Image Sharpness

[chaitan_patel]

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I'm curious how to make images that are sharp?<br />Is it to do with auto/manual focusing?</p>

<p>I hope you may find time to see my image at this address http://www.photo.net/photodb/member-photos?user_id=8511764</p>

<p>I don't have that sharpness in my image 'capsicum_flower' that I can see in real life. Any tips to this stranger will be appreciated.</p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

<div></div>

[savagesax]

Hi, a bit of information would be welcomed. What camera, lens are you using? To me it almost looks as though

the lens isn't sharp.

 

So have you tried different lenses, things like that to rule out a focusing problem? Taking a very close look at the

flower it looks like that maybe the right leaf is sharp. If this is the case we are looking at something called "Depth

of Field." In order for the whole flower to be in focus you'd have to set your camera to manual and about F22.

Also it's pretty hard to get the complete flower in focus, even at F22.

 

Hope this helps and kindly give us a bit more information.

[chaitan_patel]

<p>Hi Bob,</p>

<p>I'm using a Canon EOS 600D along with the lens that came with it. The specs on the lens are "EFS 18-55mm".</p>

<p>I had these settings when I checked out image properties in details:<br /> F-stop f/5.6<br />Exposure time 1/80sec<br />ISO speed ISO-250<br />Focal length 55mm</p>

<p>I was in P mode and I chose f/5.6 to blur out the background. Also I was focusing manually because auto-focus seemed to be stuck in a loop of trying to zoom in and out.</p>

 

[dave_s]

<p>If you were hand-holding the camera (as opposed to shooting from a tripod), it's nearly impossible to get adequate sharpness at 1/80 of a second when shooting a close-up like this one. </p>

<p>If you were shooting a distant subject, like a landscape, you might get away with it, but you'll still get a visibly better image if you shoot at 1/250 or faster. For your close-up, jack up the ISO and use 1/1000. Better still, borrow a tripod. Tell us if you see an improvement. </p>

[Ray House]

<p>I adjusted the contrast and levels, then applied some sharpening. I don't think you have a problem with your gear, but would suggest some work with post processing to bring out the detail.</p><div></div>

[JosvanEekelen]

<p>Have a look at depth of field, DOF. You'll find several good DOF calculators on the internet plus some extra info. When shooting close-ups of flowers your depth of field is small, when you get closer it becomes razor thin. Make use of this and add the proper post processing and you'll see that your pictures can come out much better than you think now.</p>

[drjoder]

<p>Chaitan, you mention that the auto focus was moving in and out so you switched to manual focus. I am wondering if you were inside the minimum focus distance for your lens (which, I think, might be about 10 inches with your 18-55). If you were inside that range, even manual focus won't help. Did it look in focus with manual focus? Just as a general tip (and along with all the f-stop suggestions above), one of the best ways to get sharper images is to use a tripod and mirror lock-up or exposure delay mode with a remote release.</p>

[Palouse]

<p>Getting some more light on the subject wouldn't hurt either. Try a simple white reflector-nothing fancy, a large sheet of white paper or cloth or cardboard. Even a white paper plate surrounding the lens (with a hole in the middle for the lens to see through). Use the light to better define the shapes.</p>

[Jochen_S]

<p>http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/dof-calculator.htm <br>

claims usable DOF of 0.8cm at 55mm f5.6 and my kit zoom's minimum distance of 35cm.<br />As a general rule of thumb: I would stop any manually focused lens 2 stops further down than I used to visually judge my DOF on the ground glas. - Not sure if this helps with the tiny DSLR sensors but should be right if you take a picture at f22 on 4x5" and judged it at f11.<br>

If there is a bright day try doing a camera shake / handholding skills test. Shoot something with tiny bold details (newspaper page?) at various shutter speeds maybe start at 1/500sec and go down to 1/15. Do pixelpeeping to understand results, which might vary for both ends of your zoom. <br>

In general I wouldn't expect an affordable zoom lens to deliver maximum sharpness wide open at closest possible focusing distance. - Its again 2 f-stops of stopping down (as a rule of thumb). <br>

IDK if your camera offers auto ISO or if your lens has IS. I would use both for such situations liek the shot you posted. For really great results with macro photography external flashes come to mind. - Tripods are limited; a stable camera gets you nowhere when the wind shakes your subject... - But it is still a good idea to get & use one!</p>

[ken_kuzenski]

<p>Chaitan, lots of good advice here. I just want to pass on the old photographic wisdom: "The best lens I own is a tripod." Using one can make a big difference--or even just enough of a little difference to be a big help. :-) I use a big heavy tripod some of the time, but I also have a couple of small light monopods. One folds down to a foot long and it weighs less than a kilo--easy to carry and use! Worth a thought, IMO. Good luck! </p>

[JDMvW]

<p>All of the above, but for critical focusing, especially for relatively close-up subjects, manual focusing -- AND learning <em>how</em> to do that -- is necessary. Shallow depth of field and the inability of AF to 'guess' what YOU want to be in focus is a big part of the problem.</p>

<p>Google™ for "how to focus camera" and a number of tutorials will show up.</p>