I notice that my 35 1.8g has a tendency to shoot soft or blurry pics more often then my other lenses. Is it typical to have to keep the shutter speed above 1/60? Or even 1/100? I'm having to boost ISO to compensate. Maybe it's a combination of getting too close and too wide a aperture and/or too slow a shutter speed. I find the problem is when I try to get a close up shot of say a cats head to fill the frame, or a Lego figurine large enough to be a dominate subject. Most of these would be in less then ideal light and I have the desire for bokeh. Typical settings would be 1/60, 1.8-2.8, ISO 800+ (even had to use 6400 once), distance to subject would be close to the min focal distance of 1ft approx. If I'm a bit back then I have a better shot of a sharp pic. Should I just switch to the 85 1.8g at this point to get the framing/isolation I want and just stand back a little? Would a 50 1.8g or even a macro be a benefit here?
35mm 1.8g soft pics issues
- Thread starter Deuce808
- Start date
Horoscope Fish
Senior Member
It is pretty essential to keep the shutter speed at twice the focal length of the lens you are shooting when using a DX body; so yes... I would strongly suggest you keep the shutter speed at, or above, 1/70 at all times when using that 35mm lens. Some people say you can use a shutter speed of one-and-a-half times the focal length but I find it's easier and more effective to simply double the number.
If you're finding you are regularly taking shots approaching the minimum focusing distance of your lens then it might be time for something with a longer focal length. Don't forget the same rule regarding shutter speed will still apply, though: with an 85mm lens you'd need to keep your shutter speed at 1/170 or faster. If that means shooting with a higher ISO, then that's pretty much what you have to do. Digital noise can be removed pretty easily in post processing; a blurry shot is another matter entirely.
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General rule of thumb. For short focal length lenses shooting in daylight you typically never have to worry about it because your shutter speed is typically WAY faster than double that of the focal length. When you get in to the super zooms though with narrower wide open apertures it can sometimes be hard even in good daylight to achieve the shutter speed needed for a crisp shot.
Horoscope Fish
Senior Member
The focal length/shutter speed thing is a general "rule of thumb" for all photography, not just in low-light situations and personally, I adhere to it slavishly. On full-frame cameras the rule is shutter speed should equal (or exceed) focal length while DX bodies need to use 1.5 or 2x the focal length which compensates for the crop-factor. There are several things you can do to improve overall sharpness and most of them are technique related. One other thing that won't hurt overall image sharpness is using "Q" Mode (Quiet Shutter) which reduces mirror slap.
Nikon's VR is a very specific solution to a very specific problem. Many people treat VR like they do their Ronco Showtime Rotisserie, "Set it... And forget it!" which simply does not work in my experience. Used incorrectly VR can cause as many (or more) problems as it solves. I very rarely engage VR and when I do it's because of very specific circumstances; once VR is no longer needed, the option is turned off.
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The shorter the distance, the lower the DOF especially at F1.8 (hence the perception of blurry images), so if you shoot at or around the minimum focusing distance, use F8 with a flash.
I shoot a lot of indoors with 35mm F1.8DX at F1.8, when I do not want to use the flash, and I normally keep the ISO at 400, but my distances are at least 3 feet, even then if I focus on the eye, the ear is a bit fuzzy.
I shoot a lot of indoors with 35mm F1.8DX at F1.8, when I do not want to use the flash, and I normally keep the ISO at 400, but my distances are at least 3 feet, even then if I focus on the eye, the ear is a bit fuzzy.
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
I am with Horoscope Fish in his thinking about shutter speed at 1.5 to 2 times lens length and also about the use of VR. Generally if you are setting the shutter speed at 1.5 or greater you ae better off not having VR on. The only times I even turn it on is when I do not have a tripod with me and I really need to shoot something and the ISO is getting to high for my comfort and then I have to slow down the shutter speed to get what I want.
And back to your original post. You talked about getting close, very close to the minimum distance. You may be getting closer than the minimum than the minimum and not realizing it. Try backing off just a little and then cropping in post.
And back to your original post. You talked about getting close, very close to the minimum distance. You may be getting closer than the minimum than the minimum and not realizing it. Try backing off just a little and then cropping in post.
Michael J.
Senior Member
I agree with Don Kuykendall 100%. After using my 35mm, I do exactly what he says and it works perfect.
Thanks guys. I started the 2x shutter speed plus shooting it further back or using around f/4 and it's a lot better. I've also started to just use my 85 to fill the frame instead. I'll just use the 35 as a semi wide when I want to shoot a larger area/subject. I'll keep the 85 on for those close shots so I can stay further back. I also might grab a 50 at some point just in case the 85 is too long for some shots.
Once I learned to keep the shutter speed high my shots became a 100% better. The VR now stays off at all times. It's either high Shutter speed or a tripod.
RocketCowboy
Senior Member
Yup ... I try to use VR like a tool rather than a crutch. Get the capture without it if at all possible, and only use VR when I can't get the image any other way. It helped that I turn off VR when using the tripod, and then usually forgot to turn it back on after coming off the tripod.
