[zhenya]

Mike,

I wonder if you can give me a hint as to why I get such soft focus with my new macro lens I've tried different settings and all that, tried manual focus as well but it still looks soft to my eye. Could it be the glass of the tank that giving me problems? If I shoot anything outside the tank the pictures are very sharp and true as far as focus is concern. I mean, I clean glass really well as far as I could tell before taking pix but it didn't help much. I am getting pretty frustrated at this point.
I'm adding two pics for you to look at and compare. I didn't use flash with either shot...perhaps I should've?

[Poseidon]

Wow Gene, I am really sorry I missed this thread for so LONG!!! Geesh! Guess it slipped under my radar, and then moving and not having any internet access last week! YIKES! Anyway it looks like what ever it was you have it figured out. I have seen some very sharp pictures posted by you lately I think those were from your new Sigma right? If not, try taking out the Gaussian blur when you take the pictures of you tank... J/K!! Let me know if you are still having problems...

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by Poseidon

Wow Gene, I am really sorry I missed this thread for so LONG!!! Geesh! Guess it slipped under my radar, and then moving and not having any internet access last week! YIKES! Anyway it looks like what ever it was you have it figured out. I have seen some very sharp pictures posted by you lately I think those were from your new Sigma right? If not, try taking out the Gaussian blur when you take the pictures of you tank... J/K!! Let me know if you are still having problems...

No worries Mike.. I think I figured out what was causing softer focus and no, my other,sharper looking pics were taken with the 50mm lens. I really like that lens and been shooting alot with it lately.
I think my problem with the Sigma was that I was shooting at the slight angle to the glass and front glass of the tank were causing distortion( me thinks )
Also, my tripod is sitting on a carpet so slight movement by me was probably doing some damage as well. I now try to shoot with delay and sit still untill shot is taken. Gaussian blur...

[Poseidon]

Sorry couldn't resist...

When I use long shutter speeds, I use the self timer almost exclusively. And of you know the importance or being perpendicular to the glass, when you shoot at an angle to the glass it is not so much the glass that causes the distortion, it is the water bending the light. THe glass DOES refract too, but not nearly as much as the water!