Tips
Hi Leegold
Any ideas? Sure!
Possibilities regarding focus are:
- There is a focus issue with this particular lens on this particular SD14. (See further down)
- There is a fault with the lens. (New? Second hand?)
- You work with too slow shutter speeds even for the OS to work.
- You use a tripod with OS ON. (Should be turned off)
- You only view the images on the LCD screen (it is almost impossible to jugde sharpness on the LCD)
- You use a RAW developer that do not support the X3F files (not that should affect focus, only colors/noise...)
- You shoot JPEGS; and have set Sharpness to minus something.
- You have not tested precisely where your AF points ACTUALLY measures, compared to the markings in the screen.
- You have selected another AF point than you believe.
- You have selected all AF points, and the camera picks another than you believe.
- You have a kit lens, a zoom, that may not be very good, sharpness wise.
First, you need to read my SD14 compendium:
Next: The SD14 has shortcomings. But to achieve comparable Image Quality you have to pay a lot more with other brands. So, you have to decide for your self if you want to accept the compromises.
Third - focus:
It is quite possible that there are focus issues with your camera/lens. Why should you be more lucky than me?
. Of course, everyone wants to receive a perfect copy. Unfortunately, with every brand there is issues. Noone can afford to have 0 tolerance in production.
Every item is produced and tested within specs. Many regards the specs to be too wide for a system designated for the artist. But even with two items within specs ( a camera + lens) the result can be bad. So it is the combination, where they both enhance the problem. A slightly off camera + a slightly off lens, may either be bad or good, as the errors can eitehr be ebhanced or balanced.
If you verify that it has focus issues, there is no other way than sending both camera and all the lenses in for calibration. Sorry. Forget all thoughts about firmware allowing for AF calibration. It sure would be nice, but actually I doubt if we will see another firmware upgrade for the SD14 - even if it is badly needed. Even if we get another FW update, it ain't gonna have AF calibration.
Remember also that a zoom is less sharp than a prime.
SPP automatically add sharpness to the picture when you process the RAW. Slider at -0.7 roughly equals no sharpening. Remember also that X3F images often respond better to sharpening than Bayer images. Often a soft image can be saved in SPP by applying 1 - 1.3 in sharpness.
Here is a roadmap for you:
a) Adjust the dioptre
- remove the lens
- adjust until both ring and focus marks are sharp
b) test focus (see my document for reference to a test chart)
- camera on tripod, aimed 45 degrees at the surface with the test chart. Well lit, preferably daylight.
- TURN OFF OS when working on a tripod
- take notes.
- largest aperture
- take 5-10 shots (un-focus manually between each. Warning!: With some lenses, you have to switch to MF to unfocus, or it may destroy AF mechanism)
- test with all your lenses
- test AF and test MF (it is perfectly possible that AF and MF yields different result, and that neither is correct)
Use SPP to judge the images, to avoid any RAW processor incompability issue. (CS2 reender X3F wrongly)
Based on this, you have to decide for your self if you want Sigma to calibrate for you.
Do you get focus beep wuth your Sigma lens?
If you insert a battery, and turn the camera ON with a Sigma lens on, you can swap lens to a non-Sigma lens, and retain the AF beep.
Other than that, you cannot of course use AF with the lens,a s ther are no electrical connection.
It is correct that there are no valid split-screen available. THere IS actually a chinese one, but the quality is not good. Katz Eye, which made the split screen for the SD9 and 10, have been reluctant to make one for the SD14. They think the build quality of the screen housing is causing problems. It cumbersome to install, and it is too easy to install it incorrectly, making people believing that it is the Katz Eye screen that is bad.
Another option is to use a magnifier. I use MF most of the time, and find it not particulary easy to focus the SD14, but I manage. I'll get a magnifier soon.
Do you use a calibrated screen?
Do you use Custom WB?
Washed out colours:
- High ISO (800 and 1600) desaturate the pictures. There are posts on this forum on how to regain the saturation.
- I have seen test shots of a gretag color patch chart with recorded RGB values, indicating that certain WB settings may even affect contrast.
If you need more saturation, options are:
a) get another camera.
b) use batch processing with a pre-saved Saturation setting in SPP.
kind regards
Øyvind Strøm
