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why are my photos not sharp


6 years 1 month ago #546654 by Madele
Hi there,

I recently did a matric farewell shoot with my canon 60D and I used a 70-200mm lense.
It was a windy and overcast day, my settings was ISO 200, F2.8 and the shutter was between 1250 and 2000 and AWB.

Some of the photos is sharp, but most of them is dull and grainy.



Please do you have any advice as to why the photos came out like this?
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6 years 1 month ago #546965 by garyrhook
You don't mention which 70-200 you are using. They're not all the same.

Higher ISO means less detail, and it's worse on a crop sensor body such as your 60D (compared to a full-frame sensor). Newer cameras do better than older cameras.

The image doesn't contain ExIf data so we don't know what the parameters were, but it looks to my like there may be some camera movement. Without details it's hard to say.

Finally, this appears to be SOOC without much post-processing. There were be at least two points where sharpening is applied, but we don't know what you did or did not do, what software you used, or if this is just the camera producing a JPG.

Your best results come from capturing RAW images and processing them to your specifications.

So: more detail, please. Good answers require good questions.
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6 years 1 month ago - 6 years 1 month ago #546972 by Screamin Scott
F2.8 means a very thin DOF... What was the distance to your subjects? What was the focal length set at? As Gary said, we need more info...
Scott Ditzel Photography

www.flickr.com/photos/screaminscott/
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6 years 1 month ago #546986 by icepics
If it was cloudy and overcast as you described (it does looks like it was, as gray as the background looks) the ISO was probably too low. I usually use 100-200 outdoors on a sunny day.

The exposure looks off. That was a high shutter speed, and you might have needed to keep it somewhat higher on a windy day, but that cuts the amount of light coming into the camera because the shutter is open such a short fraction of a second.

This looks like you need to get in more practice and learning on getting proper exposures in various conditions before you do any more outdoor weddings. The settings you use sound off which to me means you need to learn more on how to adjust settings.

I'd think about how you're framing shots too. Even with the background out of focus those brown posts back there seem like they should not be in the picture. They just make for visual distractions that take away from the subjects.

If it's a day with a gray sky I frame differently to have less sky in the images than on days when there are nice fluffy white clouds and blue sky - then I'd want more sky as it makes for a better background.

This could be improved probably with some cropping and brightening it up, but learning to get a proper exposure and framing better would have helped with getting a better photo.
Sharon
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5 years 9 months ago #567884 by fz
Hello everyone, 

I am new to this forum so pleasd bear with me coz I'll probably sound off. 
I just got a canon 70-200 f2.8 and I am frustrated because the majority of my pictures are blurry... I just don't know what to do, I use a high shutter speed and try to keep my ISO reasonable, I also stop moving when I shoot and make sure I focus correctly... when my subject is still i can get away with some OK soft pictures but when they're moving it is just a nightmare. I am supposed to be shooting a friend's birthday party and as of now I might as well call in sick that day... Please help
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5 years 8 months ago #574830 by garyrhook
First off, fz, you want to start a new thread for your own question.

If the lens is new, contact the seller (if it's a store) and get help. Or go someplace local.

You don't mention which body you're using, but it be that the lens needs to be micro-focus adjusted for your camera body. A too-common problem, easily rectified, if your model allows for adjustments. I had a problem with my new Nikon 70-200 VRII on my Nikon D5100, but couldn't fix it on that body.

Now then: since you don't provide example images, it's difficult to know just how out of focus things are. You say high shutter speed, but don't say exactly what. Your shutter speed should be at least 1/focal-length, and usually faster. I usually shoot at 1/320 or 1/400 at 200mm, using a monopod. YMMV.

You also don't mention aperture. f/2.8? what happens when you shoot at f/5.6 of f/8?

As for your friend's birthday party, that's not the right lens anyways. You should have a 35 or a 50, or an 85, at f/1.8. IMO.
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5 years 4 months ago - 5 years 4 months ago #591627 by Nikon Shooter

Madele wrote: Please do you have any advice as to why the photos came out like this?


DULLNESS
This dullness is only dependent on DRL (black and white points setting). There is a lot more recorded information in your file and properly setting the black and white points should resolve a great part of this issue.

SHARPNESS
You say  ƒ2,8, ok but the focus point is on her hair decoration and not on her/eye! Given the focal length and the wide aperture, the focus point becomes critical.
One more thing is to be sure that the lens is correctly "paired" with that very body using the AF Fine Tune tool (Nikon appellation)

Here is a suggestion where only DRL was applied as well as a 3:4 crop ratio.


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Light is free… capturing it is not!
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4 years 10 months ago #624241 by Stefan-Olsson
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4 years 10 months ago #624248 by shelland
If you're shooting at 1/1000+, any movement shouldn't be an issue unless you're taking very fast sports. 

Where is your focus point? If it's on the black jacket for example, maybe it's not locking in and getting a clear focus? Or as already mentioned, if you're standing super close to them depth of field can come into play depending where your focus point is. Do you have auto-focus enabled on the lens? Are you doing any kind of focus and recompose? Or moving after you lock in focus so that your distance from the subjects is changing? (if not shooting servo) 
Scott

- Twin Cities, MN
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