Focus

[glynnis garrod]

I have a cannon 400D and still seem to have trouble getting sharply focosed shots. I have changed my focal points and use manual a lot. It seems to me though that ( in the olden days, as my kids say) with the Pentax my shots were sharper. I was told that one needs to see post editing in the same light as getting wet film processed but I cant seem to get it right. Any suggeastions ?

[glynnis garrod]

Ok, Ok - that should read CANON !

[r nelly]

i think (and this is purely my opinion) that many lenses aren't that sharp, especially the kit lens. had the same frustration also until i discovered how to use Unsharp Masking in Photoshop. if you do use PS, there are a lot of free USM tutorials you can search on the web. really does wonders for my pics :)

[Vikdaddy]

Mmm it depends on a number of factors, the kit lens being one of them as it isn't very sharp. Also, it depends on the aperture, shutter speed, etc....

[Steve Harvey]

Depends what you consider sharp... Are you sure you didn't accidently adjust your diopitic adjuster? (the little tiny wheel next to your viewfinder) This happened to my once and I couldn't quite focus perfectly, but I use manual focus all the time, and this shouldn't effect auto focus. Just something to think about.

[glynnis garrod]

@ Steve- that dioptic adjuster.How do I see what change it makes if I turn it?cant find anything thru the view finder
Thanks for all the suggestions
Bleak- have a kit lense and compatable 300mm. Time to spend some money

[Koshi]

If you're going to replace the kit lens (something I highly recommend ... it's a paperweight in this house), you can pick up a 50 mm prime lens for a respectable price - my original was an f/1.8 an set me back around $130 AU ... have since replaced it with a more pricey f/1.4 though ... the f/1.8 is respectable though and I'd still be using it if the f/1.4 was compatible with my hubby's camera ;)
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-50mm-f-1.8-II-Lens-Review.aspx

[Cheryl Velez]

Glynnis, the viewfinder (at least on the Nikon) physically moves in and out when you adjust it. if you're looking through it at the time you adjust it (don't poke yourself in the eye!), you'll see the little dots in the viewfinder come in and out of focus. It's designed to be set to your own vision, so you can truly snap what you see. Point it at something light colored, and adjust it until the dots are fully in focus. Also, always use the viewfinder when shooting, don't use the live view (view on lcd screen). It's more difficult to gauge clarity using the live view. Good luck!

[Roey]

i think it is because you are manually focusing. you should autofocus. yes, agreed, kit lenses are no where near as sharp, but you just can't get the tack sharp focus with manually focusing.