Nikon D500 lacks sharpness

JohnD500

New member
I love Nikon have used D90, D5200, D7200 but never had any issue like what I am experiencing with D500. I never bothered about ISO, aperture, exposure etc while using D90 or D5200 or D7200 mainly because I used Auto mode or sports mode or macro mode. I bought D500 with Huge expectation to improve my photography. But struggling more than a year to understand the camera D500. After getting d500 only i learned about ISO, aperture, shutter speed. My images are not sharp, i used manual mode but the issue is dark images so increased ISO to compensate which resulted in grains in image. Recently i shifted to Aperture priority for shooting birds, I used AF-C , matrix metering, vr on, hand held but images are not sharp. What should I do now to improve sharpness.
 

TwistedThrottle

Senior Member
@JohnD500
A new camera will help you be a better photographer about as much as a new hammer will help a construction worker be a better contractor. What lenses are you using? The better glass you stick on the front of that thing, the better images you will get. Capturing enough light is key to sharp images no matter what body you use and many times, that means wider apertures like f2.8, f1.8, f1.4. Shoot no less than 1.5x the focal length, so if you are shooting a 100mm lens, shutter should be no less than 1/150 (1/160) and for a 500mm lens, shutter should be at 1/800 minimum for mostly stationary subjects. If the birds flying, 1/3000 or higher isn't out of the question, but the light has to be there to support the super quick shutter or the ISO will cause the image to look grainy. Grain is usually an indication there is not enough light, blur can mean you either moved when clicking or the shutter isn't fast enough. VR doesn't do much at very high shutter speeds or on quickly moving objects, its mostly to help stabilize the shooter or to break the 1.5x focal length rule stated above on stationary subjects in lower light. Hope this helps.
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
Cameras are not magic, they are tools that you need to learn in order to get the most out of them. The fact that you've had 3 different DX bodied Nikons before tells me that you know something about taking pictures, but what I/we don't know is what you're trying to photograph, with what lens(es), under what conditions, etc. I will tell you this, about 85% of what I shoot are things with feathers, and for that Aperture priority is not your friend. What we also don't know is what you understand about how Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO work together to make an exposure, or whether you know about the inverse relationship between shutter speed and focal length. You seem to have been using your consumer-grade bodies in modes designed to compensate for user knowledge and that's perfectly acceptable. But the D500, while not labeled as such, is really the last pro DX DSLR body I suspect Nikon will make.

All that said, as a man with two D500's and a combined 115K clicks of the shutter, it's not the camera that's keeping you shots from being sharp, it's operator error. We just need to get to the bottom of that, because sometimes you need to shoot high ISO to get the shutter speed you need.

D53_0486-Edit-copy.jpg


Post some pics (make sure they're no bigger than 1000px on the long side so we can see EXIF, or share that separately) so we see what you're seeing.
 
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Bikerbrent

Senior Member
Welcome aboard. Enjoy the ride.
We look forward to seeing more posts and samples of your work.

Please don't take offense, but since you have only shot pictures in Auto mode, etc. with cameras that have these modes, you were taking some decent snapshots. Now you got a D500 that does not have these modes, your photography skills are not up the demands of this camera. The D500 is not a magic tool to improve your photography, but rather it is a tool that will force you to learn photography. And if you so this for the D500, and pick up one of your older cameras, with the skills you have learned, you will be very surprised at how much these photos have improved over the Auto Mode snapeshots!
 

JohnD500

New member
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JohnD500

New member

JohnD500

New member
Mostly i shoot birds only. So help me with your suggestion for best setting and mode. Your photo is sharp and i want that kind of quality but it's never close to that. I suspect it has nothing to do with the lens or camera its my experience. Help me with ur suggestions.
 

Dawg Pics

Senior Member
In Aperture mode, the camera set the shutter speed is at 1/3200 when opened up to f.56 at 800 ISO on a bird in the shade. Seems to me it would have knocked the shutter speed way down. Is that possibly a typo?

The one of the parrot that shot is at 1/50th has a shutter speed that is way too low for hand-held at 400mm. At least 1/400th or faster would be appropriate. I know I need to go faster than 1/focal length. So, you are probably getting camera shake. This is the problem with using Aperture priority or Program mode and long lenses. The camera will drop the shutter speed too low for hand held with a zoom. There is a minimum shutter speed setting for using Auto ISO, but I don't think it applies to the auto modes. Not sure on that one.

The one of the bird flying could be a panning problem. It takes a lot of practice to pan with birds and get them sharp. It is also backlit and far away.

I know we are asking a lot, but are you shooting in RAW or jpeg?
Are you getting sharp images in other situations?
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ztyxTEsnwzzphS1e6

Attached image of bird in the sky Exif data f5.6, 1/8000, 400mm, iso 640Aperture priority mode Shot using Nikon AF VR 80-400mm 4.5-5.6D (older version) .

https://photos.app.goo.gl/MCe29UzpoNUqiaLD8

this one, bird on the tree with same lens f5.6, 1/3200, 400mm, ISO 800 Aperture priority mode.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/tpdypaScbwaCnUn96

this one same lens Programed auto mode f 7.1, 1/50, 400mm, ISO 200.
Give suggestions.

First things first, you're shooting with a wide-ranging zoom wide open in the first two shots. That type of lens will always be the softest at the long end wide open, so that's definitely contributing to it.

Next we need to know what focus mode you are using? I know you have AF-C but how many points and are you moving the point? AF-C is generally set to release priority instead of focus priority so perhaps you're not locking in, or your focus point is moving after you start. Not for nothing but the framing of the images isn't the best so if the bird is starting in the center of the viewfinder then your technique needs to tighten up so that you keep the focus point on the bird.

Third, are you shooting Raw? If so, what are your sharpening settings in Camera Raw or elsewhere? JPEGs are sharpened in camera, Raw files you're on your own.

Finally, have you tried focus calibrating the lens at the long end? The resolution on these is really low so it's hard to pixel peep to see if any other part of the bird in tree images is sharp but I suspect that you've got front/rear focus going on. Not unusual, but when you're shooting close to wide open then if it's off you're far more likely to experience out of focus images.

If you can upload the original to dropbox or somewhere that we can pull it down we can better deduce the last part.
 

Hobbit

Senior Member
hi JohnD500 welcome , ive just stepped up to the D500 from the d5300 as i was getting focusing issues with the d5300 and my 150-600c, now with my D500 im finding that its very lens critical, my 70-300 despite being great on the d5300 isn't quite as good on the d500 yet the 150-600 is just brilliant.
 

STM

Senior Member
Any new camera takes a little getting used to. Granted, with my D500 if sharpness is an issue, the problem is with me and not the camera or lens, as all of my lenses are MF AIS Nikkors. Give it some time. I have had superlative results with the D500. I took this yesterday of a Glossy Ibis with the D500 and 400mm f/2.8 ED-IF AIS Nikkor. The RAW file is sharp as a razor. Image sampling and downsizing the image on Nikonites has dulled the sharpness a little bit.

STM_1581-sharpen-sharpen-denoise.jpg
 
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Whiskeyman

Senior Member
Cameras are not magic, they are tools that you need to learn in order to get the most out of them. The fact that you've had 3 different DX bodied Nikons before tells me that you know something about taking pictures, but what I/we don't know is what you're trying to photograph, with what lens(es), under what conditions, etc. I will tell you this, about 85% of what I shoot are things with feathers, and for that Aperture priority is not your friend. What we also don't know is what you understand about how Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO work together to make an exposure, or whether you know about the inverse relationship between shutter speed and focal length. You seem to have been using your consumer-grade bodies in modes designed to compensate for user knowledge and that's perfectly acceptable. But the D500, while not labeled as such, is really the last pro DX DSLR body I suspect Nikon will make.

All that said, as a man with two D500's and a combined 115K clicks of the shutter, it's not the camera that's keeping you shots from being sharp, it's operator error. We just need to get to the bottom of that, because sometimes you need to shoot high ISO to get the shutter speed you need.

View attachment 342149

Post some pics (make sure they're no bigger than 1000px on the long side so we can see EXIF, or share that separately) so we see what you're seeing.

Ok! I'm done. I quit. This shot just slaps me in the face with my own photography faults and inadequacies. Just kidding about quitting; I need to use this shot as an inspiration to get better!

Great shot! Could you give a short narrative about how you captured it? Wait, that could be a new thread: "The story behind the shot."

WM
 
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BackdoorArts

Senior Member
Ok! I'm done. I quit. This shot just slaps me in the face with my own photography faults and inadequacies. Just kidding about quitting; I need to use this shot as an inspiration to get better!

Great shot! Could you give a short narrative about how you captured it? Wait, that could be a new thread: "The story behind the shot."

WM

Thanks, Whiskeyman. Careful what you wish for, you may be disappointed. How did I capture this?

1. I sat in my chair on the deck and made sure I had my cigar, bourbon, and camera ready.

2. I saw the hummingbird moth come to the petunia pots we have along the deck for them, butterflies, and hummingbirds, so I put the cigar down and picked the camera up.

3. I moved the chair back 6 inches because the 500mm lens wouldn't focus close enough (I was looking for birds).

4. I ramped up the shutter speed and just waited for the moth to move into spots I could see it and unleashed 10 fps on it.

I probably fired off 200 shots between it and a butterfly and got easily have 5 others as good as this and another 10 that I would have been thrilled with at other times. I've stopped using zooms for wildlife unless I have no choice in the situation. When I can handhold a 500mm pf while relaxing on a deck and get results like this why would I?

This has been run through my 3 step post-processing routine of Topaz Denoise AI, Camera Raw, and Topaz Adjust AI. Each stage adds a touch of clarity with Adjust really defining the details you see here...

Out Of Camera: (Take note, this is at ISO 4000 with no Noise Reduction applied. Cannot complain about that.)
HM-01-OutOfCamera.jpg


Topaz DeNoise AI:
HM-02-Denoise.jpg


Camera Raw:
HM-03-ACR.jpg


Topaz Adjust AI:
HM-04-Adjust.jpg



Adjust AI has all the components of the Camera Raw Basic section, but its power is in the more defined Texture and Clarity sections that go beyond the two sliders that ACR have. I only use those sections and the Sharpen slider. You have to be very judicious in using them and they take some getting used to, but I have gotten so many more comments like yours since adopting this workflow than I did prior when I'd usually overprocess trying to achieve the same effect.
 
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Needa

Senior Member
Challenge Team
Thanks, Whiskeyman. Careful what you wish for, you may be disappointed. How did I capture this?

1. I sat in my chair on the deck and made sure I had my cigar, bourbon, and camera ready.

2. I saw the hummingbird moth come to the petunia pots we have along the deck for them, butterflies, and hummingbirds, so I put the cigar down and picked the camera up.

3. I moved the chair back 6 inches because the 500mm lens wouldn't focus close enough (I was looking for birds).

4. I ramped up the shutter speed and just waited for the moth to move into spots I could see it and unleashed 10 fps on it.

I probably fired off 200 shots between it and a butterfly and got easily have 5 others as good as this and another 10 that I would have been thrilled with at other times. I've stopped using zooms for wildlife unless I have no choice in the situation. When I can handhold a 500mm pf while relaxing on a deck and get results like this why would I?

This has been run through my 3 step post-processing routine of Topaz Denoise AI, Camera Raw, and Topaz Adjust AI. Each stage adds a touch of clarity with Adjust really defining the details you see here...

Out Of Camera:
View attachment 342285

Topaz DeNoise AI:
View attachment 342286

Camera Raw:
View attachment 342287

Topaz Adjust AI:
View attachment 342288


Adjust AI has all the components of the Camera Raw Basic section, but its power is in the more defined Texture and Clarity sections that go beyond the two sliders that ACR have. I only use those sections and the Sharpen slider. You have to be very judicious in using them and they take some getting used to, but I have gotten so many more comments like yours since adopting this workflow than I did prior when I'd usually overprocess trying to achieve the same effect.


As my shots are often not as sharp as I would like and I can see prep is important could you give some advice on chair and bourbon. Thanks. :):):)
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
As my shots are often not as sharp as I would like and I can see prep is important could you give some advice on chair and bourbon. Thanks. :):):)

Chairs are Allen & Roth from Lowes w rust colored cushions. This was during the week so the bourbon was likely Evan Williams. On the weekend it could be a variety of things though lately it's been Heaven's Door Tennessee Bourbon.
 
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