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Does distance to subject have an effect on sharpness?
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Jun 11, 2014 08:37:13   #
rpavich Loc: West Virginia
 
Caysnowman wrote:
I'm using a D7000 mostly with a Nikon 70-300 VR for birds. I've noticed that pictures that I have taken with subjects close (25 +/-) yards are generally sharp if I do everything else right but if I shoot a distant object ( 75 - 100 + yards) they are generally soft even though I used a tripod / bean bag on a car door. I found the 70-300 had a focus problem when I first got it but a setting of -6 on the D7000 Fine Tuning helped.

I was able to borrow a Nikon 300 F4 and found that the Osprey @ 100 yards and 30 feet in the air on a nest was softer than I thought it should be but did not have a chance for anything close up; I expect it would be very sharp.

Got to use a Nikon 500 + TC 14II on a sparrow type bird for 5 shots that were really sharp but again it was only about 30 yards away.

Using back button focus, spot Auto Focus and try to use some type of support for most of the longer shots. I realize that I need more practice and have to improve technique but at this point I feel I have more questions than answers.

Bill
I'm using a D7000 mostly with a Nikon 70-300 VR fo... (show quote)


Short answer?

Yes.

Long answer?

How big your subject is in the frame makes a HUGE difference in perceived sharpness. I might call it "resolving power" rather than sharpness.

Also, how well lit something is makes a huge difference too, the same right shot in crappy light will be much different in sharpness when taken in nice bright light.

My rules for sharpness?


Fill the frame with the intended subject.


Make sure that the subject is lit well.


Use a reasonable f/stop (i.e. not wide open)


If you want sharpness of a bird at 100 yards (a VERY SMALL subject)...you need "lens-zilla" and FILL the frame with that bird. You can't have it fill HALF the frame and crop it in and expect it to be tack sharp.

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Jun 11, 2014 08:45:03   #
OviedoPhotos
 
If on a tripod turn off VR. Also many zooms prefer a little back from the full range. Usually goto the max then back just a tiny bit. If not already mentioned infinity is sometimes just beyond.

With each lens spend some time and take notes. Thankfully you can see the results right away.

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Jun 11, 2014 08:48:19   #
dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia
 
OviedoPhotos wrote:
If on a tripod turn off VR. Also many zooms prefer a little back from the full range. Usually goto the max then back just a tiny bit. If not already mentioned infinity is sometimes just beyond.

With each lens spend some time and take notes. Thankfully you can see the results right away.


"To INFINITY and BEYOND!!!" :lol:

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Jun 11, 2014 08:59:20   #
Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina
 
Linda From Maine wrote:
As RWR mentioned...haze, humidity level, air quality can affect long distance shots.


Thee are certainly factors besides all the possible issues with the camera and lenses. Just think about what heat waves coming off a hot blacktop road can do to distort the long distance view on a hot sunny Sumer day too.

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Jun 11, 2014 09:44:28   #
Beercat Loc: Central Coast of California
 
rpavich wrote:
Short answer?

Yes.

Long answer?

How big your subject is in the frame makes a HUGE difference in perceived sharpness. I might call it "resolving power" rather than sharpness.

Also, how well lit something is makes a huge difference too, the same right shot in crappy light will be much different in sharpness when taken in nice bright light.

My rules for sharpness?


Fill the frame with the intended subject.


Make sure that the subject is lit well.


Use a reasonable f/stop (i.e. not wide open)


If you want sharpness of a bird at 100 yards (a VERY SMALL subject)...you need "lens-zilla" and FILL the frame with that bird. You can't have it fill HALF the frame and crop it in and expect it to be tack sharp.
Short answer? br br Yes. br br Long answer? br ... (show quote)


This is good advice ........... I was going to say something similar but was beaten to the punch.

A 300mm is a bit limiting for the true bird enthusiast. Also remember that all lens, especially the lower cost ones, tend to work best in the middle third of their ranges. Meaning a 70-300 lens will work best in the 150-240 range, plus an fstop somewhere in the middle, meaning a f4 - f22 lens will work best at f11 - f16.

By all means, fill the frame if you want sharp pictures, whenever you drag in the subject in PP cropping you hurt the sharpness.

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Jun 11, 2014 09:47:34   #
Iconoscope Loc: New Mexico
 
Caysnowman wrote:
True, found that my 70-300 is more comfortable at around 250 instead of 300.

I thought that VR was off but I'll double check that next outing.

Atmospherics ring a bell; the days I have the most problems are usually hazy, IIRC.

I've checked focus points in Aperture and they are where I thought they should be.

Thanks to all for these and other suggestions.

Bill


Haze is less of a problem than atmospheric refraction, which can be subtle or gross depending on temperature variations. These are commonly referred to as "heat waves" and can completely destroy image quality. The best times of day to avoid this problem are right after sunrise and just before sundown when the atmosphere gets very calm for about an hour.

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Jun 11, 2014 09:49:31   #
St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet
 
jerryc41 wrote:
If you want to spend some time checking how well y... (show quote)

Thank you

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Jun 11, 2014 10:26:28   #
BobInNJ Loc: In NJ, near Phila. Pa
 
Very exciting...since we learned your camera may focus beyond infinity, you may get excellent shots of life on another planet...

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Jun 11, 2014 10:34:52   #
Beercat Loc: Central Coast of California
 
BobInNJ wrote:
Very exciting...since we learned your camera may focus beyond infinity, you may get excellent shots of life on another planet...


LMAO :lol:

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Jun 11, 2014 11:03:26   #
Marionsho Loc: Kansas
 
MadMikeOne wrote:
Caysnowman -
I found the article about VR. Link is as follows:
http://www.bythom.com/nikon-vr.htm
It helped me. Hope it does the same for you.
MadMikeOne


Thanks a lot for the link.

Reply
Jun 11, 2014 11:09:21   #
oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA
 
Beercat wrote:
LMAO :lol:


aint photography fun?

check macro can be dangerous part II for a laugh at my expense

Reply
 
 
Jun 11, 2014 11:29:07   #
GKarl Loc: Northern New Hampshire
 
I have the same camera and have been having the same issue with the 70 - 300 lens. I should have asked the same question but for some reason did not. Thanks for allowing me to piggy back on the suggestions. I love this forum.

Reply
Jun 11, 2014 12:05:02   #
ole sarg Loc: south florida
 
You about summed it up.



rpavich wrote:
Short answer?

Yes.

Long answer?

How big your subject is in the frame makes a HUGE difference in perceived sharpness. I might call it "resolving power" rather than sharpness.

Also, how well lit something is makes a huge difference too, the same right shot in crappy light will be much different in sharpness when taken in nice bright light.

My rules for sharpness?


Fill the frame with the intended subject.


Make sure that the subject is lit well.


Use a reasonable f/stop (i.e. not wide open)


If you want sharpness of a bird at 100 yards (a VERY SMALL subject)...you need "lens-zilla" and FILL the frame with that bird. You can't have it fill HALF the frame and crop it in and expect it to be tack sharp.
Short answer? br br Yes. br br Long answer? br ... (show quote)

Reply
Jun 11, 2014 12:29:11   #
bunuweld Loc: Arizona
 
Caysnowman wrote:
I'm using a D7000 mostly with a Nikon 70-300 VR for birds. I've noticed that pictures that I have taken with subjects close (25 +/-) yards are generally sharp if I do everything else right but if I shoot a distant object ( 75 - 100 + yards) they are generally soft even though I used a tripod / bean bag on a car door. I found the 70-300 had a focus problem when I first got it but a setting of -6 on the D7000 Fine Tuning helped.

I was able to borrow a Nikon 300 F4 and found that the Osprey @ 100 yards and 30 feet in the air on a nest was softer than I thought it should be but did not have a chance for anything close up; I expect it would be very sharp.

Got to use a Nikon 500 + TC 14II on a sparrow type bird for 5 shots that were really sharp but again it was only about 30 yards away.

Using back button focus, spot Auto Focus and try to use some type of support for most of the longer shots. I realize that I need more practice and have to improve technique but at this point I feel I have more questions than answers.

Bill
I'm using a D7000 mostly with a Nikon 70-300 VR fo... (show quote)


All other factors being excluded (assume a perfect tripod, exposure ,etc) you are dealing with fewer pixels for the image at a distance and, even more important, "atmospheric or distance perspective". The increasing thickness of atmospheric layers interposed between the camera and the subject acts as a neutral density filter, and the further the subject the less sharpness and saturation of the image. The atmospheric perspective was well known to classic painters who used it in their landscape paintings.

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Jun 11, 2014 14:31:43   #
djenrette Loc: Philadelphia
 
Your problem puzzles me. I suggest that you try focusing manually instead of AF on a solid tripod at different distances (use the little dot at lower left on screen OR use a magnifier OR use live view and greatly enlarge the image on screen. ) If you still get photos less sharp than you expect at long distances, that might tell you something. As I recall, lenses do vary in sharpness with respect to distance focused, BUT lenses are supposed to be calculated for sharpest at infinity.

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