 Tara R. Swartzendruber |
camera takes soft photos Maybe it's my imagination, but my camera seems to be taking "softer" (fuzzier-less sharp) photos than it used to. Can something cause this? I have a nikon D80 with a 18-135 lens. It's currently my only lens, so it is never off the camera.
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- Carlton Ward Contact Carlton Ward Carlton Ward's Gallery |
Hello Tara, We need a bit more information about how you shoot. Are you shooting in Manual mode or P or Auto ? Is your shutter speed fast enough ? Are you using the DOF (depth of field) you need ? Lenses can also be soft or even get out of whack after some usage. My Canon 50mm f/1.4 prime lens recently lost its ability to auto focus and the manual focusing ring is not working properly either. This lens worked great for 3 years and I dont remember ever dropping it or handling it roughly, it just stopped working. It is my cheapest lens and I wont even bother getting it fixed, I will instead get a Zeiss or Sigma 50mm as a replacement and these lenses are getting great reviews. This is also why I invest in top quality glass. Canons L lenses and Nikon/Nikkor lenses are expensive because they are designed & built better and should last a long time. Give us a little more info and we may be able to tell you if its your shooting technique or the lens. Carlton
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Tara R. Swartzendruber |
I'll try to give more info. I notice this most when I'm shooting outside. I usually shoot in AP or SP mode. I prefer to shoot in AP so I can choose a wide aperature to get a softer background, but sometimes I choose SP so I can choose an easier hand-held option. I try not to shoot above 400 ISO with this camera, I think the shots have a lot of grain when I do. Since I sell photos, I want to be able to make good enlargements. The lens SEEMS to be working fine. The photos actually seem sharper when I've zoomed in quite a bit then when I'm not. Does this give more info? Thanks!!
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- Carlton Ward Contact Carlton Ward Carlton Ward's Gallery |
Yes Tara, A rule of thumb is that many lenses are their sharpest about 2 stops above wide open. I have a couple of f/2.8 lenses that are very sharp at f/7.1. Many journalists would set their aperture at f/8 as it generally was a good aperture any lens they used. Next thing I would mention is shutter speed and mechanics. Hand holding at 1/60 or slower requires a good shooting technique. I keep my left hand under the lens with my left arm tucked in close to my side. I try to keep my shutter speeds at 1/100 or faster but if I have a good stance or possibly braced against a pole or something, I have been able to shoot at slower speeds. I swear by a tripod as it opens up more options for being creative or capturing a shot they way you want. I recently upgraded to a nice carbon fiber tripod that makes my long hikes much more enjoyable carrying a lighter load. Hope this helps, Carlton
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Tara R. Swartzendruber |
Thanks, Carlton. SO, one thing I do try very much try to do is to keep my Shutter at 1/100 or 1/125 to keep it steady, and with little kids a tripod is impossible. They don't stay put long enough to get set up! If I can't achieve this Shutter speed at the wider f-stops, then I adjust on the f-stop (or the ISO) as necessary. But I would so much rather be able to use the widest possible f-stop so I can get the softer backgrounds. I realize that I can't have everything I want all the time! :) * So are you saying that I should try to keep my f-stop 2 stops above it's widest setting (when possible) to achive the sharpest photos?? * And is there some other reason that it seems like I'm getting more photos that seem "less sharp" than I did a year ago?
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- Carlton Ward Contact Carlton Ward Carlton Ward's Gallery |
Hi Tara, If you have a local camera store available, you may go down and ask to borrow another 18-135 lens and take some test shots and compare to see if your lens is OK. Like I mentioned, lenses can get softer after some usage but you can compare/verify and if needed you can send your lens in for calibration. Another thing to consider is that if you are focusing manually to make sure your diopter is dialed in for your eye. Again, I think you could increase you DOF a bit (like f/5.6) and you should still get a nice background and a much sharper subject. Most lenses are not their sharpest wide open. Background blur is also determined by how much space is behind the subject and every lens has its own characteristics as to distance & space they need to perform at their best. This is also why a lot of portrait shooters like the 70-200mm lenses as they add more compression which is more flattering for the subject & their features and this also helps with making a buttery background. I know its an investment but the Nikon 70-200mm VR lens is incredible. Most Nikon shooters I know use theirs heavily. You may rent one and try it out. Blessings, Carlton
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- Carlton Ward Contact Carlton Ward Carlton Ward's Gallery |
Hi again Tara, This link explains DOF & sharpness very well. http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/dof.shtml Carlton
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Tara R. Swartzendruber |
Thanks so much....I will check into these things and the link as well. I have to add that after being recommended the 70-200mm VR lens by a number of photographers, I went to my local camera store. They thought I was nuts to look at something like that unless I was planning to shoot weddings from the back of a really long isle....
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Tara R. Swartzendruber |
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