Sharpness problems

[TMG1961]

Hi everyone, I just got started with macro photography. Using a sony a6400 with laowa 100mm f/2.8 macro lens and a meike speedlight mk320. The biggest problem i have is getting sharp photos. I use focus peaking so that i can see what is in focus. I use aperture between f/8 and f/11. I added a photo, aperture was f/11 and the entire little plant was covered by the focus peaking colour. But to me the photo is not completely sharp. Am i doing something wrong?

 

[MikeB]

Still not sure about the lens, done some handheld and tripod shots. The quality of the photos is terrible. This is the best tripod shot. Used focus peaking and the entire insect was showing up red. f/22 - iso100 - 1/160 sec with flash

The lens is fine, you need to come to terms with some totally natural optical limitations but first I have to ask: why is your focus peaking showing up in red? Did you set it that way? Mine shows up as crisp white outlines which never cover the whole subject at macro distances which I find easier to use. Although I use Pentax I understand from the Sony manual that white focus-peaking is the standard setting on your camera too.

Try focusing while using focus magnification (MENU → View attachment 15493 (Camera- instellingen1) → [Scherpst. vergroten]) and you should be able to see the focus-peaking moving across your subject like a highlighted band. There is no way to get an insect such as this in sharp focus front-to-back at macro distances with any lens at any F-stop.

When you focus, take into account that the DOF extends about 1/3 in front of the area you want sharp and 2/3 behind the point of focus.

DOF at the f22 you say you used would only be around 3.5mm. I don't know much about insects but this seems so be some form of tiger beetle which is about 12mm long. Judging by the image, that more or less is the same as its legspan between the closest foreleg and the furthest. That is 3-4 times more than the DOF at this aperture.

What also plays is that at f22, even the in-focus parts of your subject start losing sharpness due the the impact of diffraction. Although this test of the Laowa is on a Canon FF body, you can still see sharpness drop off dramatically beyond f8-f11. By the time you are at f22, sharpness is less that with the lens wide open at f2.8!!

Sorry man but I cannot make any other conclusions that you'd have the same issue with other lenses. Just try taking ca. 4-6 different exposures moving the point of focus a tiny bit every time, then load your shots into whatever software you use on the PC to merge the images to one completely sharp image.

 

[TMG1961]

The lens is fine, you need to come to terms with some totally natural optical limitations but first I have to ask: why is your focus peaking showing up in red? Did you set it that way? Mine shows up as crisp white outlines which never cover the whole subject at macro distances which I find easier to use. Although I use Pentax I understand from the Sony manual that white focus-peaking is the standard setting on your camera too.

Try focusing while using focus magnification (MENU → View attachment 15495 (Camera- instellingen1) → [Scherpst. vergroten]) and you should be able to see the focus-peaking moving across your subject like a highlighted band. There is no way to get an insect such as this in sharp focus front-to-back at macro distances with any lens at any F-stop.

When you focus, take into account that the DOF extends about 1/3 in front of the area you want sharp and 2/3 behind the point of focus.

DOF at the f22 you say you used would only be around 3.5mm. I don't know much about insects but this seems so be some form of tiger beetle which is about 12mm long. Judging by the image, that more or less is the same as its legspan between the closest foreleg and the furthest. That is 3-4 times more than the DOF at this aperture.

What also plays is that at f22, even the in-focus parts of your subject start losing sharpness due the the impact of diffraction. Although this test of the Laowa is on a Canon FF body, you can still see sharpness drop off dramatically beyond f8-f11. By the time you are at f22, sharpness is less that with the lens wide open at f2.8!!
View attachment 13266
Sorry man but I cannot make any other conclusions that you'd have the same issue with other lenses. Just try taking ca. 4-6 different exposures moving the point of focus a tiny bit every time, then load your shots into whatever software you use on the PC to merge the images to one completely sharp image.

My focus peaking is showing up in red because i set it to that. The insect was actually around 3mm long, very small. I had not thought about f/22 and the drop of sharpness. Is a bit frustrating that i am not getting sharp photos. I know that as a beginner you are not direct a pro and get the most amazing shots, but after 3 days this was the best i can show. With other lenses i dont have a problem with focus and sharpnes, but that aren not macro lenses. Guess i have to accept that for the next long time i will get more rubbish then good photos, and hope that things become better by time.

 

[MikeB]

Guess i have to accept that for the next long time i will get more rubbish then good photos, and hope that things become better by time.

Don't lose hope! Three days is far to short to pick this up and macro definitely IS a whole different ballgame, as you noticed. I'm still learning and I've only been doing this for a few years. I look in amazement at the insect macros I see people publish and wonder how they did it. Then I understand but I still can't execute it myself. Just keep dogging away at it!

 

[MikeB]

Oh, and by the way: where do you live? I'm sure you can find other macro photographers to spend some time with once in a while. I live in Heiloo (near Alkmaar) and I have learned a lot from some locals just by talking and walking with them.

 

[TMG1961]

Don't lose hope! Three days is far to short to pick this up and macro definitely IS a whole different ballgame, as you noticed. I'm still learning and I've only been doing this for a few years. I look in amazement at the insect macros I see people publish and wonder how they did it. Then I understand but I still can't execute it myself. Just keep dogging away at it!

I still can't believe that people shoot with one hand and are able to get really sharp macro photos. I cant even get a normal photo sharp with one hand But you are right, still a lot to learn and can only get better

 

[TMG1961]

Oh, and by the way: where do you live? I'm sure you can find other macro photographers to spend some time with once in a while. I live in Heiloo (near Alkmaar) and I have learned a lot from some locals just by talking and walking with them.

Living in Brunssum. I know several people here who do photography but none of them does macro, some do close ups.

 

[subbu]

The only way to get tack sharp pics in macro is - put camera on tripod, zoom in live view, fine tune the focus, using shutter release cable take the photo. I know that this process is not possible all the time but no other shortcuts...

 

[Jack]

Guess i have to accept that for the next long time i will get more rubbish then good photos, and hope that things become better by time.

We have Photo Clinic on site where you can ask help from other photographers to edit your images, also you can share your images on forum for constructive feedback from members. Learning something new, takes time.

 

[piotr]

.....Guess i have to accept that for the next long time i will get more rubbish then good photos, and hope that things become better by time.

Don't worry to much, 8 out of 10 of my photos are blurry. The problem is very shallow DoF while shooting macro (and shaking hands ofc). I mean VERY shallow. It's always couple of millimeters. So practically is impossible to get (for example) whole bug sharp from the top of the head to the end including legs, wings, antennas etc. The only solution is focus stacking and it's really not so hard to learn. But it's time consuming. Start shooting bugs and try to focusing on eyes, aperture priority mode, auto ISO. Change aperture and look at the results. And now the most brutal truth : practice, practice, practice. Take 100's of photos and then.... practice more.

 

[TMG1961]

Don't worry to much, 8 out of 10 of my photos are blurry. The problem is very shallow DoF while shooting macro (and shaking hands ofc). I mean VERY shallow. It's always couple of millimeters. So practically is impossible to get (for example) whole bug sharp from the top of the head to the end including legs, wings, antennas etc. The only solution is focus stacking and it's really not so hard to learn. But it's time consuming. Start shooting bugs and try to focusing on eyes, aperture priority mode, auto ISO. Change aperture and look at the results. And now the most brutal truth : practice, practice, practice. Take 100's of photos and then.... practice more.

I will look into focus stacking a bit more. Know something about it but not all. Maybe a silly question but how do i focus on a bugs eyes with manual focus? It is easy with autofocus, you got a focus point but there is none with the manual lens.