 Deb Lamb |
Getting Sharp Images from Digital Camera I have recently purchased a Canon 20D as I wanted to try digital photography. I have used a Canon Elan SLR for years and wanted another Canon in order to use my existing lenses. I am frustrated with my new camera as I cannot get crisp, sharp images even though I am using the same lenses I have loved. What am I missing? Is there a defect with my camera. I would appreciate any input as to what the problem might be.
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Antony Burch |
Debra, There is no reason you shouldn't be able to get sharp images with the 20D. I have the Rebel xt/350 D, and when I first used it I was shooting JPEGs and the images were a little soft for me even after playing with parameter settings. I now only shoot RAW with my Canon, and the images are much sharper. I'm not sure if this is what you're experiencing, but you have a great camera there so don't give up. I suggest you upload one of your problem images. There are some very knowledgeable Canon users here who I'm sure will help.
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Andy |
I think it is a dilemma for many photographers who just switch from film camera to digital. There is a similar discussion in this thread: http://www.betterphoto.com/forms/QnAdetail.php?threadID=17406 Hope this helps.
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Daniel Diaz |
Digital Cameras have tendencies to be a little soft. you must do some post-processing to obtain the best sharpness. PhotoShop's Unsharp Mask is a wonderful tool. Good luck!!
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John C. Schwentner |
Plus don't forget you have to be prepared to compensate for the inherent shutter lag with digital. This takes some practice.
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Christopher A. Vedros |
John, there's no shutter lag on a digital SLR like the Canon 20D. Was your Elan one of the models that tracks your eye movements to pick a focus point? If so, it way take some time for you to get used to paying attention to what focus point is being used on the new camera. Upload some examples as suggested and we'll take a look.
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John C. Schwentner |
I think there is shutter lag at least compared to film, but maybe the canon doesnt. In that case weve weeded out one possibility.
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John C. Schwentner |
The canon eos 20 d shutter lag time is 65 milliseconds which I would assume is negligible.
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Antony Burch |
i have to agree with Chris that this is no or certainly negligable shutter lag with a D SLR. John if 65 milliseconds is the 20D shutter lag time then it pretty quick compared to the o.7 sec quoted for the Dimage Z2 by DPreview. I had the same problem as debra when first using my Canon EOD 350D shooting jpgs I was unhappy with the sharpness compared with my Fuji fine pix s 7000 which always turns out pin sharp images straight out of the camera, Maybe this is a trait of DSLR`s that have CMOS sensors rather than CCD`s ?
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Laura Berman |
Debra, I don't have a 20D but am planning on upgrading from my 300D soon so I've been reading a lot about it at the great website www.dpreview.com. In their very extensive forum sections there are several posts quite similar to yours. It seems that new 20D users experience this same soft focus thing until they get used to the focusing mechanism of the camera--by reading the manual and through practice. I suggest you go to the dpreview forums to get a bit of emotional support and also to help you pinpoint what you need to do. There is nothing wrong with your camera ;o) Good luck and I hope you soon grow to enjoy what by all accounts is a terrific camera.
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Gary W. Lake |
I'm not familiar with Canon equipment but with Nikon equipment the final image quality can be greatly affected by your in camera settings. Try different combinations of metering and focus options to see which gives you the best results. Also - you don't mention what lenses you're using. For the best sharpness you have to be willing to lay out the cash for the best glass - a lesson I learned the hard way. With Nikon there is simply no comparisson between the Nikon ED glass and other lenses - they are a must for any critical or important work. And the image quality you're using when shooting will also play a large role. When shooting RAW files they are completely unsharpened (at least they are in a Nikon. I assume Canon is the same) Shooting RAW sharpening must be done post-shoot in Photoshop. If you're shooting jpeg then the the image is being processed in-camera and should appear sharper, depending on your settings, but may still need some post-processing in Photoshop to bring out their best. And I'll add my $0.02 to the others who have chimed in to say that there is no shutter lag on a DSLR camera. They are not like digital point & shoots and they shoot just like a film SLR.
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Stephen J. Dyer |
Don't forget you are viewing the image on the screen at a much larger size than you would a print from your Elan. So it may not appear to be as sharp, when in fact it is sharper. Also viewing at this size will show up and deficiencies in your lenses. It would help if you could upload an example
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Maverick Creatives |
I shoot with a 20D. First, the burst rate is 5fps, so much for shutter lag. As previously mentioned lens choice is very important, better glass means better light = sharper images. You may want to check page 58 of your 20D manual and ensure your processing parameters are set according to your desires. (sliders -/+ for Contrast, SHARPNESS, Saturation, color tone) Lets see,,what else. Oh yes, choose the proper Metering Mode for the situation. Evaluative Metering, Partial Metering or Centerweighted Average Metering. The 20D has a NINE point autofocus, gotta love it. The 20D is a very demanding camera for most, myself included, seems every time I use it I discover another possible setting I previously knew nothing about. This one will keep me busy for years (crossing fingers) Hope this helps a bit. Regards
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Bunny Snow |
This may be too late for the initial post. But, I've learned a lot about getting sharper images from all digital cameras. I have no problem with my Canon 20D, which is the love of my life. Are you shooting on a good, sturdy tripod? Are you using the mirror lock setting? Locking the mirror to prevent the slap, will increase your sharpness. If the image you are taking is something that doesn't move, are you using the remote switch --RS-80N3? This makes a major difference when used with the other items, above. Lens choice is important! L lenses give the greatest sharpness. I have used, but prefer not to use the processing parameters which Gary suggested. It's better to do correction in Photoshop after your images have been sized. If you sharpen in the camera, you may have adverse effects when you try to sharpen again after working your image in Photoshop. So I recommend starting with the basics: tripod, mirror lock, the RS-80N3, and a good Canon lens. Cheap non-Canon lenses can definitely alter your sharpness. Hope this helps. Bunny
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Craig m. Zacarelli |
ok Deb... the 20D is one of the best selling canon cams in a Loooong time, its sharp and fast and there is only one reason... or maybe two, that your not getting sharp images... camera shake, mis focus, bad lens.. ok thats three aint it? lol truth is, there are many, many reasons for this.. are you shooting in auto mode? AV? TV? Manual?, what lens? what are your settings? do you do any sharpening in Post processing the shots? with what programs? are the shots exposed correctly? can you post up a few pics we can look at to better help you out? also a quick description as to what mode, whatlens, what the shooting conditions you used.. once you do that, we will be better off to getting this on track..could be the cam or lens needs recalibration also!
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Bunny Snow |
Craig and Deb, I have no problem getting sharpness with images captured with my 20D when I use a tripod, mirror lock, the RS-80N3, and/or good lenses that that have image stabilizer features. Actually, I prefer shooting on a tripod, because then I can capture the sharpness that I bought the Canon 20D and the lenses for in the first place. The sturdier the tripod and less vibration the tripod and head have, the sharper the pictures. Period! Of course, after you work images in Photoshop and reduce their size, they will have to be resharpened in Photoshop for web viewing and printing. This is because manipulating a digital image and especially resizing causes a softening effect that is not flattering to your work. I'm in the process of better learning the sharpening technique of worked images now. But, I've shot film for almost 50 years and know how to capture sharp images up in the very beginning where it counts first and foremost. Bunny
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John C. Schwentner |
I find it strange that the 20d with good glass doesnt give a perfectly sharp shot. I use the 300d which I believe is the same resolution as the 20d at 8 mp. I use Canon lenses, one of them the DO which is almost an L. but even with the Canon 28-135 IS or a lesser one, I get clear shots. My friend has the 20 d and we cant tell the difference. Maybe after all there is a calibration or defect prob with the lens or even the camera
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Melissa Defernandez |
Hi To test the camera for sharp images one way is to mount it onto a tripod and using the timer take some photos of various subjects at various f-stops and shutter speeds and then look at them on a computer. If they are not sharp then probably there is a fault with the camera body or lens? Are you able to mount a lens from another camera and see if the images are still not sharp? Maybe even hire another lens from a camera shop and try.
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