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Struggling to get sharp photos with D750
- Thread starter Cathy1973
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- nikon d750
AM4L
Senior Member
Sometimes trap focus works well for situations like these, especially if the kids keep running around but pass through the same spot regularly. You can then focus manually for the spot and fire a sequence in CH when they pass through it. Just make sure you have enough shutter speed to free their movement. You can chimp on the rear LCD until you get the right manual shutter speed and exposure you want. Trap focus then becomes your friend for catching some really cool shots!
Hope this helps!
Hope this helps!
AM4L
Senior Member
H
historianx
Guest
High resolution sensors 24MP and up are VERY unforgiving with human induced camera shake. Heck my 16MP Fujis are the same way. Heed the recs to raise your iso and bump up your shutter speeds to 1/500-1000 minimum.
You really don't get much depth of field at f/2.8 or 3.2 with an 85mm lens on a 24mp full-frame camera, particularly if you're zooming in to 1:1 to examine for sharpness, so that may be part of your sharpness issue. Probably about 1/3 or 1/4 what an 8 x 10 depth of field table will tell you.
I wouldn't run the depth up too much, though. Part of the charm of the photos you like is probably the subject separation and the quality of the out-of-focus areas.
I think you're right to use what i call manual autofocus - just make sure that's not causing the camera movement. Once it becomes second nature to you, it shouldn't cause a movement of the camera.
To minimize camera motion with a 24mp sensor at the pixel level, 1/3x focal length is about right. That assumes you are making a significant effort to control camera motion with a stable standing, kneeling or sitting position, arms braced against you, good grip on camera with both hands, controlled breathing, squeeze the shutter rather than sharply pushing it. if you've been target shooting, you'll recognize the technique.
If you continue to have trouble with camera movement, a monopod might help. You can still respond quickly to move to the best spot for the shot.
I wouldn't run the depth up too much, though. Part of the charm of the photos you like is probably the subject separation and the quality of the out-of-focus areas.
I think you're right to use what i call manual autofocus - just make sure that's not causing the camera movement. Once it becomes second nature to you, it shouldn't cause a movement of the camera.
To minimize camera motion with a 24mp sensor at the pixel level, 1/3x focal length is about right. That assumes you are making a significant effort to control camera motion with a stable standing, kneeling or sitting position, arms braced against you, good grip on camera with both hands, controlled breathing, squeeze the shutter rather than sharply pushing it. if you've been target shooting, you'll recognize the technique.
If you continue to have trouble with camera movement, a monopod might help. You can still respond quickly to move to the best spot for the shot.
stevef1961
Senior Member
I agree with this poster. Shallow depth of field is going to decrease your chances for a sharp image until you've mastered taking the shot. Shoot at f8 and when you're getting a good percentage of keepers open the lens up more. I miss shots just by leaning forward a little bit with such a shallow DOF.
halfwaythere
Leading Member
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Stopping down is not really a viable option.
I'm quite surprised no one mentioned the idea of a faulty camera. Is the D750 so perfect that being the reason why everybody started criticizing the technique but not the camera?
I personally know of two D750 owners who got their cameras with AF problems.
I'm quite surprised no one mentioned the idea of a faulty camera. Is the D750 so perfect that being the reason why everybody started criticizing the technique but not the camera?
I personally know of two D750 owners who got their cameras with AF problems.
stevef1961
Senior Member
Why isn't stopping down a viable option? Never heard shooting at 7.1 or 8 isn't a viable option.
halfwaythere
Leading Member
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Why would you buy a F/1.4 lens if shooting at F/8 is fine?
The AF module should work as advertised regardless of aperture, as long as the lens is within specifications.
The AF module should work as advertised regardless of aperture, as long as the lens is within specifications.
samjstern
Veteran Member
we don't know yet what the problem is.
Could be her lens is not calibrated, could be a faulty AF module in camera, could be she is shooting at too large an aperture. The OP has not gotten back to us and let us know if she tried any of our suggestions.
We all just speculating. We need to stop with this thread and wait for her response. Hopefully some images also to look at.
Could be her lens is not calibrated, could be a faulty AF module in camera, could be she is shooting at too large an aperture. The OP has not gotten back to us and let us know if she tried any of our suggestions.
We all just speculating. We need to stop with this thread and wait for her response. Hopefully some images also to look at.
You obviously know what you're doing and are getting great results. You understand all about depth of field and what your f/ stop does to it in prints and with the image fit to screen.
I suspect you are suffering in part from sensoritis hyperresolutionis, curable only by stepping back from the monitor and reconnecting with those beautiful prints and the fit-to-screen images.
Even though cameras now go much higher, 24 megapixels is huge compared to what we are used to from just a few years ago, and examining these shots at the pixel level on screen, we are looking at an image that extends 3 or 4 feet in the long direction at typical monitor resolution, so it's easy to be critical.
Keep up the great work - you're giving a great gift to those in your images.
I suspect you are suffering in part from sensoritis hyperresolutionis, curable only by stepping back from the monitor and reconnecting with those beautiful prints and the fit-to-screen images.
Even though cameras now go much higher, 24 megapixels is huge compared to what we are used to from just a few years ago, and examining these shots at the pixel level on screen, we are looking at an image that extends 3 or 4 feet in the long direction at typical monitor resolution, so it's easy to be critical.
Keep up the great work - you're giving a great gift to those in your images.
Cathy1973
Leading Member
Thanks! Granted my website shows my best work.
I"m still a work in progress myself. I love the D750 but with it, I've been trying so many new things - and SOMETHING was causing my images to not come out right. I"m sure it's me. I took the back-button focus off and went back to the shutter with focus-lock and already things are looking better.
So some new things aren't always best - but I tried! Now on to try other new things to try to keep getting better! (Like understanding off-camera flash... LOL)
Cathy1973
Leading Member
Thanks! Granted my website shows my best work.
I took the back-button focus off and went back to the shutter with focus-lock and already things are looking better.
So some new things aren't always best - but I tried! Now on to try other new things to try to keep getting better! (Like understanding off-camera flash... LOL)
Dave Braun
Leading Member
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I think your problem is right there ! You let go of back button in AF-C camera will stop focusing. Personally I hate back button and always use half press on shutter button.Thanks... I'm not sure what you meant by #1 - I was using a prime lens. I wasn't cropping the photo either. I just looked at it as if I was going to print an 8X10 and it looked trashy - so I knew it wasn't good enough to keep... lol
#2 - Yeah I thought 250 was close to the 1/3FL to stop it - but I must be shakier than most! haha
#3 - My subject CAN be active - but in this case they weren't. They were being really good and sitting in this little prop bed I had. It's not a hand of foot that's blurred - it's the entire photo - so that's all me.But I'll try a minimum of 1/500 next time to see if that helps. (And I'll start weening myself off caffeine - couldn't hurt... lol)
#4 - I had it on AF-C but on back button so I would let go once I thought I had it in focus. I had it around F3.2 so I wasn't shooting SUPER shallow... some of the shots turned out great. I'll try boosting the ISO to shoot faster while keeping the Aperture where it was and see if that works.
#5 - ALWAYS!
I'm partly wondering if back button focus isn't for me. My thumb shakes more than my other fingers when i try to press the button so maybe that's adding to my problem... (I'm guessing years of knitting and crocheting and computer work probably have me headed to carpal tunnel town in a few years if i'm not careful!)
I'll keep playing around with it - I want to try out my 70-200 f2.8 lens but it's even heavier! So we shall see how that goes... hahahaha
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Cathy
http://www.cathykurtzphotography.com
j_photo
Veteran Member
stevef1961
Senior Member
Because starting at f8 will get more keepers and then when they're comfortable they can move to a shallower dof. Right now they're questioning whether or not the camera is even working properly.
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