NX1 photo iq & focus issues

Kinger wrote:

I have issues with the 30mm in low light missing focus. About 10-25% of time in low light it will go green but not be in proper focus. I no longer have a 16-50 PZ because I must have had a bad copy and always got slightly out if focus shots with it. My 16-50 S is reliable and fast as are the 45mm and 16mm primes. The 30mm is awesome in moderate to bright light, but pretty bad otherwise. I always use my S in low light or my NX mini with 17mm 1.8 ois lens. I have not noticed NX1 camera related focus issues.

What I find disturbing is that it seems also the case with manual focus. Even you have the right area peaked, you'll find it out of focus on the stored image. I'll have to look if it is limited to low light situations.

Hi Mike

#3: DOF and focus distance difference. Non issue.

If you zoom into the traffic signs in the distance, you'll see, that they are blurry on the samsung. Both cameras where focussed to inifinity,i.e. the bridge.

#4: Blurry due to shutter speed being too low. (#3 Sony benefits from OSS)

Yes, you're right, that's probably the reason here

| #1: Looks fine to me

]#6: Looks darn sharp to me.

#1 and #6 do look a bit hazy. Are you saying it wasn't actually hazy like that?

Yes, it was quite a normal day, no direct sunshine but by far not foggy as it seems. Once in a while, I get grainy wall shots like that, with virtually no detail in it. It's like a cellphone shot from the 90ties, with nothing to work with in raw. I can't say if it's related, but occasionally I do get pictures at low isos (100 / 200) with lots of noise in dark areas.
So far, with in NX1, I can't predict really how the camera reacts.

ttbek wrote:

... are you complaining that you can see the effects of the fog in your shots of foggy days? Of course it varies with the lighting conditions and the fog moves around. I would be more concerned about why your reds are orange on your Sony, and actually your NX1 is looking a tad pink. Unfortunately I can't look more closely at the shots at the moment (mobile version is not amenable to that).

Well, it was definitely not as foggy that day. I often get pictures like behind a foggy curtain in bright but diffuse light. 
You're right, none of the cameras is getting the reds right, the neon sign is definitely not pink. I would attribute this to the awb i used, that does not work totally accurate in dark enviroments.

otto k wrote:

On the van shot you have shaken your camera in a V motion (you can see it clearly on many point light sources just above the van - they are all like flattened V) due to quite long exposure (1/13s for 30mm is too long by at least two stops). Sony lens has optical image stabilization which compensates camera shake.

Yes, I think you are right, I didn't take the is into account. The van is not a good example for making my point. I have another typical example with 1/100 shutter and center AF/AE on the kit lens.

I agree with all of the above.

Also, the last picture is pretty much all the kit lens can do at 50mm 5.6. You need to stop it down more (you had the light). I now have 2 copies of the lens and it's just all it can do at 50mm. The more towards 16mm, the better.

Edit" I see the first pic is also at 50mm. Same reason for the bluriness.

zipcode wrote:

I agree with all of the above.

Also, the last picture is pretty much all the kit lens can do at 50mm 5.6. You need to stop it down more (you had the light). I now have 2 copies of the lens and it's just all it can do at 50mm. The more towards 16mm, the better.

Edit" I see the first pic is also at 50mm. Same reason for the bluriness.

Well, if you really can confirm that it's not an technical issue, that is quite a deception. I own a olympus e410 with kit lens (which costed in its time 1000€ less than the NX kit), which never let me down with results like these. And considering that the 30mm has its quirks as well... I understand that a more 'pro' cam is more challenging to the photographer than a entry level one, but it should at least deliver comparable results under comparable settings.
I also made some comparisons between the nex with the 1.8 50mm and the nx1 with the 16-50 S lens (night at a fun fair). Here again, I find the nex delivering more constant results, often less noise in raw, more accurate to the scene and desired focus area, and seems just more reliable to me. Only by zooming in to max, you'll see that the NX has a more detailed resolution in the fine textures.

You are right, there's a sharp spot on the upper left. It was center AF focussed on the center of the iron grid gate.

Tugela wrote:

otto k wrote:

Unless you focused on the top left corner (it's sharp) there is something very wrong with your camera or lens. Center looks like camera shake or severe decentering but top left is in focus (though it's blown out and it's corner on wide angle kit lens with field curvature and everything). What were you focusing on?

Specifically, the area relatively in focus is far in the distant background. That means the lens was not focussed at all, and is probably set on or close to infinity.

If all of his lenses are doing this I am betting it is user error rather than anything to do with the lens.

Well, I was using center AF, focusing on the gate, focus priority on release. I find hardly anything in focus. If it is a user error, I'd be very grateful for an advise to avoid them. (I got MF peaking set to 5* magnification).

Looks defintetly better. But at 1/125 & the lens OIS, shake should not be an issue. I had DIS switched on as well.

Stan Still wrote:

I think your problem may be camera shake. I put the image through "Shake Reduction" in Photoshop Elements 14 and it has sharpened it up a lot. I am not sure if it shows on this thread but it is much better on my computer. Try taking a photo using a tripod and see if it makes a difference.

So, you are saying the OP needs to cut down on coffee and Red Bull? hehehe