Improving sharpness
- Thread starter SPV
- Start date
Fred Kingston
Senior Member
What software are you using to process the image?
Bikerbrent
Senior Member
Welcome aboard SPY, enjoy the ride. We look forward to seeing more posts and samples of your work.
You might also want to consider introducing yourself on New Member Introductions.
Someone will be along shortly to help you out.
You might also want to consider introducing yourself on New Member Introductions.
Someone will be along shortly to help you out.
Clovishound
Senior Member
The first thing I would do is to bring the ISO down. The Z6 is supposed to have very good low light performance, but IMO 6500 is a tad high, especially since you are shooting off a tripod and can afford a longer shutter speed. I would also bump up to at least F5.6. Most lenses benefit from at least one stop smaller aperture. Not sure that would make a lot of difference, but worth trying.
I ran the first image through Topaz AI software. It upscaled it (because the posted image was small), sharpened and removed noise. This all would work better with the full sized image directly from the camera. Finally, I downsized it for reposting. You could do all this using Lightroom or Photoshop, although I think Topaz does a better job at sharpening. Other editing software can do much the same things. Like Fred, I am curious what software you are editing with.
I ran the first image through Topaz AI software. It upscaled it (because the posted image was small), sharpened and removed noise. This all would work better with the full sized image directly from the camera. Finally, I downsized it for reposting. You could do all this using Lightroom or Photoshop, although I think Topaz does a better job at sharpening. Other editing software can do much the same things. Like Fred, I am curious what software you are editing with.
Hi Fred Kingston,
I used Snapbridge remote to take the picture and it got transferred to Snapbridge. I didn't edit any of the pictures.
Hi Clovishound, Thank you so much for your feedback. I have never done editing or used one to edit but I love taking photos and uploading it as is to my album. After reading your feedback and seeing the edited version, I was thrilled to see the difference between Topaz AI and the one I uploaded! I will remember to use your input in my next photograph. Once again thanks a lot for your time responding to my post.
Fred Kingston
Senior Member
Well, you might want to step up your game with post processing. Most editors have controls for adjusting different parameters in post processing... that would greatly improve the quality of your images. Your camera and lens are certainly capable of producing excellent results...the next step in that process is refining and making adjustments to those images after you take the shot... A lot of folks use adobe's Lightroom... for several reasons... It catalogues images for reference, and contains a simple to extreme editing environment relative to the photographer's needs... There are sharpening tools in Lightroom... As mentioned above in @Clovishound post, there are also stand-alone programs that can do sharpening...
@Fred Kingston, I Sure will learn to use post-processing ASAP. Thanks a lot for your input.
@Bikerbrent, I believe I did introduce myself immediately after I registered. Is it OK to re-introduce again?!
Love photography mainly for family and friends, Now expanding my interest towards landscape, Street, and Skyline photography using a Nikon Z6 from the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Clovishound
Senior Member
SPV, if you are looking for some editing software and don't want to buy it right now, you might look at Nikon's NX Studio. It is free and available on their website.
NX Studio download page
It will not do many of the things that Lightroom, Photoshop, Topaz, and other software will, but it's free and can get you started. It has a somewhat similar layout as Lightroom.
NX Studio download page
It will not do many of the things that Lightroom, Photoshop, Topaz, and other software will, but it's free and can get you started. It has a somewhat similar layout as Lightroom.
Here is the link to the introduction thread https://nikonites.com/forum/threads/hello.48029/post-812019
Thanks and I will try this for few days and then will move on to paid editing software, Topaz AI looks cool
Hi Clovishound, Can I repost the photo you edited under
Post Your Landscape Photos
Clovishound
Senior Member
Keep in mind that Topaz is specific editing, versus a general editing program. It is very good at sharpening, upscaling and denoise. You cannot do things like basic adjustments of color, contrast, shadows etc. Most of the good general editing software packages will allow you to do operations that Topaz does. For instance, Lightroom has a denoise feature, sharpen adjustment and something similar to upscaling. Topaz just does those things much better IMO.
You are welcome to post the edited version. It is your photo after all. I edited it just to show you what the software will do. If you prefer you could send me the full sized file, if it isn't too big, and it will do a better job with it, although it might not make much of a difference when downsized for posting. It should make a difference for full sized versions and for printing.
You are welcome to post the edited version. It is your photo after all. I edited it just to show you what the software will do. If you prefer you could send me the full sized file, if it isn't too big, and it will do a better job with it, although it might not make much of a difference when downsized for posting. It should make a difference for full sized versions and for printing.
@Clovishound , thanks a lot for your time. I started downloading Nikon NX, and will use this to edit and see is enough for the time being. Also attaching the original photo for your reference. I did not use RAW as my option. I get a message saying file is too large for the server to process!
Clovishound
Senior Member
You could try sending it to me in a personal message. Not sure how large a file you can attach. If all you are looking to do right now is to post it here in Landscape Photos, it won't really matter after it's downsized for posting.
BF Hammer
Senior Member
I've been watching this thread as I worked today, waited to see the images on a larger screen to chime in.
I don't actually think you have a problem with a soft image that is not sharp. You could use some more contrast and a little more black level value. I see good detail in things like bricks and the chainlink fence.
But that said, here is where you can give yourself the best chance for sharpness. Tripod and using the Snapbridge app for remote shutter release is the right move. But go into the "i" menu and turn off the Vibration Reduction when on tripod. Use it when hand-holding instead. I will disagree with Clovis here based on my experience doing astrophotography, but you do have room for high ISO with the idea that you really should reduce that aperture closer to f/8. Then try going lightly on a noise-reduction filter. The general rule of lenses is best sharpness when not at the limits of the aperture. So you would have to make up the exposure with a much longer shutter speed. Maybe reduce ISO to 3200, but you will need to make up that exposure somewhere. I take photos of the glowing lume on wristwatches routinely by going to 25 second long exposures (and shooting ISO 100).
EDIT: Add some Local Contrast in post processing is also something that would enhance these images.
But I would be curious to know if you remembered to turn off the in-body VR. That, not shooting so close to the aperture limit of your lens, and learning some post-processing basics like adding contrast should up your game some.
I don't actually think you have a problem with a soft image that is not sharp. You could use some more contrast and a little more black level value. I see good detail in things like bricks and the chainlink fence.
But that said, here is where you can give yourself the best chance for sharpness. Tripod and using the Snapbridge app for remote shutter release is the right move. But go into the "i" menu and turn off the Vibration Reduction when on tripod. Use it when hand-holding instead. I will disagree with Clovis here based on my experience doing astrophotography, but you do have room for high ISO with the idea that you really should reduce that aperture closer to f/8. Then try going lightly on a noise-reduction filter. The general rule of lenses is best sharpness when not at the limits of the aperture. So you would have to make up the exposure with a much longer shutter speed. Maybe reduce ISO to 3200, but you will need to make up that exposure somewhere. I take photos of the glowing lume on wristwatches routinely by going to 25 second long exposures (and shooting ISO 100).
EDIT: Add some Local Contrast in post processing is also something that would enhance these images.
But I would be curious to know if you remembered to turn off the in-body VR. That, not shooting so close to the aperture limit of your lens, and learning some post-processing basics like adding contrast should up your game some.