D7000 - Photo not sharp?

[SGupta]

Hi all,

Nikon D7000 is my first DSLR and I have been reading lots of tutorials to help me learn about all the settings. However, today I went to Chester and took lots of photos but they don't look very sharp. They look blurry in fact. I took them in auto mode (still learning how to use Manual) with a 18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-6.3 Sigma lens.

Photo 1 looks blurry but Photo 2 when I take in doors with the focus on just the face, it looks sharp?
Sorry for the file size on the first image, its just to give a idea of what I meant.

Any ideas on why this is? Thanks!

Photo 1 (not really sharp):

www.saurav.co.uk/tp/2.jpg

Photo 2 (Sharp):

www.saurav.co.uk/tp/1.jpg

 

[Yv]

1st one looks perfectly sharp within the plane of focus. You are shooting up at an angle, so the middle area of the statue will be sharp assuming that was where you focussed, but depending on your aperture, the extremes [top and bottom] are out of the focal plane and hence more blurry.

The 2nd one on the other hand is straight much more straight on so most of the face appears sharp. Although a tip for portraits is to focus on the eyes, it looks like it might be more the forehead on that picture.

hard to offer any more advice without knowing the exif settings, and I dont have a reader on this laptop, but that would be my guess based on just a quick look.

 

[TCR4x4]

Aperture was f/4 on the first, so youve got a pretty shallow DOF there. Looks like the corner of the plinth and the leg of the satue is in focus.

 

[DG Phototraining]

1st one looks perfectly sharp within the plain of focus. You are shooting up at an angle, so the middle area of the statue will be sharp assuming that was where you focussed, but depending on your aperture, the extremes [top and bottom] are out of the focal plain and hence more blurry.

The 2nd one on the other hand is straight much more straight on so most of the face appears sharp. Although a tip for portraits is to focus on the eyes, it looks like it might be more the forehead on that picture.

hard to offer any more advice without knowing the exif settings, and I dont have a reader on this laptop, but that would be my guess based on just a quick look.

I can't see the exif in CS5, but at 100% it looks pretty sharp (though there may be a hint of camera shake) in the centre of the image and much less so at the top/bottom - which suggests you shot it wide open and (when adding in the blue fringing too) that this lens isn't all that good when sat on a 16mp sensor

Without exif data though its hard to make any valuable judgement

Oh - and I use the D7000 all the time now, cracking camera, and I rarely use it in Manual mode

Dave

 

[gadgeteer]

They both look sharp to me.

 

[DG Phototraining]

Aperture was f/4 on the first, so youve got a pretty shallow DOF there. Looks like the corner of the plinth and the leg of the satue is in focus.

Ha - so you could see it - f4, there's your problem then bud added to this lens not being suited to shooting wide open

Dave

 

[SGupta]

Thanks for your replies, after reading them and going back through the other photos which I wasn't happy with, I noticed that the focus was on the wrong parts, making the part I wanted blurry and the other parts sharp. And I think camera shake didn't help.

Tom, what would be the ideal aperture to shoot that photo in? Something smaller such as f16?

 

[DG Phototraining]

Tom, what would be the ideal aperture to shoot that photo in? Something smaller such as f16?

No disrespect at all to Tom (a HGV driver), but you single him out to answer a question and ignore the other two respondents who are BOTH Professional Photographers one of whom uses the SAME camera as you



And to butt in before Tom replies - No - f16 would not be ideal - Tom can tell you why

Sorry Tom - in a funny mood tonight

Dave

 

[SGupta]

No disrespect at all to Tom (a HGV driver), but you single him out to answer a question and ignore the other two respondents who are BOTH Professional Photographers one of whom uses the SAME camera as you



And to butt in before Tom replies - No - f16 would not be ideal - Tom can tell you why

Sorry Tom - in a funny mood tonight

Dave

Sorry Dave! I didn't meant to. It was only after reading your post I realised the blur on some other photos was probably due to camera shake. You mentioned that this lens isn't deal to shooting wide open, which lens would you recommend?

Also Yuvonne, thanks for the tips on the portraits, I will keep that in mind next time

 

[Yv]

Sorry Dave! I didn't meant to. It was only after reading your post I realised the blur on some other photos was probably due to camera shake. You mentioned that this lens isn't deal to shooting wide open, which lens would you recommend?

Also Yuvonne, thanks for the tips on the portraits, I will keep that in mind next time

Don't mind Dave, we need to top up his mulled wine quota, he is lovely really


Seriously though, I wouldn't worry too much yet about other lenses, I was looking at some of your other threads and I think you need to concentrate on getting to grip with the basics before expanding your lens range. A better understanding of how things like aperture, shutter speed and ISO affect each image will improve your photographs no end and start to get yo the sort of images you are looking for.

Taking this statue as an example, at F4, had you focused on the head of the statue, the bottom of the plinth would have been even more out of focus than it is now.

If you go to the tutorials area of the forum, there are some great guides on the relationships between all the basic settings and how they affect each other, perhaps the recent one by pookeyhead might be a good place to start. Its quite indepth and technical, but have your camera to hand and try things out as you read it so you can see what is happening in 'real time'

 

[DG Phototraining]

Sorry Dave! I didn't meant to. It was only after reading your post I realised the blur on some other photos was probably due to camera shake. You mentioned that this lens isn't deal to shooting wide open, which lens would you recommend?

Also Yuvonne, thanks for the tips on the portraits, I will keep that in mind next time

No no - I realise Yvonne and I just aren't good enough for you







Sorry - right then...

If you want a mid range zoom and have the pennies, the Nikon 17-55mm f2.8; failing that, Tamron do an excellent one too also an f2.8 of a similar focal range; failing that, don't shoot wide open if you can help it

The higher the pixel count the more punishing the sensor is of poorer lenses, so what may have been fine on an older 6mp is soft on a 16mp one

F16 and higher brings a new problem of softness called diffraction, so best not to go there either if you can

Off for some telly now

Cheers

Dave

 

[Nawty]

Basically the more you ask a lens to do the more compromises you get.

Your lens covers a huge range of focal lengths so it is bound to have some compromises, especially given its relatively low price.

Pretty much all lenses, especially zoom lenses, are not as good wide open as they are stopped down a little (they tend to be softer and lack a little contrast).

This, combined with the compromises your lens has means that it will be a little soft wide open (and probably have loads of distortion too!).

If you want a lens that works wide open then the Nikon 35mm f/1.8is a cracking lens but make sure you understand why you'd want on first

 

[SGupta]

No no - I realise Yvonne and I just aren't good enough for you







Sorry - right then...

If you want a mid range zoom and have the pennies, the Nikon 17-55mm f2.8; failing that, Tamron do an excellent one too also an f2.8 of a similar focal range; failing that, don't shoot wide open if you can help it

The higher the pixel count the more punishing the sensor is of poorer lenses, so what may have been fine on an older 6mp is soft on a 16mp one

F16 and higher brings a new problem of softness called diffraction, so best not to go there either if you can

Off for some telly now

Cheers

Dave

Shooting wide open focuses on just one point rather than the whole view correct? And the opposite is focusing on everything?

What is the 17-200mm lens ideal for? I was under the impression that it was ideal for close photos as well as far ones due to the zoom?

I am still learning as I have only had this for just over a week and been taking in a lot of info, so all feedback helps.

Thanks,
Saurav

Basically the more you ask a lens to do the more compromises you get.

Your lens covers a huge range of focal lengths so it is bound to have some compromises, especially given its relatively low price.

Pretty much all lenses, especially zoom lenses, are not as good wide open as they are stopped down a little (they tend to be softer and lack a little contrast).

This, combined with the compromises your lens has means that it will be a little soft wide open (and probably have loads of distortion too!).

If you want a lens that works wide open then the Nikon 35mm f/1.8is a cracking lens but make sure you understand why you'd want on first

I have a 17-35mm lens, would that be ideal for shooting general photos when out and about?

 

[Nawty]

The 18-200 is a Jack of all, master of none lens.

To be honest it might be all you ever need but it does have its limitations and the problems you've encountered so fer aren't due to the lens.

 

[TCR4x4]

Sorry, I was asleep..

Lucky the pros were on hand to answer.

 

[JulesP]

I used to have this lens on my D7000 and sold it pretty quickly after getting it.
As mentioned, its a jack of all trades and master of none. I always struggled to get a shot I was happy with when using it.
Shooting around f8 should yield better results - best avoid shooting at f3.5 -6.3 if possible as most lenses are at their best when stopped down a couple of stops especially the cheaper ones.
Also, if you notice on the first shot, when viewed at 100% there is a lot of chromatic aberration (purple fringeing) on the twigs and branches - something I found this lens is really bad for when I had it - caused by sudden contrast changes in the image (dark twig against light sky)

My advice would be to stick with this lens for a while, get some experience and work out where you want to go with your photography and then maybe think about upgrading it. Its worth keeping to learn with and maybe for holidays when you want to travel light with only one lens.