Canon SLR Troubleshooting and Comments

[jlgurr]

We have a Canon Rebel SLR camera and it's either been damaged or my vision has gotten so good after laser surgery, that the images have a bit of blur to them. We have three different lenses and the fuzziness is in with all lenses with and without the flash. I've tried numerous things, including auto and manual setting changes, new/different SD cards, fresh batteries, cleaning lens contacts, etc., etc. ad nauseam.

We've shot about 16,000 images with it and wonder if it is just simply worn out or needing adjustment and whether or not it is time to upgrade. It's been a great camera but I can't keep shooting blurry photos.

Any camera experts out there?

1. Can these camera bodies be adjusted or do they ever need adjusting?
2. If so, does that become a return to factory type work?
3. The camera is almost 6 years old, is it used up?

Thanks,
Jeff

P.S. We have a big family vacation planned for end of July. I need it repaired or replaced by then. Our twins' first beach trip...

 

[IslandTractor]

Autofocus mechanisms can get out of whack. In more expensive Canon models there are menu options to allow adjustment but not on the Rebel as far as I know.

Batteries and SD cards are not the issue. If all your lenses show the same fuzziness then almost certainly it is the camera body that's responsible.

It can be repaired but frankly it isn't worth repairing a six year old Rebel.

Get a new body or even a used newer Rebel from CL.

 

[jlgurr]

It can be repaired but frankly it isn't worth repairing a six year old Rebel.

That's what I was afraid of. Seems like everything is becoming more and more disposable. Been considering the Canon SL1 or T5. Have to keep the expense reasonable.

Thank you for the response.

 

[IslandTractor]

Nice thing about used digital camera is that you can test them before buying. I've bought many. Great deals. Check out a used 40d,50d,60d. All better than what you are replacing and less than a new Rebel.

 

[dragoneggs]

Nice thing about used digital camera is that you can test them before buying. I've bought many. Great deals. Check out a used 40d,50d,60d. All better than what you are replacing and less than a new Rebel.

I will second that... especially if you already have several Canon lenses. I have the 40D and love it. Someday I will get a new body but with care your lenses should last a lifetime. Good lenses are worth fixing. Bodies... I think not if old. The sensor technology has improved quite a bit and will likely continue to be the biggest improvement I think.

 

[kthompson]

I know you said it is a SLR and I have a Canon AE1 and it still is great. Disappointed the lenses for it will not fit our new Canon and I will put my AE1 pictures up against not sure the number was one of their best two years ago.

You may have said and I missed it, what is fuzzy? The pictures when taken or the image you see when focusing? First I would see if the lenses or I assume you are using a filter to protect the lenses are clean? If they are then would suspect the camera needs cleaning.

I would first make sure your current lenses will work with a body before I bought but there are lot of good SLR out there in pawn shops and if you run a local ad for I want you may find them cheap. If not for memories would give you my body.

 

[IslandTractor]

I will second that... especially if you already have several Canon lenses. I have the 40D and love it. Someday I will get a new body but with care your lenses should last a lifetime. Good lenses are worth fixing. Bodies... I think not if old. The sensor technology has improved quite a bit and will likely continue to be the biggest improvement I think.

Invest in good lenses and use whatever body is convenient and has the features you really need. The old pros have a simple retort to folks who spend all their hard earned money on the latest and greatest body: "it's the glass, stupid!". Really, it's the glass that makes the biggest difference. Ten megapixels with a Canon L lens will almost always get you a better photo than 20+megapixels and a kit zoom. Also, because so many nitwits upgrade their bodies every time a new model comes out, used bodies are cheap and great deals.

Put another way, I invested $2000 in a Canon body fifteen years ago and $1500 in an L zoom lens. Today the body is worth about $75 and the lens is still worth at least $1000.

 

[jlgurr]

Used body might = transfer of someone else's problem to me.

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[IslandTractor]

Used body might = transfer of someone else's problem to me. ��

Sent from my iPhone 2.0 using TractorByNet

Not even maybe!!! You can easily test a body with a lens and battery. Almost all used bodies are sold because the owner upgraded.

 

[k0ua]

Invest in good lenses and use whatever body is convenient and has the features you really need. The old pros have a simple retort to folks who spend all their hard earned money on the latest and greatest body: "it's the glass, stupid!". Really, it's the glass that makes the biggest difference. Ten megapixels with a Canon L lens will almost always get you a better photo than 20+megapixels and a kit zoom. Also, because so many nitwits upgrade their bodies every time a new model comes out, used bodies are cheap and great deals.

Put another way, I invested $2000 in a Canon body fifteen years ago and $1500 in an L zoom lens. Today the body is worth about $75 and the lens is still worth at least $1000.

Reminds me of amateur radio stations. A lot of guys put their money in radios, when it is the antennas that really matter. If you have 5K to spend on a system, put 4K in the antenna system and 1K in the radio. If you have 1K to spend then put 800 in the antennas.

 

[jlgurr]

Not even maybe!!! You can easily test a body with a lens and battery. Almost all used bodies are sold because the owner upgraded.

I'm going to start looking around town tomorrow. We have several pawn shops. Nothing nearby on CL yet.

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[IslandTractor]

I've never bought anything from a pawn shop. The other places besides local CL I have used have been Amazon used and eBay. Buyer protection with both.

 

[jlgurr]

I've never bought anything from a pawn shop. The other places besides local CL I have used have been Amazon used and eBay. Buyer protection with both.

yep, will likely be an internet based transaction. Small town America here.

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[IslandTractor]

Check Charlotte CL. Rich bankers like to trade up cameras!

 

[dragoneggs]

It could be a dirty sensor and you can CAREFULLY clean it yourself. There are several youtube videos on exactly how to do it. I've done it myself a couple of times before I got a model that has self cleaning sensor. I won't post a particular video as I haven't reviewed them and don't want to recommend something I haven't watched but pretty easy to do before investing in another body.

 

[IslandTractor]

It could be a dirty sensor and you can CAREFULLY clean it yourself. There are several youtube videos on exactly how to do it. I've done it myself a couple of times before I got a model that has self cleaning sensor. I won't post a particular video as I haven't reviewed them and don't want to recommend something I haven't watched but pretty easy to do before investing in another body.

Camera shops can clean the sensor too for about $25=30 around here. Nothing magic but having done it a few times helps confidence. Newer cameras clean themselves with a vibration mode that can be set to work every time you shut the camera down.

 

[westcliffe01]

So a little back to basics perhaps ?
What ISO is the camera set to ? Set it to 1600 on the back menu to help have a known faster shutter speed to identify the cause of the focus issue.

OK, next set the camera on Av mode (aperture value). Now rotate the rotary dial right behind the shutter release to set the aperture value to the lowest available for the lens you have (3.5-4 if you have a typical zoom lens). Set the lens to its widest angle/shortest focal length.

Take a piece of newsprint or a black and white printed page with good size text on it (about 1/2" high test would be ideal) and fasten it to something so that you can put the camera on a tripod and have the back of the camera parallel to the page. The text on the page should fill the frame.

Make sure that the switch on the lens is set to AF, not MF. Go to the menu on the back of the camera, first page, AF Mode: set it to "one shot". Below that "metering Mode" pick the top of the 3 options (square with an ellipse with a dot in the center). Directly below that, ISO speed = 1600 The very top item "quality" should be set to L with a curve to the left of it.

Last check, for the focal point, press the button top right of the camera back (on top of the camera it should show a cross with all of the available focal points). While holding down the botton, rotate the wheel behind the shutter release until the focal point directly in the center of the viewfinder is illuminated (just 1 not all of them and right in the center).

Now fix the camera to the tripod, press the shutter release half way and see if the text is sharp in the optical viewfinder. If it is, press the shutter release in all the way and take a picture. If you are too close to the sheet of paper the camera may not be able to focus or if it is dark it may try to use the AF illuminator which may not focus accurately. So do your test in daylight, possibly not in direct sunlight since the contrast would be severe.

If the image is sharp in the optical viewfinder, it should be sharp in the image file. Sometimes with a wide angle lens it is very difficult to judge the focal point, so zoom in and then the depth of field will be reduced and the focus may be more exact. Even more important to use the tripod with a longer focal length since unless the exposure time is shorter, you are more likely to get blur from camera movement.

If none of that works, then it suggests that there is some problem with the optical phase shift of the focusing system and may need repair. That may render the camera a candidate for astrophotography or similar pursuits where the focus is always at infinity....

 

[IslandTractor]

If Westcliffes instructions seem a bit complex, just try this: put the camera on a table or chair. Set the exposure dial to the green rectangle (full auto) and use the self timer. Aim the camera at a bookshelf or similar item and click. Check the center of the exposed image for focus.

 

[jlgurr]

I'll try both of these and be sure. Last thing I want to do is buy a new body when there is a less costly correction that can be made.

Last night I did a full factory default reset on the camera and there is no improvement in AUTO mode. I hate factory resets because my personal settings/preferences get lost but in this case I would be facing the same with a new body anyway, so what did I have to lose.

 

[MarkF48]

Last night I did a full factory default reset on the camera and there is no improvement in AUTO mode. I hate factory resets because my personal settings/preferences get lost but in this case I would be facing the same with a new body anyway, so what did I have to lose.

I used to shoot weddings and events. Prior to either I got in the habit of a "Clear All Settings" and start fresh. I did this because I had left some settings one or two times that I had forgot about that caused me a lot of grief in post processing.

jlgurr, are you doing anything in the way of sharpening when or if you edit your images? Perhaps the better eyesight after the laser surgery is bringing out the softness which is somewhat inherent to typical DLSR images.

Take some shots outside on a sunny day, ISO about 400, camera on Av, and set the aperture to f/16. At f/16 the lens will have a wide DOF(depth of field) and most all should be in focus enough to tell if there is a focus problem with the camera.

Also if any of your lenses have a "protective" UV filters on them, ditch them and try some shots without. Some inexpensive filters can cause reflections between the filter and the front lens element and mess with the cameras AF system throwing focus off.