Blurriness... Help!

[subscuck]

My question is, does that same rule of thumb apply equally to FF and crop camera? I think I read somewhere that to compensate in addition for the crop factor, you should use 1/(focal length x 1.6) as a guideline.

I guess in theory you need to accomodate the crop factor. That being said, I shoot crop and don't take the crop factor into consideration. The ROT was so ingrained in me back in the film days that 1/fl is what I use out of habit, and I don't have problems. As always, though, YMMV.

 

[3Ddeath]

To me it sounds like you need the 50mm 1.8 lens that's like only $100.

F1.8 will make a huge difference in speed over F4.5

That and some more light would be handy.

 

[KmH]

The Canon 50 mm f/1.8 lens is cheap, and it has some decent optics in it. But, because it has only 5 un-curved aperture blades the bokeh the 50 f/1.8 produces is some of the worst available from a camera maker lens. The build quality also leaves a lot to be desired, but you get what you pay for.

The 50 f/1.8 really needs to be stopped down a couple of stops to produce nice sharp focus - to f/3.5 or so. Note that f/4.5 is only 2/3 of a stop away from f/3.5.

In short the 50 mm f/1.8 is cheap, but is cheap for several reasons that add up to some serious limitations making it's value questionable.

 

[dashboard2003]

Thank you for starting this thread, and to everyone for these replies.

I have been having the same problem with blurriness. I just moved from a point-and-shoot (which is all I've shot with for twelve years) to a Panasonic four-thirds. My photos look great on the LCD screen, good in 800x600 or maybe even up to 1024px, but have been very poor for both large sizes or for cropping.

My camera also likes to auto-focus onto elements of the scenery, instead of the individual being photographed. I'm working on using the touch screen to select the focus point, but haven't had a whole lot of luck with that method yet.

I'll take this advice about ISO and shutter speed, and let you know how it works out.

 

[MLeeK]

Thank you for starting this thread, and to everyone for these replies.

I have been having the same problem with blurriness. I just moved from a point-and-shoot (which is all I've shot with for twelve years) to a Panasonic four-thirds. My photos look great on the LCD screen, good in 800x600 or maybe even up to 1024px, but have been very poor for both large sizes or for cropping.

My camera also likes to auto-focus onto elements of the scenery, instead of the individual being photographed. I'm working on using the touch screen to select the focus point, but haven't had a whole lot of luck with that method yet.

I'll take this advice about ISO and shutter speed, and let you know how it works out.

Change your focus to use only one focus point and you pick where it falls. If you let the camera use a bunch of focus points it gets to pick which one it likes

 

[guest24]

Okay I am SO frustrated. I used my camera this weekend using the tip of Shutter Priority...
They still came out sub-par. I can take better quality pictures with a point and shoot.

They aren't super blurry but they just aren't CLEAR... if you know what I mean. It's almost hazy looking but out-of-focus hazy... Here is a picture of a play structure... I don't know if you can tell in this picture but I cna because I know what all my pictures turn out like... if you want one of a person, I can upload one.

 

[MTVision]

Okay I am SO frustrated. I used my camera this weekend using the tip of Shutter Priority...
They still came out sub-par. I can take better quality pictures with a point and shoot.

They aren't super blurry but they just aren't CLEAR... if you know what I mean. It's almost hazy looking but out-of-focus hazy... Here is a picture of a play structure... I don't know if you can tell in this picture but I cna because I know what all my pictures turn out like... if you want one of a person, I can upload one.

<img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=19356"/>

Poor lighting/exposure can cause issues. Do you have a better example?

 

[MLeeK]

That image looks fine as far as focus goes.
Your settings are a little odd, but that is a knowledge thing. You are shooting at ISO 800 for no reason. Your camera will handle well at ISO 800 but it wouldn't be a first choice.

Your issues are from lack of knowledge. There is nothing wrong with your camera. You have to gain some knowledge on how to use your camera to get any thing more than a point and shoot quality out of it. If you let it make decisions for you it will do exactly what any point and shoot does. It's not the camera that makes the quality, it's the knowledge behind the camera. My camera would do exactly what yours is doing if I put it in your hands today. However after you gain some knowledge you will be able to make it do what you want it to do instead of producing point and shoot images.
You acted on a "tip" to use shutter priority and that probably kept you from having motion blur, but you don't even really know why it would help you or hurt you-because it can do both. You have to learn those things.
Here are some awesome tutorials to start with that will help you a lot. Digital Photography Tips and Tutorials
Start at the beginning and keep going. Ask questions as you go and we'll do all we can to help you.

 

[guest24]

In this one, the lines are blurry... especially on the ball. It's in full sunlight so there is definitly enough light to get crisp lines, no?
Here's another one where the people are just "off".

I'm thinking I sound crazy, but I wonder if it could be the UV filter I have on my lens making everything look flat and kind of fuzzy? I can only upload small pictures here, so you can't see the full effect, but on my computer screen it's super noticable.

Does the UV filter affect picture quality??

 

[guest24]

PS I'm not a 'photographer'... these are pictures and snapshots of my family... just in case anyone is like "Who would pay her to take pictures??"

I'm not trying to be amazing... I just want decent quality snapshots..

 

[guest24]

That image looks fine as far as focus goes.
Your settings are a little odd, but that is a knowledge thing. You are shooting at ISO 800 for no reason. Your camera will handle well at ISO 800 but it wouldn't be a first choice.

Your issues are from lack of knowledge. There is nothing wrong with your camera. You have to gain some knowledge on how to use your camera to get any thing more than a point and shoot quality out of it. If you let it make decisions for you it will do exactly what any point and shoot does. It's not the camera that makes the quality, it's the knowledge behind the camera. My camera would do exactly what yours is doing if I put it in your hands today. However after you gain some knowledge you will be able to make it do what you want it to do instead of producing point and shoot images.
You acted on a "tip" to use shutter priority and that probably kept you from having motion blur, but you don't even really know why it would help you or hurt you-because it can do both. You have to learn those things.
Here are some awesome tutorials to start with that will help you a lot. Digital Photography Tips and Tutorials
Start at the beginning and keep going. Ask questions as you go and we'll do all we can to help you.

Thanks... I will read that... I really do want to learn this and get better at it. I'm not trying to be a whiner - I was just frustrated - thinking I was doing everything I was supposed to then coming home to pictures that don't look the way I expected.

Thanks for all your patience and help everyone!

 

[MLeeK]

In this one, the lines are blurry... especially on the ball. It's in full sunlight so there is definitly enough light to get crisp lines, no?View attachment 19357
Here's another one where the people are just "off".View attachment 19358

I'm thinking I sound crazy, but I wonder if it could be the UV filter I have on my lens making everything look flat and kind of fuzzy? I can only upload small pictures here, so you can't see the full effect, but on my computer screen it's super noticable.

Does the UV filter affect picture quality??

Yes, the UV filter will have an effect on your image and if it is a cheap one it will really degrade the image. That's the problem in the first one.
However, the second one looks good at this size. I'd have to see it much larger to guess on it.

If you want quality snapshots you probably would have been far better off with a high end point and shoot than a DSLR that takes the knowledge in how to use it properly in order to get what you are hoping for.

 

[3bayjunkie]

Thanks for the feed back... I went into the settings of one of the pictures I took, and I think it explains it all. It was set to Auto but it was giving me terrible "Auto" settings... I kind of figured that on Auto it would act like a point and shoot..

Here's the settings of one of the pictures that was set on Auto:

f-stop f/4.5
shutter 1/25
ISO-3200
No flash

I still don't understand why the pictures looked fantastic on the screen - maybe because the screen is way smaller than the computer screen?

Holy cow! Was it night time when you took these? At that iso and f/stop that is a horrible shutter speed. Need more light for sure!

 

[pgriz]

Two comments about the second image: your settings were 1/125 sec f/22 ISO 400. Given that you were in direct sunlight, you were probably better off with ISO 100, f/8, 1/250 sec. At f/22, you get diffraction blurring of fine detail. I also recommend you leave your ISO at the native level (100 in your case) unless you cannot get a good exposure otherwise.

The second point is that you are shooting the group with the light directly behind you - that leads to very flat lighting, as shadows help define shapes, and with flat lighting you have almost no shadows.

A third thought is that you should use only the central focusing point, and once you've acquired focus on the chosen item (shutter held down to half press), reframe the image without releasing the half press on the shutter. Once you've got the right framing (and didn't move in distance), press the shutter the rest of the way to get your image.

 

[subscuck]

I'm not trying to be amazing... I just want decent quality snapshots..

Go to Amazon and buy "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. It's written for the beginner and it will be the best money you can spend right now. Even decent snap shots require technical knowledge, and Peterson's book will give you that.