450D 18-55mm Kit lens - soft pictures?

[pixie]

yeah, i will still be trying out my current lense...wun be getting a new lense fast cos i`m jus starting work tml and my pay is even lesser then the 17-70mm...lol


as for the autofocus point..usually i use manual focus unless i am taking action shorts like dragon dance performances

One question: When i manually focus my subjects, i usually zoom into my subject at 55mm, focus then zoom out till how i want it to be....issit wrong? could it be the cause of the softness? thanx

Hmm doing tht will lose the focus of the subject. Why cant you just zoom into the distance u want then focus, half press then, snap? :dunno:

 

[Shah]

My recommendation is to get a batt grip for ya 450D as it will give you better grip and lessen the Handshake Effect. At least for me, it helps when i am using at 1/10s. In love with my grip now and it never leave my cam.

was advised by my fren that i dun reallie need a batt grip..mayb i shld borrow and try it out first...

 

[Shah]

Hmm doing tht will lose the focus of the subject. Why cant you just zoom into the distance u want then focus, half press then, snap? :dunno:

cos sometimes my auto focus will not focus on what i want..haa..jus a question, if i use the middle af, can i recompose the shot and still keep wad i wan in focus by holding the half-pressed shutter button?

 

[charlesleong]

cos sometimes my auto focus will not focus on what i want..haa..jus a question, if i use the middle af, can i recompose the shot and still keep wad i wan in focus by holding the half-pressed shutter button?

short answer: yes, that's what focus-recompose technique means

long answer: yes, as long as you don't move too much when your DOF is very thin.

 

[Shah]

some examples of soft pictures...All pics taken using tripod...

f10
exposure: 8sec
iso400

f8
exposure: 3.2secs
iso400

f10
exposure:5 sec
iso400

 

[Shah]

short answer: yes, that's what focus-recompose technique means

long answer: yes, as long as you don't move too much when your DOF is very thin.

Thanx for the answer..i read up abt it in a book sometime ago but couldnt clearly remember the details...
I haf a guide book to digital photography..which i bought afew years back...way b4 i had a dslr...haf to look for it again...

 

[RyanG]

Taken on with tripod but your 2nd and 3rd shot, the horizon is tilted?:dunno:

Was it on purpose?

 

[xiaoming80]

for night shot with tripod. Maybe you can try to use mirror lockup for long exposure and use 2 sec timer. And maybe you like to select the focus point instead of letting the cam to choose where to focus. I use that for my night shot.

Also use a good steady tripod. Ever went to HK Victoria peak with a light weight tripod. The wind so strong that I have to hold on to my tripod as long as the exposure goes. lol.

 

[Shah]

yes...its tilted...cos i borrowed a cheapo tripod which can only tilt forward and backward and the camera could not flush with the base as there was a little knob which pushes the camera out abit..i duno how to explain...but its a lousy tripod which had difficulty supporting the weight of my camera....the little knob scratched the bottom of my camera too ;(

 

[Shah]

for night shot with tripod. Maybe you can try to use mirror lockup for long exposure and use 2 sec timer. And maybe you like to select the focus point instead of letting the cam to choose where to focus. I use that for my night shot.

Also use a good steady tripod. Ever went to HK Victoria peak with a light weight tripod. The wind so strong that I have to hold on to my tripod as long as the exposure goes. lol.

i use 2 sec timer but i am still unsure of the mirror lock up thingy..will read up on that later..also will trying playing around with the focus point as advised by u and pixie too..

 

[jasonteoch]

i use 2 sec timer but i am still unsure of the mirror lock up thingy..will read up on that later..also will trying playing around with the focus point as advised by u and pixie too..

you should go for the free canon training....

 

[Shah]

you should go for the free canon training....

i wanted to but was told that its for those who do not know how to use the dslr at all...like basic startup and shooting functions...

 

[RyanG]

i wanted to but was told that its for those who do not know how to use the dslr at all...like basic startup and shooting functions...

Know also can act dunno and it's free anyway! haha!

I'm going for it since it's free! I registered already. Hmm, seems like Dec slots are all taken up. Wait for Jan classes..

 

[pixie]

Shoot more, post more, learn more =D

 

[Lost Dog]

i wanted to but was told that its for those who do not know how to use the dslr at all...like basic startup and shooting functions...

I suggest you take that course. You'll learn a lot from there.

Night shots with a tripod, can use ISO 100. use f16 onwards. hang your bag on the tripod for stability.

You'll learn why you need to do these things on the basic training class.
Just keep shooting.

 

[lohkam]

some examples of soft pictures...All pics taken using tripod...

f10
exposure: 8sec
iso400

f8
exposure: 3.2secs
iso400

Here are my copy comparing yours

Hope you all can give out a better point of view here.Appreciated.

 

[Shah]

wow..nice sharp pics...

Yes, shoot more and learn more..haf to do that..as for the course i am attending a basic and advance photog course next mth...jus waiting for them to start the registration for the next batch(its nt the canon one thou)...

 

[lohkam]

wow..nice sharp pics...

Yes, shoot more and learn more..haf to do that..as for the course i am attending a basic and advance photog course next mth...jus waiting for them to start the registration for the next batch(its nt the canon one thou)...

Thanks.I'm also very new in photography and i got my DSLR end of Oct 08.Well understand you camera and your lens are equally important.I'm also learning myself.

Cheers!

 

[dxsibo]

hey bro....come we change cam! my kit lens sharp sharp one!

jk:lovegrin:

 

[calebk]

yeah, i will still be trying out my current lense...wun be getting a new lense fast cos i`m jus starting work tml and my pay is even lesser then the 17-70mm...lol


as for the autofocus point..usually i use manual focus unless i am taking action shorts like dragon dance performances

One question: When i manually focus my subjects, i usually zoom into my subject at 55mm, focus then zoom out till how i want it to be....issit wrong? could it be the cause of the softness? thanx

I don't understand why you'd want to torture yourself with Manual Focus and run the high risk of getting focus error (then blaming your lens for soft pics).

Autofocus is there to improve your chances of accurate focus, and minimise the user error with regards to focus, so use it.

i wanted to but was told that its for those who do not know how to use the dslr at all...like basic startup and shooting functions...

Pardon me for saying this, but it is evident from your postings that there is still a lot that you are unaware of, and maybe you should not think of the course being below you.