D5100 clarity improvements?

R

RC cola

Senior Member
I have a D5100 with the two lens from a package purchase. Ive had it now for some time since the model came on the market.

I have noticed recently my image clarity seems to be lacking. The 200mm zoom is the lens I noticed degraded clarity with at first. I want to get a different better lens to try. Is there some factor where the image sharpness can be improved with the lens I have?
 
Fred Kingston

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
Lens clarity doesn't change. Maybe you can post a couple of pictures and define what you see as a "clarity" issue, and the folks can diagnose what your problem is...
 
L

Lawrence

Senior Member
Post pictures.

When this happens to me, as it often does, with my D5100 and 70-300 lens the fault usually comes down to me!
Try upping the shutter speed - don't worry; the camera can handle it.
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
If you're shooting in JPG try this...

Go into your cameras menus, go into the "Shooting Menu" (green camera icon) and highlight "Set Picture Control".
From Picture Control click right one time.
Here you'll see different options for "Standard", "Landscape", "Vivid" etc.
Drop down and highlight "Standard" then click right one time.
You'll see options here one of which is "Sharpening". Highlight this option and adjust the slider to +7.
Press "OK" and exit the menus.

What these steps do is increase the in-camera sharpening done on your JPG photos automatically. Nikon cameras, for whatever reason, come from the factory with this option set really, really low. This one adjustment should make a big impact on how sharp your JPG's look right out of the camera. My instructions also assume you're using "Standard" in the Picture Controls menu. Each one of those controls (Vivid, Landscape, etc.) has their own set of menus so each has its own "Sharpening" setting. If you're using something other than "Standard" you'll need to adjust the sharpening in the Picture Control you actually use.
....
 
S

Sandpatch

Senior Member
I'm not the OP, but I just checked and I don't see this option on my D5100. Neat feature though. I did forget to suggest to RC Cola that the JPG size should also be set to "Large". Files should be very roughly 12MB each.
 
E

Eyelight

Senior Member
Could be a change in shooting technique or settings. Example photos from before and after you noticed the change could help diagnose the issue.
 
C

Carroll

Senior Member
Horoscope Fish said:
If you're shooting in JPG try this...

Go into your cameras menus, go into the "Shooting Menu" (green camera icon) and highlight "Set Picture Control".
From Picture Control click right one time.
Here you'll see different options for "Standard", "Landscape", "Vivid" etc.
Drop down and highlight "Standard" then click right one time.
You'll see options here one of which is "Sharpening". Highlight this option and adjust the slider to +7.
Press "OK" and exit the menus.

What these steps do is increase the in-camera sharpening done on your JPG photos automatically. Nikon cameras, for whatever reason, come from the factory with this option set really, really low. This one adjustment should make a big impact on how sharp your JPG's look right out of the camera. My instructions also assume you're using "Standard" in the Picture Controls menu. Each one of those controls (Vivid, Landscape, etc.) has their own set of menus so each has its own "Sharpening" setting. If you're using something other than "Standard" you'll need to adjust the sharpening in the Picture Control you actually use.
....
Click to expand...

Paul's advice is the absolute best to help with a better picture SOOC..

Here is a help page from Nikon, with illustrations: (Tip: Use the round thing-a-ma-bob to choose where you want to go, NOT the OK button.)
Picture Controls Step-by-Step from Nikon



 
Last edited:
R

RC cola

Senior Member
Sorry for no response for a few days. The Devil's Dandruff hit us and Ive had other projects going on. I also wanted to wait for multiple responses to consider.

Ive been using a camera since the early 80's. I understand shutter speed aspects and use of aperture for depth of field. I do prefer ambient light over using a flash. Its possible some images I have that I question might be attributed to shutter speed verses long zoom with slight handheld movement. I will have to check the info on the images to verify the shutter speed used.

I usually shoot with large JPEG/RAW. I like the better control features when using the VeiwNX2 program with RAW. I also like to crop my images to improve the composure after the initial shoot.

Another thing that has made me question clarity is I see pics from others I know who use Canon gear and the image clarity with some of those pics really jumps out as very vivid to me.

I really appreciate all suggestions because there is always something new to learn with anything I do.
 
R

RC cola

Senior Member
I just do this as a hobby, not for income. I was not a fan of digital early on for various reasons. One being a point and shoot with the screen as the method for framing a shot. When having to hold it out to see the screen makes for an unstable shooting platform since I was used to using 35mm SLR's where the three point platform to the eye was more stable. having a DSLR gave me that "natural" feeling back. I had stopped taking pics for some time before I picked up my first digital.

I really enjoy taking pics of performing musicians. Im not good with trying to pose anyone for portraits so the music is great because people playing some kind of instrument are active and provide great shots without having to manipulate their positions.

This is one of my favorites.

arts fest 090.jpg
 
S

Sandpatch

Senior Member
Not the OP here, but thank you all. I finally found the sharpness setting on my D5100. I hadn't realized that I could click to the right to open the sharpness setting and others as well. I found that from the factory, my sharpness was one click to the left of the center. I boosted it to one click to the right of center as a start. I've never had a complaint with my sharpness, so will go a little bit at a time to see how the enhancement appears. Again, thanks everyone!
 
R

RC cola

Senior Member
Thanks Sandpatch!

Here is the original image I cropped to get the pic I posted. Its with the lens I question.

The pic was from April of last year and it was a really bright, sunny day.

Shot in 200mm @ 1/250th @ F9 ISO 160

It looks really good here but I was leary to use it that day.


arts fest 090.jpg
 
T

turbodave

Senior Member
Sandpatch said:
Not the OP here, but thank you all. I finally found the sharpness setting on my D5100. I hadn't realized that I could click to the right to open the sharpness setting and others as well. I found that from the factory, my sharpness was one click to the left of the center. I boosted it to one click to the right of center as a start. I've never had a complaint with my sharpness, so will go a little bit at a time to see how the enhancement appears. Again, thanks everyone!
Click to expand...

I checked my setting and it was one step below max!? Even with that, I've been concerned with my photo results looking, well, what I call "soft focused" Not out of focus, just not as crisp as I would expect.
Soooooo, with all that said, I still find it necessary to use ViewNX2 to bump up the "sharpness" setting to get crystal crisp images.
 
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