Completely confused with todays pics

Ira · 04-12-2010, 05:50 PM

Originally posted by flippedgazelle

20" monitor refers to the diagonal measurement, not the horizontal. My 20" LCD monitor has a ~17" wide viewing area, and a resolution of 1680x1050. So my monitor is ~ 96ppi.

So your monitor is 96 compared to any other crappy monitor at 72.

If you still do the math and look at the res of the lowest JPEG size coming out of the camera, it is WAY more than enough to handle the resolution.

Marc Sabatella · 04-12-2010, 10:47 PM

Originally posted by Jacos

I dont know why but i feel the K-x is not performing well in any of the scene modes compared to all the other dslr that i have tried.

Then try shooting the exact same scene, exact same exposure and other settings, with multiple cameras.

I'm thinking you've just never really pixel peeped to this extent before.

flippedgazelle · 04-13-2010, 06:13 AM

Originally posted by Ira

So your monitor is 96 compared to any other crappy monitor at 72.

If you still do the math and look at the res of the lowest JPEG size coming out of the camera, it is WAY more than enough to handle the resolution.

Oh yeah, my monitor is "easy to please"

, it's the aforementioned 2560x1600 monitors that can be a bit more difficult when I have to crop.

Just as an aside, there's no longer really a standard ppi for LCD monitors. They now come in enough shapes, sizes and aspect ratios that ppi can vary quite a bit.

Jacos · 04-13-2010, 09:59 AM

Right i have now just recieved my smc af 1.4 lens and taken some photos and they are either soft or blurry.
Before i go posting any images can someone just tell me what settings i should use and i will take a photo using them and post the image.
To put it simple. I am trying to take a photo of a teddy bear the size of a baby. I want a nice sharp photo in b&w taken under standard indoor low light. I will be using the 50mm lens.
I will use AV mode as everyone states this is the best one to use(i dont want to use manaual as i shouldnt need to just to get a nice sharp picture.)

matth · 04-13-2010, 10:38 AM

FA50/1.4 is a little soft at F1.4, gets better stopped down to F2, and it's really geting sharp from F2.8 to F8. At low light in AV mode I would chose F2.8 and ISO just enough to take sharp photo (so the shooter speed like 1/50 or faster - I don't know how stable hands you have). Beside of that if your taking photos in jpg mode try a few combination of sharpness and contrast.

bymy141 · 04-13-2010, 11:25 AM

Originally posted by Jacos

Right i have now just recieved my smc af 1.4 lens and taken some photos and they are either soft or blurry.
Before i go posting any images can someone just tell me what settings i should use and i will take a photo using them and post the image.
To put it simple. I am trying to take a photo of a teddy bear the size of a baby. I want a nice sharp photo in b&w taken under standard indoor low light. I will be using the 50mm lens.
I will use AV mode as everyone states this is the best one to use(i dont want to use manaual as i shouldnt need to just to get a nice sharp picture.)

You've got a very fine lens there!

You should consider the depth of field (DOF) of that lens wide open for short distances.
For instance, open (f1.4) at 1 meter (~3 feet) is only 2 cm (less than 1 inch)!
Which means that only a very small portion of you subject will be sharp / in focus.
The FA 50 f 1.4 is a very sharp lens. Stopped down a few stops makes it even sharper.
Make sure to understand the DOF of your picture (Online Depth of Field Calculator) and avoid focus errors.
You should be fine if shutter speed is not to low.

- Bert

Jacos · 04-13-2010, 11:44 AM

Originally posted by matth

FA50/1.4 is a little soft at F1.4, gets better stopped down to F2, and it's really geting sharp from F2.8 to F8. At low light in AV mode I would chose F2.8 and ISO just enough to take sharp photo (so the shooter speed like 1/50 or faster - I don't know how stable hands you have). Beside of that if your taking photos in jpg mode try a few combination of sharpness and contrast.

Av mode F2.8 shuter speed 1/80th and iso 1600.
Custom Image B&W
Highlight low key +3
Contrast +2
Fine Sharpness +4
Highlight correction ON
Shadow Correction LOW
Spot metering.
Taken about 2-3 ft and single point focus on the nose.

This still looks soft to me?
I did view other previous pics via usb on my HDTV and they looked a lot better than on my monitor but previous pics with diff cameras looked fine on my pc monitor.
Anyway........how does the pic look to you guys?
Any advice and i will take another pic to be checked.

bymy141 · 04-13-2010, 11:52 AM

Originally posted by Jacos

This still looks soft to me?
I did view other previous pics via usb on my HDTV and they looked a lot better than on my monitor but previous pics with diff cameras looked fine on my pc monitor.
Anyway........how does the pic look to you guys?
Any advice and i will take another pic to be checked.

Read my post just before this one on DOF, the nose is in focus the rest is not.
f 2.8 at 50cm (2 feet) gives appr 1 cm DOF! (Less then half an inch).
The picture and lens are as they are supposed to be.

- Bert

matth · 04-13-2010, 11:53 AM

For me it looks ok

You have to remember that deep of field is really small for close subjects and open aperture. Could you post a 100% crop from the in focus part of picture? By the way ISO1600 from K-X looks really clean :>

Jacos · 04-13-2010, 12:05 PM

Originally posted by matth

For me it looks ok

You have to remember that deep of field is really small for close subjects and open aperture. Could you post a 100% crop from the in focus part of picture? By the way ISO1600 from K-X looks really clean :>

Focus on the nose 100% crop

MrApollinax · 04-13-2010, 12:11 PM

As everyone has stated you are now running into DOF limitations in terms of overall sharpness of the subject in frame. With your last picture with focus on the nose you should basically only have the area around the nose within the focus plane @ 2.8 and the distance you are shooting. Use this link to help you get a start on understanding DOF:

Online Depth of Field Calculator

work in inches rather than feet to get an idea of your working DOF. 50mm@2.8@36in away = 1.4 inches DOF.

Jacos · 04-13-2010, 12:18 PM

Originally posted by bymy141

Read my post just before this one on DOF, the nose is in focus the rest is not.
f 2.8 at 50cm (2 feet) gives appr 1 cm DOF! (Less then half an inch).
The picture and lens are as they are supposed to be.

- Bert

I took this with the same settings but stood about 9ft away. I see what you mean now. I think i was trying to fill the frame rather than croping the subject as i have done here.

bymy141 · 04-13-2010, 02:15 PM

Originally posted by Jacos

I see what you mean now.

That's what this forum is about.
Try the link I gave a few post back to calculate some DOF ranges to give yourself an idea. The shorter the distance the shallower the DOF.

- Bert

**rparmar** · 04-13-2010, 03:20 PM

You should also consider two things.

1. Use a tripod for staged shots like this, of static subjects. Then you can use ISO 100. Any sharpening will then not emphasise noise.

2. All images benefit from sharpening in PP. Learning how to do this to suit your own aesthetics takes some time, but is worth it.

**eccs19** · 04-13-2010, 06:25 PM

Originally posted by rparmar

1. Use a tripod for staged shots like this, of static subjects.

Just make sure to turn off the shake reduction if using a tripod.

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04-12-2010, 05:50 PM	#31
Ira Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Coral Springs, FL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,216	Originally posted by flippedgazelle 20" monitor refers to the diagonal measurement, not the horizontal. My 20" LCD monitor has a ~17" wide viewing area, and a resolution of 1680x1050. So my monitor is ~ 96ppi. So your monitor is 96 compared to any other crappy monitor at 72. If you still do the math and look at the res of the lowest JPEG size coming out of the camera, it is WAY more than enough to handle the resolution.

04-12-2010, 10:47 PM	#32
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	Originally posted by Jacos I dont know why but i feel the K-x is not performing well in any of the scene modes compared to all the other dslr that i have tried. Then try shooting the exact same scene, exact same exposure and other settings, with multiple cameras. I'm thinking you've just never really pixel peeped to this extent before.

04-13-2010, 06:13 AM	#33
flippedgazelle Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: NJ, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 1,270	Originally posted by Ira So your monitor is 96 compared to any other crappy monitor at 72. If you still do the math and look at the res of the lowest JPEG size coming out of the camera, it is WAY more than enough to handle the resolution. Oh yeah, my monitor is "easy to please" , it's the aforementioned 2560x1600 monitors that can be a bit more difficult when I have to crop. Just as an aside, there's no longer really a standard ppi for LCD monitors. They now come in enough shapes, sizes and aspect ratios that ppi can vary quite a bit.

04-13-2010, 09:59 AM	#34
Jacos Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 29 Original Poster	Right i have now just recieved my smc af 1.4 lens and taken some photos and they are either soft or blurry. Before i go posting any images can someone just tell me what settings i should use and i will take a photo using them and post the image. To put it simple. I am trying to take a photo of a teddy bear the size of a baby. I want a nice sharp photo in b&w taken under standard indoor low light. I will be using the 50mm lens. I will use AV mode as everyone states this is the best one to use(i dont want to use manaual as i shouldnt need to just to get a nice sharp picture.)

04-13-2010, 10:38 AM	#35
matth Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Poznan, Poland Photos: Albums Posts: 34	FA50/1.4 is a little soft at F1.4, gets better stopped down to F2, and it's really geting sharp from F2.8 to F8. At low light in AV mode I would chose F2.8 and ISO just enough to take sharp photo (so the shooter speed like 1/50 or faster - I don't know how stable hands you have). Beside of that if your taking photos in jpg mode try a few combination of sharpness and contrast.

04-13-2010, 11:25 AM	#36
bymy141 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,563	Originally posted by Jacos Right i have now just recieved my smc af 1.4 lens and taken some photos and they are either soft or blurry. Before i go posting any images can someone just tell me what settings i should use and i will take a photo using them and post the image. To put it simple. I am trying to take a photo of a teddy bear the size of a baby. I want a nice sharp photo in b&w taken under standard indoor low light. I will be using the 50mm lens. I will use AV mode as everyone states this is the best one to use(i dont want to use manaual as i shouldnt need to just to get a nice sharp picture.) You've got a very fine lens there! You should consider the depth of field (DOF) of that lens wide open for short distances. For instance, open (f1.4) at 1 meter (~3 feet) is only 2 cm (less than 1 inch)! Which means that only a very small portion of you subject will be sharp / in focus. The FA 50 f 1.4 is a very sharp lens. Stopped down a few stops makes it even sharper. Make sure to understand the DOF of your picture (Online Depth of Field Calculator) and avoid focus errors. You should be fine if shutter speed is not to low. - Bert

04-13-2010, 11:44 AM	#37
Jacos Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 29 Original Poster	Originally posted by matth FA50/1.4 is a little soft at F1.4, gets better stopped down to F2, and it's really geting sharp from F2.8 to F8. At low light in AV mode I would chose F2.8 and ISO just enough to take sharp photo (so the shooter speed like 1/50 or faster - I don't know how stable hands you have). Beside of that if your taking photos in jpg mode try a few combination of sharpness and contrast. Av mode F2.8 shuter speed 1/80th and iso 1600. Custom Image B&W Highlight low key +3 Contrast +2 Fine Sharpness +4 Highlight correction ON Shadow Correction LOW Spot metering. Taken about 2-3 ft and single point focus on the nose. This still looks soft to me? I did view other previous pics via usb on my HDTV and they looked a lot better than on my monitor but previous pics with diff cameras looked fine on my pc monitor. Anyway........how does the pic look to you guys? Any advice and i will take another pic to be checked.

04-13-2010, 11:52 AM	#38
bymy141 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,563	Originally posted by Jacos This still looks soft to me? I did view other previous pics via usb on my HDTV and they looked a lot better than on my monitor but previous pics with diff cameras looked fine on my pc monitor. Anyway........how does the pic look to you guys? Any advice and i will take another pic to be checked. Read my post just before this one on DOF, the nose is in focus the rest is not. f 2.8 at 50cm (2 feet) gives appr 1 cm DOF! (Less then half an inch). The picture and lens are as they are supposed to be. - Bert

04-13-2010, 11:53 AM	#39
matth Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Poznan, Poland Photos: Albums Posts: 34	For me it looks ok You have to remember that deep of field is really small for close subjects and open aperture. Could you post a 100% crop from the in focus part of picture? By the way ISO1600 from K-X looks really clean :>

04-13-2010, 12:05 PM	#40
Jacos Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 29 Original Poster	Originally posted by matth For me it looks ok You have to remember that deep of field is really small for close subjects and open aperture. Could you post a 100% crop from the in focus part of picture? By the way ISO1600 from K-X looks really clean :> Focus on the nose 100% crop

04-13-2010, 12:11 PM	#41
MrApollinax Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,529	As everyone has stated you are now running into DOF limitations in terms of overall sharpness of the subject in frame. With your last picture with focus on the nose you should basically only have the area around the nose within the focus plane @ 2.8 and the distance you are shooting. Use this link to help you get a start on understanding DOF: Online Depth of Field Calculator work in inches rather than feet to get an idea of your working DOF. 50mm@2.8@36in away = 1.4 inches DOF.

04-13-2010, 12:18 PM	#42
Jacos Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 29 Original Poster	Originally posted by bymy141 Read my post just before this one on DOF, the nose is in focus the rest is not. f 2.8 at 50cm (2 feet) gives appr 1 cm DOF! (Less then half an inch). The picture and lens are as they are supposed to be. - Bert I took this with the same settings but stood about 9ft away. I see what you mean now. I think i was trying to fill the frame rather than croping the subject as i have done here.

04-13-2010, 02:15 PM	#43
bymy141 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,563	Originally posted by Jacos I see what you mean now. That's what this forum is about. Try the link I gave a few post back to calculate some DOF ranges to give yourself an idea. The shorter the distance the shallower the DOF. - Bert

04-13-2010, 03:20 PM	#44
rparmar Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2008 Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,819	You should also consider two things. 1. Use a tripod for staged shots like this, of static subjects. Then you can use ISO 100. Any sharpening will then not emphasise noise. 2. All images benefit from sharpening in PP. Learning how to do this to suit your own aesthetics takes some time, but is worth it.

04-13-2010, 06:25 PM	#45
eccs19 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Lisle, Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,510	Originally posted by rparmar 1. Use a tripod for staged shots like this, of static subjects. Just make sure to turn off the shake reduction if using a tripod.