Raising aperture = more sharpness?

[sincere]

I know it gives you more DOF but does that automatically give me more sharpness in a picture? Maybe i am overthinking it or simply going in a wrong direction with this.

Either way, while we at it, what do you do with your camera to get the most sharpness?

Thanks in advance.

 

[pgriz]

For most lenses, the sharpness profile varies with aperture, with the best sharpness being somewhere around the midpoint of the aperture range. At the wide-open end, the sharpness is usually affected by the lens aberrations, whereas at the high end, it is diffraction effects that limit the sharpness. Of course, shutter-speed also plays a role, as does the focusing ability of the lens/camera combination.

 

[JustJazzie]

In addition to the above mentioned points, I find that lighting makes a HUGE difference in apparent sharpness. Anything back lit or under lit will appear less sharp than a well and side/front lit subject.

 

[pixmedic]

In addition to the above mentioned points, I find that lighting makes a HUGE difference in apparent sharpness. Anything back lit or under lit will appear less sharp than a well and side/front lit subject.

it wont let me agree with this twice....
proper focus, proper exposure, and a lack of motion all contribute to image sharpness.
some lenses are very sharp wide open, while others need to be stopped down a bit before reaching their "sweet spot". Sometimes its just trial and error.

 

[WayneF]

I know it gives you more DOF but does that automatically give me more sharpness in a picture? Maybe i am overthinking it or simply going in a wrong direction with this.

Either way, while we at it, what do you do with your camera to get the most sharpness?

Thanks in advance.

There are generally two aspects of sharpness... resolution and depth of field.

About two stops stopped down from maximum aperture is normally the sharpest choice for lens resolution.

Here are very many lens tests: Nikon / Nikkor (APS-C) Lens Tests

Pick any one of them, and it will show a couple of stops stopped down is the maximum resolution (sharpest) choice.

A few cases might be three stops. The widest (shortest) lenses have the most issues wide open, or at the edges of the frame.

The idea is that wide open, the lens curves have too many faults, not real sharp wide open. But as we stop down, the diameter becomes smaller, and the lens is better corrected in the center. However, as we stop down, then diffraction grows, also reducing sharpness as it is stopped down.

But the more you stop down, the more depth of field we have. So f/16 might have more depth of field (wider zone of acceptable sharpness), but back towards f/5.6 is probably sharpest (in its more narrow depth of field range).

 

[qleak]

Adding to everyone else's comments on shutter speed and light being contributing factors...

Noise is also a factor, if your ISO is too high you'll lose sharpness due to sensor noise.

So all 3 components of the exposure triangle can contribute to loss of sharpness and they often written against each other.

As already pointed out light contributes to sharpness. It's sometimes useful to think of this in terms of contrast.

 

[sincere]

But the more you stop down, the more depth of field we have. So f/16 might have more depth of field (wider zone of acceptable sharpness), but back towards f/5.6 is probably sharpest (in its more narrow depth of field range).

This is exactly the thing i am wondering about: is DOF or lower aperture more important for sharpness?

And yes, ISO, light, the object itself, shutter speed etc also plays a role but is it fair to say that setting the right aperture is the key?

 

[qleak]

But the more you stop down, the more depth of field we have. So f/16 might have more depth of field (wider zone of acceptable sharpness), but back towards f/5.6 is probably sharpest (in its more narrow depth of field range).

This is exactly the thing i am wondering about: is DOF or lower aperture more important for sharpness?

And yes, ISO, light, the object itself, shutter speed etc also plays a role but is it fair to say that setting the right aperture is the key?

Picking the correct aperture is the key to controlling depth of field.

Though I'm not sure if you understand what sharpness is. I think you may be confusing it with being acceptably in focus.

This article might help:

Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, and Sharpness - Steve's Digicams

 

[sincere]

Thanks for the link but yes, i actually do mean sharpness and not focus

For me, creating the perfect DOF is also very important because it gives more detail.

 

[pgriz]

Sharpness is useful to a point. There are, however, plenty of situations where too much sharpness can be counterproductive. Think portraiture, as one example. Think of richly textured backgrounds or foregrounds that will take attention away from your main subject. My view of it is that sharpness is just another attribute that can either help or hinder you in expressing your vision. The trick is to get just the right amount.

 

[enzodm]

This is exactly the thing i am wondering about: is DOF or lower aperture more important for sharpness?

And yes, ISO, light, the object itself, shutter speed etc also plays a role but is it fair to say that setting the right aperture is the key?

I agree with the others and: if you ask what is more important or the key, the right aperture in many ways is not. What you gain in sharpness by using the lens best aperture is much less of what you loose by using the wrong shutter speed, or even slightly missing focus, or opening up shadows that could have been better lit. If all this key rest is at best, then you may gain something by closing a couple of stops, but if this goes against the DoF needed by your subject, you may easily live with something less.

what do you do with your camera to get the most sharpness?

It depends on subject but an easy answer is: tripod + remote + mirror lock.

 

[JTPhotography]

As others have said, many factors contribute to "sharpness". A deep subject, I've been into photography for two decades and learn something new every day to make my photos more sharp and crisp.....to make them "pop".

I think what the OP is asking here is one question about two separate subjects. Lenses have a sweet spot where they reach peak sharpness, especially toward the edges. This is usually around f8, give or take a few stops. In most cases this is not so important that you should be trying to shoot every photo at this aperture. The "sharpness" you are referring to in terms of DOF is mostly an issue of focus. Sure, if you are shooting a landscape at a wide aperture, certain areas of your photo will become more sharp (more in focus) if you raise aperture (raise the number, lower the amount of light coming in). Much of this has to do with focal length as well. So I agree with your statement that you are over-thinking things. Most importantly, use all the tools that you have, prioritizing the ones that help you express your creative vision. For example if I am striving for an extremely shallow DOF, I know my aperture is going to be big and how sharp my lens is at that aperture becomes irrelevant. If I need plenty of DOF, depending on my lens I might need to stop down to f14 to find that balance. If I want to create a sunstar, I go to f22 or higher, knowing this is not my lenses "sweet spot".

Work to gain a full understanding of how autofocus works. An OOF shot from the best lens in the world is still an OOF shot. Also, work to gain a full understanding of how movement and shutterspeed affect sharpness. As stated above, a tripod and mirror lock up will help you to nail many photos that would otherwise turn out "unsharp".

And finally, lighting, lighting, and lighting. An underexposed or poorly lit subject taken with the most expensive and sharp lens that is in perfect focus will not appear to be "sharp".

 

[KmH]

The lens aperture is a physical opening in the lens whose size can be changed - within limits and in discrete steps.
So a lens aperture can be made bigger or smaller, and can't be 'raised'. (Some el cheapo lenses have a fixed lens aperture that cannot be changed.)
Lenses that cannot be 'zoomed' are known as Prime lenses. Because their focal length cannot be changed, prime lenses have fewer design constraints and are generally sharper to some extent than zoom lenses used at the same focal length a prime lens has.

The lens f-stop number defines a ratio of the lens aperture size relative to the focal length the lens is set to.
That's why the f/stop is expressed as a fraction, like f/3.5 or f/16.
Note that f/3.5 is a bigger number than f/16 is because they are fractions.
F/3.5 says the lens opening is 1/3.5x smaller than the focal length the lens is set to. F/16 says the lens opening is a lot smaller because it is only 1/16 as larger as the focal length the lens is set to.

Some lenses, particularly 'fast' lenses having maximum apertures of f/2.8 or larger (f/1.8 is larger than f/2.8), lose sharpness when used with a large aperture opening. Consequently all lenses have a 'sweet spot' or range of lens apertures that deliver the most sharpness that particular lens can deliver.
At some point all lenses start losing sharpness again when small lens apertures are used due to an optical effect known as diffraction.
Diffraction Limited Photography: Pixel Size, Aperture and Airy Disks

An understanding of what 'sharpness' is could be helpful.
Tutorials - Sharpness

And of course a good understanding of what DoF is and how it changes with lens focal length, point of focus distance, and lens aperture it is helpful.
Understanding Depth of Field in Photography

 

[mcap1972]

Every lens has different sharpest aperture. Check out Welcome to Photozone! for tests.

 

[KmH]

Well, every make/model of lens.
All Nikon AF 50 mm f/1.8D lenses will be as sharp as possible over the same range of lens apertures.
It won't vary with each Nikon AF 50 mm f/1.8D lens Nikon has made.