Nikon 18 -200 VR lens

Dominic5749

Dominic5749

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Hi All

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask , but anyway here goes. ow recently i've been attempting portrait shots. I use my 18-200mm vr as my only prime lens is 105mm macro. Anyway i find that i don't seem to get a real sharp image with this lens if i use for portraits? I do hand hold it but of course use VR which helps and i make sure my shutter speed is high enough to freeze my subject and I focus so it looks spot on, but they hardly ever look pin sharp on my imac. More of a soft finish look, I use manual focus not auto (don't like automatic focus not for me).

I use a D300 and use the pop up flash now and again when needed.

I know a prime lens such as 50mm 1.4mm will improve etc... but i'm just wondering if its me or the lens. If any of you have any good shots with no sharpening / pp. i would be interested in looking at the results. Of course hand held.

Many thanks in advance for your time. :thumbs:
 
Can you post one of your portrait shots so that we can offer advice based on what you have done so far?
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Can you post one of your portrait shots so that we can offer advice based on what you have done so far?
Click to expand...

this is one from yesterday at a friends party. no work has been done except resize with no sharpening.

DSC4805_copy.jpg
 
I had a copy of this lens. I found it reasonably sharp at F/8-f/11, but did not find it acceptably sharp wide open. Each copy will be a bit different, though. It also was not at it's best at the short end or long end...best between about 35mm and 135mm. You might want to try that 105vr for some portraits; I've gotten some good shots with mine.

Good luck
 
Dominic5749 said:
I use manual focus not auto (don't like automatic focus not for me).
Click to expand...
Have you tried autofocus though? If you get good results with auto and not with manual, it points the finger at your technique. If both are disappointing, it's something else, but at least you've eliminated one variable.
Dominic5749 said:
If any of you have any good shots with no sharpening / pp. i would be interested in looking at the results.
Click to expand...
Why no sharpening? That's pointless. Images from DSLRs need sharpening, because the anti-aliasing filter in front of the sensor (deliberately, and for good reasons) softens them.
 
For best results using this lens, keep the subject fairly central [I use the centre focus point only, then recompose the frame holding the AF lock] and use f/8 or thereabouts - in the sweet spot.

If you can, try and position your subject so that the distance from camera to subject is much shorter than the distance from subject to background - improves the bokeh no end, especially if you can find uniformly-coloured backdrops, ideally darker than the subject [low-key seems to work better than high-key for this lens.]

Classic portrait focal lengths are around the 100-135mm mark for head shots.

If you must use the flash, go out and buy a packet of Rizla cigarette papers - lick and fold one over your pop-up flash; it'll diffuse the light nicely, and for 50p may well be the best bang-for-buck photo accessory you buy this year! Alternatively, any TTL flash unit with an angle head, pointed upwards or backwards will light your subject well.

Finally, your macro prime will outperform the 18-200 by a country mile, and its focal length makes it perfect for portraits. Bokeh's better, too. Why not try using that next time you're out?
 
OK, so you've shot it wide open, at ISO 500 and at 170mm.
The long end of the 18-200 is its weak point and no lens performs perfectly wide open.

Are you shooting RAW or jpeg? Do you have any noise reduction turned on in camera? At ISO 500 at the size you've posted or up to 6x4 prints noise will be unnoticeable, so there's no point in using high ISO NR.

Try shooting RAW, not using NR, and step up to ISO 800 and f/8 instead of ISO 500 and f/5.6. You'll get a little more noise, but what's the point of a smooth image if it isn't sharp? ISO 800 is perfectly usable on the D300 anyway.
 
Doesnt the 18-200 suffer from a massive sharpness loss at around the 135mm mark?
 
right some interesting facts here, i do shoot with high iso nr on all the time and nr on all the time as well. i shoot in raw.
As to the 105mm i find i have to be afair way back some times. But i will give it a go next time for sure, and bokeh what this then? heard it before but not a clue what it is :thinking: :shrug:.

stewartr . I said no sharpening because I posted this image without sharpening just to show you the results! Of course i sharpen my images in PP.

as to where i was focusing it was her eyes.

thanks agin for all our help so far. :thumbs:
 
Bokeh is that nice blur that's around your main point of focus. Well, it doesn't have to be nice, but some lenses can do a great job at it.
 
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