Shutter Speed for the D750

having just come from the DX world I do have a few questions. I always used the 1.5 time the lens length for shutter speed and if possible I did 2x. Went out with my 70-300 on the D750 today and shot at the Zoo. But first I did test/tune the lens. Sitting on a tripod and a longer than normal distance for tuning. I checked it at about 50 feet and it was less than 2 inches off. Now back to the zoo...I set the camera to auto ISO since it was late afternoon and the sun was dropping fast. shadow to sun and back to shadow... I also set Minimum Shutter speed to normal and it matched the zoom length all afternoon. Was also a test of low light capabilities of the D750. So many of the photos looked soft and I am thinking it looks like motion blur. I did check the focus point in Lightroom and it is dead on where I wanted it to be. I could also tell that there was no place anywhere that was in sharp focus . So my question is... What is the minimum shutter speed that you use when shooting?

Is there anything else that might be causing my photos to be soft? they look good at full frame but when I zoom in on Lightroom to 1.1 that is where they lose it. By comparison the D7100 does not look soft.

I have no single, minimum shutter speed. What I can get away with depends on many factors. Focal length, mostly, but whether the lens has VR, how steady I can make myself, whether the wind is blowing etc.

Normally if I'm shooting hand held, and the shutter speed drops to 1X focal length I turn on the VR. It depends on what I'm shooting however. For birds I like to have it at 3-4X times FL at least.
Also the I have found that at short FL it is not as critical as longer ones like 2-300mm.

Can you upload a problem shot maybe with EXIF?

One thing not to forget when using VR is to give VR a bit of time to settle. When VR is turned on and you just press the shutter, sometimes the VR will still be in it's adjustment phase and the picture could be blurred just because of this.

Don Kuykendall said:

having just come from the DX world I do have a few questions. I always used the 1.5 time the lens length for shutter speed and if possible I did 2x. Went out with my 70-300 on the D750 today and shot at the Zoo. But first I did test/tune the lens. Sitting on a tripod and a longer than normal distance for tuning. I checked it at about 50 feet and it was less than 2 inches off. Now back to the zoo...I set the camera to auto ISO since it was late afternoon and the sun was dropping fast. shadow to sun and back to shadow... I also set Minimum Shutter speed to normal and it matched the zoom length all afternoon. Was also a test of low light capabilities of the D750. So many of the photos looked soft and I am thinking it looks like motion blur. I did check the focus point in Lightroom and it is dead on where I wanted it to be. I could also tell that there was no place anywhere that was in sharp focus . So my question is... What is the minimum shutter speed that you use when shooting?

Is there anything else that might be causing my photos to be soft? they look good at full frame but when I zoom in on Lightroom to 1.1 that is where they lose it. By comparison the D7100 does not look soft.

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Try setting it to one line over normal. I'm guessing since you were at the Zoo, you were using a longer FL with your 70-300mm? No?

Yes to using the longer focal length.
I know BIF takes a fast shutter speed. I always shot 1/2000 when I shoot BIF. Any moving subject I know needs more speed.

Never been a fan of VR. The few times I have tried it I thought it was just not as sharp. That is why I always used the Reciprocal Rule . But this is just a starting point in my opinion and can vary with length of lens (longer focal length might need more than 1 to 1) How steady you think you are in my opinion does not really factor in or at most 1 stop. I had this nailed down with the D7100 but with FX and the D750 the rules may have changed. I do like Blacktop suggestion as to setting it to 1 line over in the Minimum shutter speed under Auto ISO.

What I really want to know is has any of you D750 shooters had or seen this problem.

Ok, Here is an example. Only standard sharpening done when importing into LR. Basic adjustments done for lighting differences. The first shot is full frame and the second is a 100% section, I will also shot the focus point as it is shown in LR so you know exactly where I was focusing

D750 with 70-300 @300mm
ISO 125
f/5.6 at 1/350sec



Full frame



100% crop

Have you tested it on a tripod to take yourself out of the equation

mikew said:

Have you tested it on a tripod to take yourself out of the equation

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Sorry, should have stated that in the first post. All testing and tuning was done on a tripod with VR turned off. Hand held at the zoo. So real world testing.

You say f6.5 but the exif says f5.6 so the 750 may require you to stop down a stop,at least one stop,unless you find a simple answer i think you need to test the lens at a few apertures

mikew said:

You say f6.5 but the exif says f5.6 so the 750 may require you to stop down a stop,at least one stop,unless you find a simple answer i think you need to test the lens at a few apertures

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Typo on my part. I often get to typing to fast and one finger works faster than it should. LOL


Today was all about letting the camera do what it thought was best. That worked pretty good on the D7100. Now it is time to tame this beast.

Is it the small image and my early morning eye sight but the two deer on the left look as though they could be sharper than the one you focused on.

D750 with 50-300 @300mm
ISO 125
f/5.6 at 1/350sec

Read more: http://nikonites.com/d750/34416-shutter-speed-d750.html#ixzz3upmlGnaD

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Too slow shutter speed for hand held IMO. (Didn't know Nikon made a 50-300..)

That shot I would have bumped up the ISO at least 3 stops.
Do not be afraid of ISO on this cam. I know it will take a little getting used to, but 1600 on this cam is like 400 on your D7100. It's nothing!
I start looking at 6400 for a little noise in good light and some noise at dark.

Blacktop said:

Too slow shutter speed for hand held IMO. (Didn't know Nikon made a 50-300..)

That shot I would have bumped up the ISO at least 3 stops.
Do not be afraid of ISO on this cam. I know it will take a little getting used to, but 1600 on this cam is like 400 on your D7100. It's nothing!
I start looking at 6400 for a little noise in good light and some noise at dark.

Click to expand...

Tried a shot in very low light and bumped up the ISO. What do you think?

In my experience and in my readings it's not so much DX vs. FX, it's pixel density. Anything over 16MP's can suffer from this. With the D750 I set Auto ISO shutter speed to one click over normal with my 24-120mm and two clicks for anything longer than that.

As with all the non-pro bodies I've had (D7000, D7100, D600, D610), I've also found that shooting in quiet mode improves sharpness.

Don Kuykendall said:

What do you think?

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Having read this entire thread and having both a D750 and a D7100 like you do, I suspect what you're seeing, at least to some degree (and probably to a large degree in my opinion), has to do with the fact your D750 has an AA/OLPF filter, while your D7100 does not. I never felt I was getting the full potential out of my D750 until I had the OLPF removed. I'm not suggesting you do the same, but your experience does mirror my own perfectly. So much so this thread of yours could have been my own.
....

Horoscope Fish said:

Having read this entire thread and having both a D750 and a D7100 like you do, I suspect what you're seeing, at least to some degree (and probably to a large degree in my opinion), has to do with the fact your D750 has an AA/OLPF filter, while your D7100 does not. I never felt I was getting the full potential out of my D750 until I had the OLPF removed. I'm not suggesting you do the same, but your experience does mirror my own perfectly. So much so this thread of yours could have been my own.
....

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Ok, before we start defiling the greatest camera ever built bar none(D750) by striping stuff out of her, lets give [MENTION=6277]Don Kuykendall[/MENTION] a chance at figuring out how to actually shoot this fine precision machinery.
How bout we mount her up on a tripod and start from there.

As someone who also owns both cameras,(and has clicked the shutter a few times) I can tell you that the D750 takes far sharper and clearer shots then the D7100 using the same lens even without the filter removed.

Blacktop said:

Ok, before we start defiling the greatest camera ever built bar none (D750) by striping stuff out of her, lets give [MENTION=6277]Don Kuykendall[/MENTION] a chance at figuring out how to actually shoot this fine precision machinery.
How bout we mount her up on a tripod and start from there.

As someone who also owns both cameras,(and has clicked the shutter a few times) I can tell you that the D750 takes far sharper and clearer shots then the D7100 using the same lens even without the filter removed.

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I was simply relating my personal experience; I'm sorry if you interpret my doing so as "defiling" your sacred D750. I even stated quite clearly, I'm NOT suggesting he do as I did.

Carry on gents, I'll leave you to it.
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Horoscope Fish said:

I was simply relating my personal experience; I'm sorry if you interpret my doing so as "defiling" your sacred D750. I even stated quite clearly, I'm NOT suggesting he do as I did.

Carry on gents, I'll leave you to it.
....

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Did not mean to upset you. I was merely trying to relate in a light hearted way, that I didn't think that having an OLPF on the D750 would be causing soft shots such as Don was describing. I have no doubt that with the filter removed, the D750 is an even more awesome camera then it is with it.

I have to agree with the D750 being softer because of its filter. I clearly notice the difference between my D750 and D810/D7200 when it comes to sharpness. It having the biggest sensor pixels isn't helping either.

I'm not sure if the D7100 has an OLPF but if not, the problem might partly be situated there.