How to Fix a Blurry DSLR Camera Lens | Step by Step

Every photographer wants to take clear and sharp images. Nobody likes photos with a lack of sharpness as these are good for nothing and not usable. Things like moving objects or subjects, incorrect iso can produce blurry images, but sometimes there can be problems with the blurry DSLR camera lens. 

If there is something wrong with the lens, the camera may produce images with noticeable blur and lack of sharpness. Fixing the problem can produce sharper and more crisp images. But many photographers find it difficult to learn how to fix a blurry DSLR camera lens. But no worries, I am here to make it simple.  

Let’s learn. 

How to Debug The Cause of DSLR Camera Lens Blur

You have to floor a series of steps to find out why your lens is producing blurry images. 

Step-1: Remove The Lens Filter

If you use a lens filter, there could be a problem with it, making the image blurry. Remove the lens filter. Now, capture some images to see if the images are still blurry or not. Sometimes removing the filter solves the problem. In your case, if it doesn’t, try other steps. 

Step-2: Check Lens Surface

Umount the lens from your camera body and check the back and front surface very carefully. Ensure there is adequate lighting. If there is any dust on your lens’s back or the front surface, clean that using a microfiber cloth. After cleaning the dust, capture some images and see if the images are still blurry or not. 

Dust can sometimes cause out-of-focus images. So cleaning those should solve the problem. 

Step-3: Look for Fungus

Inside the lens, the fungus can grow, and if the growth is severe, it can cause blurry images. Under adequate lighting, hold the lens at such an angle that you can see the inside of the lens. Check for fungus inside the lens if there is a fungus that can cause blurry images. 

Step-4: Use Different Lens

You have to make sure the problem is with your lens, not the camera body. To ensure that fact, use another lens and capture some images. If the images turn out well-focused and clear, you can be assured that the problem is with your lens. If not, there could be a problem with the camera body. 

By going through these series of steps, you have to ensure that the problem is with the lens and not the body. After confirming, you can apply the most possible solution, which is lens calibration.

Read next: Things to consider before buying a DSLR camera lens

What Causes Blurry Images?

Blurry images simply mean out-of-focus images. When the autofocus is off or missed, the lens can assist in producing blurry images. That is why you have to fix the miss focusing issue and help the lens focus correctly on the subject by calibrating the lens. 

A lens is compatible with hundreds of camera bodies. So the manufacturer cannot calibrate the image for every camera body. You have to manually calibrate the lens so that the autofocus works smoothly on your camera. 

Autofocus on the camera is a blessing innovation, but it feels like a curse when it misbehaves. So you have to calibrate the lens accordingly so that it can work fine on your particular camera model. 

How to Calibrate A Lens

Most DSLR lenses need calibration to pinpoint accurate autofocusing. It will give you clear images as well. Even in the slightest out-of-focus photos, it is effortless to notice a lack of sharpness. 

Calibration a lean is very images and not a vast amount time-consuming. All you need is a calibrating pyramid and your camera with the lens. The price of that pyramid is only 25 bucks, so it is under the budget as well. 

There are several different techniques of lens calibrating that are popular among photographers, but the pyramid technique is the simplest and less time-consuming among all. I will guide you through this process. You just have to follow a series of steps to complete the lens calibration process to get accurate autofocusing. 

Step-1: Get A Calibrator

Buy a focus pyramid, and it will help to get a perfectly focused lens.

Step-2: Set-up The Camera and The Calibrator

After buying, you need to set up your camera with the lens you want to calibrate. Use a tripod or use any type of stable surface like floor or table for this task. Place the calibrator at least 6 feet away from the lens. Also, you can set the calibrator at your usual shooting distance, and that would be better. The distance will not impact your calibration, so you can set it up at any distance you want. 

Step-3: Focus Using Viewfinder

The live view option of a camera uses a different focus mechanism than the viewfinder. So you have to use the viewfinder while calibrating the lens. It will allow you to see subtle details and help you to calibrate the lens better. 

Step-4: Adjust

Use your lens’s lowest maximum aperture and focus on the center point of the focus pyramid. Make sure to use the viewfinder and focus on the center of that pyramid. Now use the camera’s zoom option to zoom on the pyramid. 

If the central line is not sharp, but any other line is, your lens is misfocused, and you have to calibrate it. Capture an image and see which line is focused, and you have to fine-tune the autofocus according to the focused line. 

If any upper line is focused instead of the central line, you have to use positive values of autofocus to fine-tune it, and for the lower line, you have to use the negative values. 

Press the Menu button on your camera and navigate to the wrench icon. Below the list, you’ll see Fine Tune AutoFocus. Click on that option and adjust the autotune based on how it focused on the focus pyramid. 

Adjust it and capture images, and within 2-3 tries, you should capture the perfect shot with the center of the[pyramid in focus. 

That’s it, and you have calibrated your lens successfully.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I repair a DSLR lens? 

Repairing a DSLR lens in some cases is possible. But I will not motivate you to do so. You should take your damaged lens to a professional. If the lens condition is not severe, it is possible to repair the lens. But fixing it costs a lot. So investing in a new one instead of repairing one would be a wise decision. 

What is the way to fix a blurry lens? 

Calibrating the lens most of the time fixes the blurry lens issue. You can calibrate the lens very easily and get rid of this problem. The process is pretty simple and not time-consuming at all. 

Final Words 

Dust on the lens sometimes causes misfocus, and that results in blurry images. One of the widespread reasons for blurry images is not having a calibrated lens. Lens calibration can help a lot in getting sharp and crisp images every time. 

I tried to make the process of how to fix a blurry DSLR camera lens simple. It should not feel like a task of hassle to you anymore. Apply the fix, and you’ll get rid of the blurry image problem for all.