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Pictures are not sharp - look like they have noise even in the sky
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Jun 20, 2018 08:37:30   #
mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma
 
The LR dehaze tool is amazing, especially if you shoot in RAW. Worth the subscription price, IMO. Also, have you tried a circular polarizing filter? That can make a big difference too.

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Jun 20, 2018 09:02:20   #
CatMarley Loc: North Carolina
 
Linda From Maine wrote:
I agree with earlier posters who point out the haze and tiny subjects. Haze, humidity, other bad air and mid-day light = glare and poor contrast + if it was hot, you could also have clarity issues from heat rising.

Take a series of photos of closer subjects during earlier and later times of the day, and do it away from the water. Only then will you be able to more accurately judge your "sharpness."

Also, try to be aware of slanting images while taking the shot as rotating a jpg in pp can reduce clarity. If you are shooting in raw and need to straighten, do while in the raw editor as a first step.
I agree with earlier posters who point out the haz... (show quote)


I agree about the haze, but there is also a focus problem and in the first photo a suggestion of camera shake, (all the dots of foam are oblong smears). I see NO NOISE artifacts. Forget about noise and concentrate on using the correct aperture and shutter speed. And do not expect crystal clarity when photographing a hazy landscape over water. Crystal clear you can only get on the desert on a calm windless day!

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Jun 20, 2018 09:24:06   #
Tenifer
 
On a side bar topic:
I've enjoyed the photo. You've captured the U. S. C. G base on YBI. I was stationed there many years ago, and haven't seen it in a long time. The photo is clear enough to pick out the office and lab I worked out of. Thanks for the memories.

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Jun 20, 2018 09:27:16   #
olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida
 
Haze.. deal with it all the time here in Florida during warm weather.. can make even a great lens shot look mediocre. If on tripod, did you have VC on, that can sometimes trip up the camera/lens.

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Jun 20, 2018 10:20:12   #
gwilliams6
 
mwsilvers wrote:
You are very welcome. I hope showing you the results of dehazing was helpful. The Lightroom de-hazing filter is only available in the subscription version of Lightroom, Lightroom CC Classic. I believe both Capture One and ON1 also have filters to remove haze. I use DXO Photolab as my main raw processor. Previously I used Lightroom 6.14. In PhotoLab the de-hazing filter is only available in the Elite version, which is fairly pricey. However, there is a 30-day free trial. I believe the elite version is available at a discounted price right now for $189. And it's important to also get the Viewpoint perspective plugin which cost another $50. Viewpoint fixes all kinds of perspective issues like buildings on the edge of the frame leaning in towards each other, and distortions caused by taking a photo when you're too close to a tall structure, etc.
You are very welcome. I hope showing you the resul... (show quote)


Great job mwsilvers !

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Jun 20, 2018 10:26:39   #
dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho
 
Honestly I do not see any problem with your photos except haze which several posters have referred to as well. But also look at your subjects, a sail boat on a windy day quite some distance away. What did you honestly expect to be sharp as a tack in that photo? Other photos have similar characteristics of long distance and haze. If you want to check your lens then put the camera on a sturdy tripod and choose a subject, maybe inside at a reasonable distance to take a photo. As Bob Malarz says, you may not have the sharpest lens available but it is probably fine. Check it against another lens under identical circumstances to find out. I think you are fine.

Dennis

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Jun 20, 2018 10:44:43   #
amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
 
Instead of software upgrades, get a circular polarizing filter and use it. That will help more than the software.

If not using a lens hood, that might help, too.

The images are fine technically, other than the atmospheric haze.

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Jun 20, 2018 10:52:17   #
Ched49 Loc: Pittsburgh, Pa.
 
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said..."not a crisp day on the bay". It's not you or the camera, it's atmospheric conditions.

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Jun 20, 2018 11:05:34   #
bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA
 
MichaelStacy wrote:
I am using a D750 and a 28-300 lens and have been getting results which appeared to me to be camera shake, possibly. So, I have been shooting with a shutter speed of 1/1600 second, and f8.

Before I go off the deep end, I thought I would post a couple of pictures in hopes someone might have an idea what is going on - me, camera, what?
These are unedited, so some are crooked... And not a crisp day on the bay.

Thank you in advance..

Michael


It sounds like the problem may be a high ISO setting and it sounds like you may be using an automatic exposure mode. As shutter speed increases and and f-stop goes up (smaller diaphragm opening), a higher ISO is required to get the correct exposure. The native ISO for most DSLRs is +/-ISO 100. As ISO goes up, the art effects increase. Try shooting at ISO 100 or 200 and use an appropriate exposure. The art effects should become imperceptible or very minimal. If you do not know how to limit your cameras ISO, read your manual.

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Jun 20, 2018 11:05:44   #
MichaelStacy
 
Again, thank you all for great constructive input. A lot of experience here :-)
Michael

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Jun 20, 2018 11:32:03   #
RichardSM Loc: Back in Texas
 
mwsilvers wrote:
Agree with everyone else. Its not noise, its haze. Did you shoot raw? What do you use for post processing? A number of software packages today have haze filters. I took the liberty of updating two of your images with just the haze filter called Clearview in my DXO PhotoLab Elite raw processor. Each updated image is followed by your original image below it. The results are not as good as they could be if I had been able to modify raw files instead of jpegs, but I think the results show that haze, not lack of sharpness or noise is the main issue. I would possibly make additional modifications in post as well if they were my images, but they're not. If you look at them full screen you will see the differences with the haze filter applied is pretty significant. The filter is adjustable but I left it at its default setting which may not meet everyone's taste.
Agree with everyone else. Its not noise, its haze.... (show quote)


Take off that that UV filter and focus your lens more carefully, also stop down one or two stops, Check and see if you can micro adjust your lens if it needs it! Make the adjustments in PP for you pictures.

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Jun 20, 2018 11:39:41   #
MichaelStacy
 
Actually, I was shooting in manual, auto iso. Here are the resultant settings:
fwiw, the 3 images were shot at (top to bottom)
1 iso 360, f8, 1/2000 28mm
2 iso 250, f8, 1/1600 300mm
3 iso 280, f8, 1/1600 135mm

Thank you..

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Jun 20, 2018 11:42:32   #
mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey
 
gwilliams6 wrote:
Great job mwsilvers !


Thanks, but all I did was apply a haze filter to a couple of his images. Haze filters are a relatively recent tool available in a number of different post processing software packages, although they probably work a little differently from each other.

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Jun 20, 2018 11:49:40   #
mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey
 
RichardSM wrote:
Take off that that UV filter and focus your lens more carefully, also stop down one or two stops, Check and see if you can micro adjust your lens if it needs it! Make the adjustments in PP for you pictures.

It's not clear whether or not he was using a UV filter, the images were stopped down and were sharp if you look at the images after the haze filter was applied.

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Jun 20, 2018 11:54:03   #
mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey
 
bpulv wrote:
It sounds like the problem may be a high ISO setting and it sounds like you may be using an automatic exposure mode. As shutter speed increases and and f-stop goes up (smaller diaphragm opening), a higher ISO is required to get the correct exposure. The native ISO for most DSLRs is +/-ISO 100. As ISO goes up, the art effects increase. Try shooting at ISO 100 or 200 and use an appropriate exposure. The art effects should become imperceptible or very minimal. If you do not know how to limit your cameras ISO, read your manual.
It sounds like the problem may be a high ISO setti... (show quote)

While a primer on the exposure triangle is always welcome, his ISO was not high and he was shooting in manual mode. Did you check the EXIF information from his images? The issue here was simply atmospheric haze.

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