My D7000 is not sharp

[Rotorbug]

I am not saying everyone should run out and send their D7000 into Nikon for calibration, but mine needed adjustment for sure.

Kit lens needed -5 close up, but this threw the focus out at longer distances.

With my 50mm 1.4 AFS, I needed -20 to get close up images sharp, but once again, it was out at longer distances.

This is the first body that i have needed to send in. Being fair, the 16MP shows up focus errors a lot quicker than a 12MP camera will.

You might be sufffering from several issues, a slight focus adjustment error, technique with a longer lens, and viewing 16MP at 100%.

I have also found that my raw images need more sharpening in NX2 than I am used to with other Nikon cameras.

 

[nobblynoel]

Looking at the first post photo mine is the same.

I have had my D7000 for 2 months, over 3500 photos taken, and all have this same problem. They are just not sharp. Tried 5 or 6 different lenses, 16-85vr 70-300vr 85 1.8d which are sharp, Af adjust makes a slight improvement, fast shutter , different aperture , inside ,outside all not sharp. Also noted that photos further away seem even less sharp .

Coming from A D90 I wish I hadn't changed as the D90 was sharper.

So on Tuesday, as Monday is holiday, mine is going back to Nikon. If it comes back better then great but If it comes back with no improvement I will be looking for a D700.

 

[justin_time]

In order to rule out focus issues I'd test on tripod, in Mirror lock up mode with live view to focus.

in one reply you said you set no sharpening. I assume you set picture control sharpening to 0. even if you left the default sharpening I am not surprised the unprocessed RAW was not sharp, as the images from D7000 can take a good deal of sharpening. There is also some talk on these forums that Capture NX2 handles D7000 raw files much better than other software.

I used Capture NX to sharpen you file (Intensity 30%, radius 30%, Threshold 5%) and it looks OK to me.

 

[Tbolt47]

I'm not sure why Capture NX2 would process RAW any different to View NX2 but I haven't tried it. ACR processes sharper than View NX2 even with sharpening set to zero but of course shows up noise more.

If you look at my picture you have sharpened in Capture and compare it to the 620 image I posted the Olympus image still looks better with no sharpening - when I add sharpening to this image it looks very sharp and remember the 620 is not that sharp a camera - the Olympus E5 noticeable sharp but the D7000 should be sharper than that.

I will try some proper tests when I get home and try and figure out if it the lens or the body. What I might have to do is send both to Nikon, which I'm not really happy about as I only bought it four days ago with the intention of using it next weekend. But I want to make sure first as I don't want Nikon sending it back after serveral weeks with no fault found.

 

[Tbolt47]

Have you got your adjusted camera back from Nikon yet?

I don't quite understand the need for more sharpening, more pixels over a given subject should be sharper unless the lens can't keep up with the camera in which case it should be just as sharp.

One of the advantages of the D7000 sensor is it's low noise but if your having to sharpen more the noise just becomes more visible.

 

[Tbolt47]

It would nice to no what they said they did and how much better it is.

If this is a problem there seem to be quite a few cameras with it (Google it, though it's hard to say how many are user error) , some people might not notice it if they only shoot jpeg and don't process much but if I can't get images sharper than my 12MP 4/3 sensor with a zoom using D7000 and a sharp Nikon prime then there is something wrong.

 

[tinpusher]

Please jump in to correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this the same sensor as in the Sony A55?
I actually see similar results from the Sony even with good glass.
I think the problem may be related to the sensor.

Of course I could be totally wrong

 

[Tbolt47]

As Nikon's sensor are made by Sony I guess it is, the only difference would be how the image is treated after capture reference filters etc.

What I need is another D7000 to compare but I don't know anyone with one.

 

[shetani]

Can you please post a link to the original raw fies from both e620 and d7000 ?

 

[Tbolt47]

they are in my gallery pictures here under test. But I've just started doing some better tests and I'm getting a sharper picture my using manual focus in Live View so it does look like a focus problem with my 300f4.

 

[shetani]

No, the original raw files are not in your gallery. Only croped or resized jpges are their.

 

[Tbolt47]

I don't have anywhere that I can upload files that large at the moment.

Anyway I've taken some fairly sharp shots with the 18-105 but some of the shots with the 300f4 still seem to have a very slight motion blur on. It doesn't seem to be a focus problem as I taken shots where you can see the part that's in focus it's just that it look a little bit blurred. I've taken a load of shots on a tripod with mirror lock-up, timer, high SS and different apertures but still get it a lot of the time.

Of all the test shots I've done a few seem reasonable sharp but I still feel there is something wrong with most of my shots but I can't quite figure out what it is. This test shot below is heavily cropped and seem quite sharp (it has been sharpened) and the one below that at ISO2500 didn't come out to bad considering I wasn't expecting him! I don't think I got the focus point quite right but compare that to a ISO2500 shot from the Olympus 620 at the bottom.

 

[illy]

on the 300mm/f4 has always had a dodgy reputation, if you do a search in the Nikon lens forum you'll find lots of discussion on this and lots of solutions. I'm still using a D200 with the 300mm and it works beautifully so i can't comment on the body side of things.
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When you're so annoyed that you shout at the screen....remember... in cyberspace no one can hear you scream!

 

[evoJim]

have you tried AF fine tune feature? i found this really helped.

 

[Tbolt47]

And mine appears to be the newer type which I believe is improved but is still not as stable as it should be which is why I was on the tripod but used a high SS of 1/800th or higher so it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Tbolt47]

I tried every AF fine tune setting from -20 to +20 but it didn't help.

Like I said in another reply I've taken shots of things where you can see the out of focus parts either side of the part in focus, which is where I focused the camera so I don't think it is a focus problem, but the part that is in focus seems to have almost a very fine motion blur to it like the shot I posted of the wine bottle label.

I know 300mm is a long lens and I've been using it with the TC14 but I also use my Olympus gear with a 50-200 and EC14 and EC20 and get sharp images from them.

But I'm not sure if it's a camera problem or the 300f4 at the moment.

 

[eNo]

What was the aperture with your E620? That and the fact that 200 is about 100mm shorter than 300, and that you are comparing against the E620's 4/3 sensor (which produces more DOF) tells me this is not an apples to apples comparison.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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[jonikon]

I tried every AF fine tune setting from -20 to +20 but it didn't help.

Like I said in another reply I've taken shots of things where you can see the out of focus parts either side of the part in focus, which is where I focused the camera so I don't think it is a focus problem, but the part that is in focus seems to have almost a very fine motion blur to it like the shot I posted of the wine bottle label.

I know 300mm is a long lens and I've been using it with the TC14 but I also use my Olympus gear with a 50-200 and EC14 and EC20 and get sharp images from them.

But I'm not sure if it's a camera problem or the 300f4 at the moment.

I believe it is your lens that is the problem. The contrast is not good and I see CA which is softening the image. I don't see a focusing problem here. Try removing the CA in post processing and increasing the contrast, If that does not work, get yourself a proper lens. The D7000 is capable of very sharp images, but it will also show any flaws of any lens. The good news it that it's sharpness and tonality is awesome with a well calibrated quality lens.
Good luck.

Best regards,
Jon

 

[antoineb]

I don't understand your post because you mention RAW processing, and sharpening, but not focus.

In my view you should first check that your focus is proper, before you wonder about processing.

Clearly on the D7000 the default JPEG engine should give you sharp shots, period.

I find the shots you show fairly sharp. BUT, I don't think a printed label is a good test shot. And, the label is not flat so you're creating parallax errors - better to use a flat target.

I hope you have tested the following but just in case:

• you are using a tripod of course. And a timer release
• you are using a suitable target, and not playing with focus-then-recompose or similar method causing parallax error
• you have taken a couple shots in Live View. Since LV uses contrast-detect, it won't need any adjustments. So LV shots should be perfectly sharp. If they're not then the problem is elsewhere: lack of stable tripod, no timer release, improper target or, God forbid, second-hand lens that is not in good shape
• for AF micro-adjust it's easy: put camera on tripod, aim it down at say a table such that the line of sight of the camera makes some narrow angle say 25-30 degrees. Put a flat ruler on the table, parallel to the line of sight of the camera. Aim the camera's single AF point to some round number mark on the ruler. Then take photos, going from -20 to +20 in the AF micro-adjust, say in steps of 5. And if you observe a range of sharper shots (say -10 to 0), then narrow down in steps of 2, then 1.

 

[illy]

And mine appears to be the newer type which I believe is improved but is still not as stable as it should be which is why I was on the tripod but used a high SS of 1/800th or higher so it shouldn't be a problem.

still it is a known issue and maybe wise to try it supported another way.
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to me........to you