BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: New Answers

Nikkor lovers, G or D lens, does it really matter

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November 17, 2006

There are both cheap and high-end G type lenses; usually the price of the lens is an indication of where in the spectrum it should fall.

As for your sharpness and clarity issues - are you sure you are focusing properly? Using a high enough shutter speed to avoid slight blurring due to motion? Perhaps it would help if you mount the camera on a tripod to take some photos and see if that helps. Try different apertures as well, to see if what you are seeing is a function of depth of field - which will increase as you use smaller apertures.

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November 17, 2006

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November 18, 2006

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November 18, 2006

All kidding aside, though, here's what I can say:
It looks as though you used a wide enough aperture to get a shallow DOF so the foliage in the background is a bit blurred and not too distracting. From the looks of the subject's blond hair strands standing out, it would also seem that the focus is pretty good. The baby's eyes may be a bit unfocused, but it's hard to tell on a computer screen.

Which brings up an important point - no computer monitor has the resolution of a decent printer. Monitors are all about 72-95 ppi, while printers are usually about 300 dpi (give or take 60 dpi). My point is that a printer is capable of resolving about 4 times as much detail, so what something looks like on screen and what it looks like on paper can be quite different when you are inspecting something like sharpness.

There is no way for me to tell what level of sharpening you did (either in-camera or as a last step in post-processing), but that can make a noticeable difference in a print and a much less obvious difference on a screen.

So, again, perhaps your DOF was a bit too shallow to get both mom and baby's hair in sharp focus, but it's hard to say based on a screen view. Still, in general, yes, a better lens might make a difference. You might want to consider using a "prime" lens - that is, one that doesn't zoom to different focal lengths - as these are easier to build and so good quality comes at a lower price. The 50MM lens might be a good one for portraiture - and it's not too expensive at all.

As for the photo - the dapples sunlight effect is a matter of taste - not mine, exactly, as though it looks nifty in real life when seen in a still photo it makes the skin tones to mottled, shadows and highlights and all that. And of course it would be a nicer shot if thebaby were looking more at the viewer/camera - but that's a matter of timing. Or if this is actually you and your baby, then that's a matter of a lot of luck with the self timer!

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November 18, 2006