Losing patience shooting sharp images!

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charlottemarie_15

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Edit My Images
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Ok, I've tried so many ways and still my images aren't sharp!

Here is the full image shot as a jpeg;

d90full.jpg


Here it is at 100%;

crop1.jpg


Here is the full image when I've post processed my RAW and saved a jpeg;

jettyfull.jpg


And again at 100%

jettyfullcrop_1.jpg



Are either of these acceptable? If not I honestly don't know what else I can do. I shoot with really good lenses and a good DSLR. I use a tripod. I use ISO 100. I use a remote to fire the shutter. I use exposure delay after the mirror has locked up. I use the sweet spot of the lens (I think, around f11/16 on a Sigma 10-20).

Is it camera shake? Is it RAW? If it is RAW- how do you do it?! I zoom in at 100% but sharpening just seems to make it look worse :S. Help :(
 
What focus are you using? Manual, single point?
Have you tried using live-view if you have it, and zoom in on the image?
You are using a tripod, is it on solid ground and you are keeping still, with no wind (cheap tripods may not be very steady, mine isn't at full height). If you are standing on a wooden platform like the picture, then this could be shaking slightly itself, which won't help (this would be exaggerated on your photo due to the changing angles)
On my camera, things basically won't get sharper after around f/8.
What size are you intending on displaying the image? Zooming in 100% will show all of the flaws in an image, but looking at that post at arms' length, it looks ok to me.
Printed on a canvas, A2 size, I reckon that would look pretty decent.
My current view is not calibrated (as I write), but I reckon I prefer the colours in the first image. Looks more dusky/dawny with more red.
Perhaps try some unsharp-mask on the post?
 
Yeah I prefer the first one too, I was trying to re-create it in RAW with no luck! The platform was steady and I'm using a new redsnapper tripod which feels really steady. I'll try at f8 today, and yeah, I could zoom in on the live view so thats cool :)

I've tried focusing a third into the scene, but I don't really understand how to work out this hyperfocal distance thing, maybe thats why?

And for prints I'd be ok with them, but I'd like to submit to Alamy or other stock sites and I know how sharp images need to be, but I don't know whats an acceptable standard....
 
Could you post these images with the EXIF data so we can see exactly what you are doing?
 
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Sigma 10-20 is not an exceptionally sharp lens anyway, but try bringing it down to F8, And if you have live view that you can magnify then use it and focus on a post. Make sure your tripod is solid, weigh it down if necessary. If you have any in camera noise reduction turned on, make sure it's off completely, then when converting in RAW make sure you only apply the bare minmum necessary, as it can smooth stuff out too much and mask details.

Also - IMO the colours of the JPEG image are far nicer :D
 
charlottemarie_15 said:
Yeah I prefer the first one too, I was trying to re-create it in RAW with no luck! The platform was steady and I'm using a new redsnapper tripod which feels really steady. I'll try at f8 today, and yeah, I could zoom in on the live view so thats cool :)

I've tried focusing a third into the scene, but I don't really understand how to work out this hyperfocal distance thing, maybe thats why?

And for prints I'd be ok with them, but I'd like to submit to Alamy or other stock sites and I know how sharp images need to be, but I don't know whats an acceptable standard....
Click to expand...

No mystery about hyperfocal distance - focus approx one third into the scene and use a smallish aperture - f/11 - with landscapes it should not be difficult to get everything sharp - especially when using a super wide lens.

For submitting to picture libraries you need to shoot the originals in RAW. These are not sharp enough and I would think would be rejected by Alamy. As Alan said the 10-20mm is not fantastic - I got rid of mine ages ago - and you might just have a bad one. Have you had any sharp images with it?
 
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awp said:
No mystery about hyperfocal distance - focus approx one third into the scene and use a smallish aperture - f/11 - with landscapes it should not be difficult to get everything sharp - especially when using a super wide lens.

For submitting to picture libraries you need to shoot the originals in RAW. These are not sharp enough and I would think would be rejected by Alamy. As Alan said the 10-20mm is not fantastic - I got rid of mine ages ago - and you might just have a bad one. Have you had any sharp images with it?
Click to expand...

+1...:thumbs:
 
awp said:
No mystery about hyperfocal distance - focus approx one third into the scene and use a smallish aperture - f/11 - with landscapes it should not be difficult to get everything sharp - especially when using a super wide lens.

For submitting to picture libraries you need to shoot the originals in RAW. These are not sharp enough and I would think would be rejected by Alamy. As Alan said the 10-20mm is not fantastic - I got rid of mine ages ago - and you might just have a bad one. Have you had any sharp images with it?
Click to expand...

Don't say that! I'd heard nothing but good things about the Sigma before I bought it :(
 
Go play with a Nikon 14-24mm (£1200+) and then tell me the Sigma is good! :)
 
Here were two quick edits (using gimp for a change)

High-pass filter

Unsharp mask


These are a bit extreme for effect. I reckon, a full size print isn't going to be so bad
 
Try posting a jpeg straight from camera - that will have the EXIF data. What software are you using to process these? That must be stripping the EXIF.
 
Well, I'll try focusing a third into the scene and using live view. But so many photographers get crisp sharp images hand held sometimes, and although certain lenses will generate sharper results, surely I should be getting better results than this with a £400 lens? I've tried almost everything, and I've seen very little improvement. So maybe I have got a bad one...

And you're all right, it should be easy to get sharp images with a decent camera and wide angle lens. Not to mention a remote, a tripod and mirror lock up.

I can't seem to upload straight from the camera as its 300dpi and too large..... Any other suggestions? I'm processing using Adobe Camera Raw. Should I be using that or NIkon View NX?

Does it look like a shooting problem or a post processing problem?

Its so frustrating, theres so much I want to shoot but until I crack this sharpening issue they'll be unusable :(
 
Theres a lot of factors to be considered here, focus, shutter speed, lens quality, post process, it could be any or all of these things.
Sigma 10-20 lens have had mixed reviews, it seems theres good and bad ones around, then theres the question of focus point you say you were using hyperfocual distance but don't fully understand it? Can you take a shot again using a single focus point on the post? that will give us a comparrison.
 
just a quickie...have you another kit lens..?

take a shot as wide as it goes

maybe that would eliminate any questions about tripod, shutter release, PP etc

if IT is sharp then the Sigma is to blame ....just an idea
 
Yardbent said:
just a quickie...have you another kit lens..?

take a shot as wide as it goes

maybe that would eliminate any questions about tripod, shutter release, PP etc

if IT is sharp then the Sigma is to blame ....just an idea
Click to expand...

Yeah good idea, I'll take the exact same shot with two lenses and see the difference!

Just tried focusing zoomed in on live view and it does appear to be giving better results.
 
charlottemarie_15 said:
Just tried focusing zoomed in on live view and it does appear to be giving better results.
Click to expand...

never done that .....suppose it would be ok on a tripod - but what if you wanted to handhold the Sigma..?


BTW the kit lens 18-55 AF-S DX is supposed to be sharp at 18mm ...dont need VR ..used about £60

if that is wide enough --- sell the Sigma - once I'm not happy with a lens, I find I am ''never'' happy with it.....:thumbsdown:

the one most talked about is the Tokina [11-16?]
 
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I think it's all been said. Looking at the image it looks like a soft image not an unsharp one. There is no real indication of camera shake, so I would put it down to the lens.

The problem with many digital cameras is that the chip resolution exceeds that of the optics. It's particularity noticeable with 18+ Mpixel cameras.

Try a re shoot at around 2 stops down from maximum that's about F8-F11. Looking at the MTF figures for this lens this seems to give the best results

Not sure how you are processing the image, but in Lightroom and ACR I would add a bit more capture sharpening to the images
 
charlottemarie_15 said:
Don't say that! I'd heard nothing but good things about the Sigma before I bought it :(
Click to expand...

I'm on my third Sigma 10-20 - first one was sharp as a tack on left hand side and soft as goose by-products on the right. Second one was just a bit iffy altogether, but the third one was fine. I'm happy with the one i've got now, but I doubt I'll be going for another Sigma lens until they get their QC routines sorted. I don't expect to have to buy lenses like Goldilocks shops for Porridge :shrug:
 
I would not be to quick to put it down to the lens being sub standard.

From what I gather reading between the lines you lack a little experiance.

So as it is in autofocus are you deciding the focus point or is it the camera, is it in multi point or single point.

Are you checking through the viewfinder which focus point is being used and where it is locking onto in the image ( it will light up).

Remember also that if as you say you are using a remote on a tripod in AF mode then it will re autofocus when you press the remote lead shutter and may not be focused on the landing stage but on the water or land behind it.:)
 
charlottemarie_15 said:
Just tried focusing zoomed in on live view and it does appear to be giving better results.
Click to expand...

you have baffled me, the D80 doesnt have live view

Ah, couldnt see the Exif info but just noticed the file name :-) so presuming its a D90, hope you get it sorted, certainly seems to be a bad copy
 
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Couple of further observations - looking very closely - these both look sharper in the middle distance - infinity - so it could be user focussing error. Also these are very compressed jpegs - file size is less than 60Kb in the top one - less than 50Kb in the second!.
 
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charlottemarie_15 said:
Is it camera shake? Is it RAW? If it is RAW- how do you do it?! I zoom in at 100% but sharpening just seems to make it look worse :S. Help :(
Click to expand...

Have you done any sharpening in post production? RAW images are SOFT and require sharpening.

Use some Unsharpen Mask in Photoshop to see the difference. Your RAW software should also allow you to sharpen the image.
 
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OlyPaul said:
I would not be to quick to put it down to the lens being sub standard.

From what I gather reading between the lines you lack a little experiance.

So as it is in autofocus are you deciding the focus point or is it the camera, is it in multi point or single point.

Are you checking through the viewfinder which focus point is being used and where it is locking onto in the image ( it will light up).

Remember also that if as you say you are using a remote on a tripod in AF mode then it will re autofocus when you press the remote lead shutter and may not be focused on the landing stage but on the water or land behind it.:)
Click to expand...

No lack of experience (although theres always something, no many things, that I don't yet know :), been doing it six years! Although I am lacking experience in gear, as I've never really changed it, and I don't know the differences between current models etc...

But it could be to do with the remote as you said, however I have observed many shots where I feel they should have been sharp, I really am thinking it could be a duff lens....
 
Thanks for all your help guys, it seems it could be many things, focussing mainly which is something that will just require practise.

However, I feel (bar a few helpful hints I haven't yet tried) that the lens won't get much sharper than it was, so I may see Jessops about swapping it for another... If I'm successful, what do you recommend for ultimate sharpness? It will be mainly used for landscapes and sharpness is the biggest point for me. Ideally liking to hand hold in bright enough conditions. Budget wise, well this cost £400 so something along those lines although I imagine I'm looking at dearer for sharper lenses. Oh and I'm not too worried about 'ultra' wide angle like the 10-20, but I do have a crop sensor to bare in mind....

Thanks :)
 
what do you recommend for ultimate sharpness? It will be mainly used for landscapes and sharpness is the biggest point for me

ken Rockwell...(c) ..''link''...............and the Tokina 11-16 gets rave reviews
 
charlottemarie_15 said:
Budget wise, well this cost £400 so something along those lines
Click to expand...

Seriously? Just save save save and get the Nikon 14-24mm - the only wide you'll ever need. If you buy another 'cheap' lens you'll eventually be disappointed. Qulaity costs money - end of story.
 
They do come up used - and trust me the wait is worth it.

Sent from my iPhone using TP Forums
 
I agree - you'd be better off getting a used decent lens than a new cheap lens.
 
Have you tried another photograph in bright sunlight using single focus point yet? we haven't really worked out if it is the lens have we?
 
swanseamale47 said:
Have you tried another photograph in bright sunlight using single focus point yet? we haven't really worked out if it is the lens have we?
Click to expand...

No not yet, don't worry I'm not rushing in! Just bearing it in mind. Jessops are swapping it for another Sigma 10-20, so I'm going to try some techniques on this lens and on the new lens and see the comparison. Hopefully the new Sigma will be a massive improvement....
 
The Tokina 11-16mm gets amazing reviews. Failing all else....consider getting one

Hope you sort it

Danny
 
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