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Do I have unrealistic sharpness expectations?

Started 10 months ago | Questions thread
John K Veteran Member • Posts: 9,870
Absolute image sharpness is a false metric
2

We consume images by looking at them edge to edge, and not the individual pixels. So absolute image sharpness is not a quality metric, and is in fact a false one.

As for diffraction: Motion during exposure, or a not so sharp lens (plus whatever you add to it), can increase diffraction softening. Even light quality and angle will impact how much detail you can capture. So if your images are not sharp enough you might look into what you are using, how you are using it, and your light source. I took this shot today of a Sweat Bee that was cleaning her proboscis. Even though she was moving I managed to get a sharp photo with plenty of depth and detail in a single frame. I am not special, so if I can do this then anyone can.

Tech Specs: Canon 90D (F11, 1/125, ISO 200) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (set to 2x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT, E-TTL metering, -2/3 FEC. This is a single frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Denoise AI and Clarity in that order. Shutter and ISO set to expose the sky in the background.

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