HELP PLEASE....I shoot with a nikon D90 with 50mm 1.8, 35 mm and am waiting for my D600 to come in. I was looking through nikon.com sample images (http://chsvimg.nikon.com/lineup/dslr/d600/img/sample01/img_02_l.jpg) and was blown away at how sharp, defined and detailed the portrait images were zoomed into 100%...you can literally see pored on faces and defined pieces of hair on heads and lashes! When I zoom into my own images at 100% everything gets blurred together and most of any definition is lost...it's like it gets pixely and run together! I shoot manually, iso 200, shutter speed 160 or higher so there is no motion blur, wide open apertures, and get close to good exposure! I'm tired of not knowing why my images can't be as sharp as what I see other professional photographers....I've googled all I can and asked as many people as possible with NO help! What am I doing wrong?!?
HELP...Images aren't sharp like image samples at Nikon.com
- Thread starter Allorymal
- Start date
Camera shake can give soft focus photos. Try shooting the same image with a shutter speed above 800 vs. your normal speeds. See what that shows. Also, you may need to fine tune your lens to your camera body but I don't know if the D90 allows fine tuning but your D600 does. Fine tuning your lenses can make a huge difference in the sharpness of your images, especially when you're shooting these super high resolution cameras.
There are many reasons for soft shots. Here's a few of them. See if they might help out...
Camera shake. Yep...even at 160 you can have camera shake. This is especially true if you use longer focal lengths. The rule of thumb is the shutter speed should be 1/focal length. In other words. If you have a 200mm focal length, you should be shooting at 1/200 shutter speed MINIMUM. That's just a rule of thumb but you can see that just having something faster than 1/60th isn't a guarantee. Much more involved.
Depth of Field. If you are shooting at wide open apertures, most focal lengths will have very little depth of field which can easily cause parts of the image to be soft or out of focus-looking.
Diffraction. Inversely, if you are shooting with really small apertures (usually about f/18 or smaller), you can get diffraction, which makes the image look softer.
Image Stabilization. Yep...even IS can cause blurring if you are using a tripod. Hand holding, it will help. On a tripod, it will hurt because it is looking for movement where there is none.
Digital sensors. Most digital cameras, regardless of the cost, produce images that are relatively soft straight out of the camera. It's not a lot but I shoot with a D600 and I've even used a Pentax 645D (medium format 40mp) and both still require a bit of post process sharpening for my tastes.
Most of those advertisement images are sharpened a bit in camera while in JPEG mode so they can say it was "straight out of the camera". That doesn't mean that they are all really soft...most could just use a slight amount of sharpening in post.
It's been my experience through the years instructing that the #1 reason students get blurry images is camera shake...even if it doesn't appear initially as the main reason. Most of us don't comprehend how much impact a little shaking can contribute, even at relatively faster shutter speeds. As a landscape shooter, sharpness is everything. I use not only a tripod but also a shutter release cable, the mirror-up option, and my shutter delay option on my camera...all as insurance to make sure there is NO shake.
Hope that helps!
Jeff
Camera shake. Yep...even at 160 you can have camera shake. This is especially true if you use longer focal lengths. The rule of thumb is the shutter speed should be 1/focal length. In other words. If you have a 200mm focal length, you should be shooting at 1/200 shutter speed MINIMUM. That's just a rule of thumb but you can see that just having something faster than 1/60th isn't a guarantee. Much more involved.
Depth of Field. If you are shooting at wide open apertures, most focal lengths will have very little depth of field which can easily cause parts of the image to be soft or out of focus-looking.
Diffraction. Inversely, if you are shooting with really small apertures (usually about f/18 or smaller), you can get diffraction, which makes the image look softer.
Image Stabilization. Yep...even IS can cause blurring if you are using a tripod. Hand holding, it will help. On a tripod, it will hurt because it is looking for movement where there is none.
Digital sensors. Most digital cameras, regardless of the cost, produce images that are relatively soft straight out of the camera. It's not a lot but I shoot with a D600 and I've even used a Pentax 645D (medium format 40mp) and both still require a bit of post process sharpening for my tastes.
Most of those advertisement images are sharpened a bit in camera while in JPEG mode so they can say it was "straight out of the camera". That doesn't mean that they are all really soft...most could just use a slight amount of sharpening in post.
It's been my experience through the years instructing that the #1 reason students get blurry images is camera shake...even if it doesn't appear initially as the main reason. Most of us don't comprehend how much impact a little shaking can contribute, even at relatively faster shutter speeds. As a landscape shooter, sharpness is everything. I use not only a tripod but also a shutter release cable, the mirror-up option, and my shutter delay option on my camera...all as insurance to make sure there is NO shake.
Hope that helps!
Jeff
On the issue of camera shake, I've found that when hand-holding my camera I get the sharpest images when I use a shutter burst of at least 3 shots and the second or third image will be much sharper than the first. It goes towards what navcom was saying about underestimating camera shake. The act of pressing the shutter release button introduces significant shake and with high resolution cameras, that's enough to soften your images. But by shooting in bursts you remove that initial shake for the following shots. It's not something we could get away with when shooting film but it's perfect for digital shooting.
but what if I can't shoot that high because of available light? also...the image I posted above it is from the nikon d600 but there surely isnt that much of a difference in image quality from the D90 to the D600?!
The images info for that image is this...
Shutter speed 1/160 second
Aperture f/3.2
Focal length 85mm
Exposure mode Manual
Exposure metering 3D Color Matrix Metering II
Sensitivity ISO 100
White balance Direct sunlight
Picture control Portrait
Image quality RAW (14-bit)
Lens AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G
The images info for that image is this...
Shutter speed 1/160 second
Aperture f/3.2
Focal length 85mm
Exposure mode Manual
Exposure metering 3D Color Matrix Metering II
Sensitivity ISO 100
White balance Direct sunlight
Picture control Portrait
Image quality RAW (14-bit)
Lens AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G
You can do several things - increase the ISO or add more light and/or use a tripod or use a faster lens. As for increased ISO, keep in mind that the main reasons these newer cameras are so expensive is due to their low-light capabilities. As a result, you can easily move the ISO up to 800-1000 w/o any real noise issues and above 1000 you can ameliorate the noise with programs like LightRoom, NX Capture or Photoshop. Don't be afraid to use your camera to its fullest extent.
The bottom line is this - ambient light is wonderful when there's enough of it to shoot at ISO-100 but when it's not you have to make adjustments.
The bottom line is this - ambient light is wonderful when there's enough of it to shoot at ISO-100 but when it's not you have to make adjustments.
This is one of the portraits I took recently of a family. I can't use tripod bc we are constantly moving and I do take alot of images of children....they'd never sit still for a tripod!
The answer is simple - use more light and use a higher ISO and consider adding a faster lens.
AC016
Senior Member
I think you have to take into consideration that the images posted on the Nikon site are most likely post processed. If that image was shot in RAW, 100% the post processed it to a certain degree. I have learnt to never compare yourself to someone else, that is just self-abuse. It would be like me saying why i can't take portrait pictures that you find in Vogue or something. It's just not going to happen. You need to stop looking at professionaly done, highly photoshoped images on the net and concentrate on what you are capable of doing. If not, you will just continue to beat yourself up. In terms of IQ, the D600 has about 30% better IQ than the D90. It's a given! The resolution of the D600 is going to automatically be better than the D90. The processor and sensor (FX vs DX) of the D600 is also in a different league than the D90. Color depth and Dynamic range are better on the D600. You can go higher with the ISO than the D90. There is just no comparison! Lastly, if you are going to pixel peep at every photo you take, no doubt you will find something you don't like. No matter what camera you use, blow the picture up enough and you will notice pixelation.
Ive shot at ISO 6400 with the D600 with almost zero noise. Full frame sensors are great.
Don't get too frustrated. Shooting in low light situations is always a trade off. And getting super sharp images also comes from experience and knowing when camera shake is going to be a problem. There are many variables involved...more than just a specific shutter speed threshold.
And I completely agree with the comments about comparing your results with a professional that took shots for a Nikon advertisement. They will ALWAYS be the best possible. Can you recreate it? Sure. But remember that the pro has years of experience that put him/her in a better position to get the most out of the camera as well as post processing that was almost certainly performed. Achieving those same results will require more than just pushing the shutter button.
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Personally I think sharpness is overrated but then again I am not a landscape person. Focus is where it is at for me...get it in focus and I'm good.
ISO 6400 is crazy! You could shoot a 2.8 lens at 125 shutter indoors/artificial light one bulb...that is what the 2 or 3 stops will get you...if you have a fast lens it is super cool.
Why would you worry about sharpness when you have stuff like that to think about?
ISO 6400 is crazy! You could shoot a 2.8 lens at 125 shutter indoors/artificial light one bulb...that is what the 2 or 3 stops will get you...if you have a fast lens it is super cool.
Why would you worry about sharpness when you have stuff like that to think about?
AxeMan - Rick S.
Senior Member
Sorry guys I got in late on this thread.
I like to go back and comment on burst shooting, I remember reading somewhere that that bouncing of the mirror going up and down can also cause camera shake too. Not saying this is the cause of softer photo's, like the other posters said many things can cause it.
If you burst shoot and this technique works for you great, just wanted to point out something I thought I read.
BWDIK
I like to go back and comment on burst shooting, I remember reading somewhere that that bouncing of the mirror going up and down can also cause camera shake too. Not saying this is the cause of softer photo's, like the other posters said many things can cause it.
If you burst shoot and this technique works for you great, just wanted to point out something I thought I read.
BWDIK
dramtastic
Senior Member
I can only agree with not to compare your shots to a professionals and also don't ever think they pick up a camera, take a shot and they all turn out gems. I've heard pro wildlife shooters,especailly for birds/birds in flight, say they delete 90% of their shots.
Flugelbinder
Senior Member
I believe most "pros" (unless in a controled enviroment) do. A wedding photographer will take 2000, 3000 photos (some even more) and they will give you 100... That´s less tan 10% and they are almost all (if not all) post processed.
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
Guys, This is a very old thread. I doubt that the OP is paying attention any more.
Good call! I was about to weigh in.
Flugelbinder
Senior Member
Sorry, didn´t even looked at the dates...