What's going on with my camera/lens?

[snerkler]

I've just been away for the weekend and experimented just using my EM10 with kit 14-42mm EZ (pancake) lens to see if it's good enough to use. Overall the combo is 'adequate' but some images were disappointing, and looked very blurred in certain areas of the frame but not others. See here, two different frames, both with the same 100 ISO, f5.6, 1/500 settings at 14mm (28mm eq), 100% crops.

This is taken from the top left corner, but not right in the corner





Note this is another 100% crop from the same frame as the first. OK, far from perfect, but better than the part of the frame in the first pic.


Also, look at this example. Note the blurred statue at the bottom compared to the sharper top of the frame (may need to view larger)



So what's going on? If it was shutter shock or camera shake I'd expect it across the frame. Also, I wouldn't expect camera shake at 1/500 with 14mm (28mm eq) focal length.

I've not noticed this before, but I've not really used this lens a lot before.

[Zuiko]

Re: What's going on with my camera/lens?

Something seriously amiss here. I'm afraid I cannot put my finger on it, but hopefully somebody more technically minded than me will have the answer.

[raichea]

Re: What's going on with my camera/lens?

For the first shot, possibly a rotational movement, hence more visible in the corners? What's the second image that doesn't show the shake (and has a lot less noise)?
In the last shot, the statue obviously moved.... one of those street artists, right? Otherwise, extremely weird!

[Zuiko]

Re: What's going on with my camera/lens?

For the first shot, possibly a rotational movement, hence more visible in the corners? What's the second image that doesn't show the shake (and has a lot less noise)?
In the last shot, the statue obviously moved.... one of those street artists, right? Otherwise, extremely weird!

I think you may have hit upon the problem - a fault with the camera's IBIS?

[pdk42]

Re: What's going on with my camera/lens?

That's really weird. Whatever it is, a trip to Portugal is probably in order.

[Zuiko]

Re: What's going on with my camera/lens?

That's really weird. Whatever it is, a trip to Portugal is probably in order.

Or if it's a recent purchase return it to the retailer for replacement with a new one.

[raichea]

Re: What's going on with my camera/lens?

A fault in the rotational correction of the IBIS could be a cause of the corner blurring, but I can't imagine what could cause the blurring of the statue... it's very odd that there's not the same level of blurring of the building features immediately adjacent to the statue in the image.

[wontolla]

Re: What's going on with my camera/lens?

Did you use a tripod for the shots?

[Ralph Harwood]

Re: What's going on with my camera/lens?

Hi there Snerkler!

Could the issue in the last picture be something as simple as a depth of field issue - to me the building seems to gradually loose sharpness as you progress down the image, but the statue would be a considerable amount closer to the camera than even the bottom of the building is - could it push the statue that far out of focus?

As to the first image, again the furthest part of the image from the camera is the most out of focus - so if you have focussed on the nearest part of the building are you just running out of depth of field? You don't say in your post whether the crops are 100% - if so the "normal" rules for depth of field would allow for this amount of blurring as they generally assume a "circle of confusion" of about 3-4 pixels - I always try to re-calculate with a circle of confusion of 1 pixel at most (DOFmaster gives a 0.015mm circle of confusion, but a pixel on a 12Mp 4/3 sensor is 0.0044mm, or 3.4 times smaller.)

DOFmaster gives a hyperfocal distance of 7.62ft at 14mm and f5.6, with between 4ft and infinity "in focus", but if you reduce the circle of confusion to 1 pixel (ie sharp when you pixel peep) you then get a hyperfocal distance of 28ft, and between 14ft and infinity "in focus".

I hope this might help,

Cheers,

Ralph.

PS Sorry for not reading you post correctly - you did state they were 100% crops!

[raichea]

Re: What's going on with my camera/lens?

Could the issue in the last picture be something as simple as a depth of field issue

Interesting thought.... though the blurring of the statue has a distinct look of camera shake to it (the baton in the statue's hand seems to have two distinct overlaid images). Also, although it's hard to guage distance from the image, the level of blurring of the statue looks greater than I would have expected from DoF issues.

Steve

[snerkler]

Re: What's going on with my camera/lens?

For the first shot, possibly a rotational movement, hence more visible in the corners? What's the second image that doesn't show the shake (and has a lot less noise)?
In the last shot, the statue obviously moved.... one of those street artists, right? Otherwise, extremely weird!

I don't think it's rotational movement tbh as the other corners are sharper, but you never know it could be an IBIS issue.

Lol, definitely no street artist. Possible a ghost?

The reason for the less noise is that the first shot has been sharpened (and still mega blurry) and the 2nd straight out of camera. Forgot to mention that

[snerkler]

Re: What's going on with my camera/lens?

Hi there Snerkler!

Could the issue in the last picture be something as simple as a depth of field issue - to me the building seems to gradually loose sharpness as you progress down the image, but the statue would be a considerable amount closer to the camera than even the bottom of the building is - could it push the statue that far out of focus?

As to the first image, again the furthest part of the image from the camera is the most out of focus - so if you have focussed on the nearest part of the building are you just running out of depth of field? You don't say in your post whether the crops are 100% - if so the "normal" rules for depth of field would allow for this amount of blurring as they generally assume a "circle of confusion" of about 3-4 pixels - I always try to re-calculate with a circle of confusion of 1 pixel at most (DOFmaster gives a 0.015mm circle of confusion, but a pixel on a 12Mp 4/3 sensor is 0.0044mm, or 3.4 times smaller.)

DOFmaster gives a hyperfocal distance of 7.62ft at 14mm and f5.6, with between 4ft and infinity "in focus", but if you reduce the circle of confusion to 1 pixel (ie sharp when you pixel peep) you then get a hyperfocal distance of 28ft, and between 14ft and infinity "in focus".

I hope this might help,

Cheers,

Ralph.

PS Sorry for not reading you post correctly - you did state they were 100% crops!

Thanks for the reply. I don't think it's DOF issue as the hyperfocal distance was used with aperture of f8, FL 14mm (28mm eq)

[snerkler]

Re: What's going on with my camera/lens?

Did you use a tripod for the shots?

No, but shutter speed was more than ample. Plus, if it was purely camera shake the whole image would be blurred.

[StephenL]

Re: What's going on with my camera/lens?

I don't think it can be camera shake due to the shutter speed. But if the sensor was moving when it should be still, then it's a trip to Portugal, I think.

[snerkler]

Re: What's going on with my camera/lens?

I don't think it can be camera shake due to the shutter speed. But if the sensor was moving when it should be still, then it's a trip to Portugal, I think.

Sorry for the silly question, but what do you mean by a trip to Portugal?