Full tank video with Canon 7D--can't get it to look good

[motohead400]

Since this is along the lines of photography, I figured this would be the appropriate sub for this. I have been trying to take a nice full tank HD video. I've been trying to do this with my Canon 7D, which normally takes outstanding video, but I just can't get it to not look like total crap. I'd consider myself nearing advanced level with photography but I just can't figure this one out (and haven't done all that much video). I've been doing the video at 1/60th shutter speed for a 30fps video (following the 180 degree shutter rule) and I've experimented with F4-F9 and the video still just comes out looking completely unsharp, almost like everything is out of focus when I know I'm focused perfectly. I've tried shooting the video with all lights in my house out so as to get rid of any reflections, and I've tried to position the camera as perfectly perpendicular to the tank as I can, but nothing works lol. I of course used a tripod as well and turned of IS on my lens. I tried shooting with my 15-85Ef-s Canon lens and my 50mm prime Canon lens, both of which normally give outstanding image quality.

I also have a Sony HD video camera but I could never get the white balance to even be remotely close with it so I gave up trying with it.

Does anyone have any tips for getting a full tank shot video that doesn't look like it was shot on an old cellphone?

 

[clippo]

suggest posting the 'offending' video to show the exact problem....

 

[motohead400]

Here ya go. It doesn't look too bad in the default player size, but if you go fullscreen it's just not crisp at all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAZWqH4S1OU

Oddly enough, it actually looks a little better viewing it in the youtube player too than the Windows media player!?

 

[woodnaquanut]

It does look out of focus! Perhaps it is more a compression issue causing the OOF look.

Does the raw video look good at full screen on your computer?

What are your compression settings?

Are you manually focusing?

Love the beeps at 00:25. Sounds just like my microwave!

 

[motohead400]

It does look out of focus! Perhaps it is more a compression issue causing the OOF look.

Does the raw video look good at full screen on your computer?

What are your compression settings?

Are you manually focusing?

Love the beeps at 00:25. Sounds just like my microwave!

I'm not using any compression settings to my knowledge. The raw video out of the camera actually looks a little worse than it does playing on the youtube player oddly enough lol. I've tried setting focus with autofocus and manually focusing and I've gotten the same result both ways. Everything other than pictures/video of the tank looks perfect out of the camera. I'm just at a loss of what to do. I've even tried going higher ISO and going to F11 aperture and it still looks the same, so I definitely don't think it's a focus issue. It's the refraction or something just mucking up the video.