Help for Xmas Photos! 50mm 1.8G lens

[Sunset047]

Hi. New to forum because I need help! Recently bought a Nikon 1.8G 50mm AF-S Lens. I can’t get those tack sharp details I’m looking for despite various setting changes that I believe are correct. Any tips for using this lens and getting proper focus? I can’t focus manually often because I have trouble seeing through the tiny viewfinder.

 

[Sunset047]

I shoot with a Nikon D5000.

 

[JonA_CT]

Can you post an example picture with your settings? It'll be much easier to help!

 

[Sunset047]

Here the eyes aren’t tack sharp

 

[ReflexPhoto]

Depends. Are your subjects moving or relatively stationary? If they aren’t moving, and you’re using a tripod, you can use the live-view and zoom that preview screen in to a point and check the focus (if I recall correctly, wide open aperture has a VERY small focus-depth window).

Otherwise, if you’re lighting conditions allow, lower you’re aperture (I.E. NOT f1.8 but something higher) so that you open up your shot to have more ‘in focus’.

Last idea I’ve got- if Nikon’s are anything like Yongnuo’s 50mm, double check your rear glass (lens side that attaches to the camera). The Yong’s have a very clear thin piece of protective film most people kinda forget to take off lol. Regardless, hope that helps ya.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JonA_CT]

Here the eyes aren’t tack sharp

Awww, your little guy looks to be about the same age as my son.

I plugged your photo into an EXIF viewer, and here were the results...

Camera: Nikon D5000
Lens: 50 mm f/1.8
Exposure: Auto exposure, Aperture-priority AE, 1/320 sec, f/2.2, ISO 2000
Flash: none
Focus: At 1.0m, with a depth of field of about 3.3cm, (from about 16mm before the focus point to about 17mm after)
Date: December 23, 2017 12:37:04PM (timezone not specified)
(19 hours, 26 minutes, 42 seconds ago, assuming image timezone of US Pacific)
File: 1,000 × 664 JPEG
97,877 bytes (96 kilobytes)
Color Encoding: Embedded color profile: “sRGB”


It's a depth of field issue. You aperture is too wide, and as a result, you only have an inch "slice" of your subject that is in focus. If you miss the focus by a hair, you'll have sharpness issues.

I'd stop down a bit...probably at least to F4.0 It'll deepen your DOF so more of your image is tack sharp.

 

[snowbear]

^This. Also, sometimes it's best to pick a single focus point so the camera isn't trying to focus on the closest part of the scene.

 

[snowbear]

Last idea I’ve got- if Nikon’s are anything like Yongnuo’s 50mm, double check your rear glass (lens side that attaches to the camera). The Yong’s have a very clear thin piece of protective film most people kinda forget to take off lol.

Not on Nikkors - just the back cap.

 

[Sunset047]

Sometimes I almost feel like it’s backfocusing but don’t know how to adjust that.

 

[480sparky]

...........Exposure: Auto exposure, Aperture-priority AE, 1/320 sec, f/2.2, ISO 2000..............


It's a depth of field issue. You aperture is too wide, and as a result, you only have an inch "slice" of your subject that is in focus. If you miss the focus by a hair, you'll have sharpness issues.

I'd stop down a bit...probably at least to F4.0 It'll deepen your DOF so more of your image is tack sharp.

Yep. F/2.2 isn't much DOF, even with a 50mm. If the camera chooses a focus point just a few inches in front of, or behind, the eyes, the cute little guys' peepers will be soft.

I'm assuming you're something like 4-5 feet from the subject. At f/2.2, you've only got 0.06 feet, or 3/4", in depth of field.

 

[Sunset047]

If I’m farther away from the subject would 2.2 have a larger depth of field than closer?

 

[Dave442]

I agree with the others, shoot this at f/4 for the extra DOF at that close camera to subject distance. If you want to stay near wide open then move back and forth a bit and take a few extra shots. At f/2.2 your DOF will increase as you move farther away from the focus point. If you print the image in 5x7 then people are not going to notice the slightly OOF eyes.

 

[480sparky]

If your image frame is, say, 36" tall, with a 50mm lens you'd have to be 6 feet away to get the framing shown in the image. Unless you cropped a larger image down to what you're showing us, then a 50mm lens on a crop sensor, set to f/2.2, would have 1.08" of DOF.

 

[Destin]

Try reshooting this at f/4 or even f/5.6. It’ll get you much sharper results.

If you really want the shallow depth of field you’ll need to make super sure to focus on the right spot in single point focus mode, and hold the camera super still. Even the slightest twitch of the camera as the shutter is pressed can cause your image to be out of focus.

It’s often a numbers game with shallow depth of field portraits: take lots of photos to be sure you get some in focus.

 

[480sparky]

Try focus bracketing as well. Start by focusing in front of the subject, then fire away as you turn the focus ring to move the point of focus behind the subject.