What's wrong with these photos!
Mar 4, 2019 02:11:22 #
MountainMike
Loc: Northern California, USA
It is NOT camera shake.
Before looking at anyone else's response and thus being biased, I would strongly suspect that your daughter has her new Nikon on some form of "spot focus" and that "spot" is falling "away from" or "off of" her subject(s).
It would have been nice if you had numbered the photos before uploading them to the uglyhedgehog (UHH), so we could be more certain of which photo we are speaking about.
In the first photo, the white colored bird (goose?), has the bird out of focus slightly, but magnify the image and look to the blades of grass in the background. These are in focus, especially the area near the brown leaf to the right of the bird's neck. I am seeing a "zone of focus" BEHIND the bird of interest. So, the lens appears to be capable of focusing, it is just focusing in an area that is outside of the zone of interest.
Another factor, the "depth of focus" might be too shallow for her photos. What ISO is she using? Fast shutter speed? Wide-open lens? Maybe it is time for dad to check out the camera and lenses for his daughter, and return the camera if possible, or if it is under a new warranty, send it back to the manufacturer. New cameras sometimes are defective!
I have presumed your daughter is a teenager. So it will be a difficult teaching curve to show her she might need to change. Good luck!
Later comment: *************************
I have just read the other responses; we all seem to be "on the same page". If it is not the lenses, then it must be the (defective) camera body. Yes, they are mostly badly UNDEREXPOSED.
Obviously, if she has been taking photos for 20 years, she's past the teenage years!
Before looking at anyone else's response and thus being biased, I would strongly suspect that your daughter has her new Nikon on some form of "spot focus" and that "spot" is falling "away from" or "off of" her subject(s).
It would have been nice if you had numbered the photos before uploading them to the uglyhedgehog (UHH), so we could be more certain of which photo we are speaking about.
In the first photo, the white colored bird (goose?), has the bird out of focus slightly, but magnify the image and look to the blades of grass in the background. These are in focus, especially the area near the brown leaf to the right of the bird's neck. I am seeing a "zone of focus" BEHIND the bird of interest. So, the lens appears to be capable of focusing, it is just focusing in an area that is outside of the zone of interest.
Another factor, the "depth of focus" might be too shallow for her photos. What ISO is she using? Fast shutter speed? Wide-open lens? Maybe it is time for dad to check out the camera and lenses for his daughter, and return the camera if possible, or if it is under a new warranty, send it back to the manufacturer. New cameras sometimes are defective!
I have presumed your daughter is a teenager. So it will be a difficult teaching curve to show her she might need to change. Good luck!
Later comment: *************************
I have just read the other responses; we all seem to be "on the same page". If it is not the lenses, then it must be the (defective) camera body. Yes, they are mostly badly UNDEREXPOSED.
Obviously, if she has been taking photos for 20 years, she's past the teenage years!
Mar 4, 2019 05:52:06 #
This set is a valuable demonstration that she needs to actually learn to use the tool that she has. I see camera shake, incorrect focus, and incorrect exposure. She needs to learn to use the spot meter, needs to learn when to use a tripod and maybe about using Tv to keep you using a fast enough shutter speed, etc. You really can't just "piont and shoot"....
Mar 4, 2019 06:31:58 #
Take it back and exchange it for a Canon!!🐺
polonois wrote:
I agree, she is going to drop it off this week and I'm going to see what I can do. If I can't get it to focus we are thinking it is the camera or possibly the lens. Yes she uses that lens on her D90 with no problems.
Mar 4, 2019 06:38:08 #
A good overview of solving focus problems can be found on this informative video by Steve Perry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEDzAMm1FCc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEDzAMm1FCc
Mar 4, 2019 08:09:51 #
It's generally not camera shake, although I see some in a couple of photos. Moving up to a D7200, one needs to understand various focus modes. Spot metering isn't the same as spot focus.
Have her check her focus mode (push button in on body down by lens). Make sure it is also set to AF as well as the lens. I'm betting she is also on AF-A and d51 and the camera is grabbing first thing it see to lock on to. Move to AF-S or AF-C. And be sure the focus point selector is in Lock (L) position.
Have her check her focus mode (push button in on body down by lens). Make sure it is also set to AF as well as the lens. I'm betting she is also on AF-A and d51 and the camera is grabbing first thing it see to lock on to. Move to AF-S or AF-C. And be sure the focus point selector is in Lock (L) position.
Mar 4, 2019 08:09:56 #
sb wrote:
This set is a valuable demonstration that she needs to actually learn to use the tool that she has. I see camera shake, incorrect focus, and incorrect exposure. She needs to learn to use the spot meter, needs to learn when to use a tripod and maybe about using Tv to keep you using a fast enough shutter speed, etc. You really can't just "piont and shoot"....
But the shutter speed (on the one I checked) was 1/1000. And concerning the previous comment on DOF, she was shooting at f8.
Mar 4, 2019 08:25:51 #
Post deleted..
TriX wrote:
But the shutter speed (on the one I checked) was 1/1000. And concerning the previous comment on DOF, she was shooting at f8.
Mar 4, 2019 09:11:25 #
Best bet is to try to do a factory reset. I only owned one digital Nikon (besides the Fuji S1/S2 bodies) and one film Nikon. ALL of them tended to back focus. I nearly spiked one on a particularly frustrating day. Ditched the lot, went back to Canon, and with one foray into Sigma as a side camera, have been happy ever after.
Mar 4, 2019 09:37:22 #
Nikon cameras come from the factory set in the AF-A focus mode (Auto). To me, this is the most unreliable focus setting. The camera guesses where to focus and usually chooses areas with the most contrast. Set it to single point or dynamic 9 point for better results.
Mar 4, 2019 09:40:00 #
Try shooting live view to see what you get. That might give you a clue.
Mar 4, 2019 10:50:49 #
sbohne wrote:
Best bet is to try to do a factory reset. I only owned one digital Nikon (besides the Fuji S1/S2 bodies) and one film Nikon. ALL of them tended to back focus. I nearly spiked one on a particularly frustrating day. Ditched the lot, went back to Canon, and with one foray into Sigma as a side camera, have been happy ever after.
Mar 4, 2019 10:53:54 #
I agree with most of the suggestions. But I also see another problem, DOF. In virtually all shots the DOF is very shallow. All it takes is for the camera to point to the "wrong" spot and everything else comes out of focus. Your daughter should try to close the lens to about f12...f16 and shoot, see if that improves things.
Mar 4, 2019 11:24:03 #
JeffDavidson wrote:
What setup for focus did she have? Center weighted? Spot? Etc.? Was the focus point set for what she was composing (ie set to the upper right but the bird was in the left center)? Was the lens on auto-focus or manual? What about the camera? We need more information.
There is NO such thing as Center Weighted or Spot focusing. Those are METERING methods and the third, and the one I use the most, is Matrix Metering.
Mar 4, 2019 11:32:44 #
cjc2 wrote:
There is NO such thing as Center Weighted or Spot focusing. Those are METERING methods and the third, and the one I use the most, is Matrix Metering.
agreed. When I first read that I was thinking to myself what am I missing on my d7200? Then it dawned on me there is no such thing...
Mar 4, 2019 11:49:41 #
I don't believe that focus is being activated. As someone already suggested, you should make sure that AF activation is set properly for focus via the shutter instead of via set to use BBF since the photos are not being taken with BBF. Also, you could set the camera to provide a beep when focus is achieved (though it must be in AF-S and not AF-C for that). Another check would be to use contrast focus in live view mode to confirm proper focusing in that mode..
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