Okay, I have had my Canon EOS Rebel T3 with an 18-200mm lens for years, and for years I cannot take a single sharp photo. It usually ends up incredibly washed out like this:




Or when I want to focus on an entire car, it will only focus on one half of it. People have said to increase my aperture, but even doing so it still only focuses on half the car and it slows down the shutter speed like crazy:



Or better yet, the background is more in focus than the car itself (even though my camera tells me it's focused on the car itself)



I guess I just want my photos to come out more like this except with better quality. I feel like if a point-and-shoot can take better pictures than a DSLR, then I have pretty much failed as a photographer:



Or more like this DSLR-wise:



Can anybody help me out? Do I have a valid concern, or am I expecting way too much out of my camera?

Its pretty much all in the lens. The 18-200 is not a very sharp lens (from what I experienced with my old Tamron 18-200)

I think youre expecting a little too much out of your camera. The T3 is one of the beginner DSLR's from canon meaning that it wont have as many focus points as higher end cameras. So for example, with the DB5 photo, the car was moving so the camera was stuggling to focus on a moving target due to there not being enough focus points. Even in manual focus, it will still struggle. Also, your lens, although a good staring lens, wont be able to create images like the last one provided. 18-200 wont provide enough focal length to make the background that blurred. Hope this helped.

Do you have a polarizer?

Yes, however it's dented on one side a little bit, I'm not sure if that can affect the focus or not.

Well then again, I can have really amazing shots like these:





I'm just wishing I can somehow get these same results because it's really starting to feel like every picture I take nowadays is cr*p compared to my 2013ish photos.

It most definitely has something to do with the lens, as ExoticSam said, the 18-200 is not an ideal lens for sharp photos. Hence, many people have prime lenses with an extremely shallow depth of field (f/1.8, 1.4, 2.8) or one with not as much a zoom. Since the 18-200 focuses more on zoom than a decent aperture, the background will be pretty focused depending on how much zoom you're using. Most of the time I'd say it's around 4.5-6.3. Canon's T3 is also not too nice a camera, knowing from personal experience, I had a Canon which I ditched for a Nikon. I'd say try out a prime lens with a shallow depth of field to see if it helps. It'll also help if you shoot in the RAW format (CR2 for Canon) which retains all the data of an image, whilst JPEG compresses it and you lose a cr*p ton of data.

I'm sure you know this, but the aperture controls the depth of field. The smaller the number under f, the smaller the depth of field. If you want more than just the closest subject to the lens to be clear, you need a small aperture, which will be a higher number (such as f/18). If you want a lot of bokeh, you will need a larger aperture (like f/4).

I think you may want to look at some different lenses. I am still using the base 18-55mm that came with my D3300, but I don't have many problems with crispness. I know I'm just piling onto what some of the others have already said, but the 18-200 is one of those 'decent at everything, great at nothing' products.

If the glass on your polarizer is warped, then yes you will likely have focus issues. If it's just the surrounding ring, however, you should be fine.

I'm having the same problem as you are right now. In your case as everyone said probably your lens as the 18-200 I find very difficult to work with but in my case I think I got dust on my sensor since I'm using an older D3200. Pretty much the reason i no longer post as all my photos are terrible these days.

As the others are saying: Try a new lens. Although it also could be that its time to retire your T3. Also if it started after your polarizer got damaged, I'd try replacing your polarizer but it would probably be better to replace your lens.

As far as the examples you posted, that car week shot is probably shot with a 50mm. You won't achieve a shot like that with your 18-200mm because it can't get a low enough aperture.

So are y'all saying that I spent $800.00 on a cr*ppy lens?

Not necessarily, I mean, the lens is great for zoom but everything else not so much. Get a 24-70 or 70-200 f/2.8. I suggest retiring your T3 first though.

I don't have $1700.00 bud lmao

Also, I don't shoot in RAW because 1) I don't like how the lighting comes out most of the time and 2) it takes up more card space. I take over 1,000 photos with one show alone.

Get a prime lens with a low aperture like 1.8 or 1.4. They are great and you get super sharp shots with very blurred backgrounds.

Come on Jason, you know only those of us in the south can say "y'all". ;-)

Back on topic, did you buy the 18-200 lens new or used? (I'm guessing new based on current prices). I don't know if you want to keep that lens long-term or not if you're already a bit frustrated with it, but you can pick up used lenses for almost half of what they retail for, and at least at the camera stores here in NC, they'll let you try the used lenses out. If I were you, I'd probably be tempted to sell the 18-200, get what you can for it, then get a used 18-55mm lens. Next, (if you could swing it) get a used 55-250mm lens. I know that the sale of the 18-200 could cover the cost of a used 18-55mm lens with plenty to spare, and since the 55-250mm isn't in production any more, it can be had at a discount, and I believe it uses the mount compatible with the T3/T3i.