Lots of Soft/Blurry Portrait Photos with 105mm @f3
- Thread starter gohan2091
- Start date
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
at 20 feet
| Subject distance | 20 ft |
| | |
| Depth of field | |
| Near limit | 19.4 ft |
| Far limit | 20.6 ft |
| Total | 1.23 ft |
| In front of subject | 0.6 ft (48%) |
| Behind subject | 0.63 ft (52%) |
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
| Subject distance | 15 ft |
| | |
| Depth of field | |
| Near limit | 14.7 ft |
| Far limit | 15.4 ft |
| Total | 0.69 ft |
| In front of subject | 0.34 ft (49%) |
| Behind subject | 0.35 ft (51%) |
It may be turned on, but are you sure it's functioning properly? Dirty contacts between the camera & lens, or a defective lens, can keep VR from working.
DON, I'm not sure how many feet away I was from the subject but 20ft wouldnt be far from it. At that distance, I have a bit of movement allowance to keep things sharp. I'm going to have to test this lens out at various distances to see what's going on.
I assume it's functioning properly but I'll test it. I think my shutter speed was fast enough not to need vr anyway.
I assume it's functioning properly but I'll test it. I think my shutter speed was fast enough not to need vr anyway.
1/60 with a 105mm is not 'fast enough' to not need VR. 1/100 would be a minimum, and that's with good camera-handling technique.
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
So you have fine tuned the back focus on this lens?
One thing you might do to test the movement factor is to shoot at that exact setting using the ISO to get the exposure correct and then crank up the ISO and shoot at 2.8 and say 1/500 sec. If it is still soft then you probably have a bad back focus adjustment. If it is good then it is movement that is the problem. Then either you are moving or the VR is not working correctly. But at 1/160 on a 105 lens the VR is probably not even needed. I think the focus point changed when you focused and recomposed.
One thing you might do to test the movement factor is to shoot at that exact setting using the ISO to get the exposure correct and then crank up the ISO and shoot at 2.8 and say 1/500 sec. If it is still soft then you probably have a bad back focus adjustment. If it is good then it is movement that is the problem. Then either you are moving or the VR is not working correctly. But at 1/160 on a 105 lens the VR is probably not even needed. I think the focus point changed when you focused and recomposed.
Ok just got my lens out to do some tests and noticed that vr (os) was set to OFF... I obviously didn't check it on the day. I don't think this matters at 1/160 anyway. It does look like horizontal movement so likely caused by me moving when recomposing. I'll run some tests
I ran some tests with some garden statues with VR on and off at 1/160sec @f3. I mounted the camera on a tripod and fired using a corded remote (it's wireless too but couldn't get it to work!) . I don't believe this lens has a focusing issue, my results came out sharp for most of the time. I did find sometimes it was hit or miss but for the majority, everything was fine. I'll run some tests with a person sometime.
Horoscope Fish
Senior Member
BackdoorArts
Senior Member
He means when you're using a tripod. Off the tripod VR can be your friend, as you've already learned.
Englischdude
Senior Member
i agree on the camera motion. I always try to go for twice the focal length = minimum shutter speed, meaning that 105 on the nikon crop sensor being about 160mm, I would have tried to go for at least 1/300 shutter speed. Seems strange however that with OS switched on you had this problem. Any chance the OS is faulty?
Horoscope Fish
Senior Member
This... ... ^^^^^
I'm only speaking for myself when I say I very, *VERY* rarely turn on VR. Shooting portraits at 1/160 @ 105mm would definitely *NOT* be sufficient reason for me to turn on VR and I have to wonder if VR being active wasn't part of the problem with those shots.
That being said, I never ask anyone to take my word for anything. I think VR is one of those things everyone should experiment with and only then draw their own conclusions about how and when to use it.
...
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
I am still very old school: “Use the shutter speed that is the reciprocal of the “Focal Length”
If the focal length is 50mm, then, the minimum shutter speed would 1/50s (1/60s). (not the corrected focal length for the sensor size)
For the focal length of 250mm, then, the minimum shutter speed would be 1/250s.
Been doing this for 30 years. It works and I ain't changing. That and with today's Nikons you can shot a high enough ISO to get the speed you need.
But again, this is just me.
If the focal length is 50mm, then, the minimum shutter speed would 1/50s (1/60s). (not the corrected focal length for the sensor size)
For the focal length of 250mm, then, the minimum shutter speed would be 1/250s.
Been doing this for 30 years. It works and I ain't changing. That and with today's Nikons you can shot a high enough ISO to get the speed you need.
But again, this is just me.
Same method I use. But I double it. 50mm = 1/100.
VR should be no substitute for good shooting habits.
Horoscope Fish
Senior Member
I use the reciprocal of the focal lengh as a bare minimum...
Please have these words engraved in stone?
Thank you.
...
Guys, I said on page 3 that it appears VR was off as when I went to test my lens today, the OS switch was off. Anyway I can view this in the RAW file? Also, is the Nikon VR the same as Sigma's OS? Works the same way?
@Marcel I didn't know that! thanks for this. So even if I hear the beep telling me I got focus, I must wait a little longer as OS could still not kick in?
@Marcel I didn't know that! thanks for this. So even if I hear the beep telling me I got focus, I must wait a little longer as OS could still not kick in?