Sharpness / Focus Problem too

[MatrixDept]

We are having the same problems too. Just to prove it wasn't me, We let a very good commercial photographer who uses the S1 all the time borrow our S2 for a shoot just to see if he could figure out what the problem is. He came back and said the S2 is crap! Only a good picture 10% of the time. He was anticipating getting his S2 and is now very disapointed. His S1 is way sharper. How can this be?... We got our camera in October from a store in NYC. Perhaps part of the bad batch... hmmm


BTW.... Just yesterday in addition to shooting in Sharpness-HARD we also used the camera in Tone-HARD.

Tone-HARD may be the key.
This setting makes us feel a bit better or looks better... Try it.

Chris C
Matrix Department Inc

[Tom V]

My latest product shots with the S2 taught me something.

I shot a product and the results were poor. The image was not sharp, and I had a hard time telling if it was because it was out of focus or a dirty lens. I redid the shots, carefully focusing, even bracketing the focus (near, on, far), cleanded the lens, changed lenses, etc.

I was using RGB TIF files, so I knew it wasn't JPG compression artifacts, I was using Speedotron studio strobes (about 1/300th second flash duration), a tripod, and 5-second self-timer. I tried Manual & AF, in-camera sharpening (e-gads!) and no sharpening (I used Unsharp Masking in Photoshop).

I solved the problem by using a different tripod. I went from using an apparently overwhelmed Bembo tripod & ballhead to my HD Bogen (Manfrotto) 3035 w/ a big 3-way head. The results were now sharp, and the image was sharpest right where I focused.

I think it may be possible that there is a harmonic vibration in the camera that damages image sharpness around 1/125th that only a very sturdy tripod can dampen. I will do some tests at different shutter speeds on different tripods to see if the "blur" only shows up at certain speeds, and/or is eliminated by heavier tripods.

This would not be a first. I have read many accounts of older, heavier cameras being virturally worthless at 1/15th of second no matter what tripod was used. All vibrating objects have a harmonic frequency in which the vibrations compound themselves - maybe the S2 has a shutter speed that shouldn't be used?

[Hugensjr]

Hi Tom,

This focus-issue is discussed quite a lot on this forum and on the Dpreview forum. About what you write in your last post here..... It may not be true that one can only get sharp results when using a pro-heavy-duty tripod??? When I take a picture of something/someone it must be: point and shoot = okay. That's what many digital camera's deliver. And when I use my old F90, I never had to take into account such 'shaking restraints...

I own the camera for 6 weeks now, and several times I have been dissapointed by the lack of sharpness (incorrect focus, blur) on some pictures. The problem is, I cannot get a hold on the fact 'when' this occurs. It's with all my lenses, with or without flash. Picture 1 to 9 are okay, and 10 is unsharp for no particular reason (not a tricky composition or light condition.......

Now, I'm running some tests with moving my object forwards and backwards from the actual autofocussed point.

Anyway, the camera must be serviced under warranty for the power lock up problem, at the same time, I'll ask Fuji The Netherlands for looking at this focussing issue. Before I do that, I have to make a clear problem-description....

I'll keep in touch with the forums...
Patrick

[uudam]

Hi ,
I had it for a few months and I am suspicious about the sharpness of the images I shot. I had a D 100 before and it seems much sharper.
Did you already solve the problem?
Best,
UuDam

[snapshotmd]

From the shooting from my last two jobs, I've noticed the softness on some shots, but most were sharp. I blamed my out-of-focus shots on moving subjects and camera shake. IMO, the S2 has trouble tracking a subject that is approaching or moving away from it. Other than that, I've had no problems with sharpness (knock on wood).

Ken