I think camera-shake is the problem, even at a shutter speed of 1/500. At very short focus distance, movement is exaggerated much more than if you were shooting a subject 20 ft away. Plus at this close distance the depth of field is shallow enough that camera-shake will take you off focus as well.

Your out of focus hightlights are really interesting. Looks for all the world like it was done with a reflex/mirror lens.