Soft files from the 1dx2?

[Loswr]

Round and round we can go. What matters to Viggo is whether or not Viggo is happy with his images. Apparently, he's not.

But what's next? Send to Canon? And when Canon says everything is within spec? Buy 4 copies of everything and keep the best? What if that one is not quite good enough?

Maybe try a different medium...perhaps one where absolute sharpness is not as critical...

 

[picturefan]

Hi all,

just read this thread because of the posted question. So I wanted to see your answers.

I can´t even estimate or rate if the posted pic is sharp enough or not, or if it could have been any sharper with another setup.

Anyway, I ask myself, if there are also sample variations in camera bodies? I never read about that. With lenses I´ve seen that enough, but with bodies? Surely, calibration at the manufacturer maybe makes a little difference on each body. That sorted out, is it possible, what reason ever, that there is sample variation of the sensor or chip?

PS: I don´t know everyones history here on the forum, but please don´t criticise anyone for his/her needs of clarification. I guess the intention of Viggo just was to pose a question -so it was marked with a "?"

 

[Loswr]

Also (and please take this in the friendly spirit in which it's intended, coming from a father of three young kids who is guilty of pixel peeping)...here's a product I find useful:

 

[Viggo]

Also (and please take this in the friendly spirit in which it's intended, coming from a father of three young kids who is guilty of pixel peeping)...here's a product I find useful:

HAHA! Oh yes, but it was just a test image, I make sure it's no gunk in the images I really go all in on ;D

 

[picturefan]

Also (and please take this in the friendly spirit in which it's intended, coming from a father of three young kids who is guilty of pixel peeping)...here's a product I find useful:

Is that for noses or "bums"? :

 

[Memdroid]

I think Private is onto something. Lightroom does funny stuff on the raw images and that might be what is throwing you off. I have a default profile that I apply on import to edit the images faster, with basic sharpening and noise reduction applied automatically based on ISO values per camera model, so maybe that is why I did not notice. Also, I use photo mechanic for culling images. That program is lightning fast with scrolling and zooming on images, it looks at the RAW file JPEG headers and it is there that I initially determine if a shot is worth it and tack sharp. And that is also where I noticed how sharp the 1dx II images looked compared to its predecessor.

 

[Larsskv]

I have had the 1DX, and now the 1DXII. I've had far less experience than you with the 1DX, but from what I can see, the 1DXII files are as sharp as the 1DX files, and allows for more cropping. The files behave differently with regards to editing, so be aware of that.

From the two examples you have provided (the portraits) I would point out that the lighting has a different angle, and therefore can make details appear differently. The thin dof can also make a comparison difficult.

You should get more experience with the 1DXII before making conclusions.

May I ask, did you tell your wife about the new camera, or did you replace it secretly with the new one (which is what I did )

 

[Viggo]

I have had the 1DX, and now the 1DXII. I've had far less experience than you with the 1DX, but from what I can see, the 1DXII files are as sharp as the 1DX files, and allows for more cropping. The files behave differently with regards to editing, so be aware of that.

From the two examples you have provided (the portraits) I would point out that the lighting has a different angle, and therefore can make details appear differently. The thin dof can also make a comparison difficult.

You should get more experience with the 1DXII before making conclusions.

May I ask, did you tell your wife about the new camera, or did you replace it secretly with the new one (which is what I did )

That's sort of the reason I asked if anyone else thought they were as soft as I thought, then it's easier to find out what can solve it, so all the feedback are very useful here.

I said to the wife I didn't think I should buy it right now, but she talked me into buying it, one of the reason I married her ;D

 

[tron]

Viggo I have to ask. Did you buy the 1DxII new? You know what I mean :

 

[Viggo]

Viggo I have to ask. Did you buy the 1DxII new? You know what I mean :

... yes... yes I did... I can only blame myself.... I suggested that the wife put it in her name, but then we would have transfer money between banks and wait, I didn't want to wait

 

[Larsskv]

I have had the 1DX, and now the 1DXII. I've had far less experience than you with the 1DX, but from what I can see, the 1DXII files are as sharp as the 1DX files, and allows for more cropping. The files behave differently with regards to editing, so be aware of that.

From the two examples you have provided (the portraits) I would point out that the lighting has a different angle, and therefore can make details appear differently. The thin dof can also make a comparison difficult.

You should get more experience with the 1DXII before making conclusions.

May I ask, did you tell your wife about the new camera, or did you replace it secretly with the new one (which is what I did )

That's sort of the reason I asked if anyone else thought they were as soft as I thought, then it's easier to find out what can solve it, so all the feedback are very useful here.

I said to the wife I didn't think I should buy it right now, but she talked me into buying it, one of the reason I married her ;D

Sounds like an amazing woman. I am happily married as well, but after buying a 1DX, 35LII and 200 f2 in couple of months last summer, she let me know that it was going too far. So the 1DXII is a secret. She cant tell them apart. :

 

[Viggo]

I have had the 1DX, and now the 1DXII. I've had far less experience than you with the 1DX, but from what I can see, the 1DXII files are as sharp as the 1DX files, and allows for more cropping. The files behave differently with regards to editing, so be aware of that.

From the two examples you have provided (the portraits) I would point out that the lighting has a different angle, and therefore can make details appear differently. The thin dof can also make a comparison difficult.

You should get more experience with the 1DXII before making conclusions.

May I ask, did you tell your wife about the new camera, or did you replace it secretly with the new one (which is what I did )

That's sort of the reason I asked if anyone else thought they were as soft as I thought, then it's easier to find out what can solve it, so all the feedback are very useful here.

I said to the wife I didn't think I should buy it right now, but she talked me into buying it, one of the reason I married her ;D

Sounds like an amazing woman. I am happily married as well, but after buying a 1DX, 35LII and 200 f2 in couple of months last summer, she let me know that it was going too far. So the 1DXII is a secret. She cant tell them apart. :

Haha! Awesome ;D

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Viggo, cameras can have issues, there are a ton of internal adjustments that can affect image quality. Its rare that the camera is the issue, but it happens. I'm referring to camera internal issues, not focus issues.

To assure yourself that the camera has a issue, reset it to factory default, mount it on a sturdy tripod, and take a photo preferrably of a brick wall, use manual focus with at least 5X magnification on the rear lcd, or use DPAF.

Develop the raw photo with DPP, and check the results.
If the result is poor, send the camera to Canon, or exchange it where you bought it.

On the other hand, if the image meets expectations, then you can try changing one thing at a time until you narrow down the culpret. Sometimes a lens will not work well with a particular camera, the camera can be adjusted for a particular lens and not just autofocus accuracy..

 

[Loswr]

Viggo, cameras can have issues, there are a ton of internal adjustments that can affect image quality. Its rare that the camera is the issue, but it happens. I'm referring to camera internal issues, not focus issues.

To assure yourself that the camera has a issue, reset it to factory default, mount it on a sturdy tripod, and take a photo preferrably of a brick wall, use manual focus with at least 5X magnification on the rear lcd, or use DPAF.

Develop the raw photo with DPP, and check the results.
If the result is poor, send the camera to Canon, or exchange it where you bought it.

On the other hand, if the image meets expectations, then you can try changing one thing at a time until you narrow down the culpret. Sometimes a lens will not work well with a particular camera, the camera can be adjusted for a particular lens and not just autofocus accuracy..

Top notch advice.

Better than boogie wipes.

 

[Jack Douglas]

I have had the 1DX, and now the 1DXII. I've had far less experience than you with the 1DX, but from what I can see, the 1DXII files are as sharp as the 1DX files, and allows for more cropping. The files behave differently with regards to editing, so be aware of that.

From the two examples you have provided (the portraits) I would point out that the lighting has a different angle, and therefore can make details appear differently. The thin dof can also make a comparison difficult.

You should get more experience with the 1DXII before making conclusions.

May I ask, did you tell your wife about the new camera, or did you replace it secretly with the new one (which is what I did )

That's sort of the reason I asked if anyone else thought they were as soft as I thought, then it's easier to find out what can solve it, so all the feedback are very useful here.

I said to the wife I didn't think I should buy it right now, but she talked me into buying it, one of the reason I married her ;D

Exactly what happened to me except I was leaning towards 5D4 and she insisted 1DX2 even after I explained that 1 doesn't mean best at everything.

If it's any consolation I'm going through a bit of what you are relative to my 6D but I have had some shots that seem very sharp so I think it's my quick/careless AFMA. Practically all I've had on the 1DX2 is the 400 DO II and my issues have been technique relative to getting the right AF points where I want them, quickly.

I empathize with you far more than Scott!

Jack

 

[Viggo]

Viggo, cameras can have issues, there are a ton of internal adjustments that can affect image quality. Its rare that the camera is the issue, but it happens. I'm referring to camera internal issues, not focus issues.

To assure yourself that the camera has a issue, reset it to factory default, mount it on a sturdy tripod, and take a photo preferrably of a brick wall, use manual focus with at least 5X magnification on the rear lcd, or use DPAF.

Develop the raw photo with DPP, and check the results.
If the result is poor, send the camera to Canon, or exchange it where you bought it.

On the other hand, if the image meets expectations, then you can try changing one thing at a time until you narrow down the culpret. Sometimes a lens will not work well with a particular camera, the camera can be adjusted for a particular lens and not just autofocus accuracy..

Well, unfortunately I know all too well about what can and goes wrong with camera/lenses, and I know all there is to know about moving individual af points to match a lens. But this is not the case here. And I have done the same tests with all my cameras for a decade and this is a first for me, this issue. I don't want to sound like a jerk, but I know how to test this and I know how to focus on a subject. I have 3000 shots on the 1dx2 90% testing with FoCal and in real life.

I actually get sharper images with normal phase af than Live View focus, that I don't know an answer for at all. Manual focus and phase gives me the exact same results, but not sharp as it was on the 1dx. That's all I know. I don't thing anything is wrong with MY camera. I can't be that unlucky

 

[Viggo]

Here's one of the runs I did with the manual calibrations in FoCal, thanks for the tip Neuro, and it's way better than the automatic calibrations. I can't remember how high it went on the 1dx, but I thought it was around 1900 or something..

 

[Viggo]

FWIW I do want to say that, apart from this issue that may or may not get solved, this camera is by very far the best I've ever used. There is nothing like it for tracking and all the new smaller details is such a time saver, and the files are very very bendy indeed. I could write on and on about all the brand new things I love, like the awb-w, cycle through functions of my choice that are also displayed in the VF, antiflickering is a HUGE plus! I'll stop there

Issues that annoy me are easier to list:

IS running when in playback mode through LV.
IS can't be stopped and started in LV, it's always on.
No touch focus if you don't have AF on the shutter.
Softer files.

Other than that the difference from even the 1dx is massive!

 

[SteveM]

Put up a test chart (2 dimensional and perpendicular to camera) in reasonably bright light and shoot that. Put the camera on a tripod, use mirror up and a remote release. Take some shots using AF and some manually focussed, all with the lens wide open. Should take no more than half an hour to have answer, that's what I do when I have an issue, if I'm not happy after that, back it goes.....oh, and switch off IS.

 

[Viggo]

Put up a test chart (2 dimensional and perpendicular to camera) in reasonably bright light and shoot that. Put the camera on a tripod, use mirror up and a remote release. Take some shots using AF and some manually focussed, all with the lens wide open. Should take no more than half an hour to have answer, that's what I do when I have an issue, if I'm not happy after that, back it goes.....oh, and switch off IS.

Well, that and FoCal is where the 3000 shots and frustration comes from. You can see one of graphs just above here