Soft Focus of 7d + Canon 400mm F/5.6L (2 Viewers)

[Jim Bennett]

The small birds are a little to far away and the shutter speed was to low at 1/320 and 1/400sec compared to your two gull shots taken at 1/2500 and 1/2000 sec at 125mm and 300mm, try and fill the frame a little more and up that shutter speed.
Does your 400mm have IS

 

[Roy C]

Does your 400mm have IS

No the 400/5.6 does not have IS - no problem though if you use the right shutter speed!

 

[Jim Bennett]

I realised that just as I posted, Roy, I have the same lens this picture was taken last year shutter was 1/2000sec ISO 400 F/6.3 not quite 50% crop.

 

[Roy C]

I realised that just as I posted, Roy, I have the same lens this picture was taken last year shutter was 1/2000sec ISO 400 F/6.3 not quite 50% crop.

I also have the same lens!- plenty of examples in my signature sites below.
Nice catcher shot BTW

 

[ulfg]

To the original poster: Your focus problems look almost exactly like the ones I experienced with my 7D and 400 f/5.6L . I got 5 % sharp shots and 95 % soft; my photos looked very much like your lapwing shot.

After much hesitation, I decided to send my camera to Canon Service. They adjusted the autofocus (which seemed to be quite an easy operation). Since then, my 7D delivers photos as I expected it to from the start.

So my advice is, of course: Let Canon service take a look at it!

/ulf

 

[Hor Kee]

Agree with Ulf, experienced the same thing here