Micro Focus Adjusting a Canon 50D

I shot my first wedding in two years last Saturday - with my newly acquired 50D kit. It was a great day, they were a lovely couple, and I came away exhausted and exhilarated; with over 1000 images.

I processed the images through Aperture (yes, I still use Apple's RAW conversion software - but that's about to change), and was generally pretty happy with the results. I used both 50D bodies, and every lens in my arsenal on the day, so I felt that I gave my kit a really decent workout.

But on closer inspection, I began to feel that some of the images weren't as 'sharp' as I would have liked/expected. On an even closer inspection, I narrowed the images that I was less happy with down to 'my' 50D body and the 24-85mm lens. The 70-210mm lens on the same body was a tad sharper, but still not quite right.

My heart sank a little, since the images were indicating that the camera itself was faulty and the sensor not resolving sharply. I did some direct comparisons with my other 50D body a few days after the wedding, and these tests also showed me that on all my lenses, one body was producing sharper results than the other (all things being equal).

I considered sending the body away to Canon to check the sensor alignment - but since the camera is out of warranty I wasn't really thrilled about the cost involved. And then I remembered that the 50D has its own 'micro-adjustment' custom function (apparently the kind of adjustments that the Canon service centre would make anyway).

Since I wasn't happy with the body's performance, but didn't want to send it away to be 'aligned', I decided to give it a go myself.

There are numerous ways to 'micro' adjust your camera and lens combination, using either complex charts or moire pattern computer programmes. But I'm a much more practical, hands-on camera tester, preferring to go out and shoot real subjects rather than brick walls and test charts. So I found a 'real world' micro-adjustment test, and followed that.

Basically, you set the camera up with the lens set to its widest aperture (f2.8 / 3.5 etc) at its longest focal length (if it's a zoom). So for my 24-85mm lens I set it at 85mm @ f4.5. Then you find a target that has some detail and some 'roundness' to it, so you can gauge the movement of the focus point as you 'adjust' it. Many people use the limb of a tree. I chose our clothes line pole.

You then focus on the front of the subject and shoot a series of images, adjusting your alignment in 5 step increments. So, with the Canon 50D, I shot at -20, -15, -10, -5, 0, +5, +10, +15 and +20. That's 9 images in total. Shoot in RAW mode so that no sharpness is applied. Open them up in your RAW conversion software and save them all as high quality jpegs. Then open these in photoshop, zoom in 100%, and crop the final image making sure that you save them with an appropriate name so you remember what each setting was shot at. Go through and find the 'sharpest' number. For arguments sake, lets say it was -10. Subtract 3 from that (which gives you -13), reformat your card, take the camera outside on the tripod, and shoot again, but this time start at the number you just decided on (-13 in our example), and then shoot 7 images, going up by one step each time. This would give you seven images (-13, -12, -11, -10, -9, -8 and -7).

Go through the same process with these images; download them, convert to jpeg, enlarge 100%, crop and then compare the results. You may find that it gets very close at this stage, but a process of elimination should net you the sharpest result?

Do this with all your lenses, and the 50D will 'remember' each setting for each lens thereafter.

So did it work? You betcha. My results varied, but I was able to get the 'softer' 50D matching (and even surpassing) the sharper 50D body in all instances. My 24-85mm lens required a -6 adjustment, my 70-210mm required a +8 adjustment, my 10-22mm required a -8 adjustment, and my 50mm f1.8 required a +14 adjustment! As can be seen below, the 50mm adjustment was the most remarkable of all.

Canon 50D with 50mm f1.8 @ f1.8 with '0' adjustment.

Canon 50D with 50mm f1.8 @ f1.8 with +14 adjustment

It amazed me how 'unsharp' the 50mm was at its default setting before any adjustment. No wonder I wasn't very happy with the sharpness of some of the images I was getting from the 50D.

I've never had to do this with a camera before, as I've never been unhappy with the overall sharpness I was getting - and yes, I shoot wide open as often as I can, especially at weddings. But what about the other focal lengths (on the zooms) and the other apertures? Well obviously, because you are making these adjustments 'wide open', the results are even better when you stop down a bit (they always are) - so no problem there. And the other focal lengths? Well, it just seems that if you get the maximum length right then again, the others fall into place and are just as sharp.

If you are happy with the sharpness you're getting from you camera body/lens combination, then you don't really need to go through any of this. And as I said at the beginning, one body was fine for sharpness while the other was not. I've 'adjusted' the 'off' body now so that it falls in line with the body I was happy with - so for me the job is done.

But If you're not happy with the sharpness you're getting, it 'might' need a micro adjustment for your specific body/lens combination? Give it a try. You may be blown away by the results.

Canon 50D Gear Update

My last post in November outlined my intention to get together a Canon 50D kit instead of my previously opted for Canon 1D. Given that it's been two months since then (tisk, tisk), how did it go?

It went very well, actually. I eventually managed to sell my Pentax outfit (two K10D bodies with various lenses, accessories, flash etc), and began looking around for their Canon equivalents. The 'newer' 50D body was my first acquisition (I already have a beat up 50D body on permanent loan), followed closely by a Canon 24-85mm f3.5/4.5 as my 'general' all-purpose lens.

The 50D on loan also came with a Canon 10-22mm ultra-wide, so I have that as my landscape and large groups wedding lens. Hence I didn't feel the need to go for an "18 to something" lens as my standard. Yes, the new batch of mid-range EF-S lenses have image stabilization etc, but they also sacrifice build quality and larger apertures in the process. I actually prefer the early 90s 'consumer' lenses that Canon produced, since they tend to be more solid, better constructed, and have faster apertures than the newer wave of techno-whizz-bang lenses. I'd sacrifice image stabilization for better build quality and a faster lens any day of the week. Oh, and yeah, the 'older' lenses tend to be cheaper too! Bonus :-)

My next purchase was an absolute steal! I've always wanted a Canon 50mm f1.8 Mk1 - the metal mount version of the nifty fifty. But they are as rare as hens teeth, were discontinued in the early 90s, and are three times the price of other 50mm 1.8's if you do happen to find one. BUT, surfing the web one night I saw a 50mm f1.8 Mk1 pop up on my local internet auction site at a ridiculously cheap price! I couldn't believe my luck, and nabbed it immediately (fortunately they had a 'Buy Now' price and I was the first to see the auction). So I finally own the much sought after 50mm f1.8 Mk1.

When I sold my Pentax gear, I let go of the Yongnuo flash to sweeten the deal. So I needed to get a new flash for my 50D kit. I 'ummed and arred' about just replacing it with another cheapo flash, but in the end waited until a good value second-hand Canon 580EX came up for auction. I'm glad I went the Canon way; flash is a mystery at the best of times - but the 580EX just works... no issues. Especially in TTL mode (although I'm not adverse to switching over to full manual when I need to either).

And last, but not least, I had just enough money left over to get a telephoto (all be it a 'cheap' one). Surprisingly - since I don't use a telephoto all that often - this ended up being the hardest decision. I was tossing up between a Canon 100-300mm, a Tamron 70-300mm, and the lens I eventually ended up getting, the Canon 70-210mm f3.5/4.5. Once again, build quality and speed won out - the 70-210mm being the better built and 'faster' of the three I was considering. No, it doesn't have IS - but gone are the days when we had to stick to just one ISO, and good technique should take care of the rest - right?

So that's the kit. I got a chance to use all of it last weekend when I shot a wedding (more on that soon), and to cut a long story short, I think I've made the right decisions.

One final word. Of course with all of this, price has been my defining (and limiting) factor. Would I have bought the same lenses if Id just won lotto and money was no object? Of course not! Given a limitless budget I'd probably be shooting full-frame (either the 5D Mk3 or 6D - probably both), with a series of f2.8 'L' lenses :-)

Oh well, we can but dream....

Is Street Racing the death of my Pentax K10D's!?

For the last 10 months I've hosted a new blog dedicated to my Pentax K10D's - cameras that I have really enjoyed using. They are fantastic, solid, dependable cameras that are perfect for travel and general shooting.

But the rubber hit the road recently (almost literally), when I decided to cover the annual motorcycle street racing in my local town.

Speed demons the Pentax K10D's are most definitely NOT. In fact, they struggle to get past 2fps, and ISO 800 is pretty noisy. Fortunately, I also have a beat up Canon 50D on 'permanent' loan from a friend, and she also let me borrow her 400mm f5.6L lens for the weekend to shoot with. Oh Yeah!

Streetrace action 2014. Canon 50D with 400mm f5.6L @ 1/2000th. ISO 800

The 50D has a much more respectable 5fps, and a fairly solid autofocus system for tracking subjects across the frame (something else that Pentax cameras in general struggle with). It was a pretty miserable, overcast (and then very rainy) day, so I cranked the ISO up to 800 on the 50D, set it on Hi-speed continuous autofocus, and mounted the 400mm f5.6L on a monopod for better stability.

No 167. Canon 50D with 400mm f5.6L @ 1/2500th. ISO 800

I was not disappointed with this setup. In fact, I had an absolute blast and the focus was blazingly fast and accurate 9 times out of ten. And I'm pretty sure that the tenth time was probably user error.

There were only two things I struggled with on the day. First, because it's street racing and you can dangerously close to the action, I found that the 400mm was a bit too much reach and I found myself walking back further than I would have liked to get everything framed right. I could have easily gone with a 70 to 200mm instead. Lesson learned for next time.

And second, as noted earlier, the 50D I've borrowed has had a hard life, and although it performed flawlessly, the batteries for it aren't what they used to be. I took four of them - fully charged the night prior to the event - but they only lasted me until lunchtime and then all four were depleted! Bummer!!

Go Kart demonstration. Canon 50D with 400mm f5.6L @ 1/2500th. ISO 800

So that meant that, after lunch, I had to pack away the Canon gear, and reach for the Pentax K10D with Sigma 55-200mm zoom lens. The good news with going for the Pentax was that now the battery was going to last, the focal length of the zoom was about right, and the K10D body is weather sealed for what was now fairly consistent driving rain.

Unfortunately, that's where all the good news ends for the Pentax. After using the Canon 50D all morning, mowing to the K10D was painful. The Sigma hunted continuously in the low light, ISO 800 is pretty noisy, and I could only get off one shot before the action was over as the autofocus system and frame rate tried to cope. In a word, frustrating.

Pentax K10D with Sigma 55-200mm at f5.6 @1/640th. ISO 800

I did manage to get one good shot with the Pentax (see above). And that's it. One good image. Out of probably 200 shots I took before giving up and calling it a day. Whereas, with the Canon 50D I took over 1000 images, with probably at least half of them worth keeping. Easily 100 would be worth putting on a cd and giving to the race committee (who kindly gave me an all access media pass for the day). I had an absolute blast with the Canon 50D. I hated using the Pentax for Street Racing.

I do want to reiterate what I said at the beginning of this post; I really enjoy using the Pentax K10D for general photography. They are solid, dependable, well designed and rugged little cameras, that within their limits, take excellent images.

Notice the caveat 'within their limits' in that last sentence? What are their limits? Well, for me, there are only two. By far the major issue I am finding as I go deeper into the system, is lens selection. In the autofocus lineup, it's fairly limited - and very expensive to buy brand new. If I then go second hand, I run into another problem; there just aren't very many available for sale - at least here in New Zealand on our online auction site Trademe.  At any given time their might be two or three Pentax auto focus lenses worth considering on auction (and then at fairly high prices), whereas if we look at Canon in the second hand department, there might for over two hundred worthy contenders, at better prices! For someone who is constantly on a budget with their photography gear, and who needs 'best bang for the buck', going with a Pentax systems seems now, in hindsight, a rather unwise decision.

And what's the second limiting factor for Pentax? Well, in case you hadn't already guessed, it's the autofocus system. It kinda sucks. And even on the latest K5IIs and K3 it's reportedly still behind the likes of Canon and Nikon. Which admittedly, up until now, wasn't a major concern to me. But now it seems like it is. Especially if I plan on doing more street race shooting (and I do).

Finally, there is the noise 'issue' at ISO 800 and above. The files were a little noisier than I would like, and obviously more noisier that the Canon 50D at ISO 800 (itself known as one of Canon's noisier bodies). That being said, I'm not someone who chases the high ISO settings as a 'must have' for my cameras. I grew up 'old school' shooting film, and ISO 400 still seems like a heck of a lot! In fact, shooting at ISO 800 is as much as I would want to push any camera sensor - so these 25,000 ISO figures are just crazy stupid to me. But a relatively 'clean' ISO 800 would make me a happy photographer.

So what does all this mean? Well, it means that yes, I am going to sell my Pentax K10D's (somewhat reluctantly) and look at getting something else. What else, you may ask? Well, I think I might know the very thing....