Lens: Thank you for your help. As you will have the chance to see, I have posted a message to the group earlier today that actually explains the solution I've found to the problem. Your suggestions have been very helpful and I will follow some of the suggestion you have shared with me here. My setting for sharpening is also set for the factory's default but I am going to look at it and see if changes can actually improve the results I am obtaining. Very good point. Thank you again and best regards, Joseph --- Dr. Joseph Chamberlain Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- On 11/9/05 10:44 AM, "fotofx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <fotofx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Joe, > > I have been using Canon for 30 years. And even they have made some pigs. > Nikon, Pentax, Olympus all have their share. So has Hassy, Mamiya etc. I have > used all of it and then some. I have ran rental departments, sold and resold > gear and seem some real doozies from the makers of camera gear. It has nothing > to do with price. > > But all that being said the first area to look at is always behind the camera. > What sharpeness setting do you have the camera set to? Also if you are getting > softness around the edges in digital at the widest apertures have you tested > other lenses so see if it the body? May I suggest a standard 50 mm 1.5 lens > set to f/8 or f/11 and what ever shutter speed is correct for the scene. That > will either rule out the camera body or not. Most zooms have some softness > around the edges with film. But you camera (EOS 1D Mk2 N ?) should not see > much if any of that becuase it is not full frame. > > There are so darn many variables that without actually seeing your test images > it is going to be tough to assist you. > What ever you do, don't depend on a print for sharpness testing. > > Also you need to know that Nikon and Canon have very different coatings so > color and contrast are remarkably different. This will show up better if you > shot both side by side with slide film. So if you are expecting your digtal > images from Canon to look like your trannies from Nikon you are in for a > suprise. Also Nikon and Canon digital images do not look alike. The contrast > range is different. Nikon uses completely different algorithms to determine > color and contrast range. This can equate to the differance in papers used in > printing. When printing the old Cibachrome very high gloss papers your images > looked "sharper" even though in actuality they were not. > Each of the two camps use different sharpening techniques to bring the image > apperant sharpness. > > Many folks who start shooting Canon digital complain that the image is not > sharp from the camera. That is the way it is supposed to look. Canon wants you > to be able to sharpen the image and control contrast as you see fit. > > Please do not get caught up in small stuff to start. You will find > frustrataion around every bend if you do. I did not like the way my 10d > rendered images. Plane and simple. I think it sucked. I really did like my D30 > better. > > But like you, I just bought a 1Dmk2n and I am extremely happy for that. But it > also caused me to go and buy a new computer and monitor to handle the images. > The default sharpness setting for our cameras is 3. How is yours set. > > Film had no setting. In testing those lenses, once you have ruled out the > body, you need to test it with at least one other digital body and one film > body. This can be done in your camera store. You may have to return those > lenses and get two others that are more to your liking. I have a friend that > shoots Nikon and he went over 3 500 mm lenses before he was satisified. The > all fall within a quality range, some are at the top of the range some may > have had to go back and be reworked before they passed QA & shipped out. > > I would be glad to help you off line if needed I am up in San Jose. But Canon > has its repair facility right there in LA. > > Les
