How to get sharp images?
- Thread starter ozmacro
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Both the answers above are great and spot on, I would just like to add that what you might want to look at is depth of field. In simple terms depth of field (DOF) is the slice of any photo which is in critically sharp focus, out of focus areas (bokeh) are part of any photo unless they are stacked from the very front all the way to the back or are taken at a very high f/stop (this carries a penalty, avoid f/22 + if possible). What took me some time to work out is that distance to the subject has a massive effect on DOF. f/4-f/8 are fine for most types of photography but these become razor thin DOF at 1:1+ magnification in macro. f/11 as
Jack says is good minimum for macro but the closer you get the more you will need...
Jack says is good minimum for macro but the closer you get the more you will need...
Hello
O
ozmacro , I'm so sorry for the late reply.
Is all about playing with aperture as having enough light.
I would also say, that a lot depends on your subject too. In most cases, try to set you aperture around f11 and use a flashgun for better details.
Is all about playing with aperture as having enough light.
I would also say, that a lot depends on your subject too. In most cases, try to set you aperture around f11 and use a flashgun for better details.
you should stop using AF and use only MF. AF tends to focus where it pleases and not where you want.
I was reluctant, but getting a mirrorless camera is also a great aid as you can magnify the image in the viewfinder and nail the focus. you can do that also with a DSLR and the back screen, but you lose a bit of stability.
I was reluctant, but getting a mirrorless camera is also a great aid as you can magnify the image in the viewfinder and nail the focus. you can do that also with a DSLR and the back screen, but you lose a bit of stability.
Both the answers above are great and spot on, I would just like to add that what you might want to look at is depth of field. In simple terms depth of field (DOF) is the slice of any photo which is in critically sharp focus, out of focus areas (bokeh) are part of any photo unless they are stacked from the very front all the way to the back or are taken at a very high f/stop (this carries a penalty, avoid f/22 + if possible). What took me some time to work out is that distance to the subject has a massive effect on DOF. f/4-f/8 are fine for most types of photography but these become razor thin DOF at 1:1+ magnification in macro. f/11 as
Jack says is good minimum for macro but the closer you get the more you will need higher f/stops for a single shot. Creatively you might want a thin DOF for some scenes but if you want to push that DOF to capture more in focus raise that f/stop and use flash or another external light source to get back that light without having to raise your ISO. Good luck and hope this helps
Jack says is good minimum for macro but the closer you get the more you will need higher f/stops for a single shot. Creatively you might want a thin DOF for some scenes but if you want to push that DOF to capture more in focus raise that f/stop and use flash or another external light source to get back that light without having to raise your ISO. Good luck and hope this helps
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I fully agree to what
Jack and
K
kzurro mentioned, BUT you can use the AF as long as you know how to handle it. I mean you can use just a super small area where the camera should focus OR a whole cluster. In this case the camera tries to auto detect the nearest focal point, BUT this might be not the one which YOU want to use. So IF you use AF, you should know how and where to place it AND you need enough light. Low light can cause AF errors.
Apart from that you need enough light ("flashgun") and the right aperture. f/2.8 might be ok if the subject is a far enough away but the DOF gets tighter and tighter the closer you get to the subject. At a certain point you really need to stack the picture. Otherwise the DOF is too tight even at a higher aperture AND it becomes unsharp again because of the diffraction blur effect.
Doug peterson Extreme Macro
So be careful with your aperture if you photograph macros above 1:1. Don't use a too small aperture (>f8 - f10).
Jack and
K
kzurro mentioned, BUT you can use the AF as long as you know how to handle it. I mean you can use just a super small area where the camera should focus OR a whole cluster. In this case the camera tries to auto detect the nearest focal point, BUT this might be not the one which YOU want to use. So IF you use AF, you should know how and where to place it AND you need enough light. Low light can cause AF errors.Apart from that you need enough light ("flashgun") and the right aperture. f/2.8 might be ok if the subject is a far enough away but the DOF gets tighter and tighter the closer you get to the subject. At a certain point you really need to stack the picture. Otherwise the DOF is too tight even at a higher aperture AND it becomes unsharp again because of the diffraction blur effect.
Doug peterson Extreme Macro
So be careful with your aperture if you photograph macros above 1:1. Don't use a too small aperture (>f8 - f10).