I find works best)
www.stevecarter.com/picaday/11.jpg
Sorry if this is a re-post PH seems to be playing up a bit.
Edited by GetCarter on Friday 2nd February 20:58
Wow. I'm guessing a trip back to the shop is in order for me
Edited by Typhon on Friday 2nd February 21:08
Typhon said:
GetCarter said:
This was spot metered 2" 400 ISO, 5.6 from a 400mm mirror lock up, sharpened and desaturated (taken with a dark blue sky, which I find works best)
www.stevecarter.com/picaday/11.jpg
Sorry if this is a re-post PH seems to be playing up a bit.
Edited by GetCarter on Friday 2nd February 20:58
Wow. I'm guessing a trip back to the shop is in order for me
Edited by Typhon on Friday 2nd February 21:08
Does the Canon have mirror lock up? If so, try that first (shutter makes a hell of a vibration). And remember I have sharpened mine... and it's taken at the same latitude as Oslo with absolutely no light and bugger all air polution .
Edited by GetCarter on Friday 2nd February 21:14
Typhon said:
graham@edinburgh said:
Was the lens wide open? There aren't many lenses that are pin sharp at their widest aperture.
I shot it at f/32
Lenses tend to go a bit softer at the extremes, at both ends. You'd probably be best taking it:-
1) With the mirror locked up
2) With a remote/cable release
3) At f13 or f16
4) On a sturdy tripod with extra weight hanging from the center tube.
5) On a windless night.
Martin.
Edited by V6GTO on Friday 2nd February 21:34
V6GTO said:
Typhon said:
graham@edinburgh said:
Was the lens wide open? There aren't many lenses that are pin sharp at their widest aperture.
I shot it at f/32
Lenses tend to go a bit softer at the extremes, at both ends. You'd probably be best taking it:-
1) With the mirror locked up
2) With a remote/cable release
3) At f13 or f16
4) On a sturdy tripod with extra weight hanging from the center tube.
5) On a windless night.
Martin.
Edited by V6GTO on Friday 2nd February 21:34
Thanks Martin. I'll try it out and see what I get
Edit: I'll turn IS off too
Edited by Typhon on Friday 2nd February 21:43
Looks like camera shake to me.
A diagnosis is simple. Go out tomorrow, find something you can shoot at manual infinity at f32. If it's sharp, it's you. If it's not it's the lens.
The self timer is an adequate substitute for a cable release if your subject isn't going anywhere. Hand triggering a shot on a tripod somewhat negates the benefits of a tripod.
A diagnosis is simple. Go out tomorrow, find something you can shoot at manual infinity at f32. If it's sharp, it's you. If it's not it's the lens.
The self timer is an adequate substitute for a cable release if your subject isn't going anywhere. Hand triggering a shot on a tripod somewhat negates the benefits of a tripod.
Ok, here's another attempt! From a bit of an awkward position, trying to aim in between the scaffolding and the roof, through my window. I can see a significant improvement. This is an unedited 100% crop again, taken at f/8, ISO 200, so I guess it was the fact that the other was at f/32 that was the main problem. No IS, and shutter speed of 1/250. I obviously didn't use a tripod this time, I just wanted to see if changing the aperture would make a big difference.
And I need to remember to resize it for this site next time
This makes me feel much better about the lens, do you guys think it can get even sharper if I get all the settings on the camera right?
And I need to remember to resize it for this site next time
This makes me feel much better about the lens, do you guys think it can get even sharper if I get all the settings on the camera right?
You are still likely to get camera shake on a 200mm shot at a 250th.
enerally, if you double the focal length of a shot, thats about the minimum that most humans can handhold a shot.
So, if ye shooting at 18mm, you should get a sharp shot at 1/40th.
If yr shooting at 200mm you should only handhold above 1/400th.
just repeating what I've been told about my recent troubles with the same lens (nikon version).
Greg
enerally, if you double the focal length of a shot, thats about the minimum that most humans can handhold a shot.
So, if ye shooting at 18mm, you should get a sharp shot at 1/40th.
If yr shooting at 200mm you should only handhold above 1/400th.
just repeating what I've been told about my recent troubles with the same lens (nikon version).
Greg
The moon really does move fast. I took some shots with my old point and shoot plus a monocule thingy (gave me roughly 1200mm) but didnt have a tripod so propped the camera up on stacks of books, set the timer, composed the shot, and was just about to run away* when Id notice that the moon had moved so much it was time to adjust the stacks of books and recompose again. What fun.
*had to run away to ensure I didnt ruin the photos by making vibrations near the camera.
Sigma does a 300-800mm zoom lens for £5k, which was curiously nicknamed the sigmonster
More moon shots here
*had to run away to ensure I didnt ruin the photos by making vibrations near the camera.
Sigma does a 300-800mm zoom lens for £5k, which was curiously nicknamed the sigmonster
More moon shots here
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