my tamron 17-50mm not sharp ! help ! 3

[Fotophilic]

looks odd. i know roughly how this lens shld perform, i owned 3 different copies b4. the sharpness of this lens is quite "there" one.

if u think there is no problem with technique, no problem with settings, no problem with u, then go service it. maybe u are just plain unlucky.

 

[tomcat]

Why don't you open up the original files in the Nikon ViewNX software that comes with your camera, set to 'Show Focus Point' under the View Menu and see whether the focus point(s) that showed up are the ones you actually set the camera to use.

Sorry I can't help you there as you have altered the images you posted using Photoshop CS2 and the focus points are no longer in the Exif datas of these images.

 

[MrJelly]

looks odd. i know roughly how this lens shld perform, i owned 3 different copies b4. the sharpness of this lens is quite "there" one.

if u think there is no problem with technique, no problem with settings, no problem with u, then go service it. maybe u are just plain unlucky.

ya thz for saying so. I hav owned 18-105mm VR previously. No issue of focusing. Set the setting and just point and shoot only. Hardly miss targeted focus.

Why don't you open up the original files in the Nikon ViewNX software that comes with your camera, set to 'Show Focus Point' under the View Menu and see whether the focus point(s) that showed up are the ones you actually set the camera to use.

Sorry I can't help you there as you have altered the images you posted using Photoshop CS2 and the focus points are no longer in the Exif datas of these images.

So sorry....I used photoshop just to make file size small. didnt know that it can wipe out Exif datas..... I installing ViewNX now, will try soon.

 

[hairyharry]

well, i wonder how sharp you want it to be?
this lens has served me good, be it for people,
landscapes or wedding photography.

worst to worst, get the nikon 17-55 f2.8.

 

[musicpls]

I've checked some of your exif file and all of them are shot are f2.8, i'm puzzle why are you choosing that aperture when

1. the photos are taken outdoor daytime with more than enough light source.
2. you are shooting at a subject of far distance which required a deep depth of field.

You have a fast lens but do you know even with my Nikon 24-70 f2.8 is kinda soft when wide open, the sweet spot 'usually' lies 2-3 stops away. I only use it only when the light source are low or i need very creamy bokeh. I have a few friends who are using the Tamron, fortunately non have any problem with it.

I suggest you to take some indoor shot of a single ISOLATED object, focus on the object and shoot wide open at f2.8 and post it here again.

But i strongly suggest bringing back to the shop to let them have a check, rather than wasting your precious time here. I am sure it only take them 5 mins to verify if it a lemon lens.

 

[photobum]

My question to you is why were all your test images taken at f2.8? Was there a specific reason you shoot at this aperture?

As 'musicpls' had mentioned, the hyperfocal distance at f2.8 is usually within 1 to 5 meters with this lens, depending on the focal length and focusing distance. Furthermore, the subject should take up at least 20% to 30% of the frame to lock into focus. Your test subjects were too small. Not even a Nikon 17-55 f2.8 can hit the 'sweet spot' so precisely, with a subject this small at such distance.

After looking at your test images, I don't think your lens has a problem. The problem is YOU.

My advice - sell it to someone who knows how to use it well.

 

[vnwt88]

i can understand yr frustration;

i have gotten very sharp photos as well as very soft and OOF photos from this lens; i am still trying to understand it n i hope u dont give up yet from all those non constructive comments;

70% of the comments given on this n previous threads dont offered any constructive/ useful advice; thou i must sincerely thank those who did and even PMed me to help;

as you pointed out, most of my OOF shots are easy shots that with the kit lens, 18-200mm vr or even a PnS camera will have no problem with;

i too have OOF shots when the focus point is not where i intented;

some of the comments i noted so far;

1) dont shoot in full auto or P mode
2) never shoot wide open if u want sharp pictures
3) when in low light,since u are using flash; dont shoot wide open at f2.8


Q1) why cant this lens be used in P or auto mode?

Q2) when can i shoot wide open? so i dont shoot wide open; i tried f3.2, still not sharp,
then i try f4; still no good; if there any formula on what f must i use to get a sharp image

Q3) in low light, if i dont shoot wide open, iso has to be turn up also resulting in grainy photos; so what is the advantage of using a f2.8?

Q4) Sharp Focus area in picture is not where i aimed with single point focus. what are the possible problems?


i do not think we are here to ran down or bashed this lens but we are really having difficulty
understanding it n so trying to seek help here.


Sincere thanks in advance;

i am still learning

 

[vnwt88]

btw, this lens is on my d90 most of the time as i am trying to learn it;

when used correctly, it has given me very very sharp images with nice background blur
but when used wrongly, a simple snapshot is a wasted opportunity and disapponiting when u check the photos to see yr subject ( friends n kids ) OOF;

 

[MrJelly]

i can understand yr frustration;

i have gotten very sharp photos as well as very soft and OOF photos from this lens; i am still trying to understand it n i hope u dont give up yet from all those non constructive comments;

70% of the comments given on this n previous threads dont offered any constructive/ useful advice; thou i must sincerely thank those who did and even PMed me to help;

as you pointed out, most of my OOF shots are easy shots that with the kit lens, 18-200mm vr or even a PnS camera will have no problem with;

i too have OOF shots when the focus point is not where i intented;

some of the comments i noted so far;

1) dont shoot in full auto or P mode
2) never shoot wide open if u want sharp pictures
3) when in low light,since u are using flash; dont shoot wide open at f2.8


Q1) why cant this lens be used in P or auto mode?

Q2) when can i shoot wide open? so i dont shoot wide open; i tried f3.2, still not sharp,
then i try f4; still no good; if there any formula on what f must i use to get a sharp image

Q3) in low light, if i dont shoot wide open, iso has to be turn up also resulting in grainy photos; so what is the advantage of using a f2.8?

Q4) Sharp Focus area in picture is not where i aimed with single point focus. what are the possible problems?


i do not think we are here to ran down or bashed this lens but we are really having difficulty
understanding it n so trying to seek help here.


Sincere thanks in advance;

i am still learning

thz bro, I hardly shoot in auto mode. I use either Aperture or Manual mode.

From what 'Photobum' comment, I also found that shooting a bit far objects always ends up in OOF. I will say about most of them came out OOF.

So my question here is....like that, how are we supposed to shoot concert photo at f2.8? (I mean I want to purposely use f2.8 to get selective focus on selective target.) Cuz stage and audience place are sure more than 2 meters away.

Some more OOF and sharp photos....

Taken quite close. But it turned out FF.
my focus was on baby. Checked with ViewNX. Focus point is on the baby. But it came out sharp on his mom. (Srry if the bro family is here)


Taken quite close with flash. I must say this one quite sharp focus luckily. Focus on puppy's face. This is the kind of selective sharpness i expect from this lens.


ViewNX shows no focus point (dont know why). My focus was on centre guy. taken at shutter 1/80. Turned out all OOF.


First two photos were photoshopped to make file size smaller. The last one is original.

 

[photobum]

but when used wrongly, a simple snapshot is a wasted opportunity and disapponiting when u check the photos to see yr subject ( friends n kids ) OOF;

Your encounter is normal even with a Nikon 17-55 or 17-35. I have the latter and I don't get consistent sharpness everytime.

You 'll have learn how and where to focus with your camera. Usually subjects that are off-centre will not be in focus at f2.8 or f4.

 

[photobum]

From what 'Photobum' comment, I also found that shooting a bit far objects always ends up in OOF. I will say about most of them came out OOF.

Ahh..... You ask the right person liao.

I used to shoot stage performances for The Substation. I used only two lenses then - 28-70 f2.8 AFS and 80-200 AFS. I rarely shoot at f2.8. Usually hovering between f5.6 and f8, at ISO 1600 or 3200. The stage was well-lit by the way.

Between October and November, I shot the Da:ns 2008 Festival for The Esplanade. I was using f5.6 at ISO 1600 for almost all my images.

I recall the first time I shot stage performances at f2.8, almost 70% to 80% of my images were rejected.

 

[MrJelly]

My question to you is why were all your test images taken at f2.8? Was there a specific reason you shoot at this aperture?

As 'musicpls' had mentioned, the hyperfocal distance at f2.8 is usually within 1 to 5 meters with this lens, depending on the focal length and focusing distance. Furthermore, the subject should take up at least 20% to 30% of the frame to lock into focus. Your test subjects were too small. Not even a Nikon 17-55 f2.8 can hit the 'sweet spot' so precisely, with a subject this small at such distance.

After looking at your test images, I don't think your lens has a problem. The problem is YOU.

My advice - sell it to someone who knows how to use it well.

well ok, i got ur point. Most of my close up shots of frds turned out quite ok cuz they fill about 20 to 30% of the frame. But i noticed some group close-up shots got FF like family photo above. So, i think I can conclude this lens need servicing for FF.

srry, i cant show that FF group photo as it is too personal.

 

[tomcat]

I noticed from the Exif of the 2 files you sent me so far (DSC_0203 & DSC_0205) that the the Focus Mode is set to AF-A and AF-Area Mode is set to Dynamic.

When the camera is in AF-C (continuous servo) mode, the focus points are not displayed in ViewNX or Capture NX2 as the focus point could be changing depending on whether the camera thinks that the subject is changing its position or not and the camera responds by tracking it. That's why the focus points did not show up in your ViewNX. It seems that focus points are only displayed in ViewNX and Capture NX2 if the Focus Mode is AF-S.

As your camera was set to AF-A, it could switch its autofocus mode between AF-C and AF-S and your camera had switched to AF-C for these shots. The actual focus point at the point of shutter release could therefore be different from the the one you think you had set especially if your AF-Area mode is Dynamic and the scene is very busy with lots of subjects that could confuse the camera. Those images with focus points that showed up in ViewNX could be those that the camera had switched to AF-S.

To ensure that your actual focus point is used, you might want to try setting the Focus Mode to AF-S and the AF-area mode to Single Point and see if the focusing accuracy improves.

 

[MrJelly]

I noticed from the Exif of the 2 files you sent me so far (DSC_0203 & DSC_0205) that the the Focus Mode is set to AF-A and AF-Area Mode is set to Dynamic.

When the camera is in AF-C (continuous servo) mode, the focus points are not displayed in ViewNX or Capture NX2 as the focus point could be changing depending on whether the camera thinks that the subject is changing its position or not and the camera responds by tracking it. That's why the focus points did not show up in your ViewNX. It seems that focus points are only displayed in ViewNX and Capture NX2 if the Focus Mode is AF-S.

As your camera was set to AF-A, it could switch its autofocus mode between AF-C and AF-S and your camera had switched to AF-C for these shots. The actual focus point at the point of shutter release could therefore be different from the the one you think you had set especially if your AF-Area mode is Dynamic and the scene is very busy with lots of subjects that could confuse the camera. Those images with focus points that showed up in ViewNX could be those that the camera had switched to AF-S.

To ensure that your actual focus point is used, you might want to try setting the Focus Mode to AF-S and the AF-area mode to Single Point and see if the focusing accuracy improves.

thz for ur very useful comment. :thumbsup:
I will try that out when i go out.

 

[flashbug]

just curious to know what metering u are using?

why not try spot metering or setting to manual-select auto focusing (centre point) and see if whatever you put in the centre of the picture turns out sharp.

 

[Octarine]

just curious to know what metering u are using?

why not try spot metering or setting to manual-select auto focusing (centre point) and see if whatever you put in the centre of the picture turns out sharp.

Erm .. Metering and focusing are two different pair of shows. One is to determine the correct amount of light needed, the other one is to get a sharp picture.

 

[Octarine]

To TS: I did some tests with my Tamron 17-50 after reading all your postings. From time to time I also have pictures where I missed the focus and I was wondering what I have done wrong. Sometimes even shoot on tripod came out blur.
After some research and test shoots I came across this archived posting in FM: http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic2/241524
Although it deals about Canon AF I guess it's not too far away from the Nikon system (Nikonians: please correct me if I'm wrong). You can see the focusing is more than just the single point like the black spot in the viewfinder. Please map this to Nikon's AF system to see whether this is valid there as well.
After reading this I repeated a couple of test shots and the results are much better. I can get a nearly sharp pictures with Tamron 17-50 at f/2.8 and sharp pictures at f/4. That's all what I need. It boils down to keep in mind how the focusing system works and to support it by providing the right "food" (areas with certain patterns).

 

[Mirez]

Why not use custom focus points?

You can pre-select where ur focus would be even at 2.8 ( I use this on my 1.4)

Wide Focus points will require bursting since the focus takes time to lock. (useful for my hip-shots)

OR..

You can aim at ur subject with purposely OOF-ing and focus on sth else first.. Tada.. ur subject will have 50% chance of getting focused.. :bsmilie:

 

[dawson]

Lens hav vitacon filter in front. Even if it degrade IQ, focus should still be there. In my case, focus off.

image not sharp due to handshake? very unlikely in these photos cuz shutter speeds are around 1/640. U can see in Exif data. Use Opanda iExif software.

briefly, just share with you what i think.

1. handshake blur
i see handshake blur, unless the rest agree it is motion blur. lol.
f2.8 1/1000, don't just snap. you'll have more problem when doing slow shutter handheld.

no editing, only 100% crop from your dustbins shot.

2. focus lock to shutter
from your focus lock; ie. semi-press and to the time you click shutter, your camera could have inch a little closer or further away from your subject unkowningly and that contribute to your elusive ff problem.

use the focus chart, mount it on tripod to test out the 45 degree test and you'll know the result of your eqmt.

3. lens effective subject distance
don't expect your subject to have fine macro details or hairline sharpness when it is too far out of your lens effective range; eg your stage.

i felt that #2 is likely to be the cause.

 

[n0eln0el]

briefly, just share with you what i think.

1. handshake blur
i see handshake blur, unless the rest agree it is motion blur. lol.
f2.8 1/1000, don't just snap. you'll have more problem when doing slow shutter handheld.

no editing, only 100% crop from your dustbins shot.

2. focus lock to shutter
from your focus lock; ie. semi-press and to the time you click shutter, your camera could have inch a little closer or further away from your subject unkowningly and that contribute to your elusive ff problem.

use the focus chart, mount it on tripod to test out the 45 degree test and you'll know the result of your eqmt.

3. lens effective subject distance
don't expect your subject to have fine macro details or hairline sharpness when it is too far out of your lens effective range; eg your stage.

i felt that #2 is likely to be the cause.

just sharing regarding this picture.. the original one
the lamppost in from of the bins are in focus
is this a front focus issue?

my tamron 17-50 also gave me such problem when shooting faces
spot focus on the eye and turn out the nose sharper