First few shots with 85mm F1.4G

GameOfMoans

Senior Member
Hi Folks, after dialling in a +20 fine tune on the D4S, my 85mm is finally getting me sharp shots wide open (was front focusing).....here are some I took yesterday in Edinburgh city centre. Still not perfect, still marginally front focusing..

DSC_0853_0244.jpgDSC_0888_0279.jpg
 

rocketman122

Senior Member
Two things i like and two things i dont
1-very sharp that 85 at open aperture
2- u captured nice moments

1-very grungy and overexpsed/ contrasty. But that how u like it and a personal preference. Top one needs their faces dodged a bit.
2- too much ceiling is ok (not for everyone) but shame u cropped their feets with so much ceiling u have in the composition.

Doesnt seem like it has any focus issues at all that impressive lens
 
Last edited:

STM

Senior Member
The first thing that strikes me is both images are very contrasty, practically "chalk and charcoal". The composition on both has me too much space above the subjects on both and why did you crop off the feet in both? I would have liked to have seen less wasted space above the subjects and more in the way below.
 

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
The first thing that strikes me is both images are very contrasty, practically "chalk and charcoal". The composition on both has me too much space above the subjects on both and why did you crop off the feet in both? I would have liked to have seen less wasted space above the subjects and more in the way below.

I agree 100% with your evaluation of these pictures. Concerning the reason why there is more space above the subjects and the feet were cut-off is probably because the photographer kept the main subject in the center of his frame. It seems I often see this in a lot of pictures. Photographer uses single point focus in the middle and keeps the subject there. The way to counter that is to lock focus and reframe.

It is more frequent to see this with DSLRs and SLRs because of the way we see through the lens and can concentrate only on our subjects, forgetting about composition. When you learn with 4x5 or 2-1/4 cameras with the ground glass to compose, you just don't see the same way.

Just my humble opinion that I hope can help some of you to see more than the subject that you want to photograph.
 

STM

Senior Member
I agree 100% with your evaluation of these pictures. Concerning the reason why there is more space above the subjects and the feet were cut-off is probably because the photographer kept the main subject in the center of his frame. It seems I often see this in a lot of pictures. Photographer uses single point focus in the middle and keeps the subject there. The way to counter that is to lock focus and reframe.

It is more frequent to see this with DSLRs and SLRs because of the way we see through the lens and can concentrate only on our subjects, forgetting about composition. When you learn with 4x5 or 2-1/4 cameras with the ground glass to compose, you just don't see the same way.

Just my humble opinion that I hope can help some of you to see more than the subject that you want to photograph.

"Dead Center-itis" is a trap lots of photographers fall into, regardless of experience level, though it is much more prevalent in people with less experience. All of us had it at one time or another. I have been doing this for so long that composing based on the rule of thirds is like turning on my turn signals before I make a turn. It is something that just comes instinctively. "Dead Center-it is" has ruined many a photo. It is one thing if the image is cropped and it can be-recropped, but if it is that way in the camera there is little that can be done to remedy it.

Now are there images where it works? Of course there are. "Rules" in photography are not set in stone, they are purely guidelines that have become accepted as ways to produce better images. But generally, placing the subject in the dead center of the image makes for static and boring composition.
 

GameOfMoans

Senior Member
Thanks all, I very deliberately kept the centre focus (I very often use the multi selector to change the focus point to suit) as I wanted to test sharpness with the micro adjustment I made and it seems +20 is as close as I'm going to get. It is still front focusing, but is so marginal, I'm not going to lose sleep over it. I'd never normally cut legs off unless I'm going for a tight crop.

As for the edit, it is personal taste and I'm still learning photoshop, but do like the high contrast look....I need to just get the finger out and learn Photoshop, but the courses are so so dry to watch....lots of coffee required!
 
Last edited:

Woodyg3

Senior Member
Contributor
LOL. Since this is posted in the Prime Lens thread, I'm not sure the OP was asking for an artistic critique.

No matter, there was some good advice. As for the sharpness, it looks good. Honestly, though, you are better able to judge with a full sized image cropped to 100% on your own computer than we can tell from the forum JPEG.

Have fun with that lens!
 

GameOfMoans

Senior Member
LOL. Since this is posted in the Prime Lens thread, I'm not sure the OP was asking for an artistic critique.

No, but I am more than happy to take feedback from anyone....

Both shots are sharp at 100%, but for me getting a consistent shot sharp at f1.4 ain't easy....and the bokeh is hard to resist, so I'll practice more!
 
Top