How can I get sharper indoor flat-lay photos with everything in focus?
Asked 11/6/2016
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2 answers
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I’m a beginner using a Nikon D5300 with an 18-70mm lens, trying to photograph indoor flat lays so that all items look sharp. I’m shooting on a tripod with a 10-second timer, near a large window, and using DIY reflectors. The camera is about 30 cm from the subject, and the tallest objects are about 20 cm high. I usually stay around 30mm or wider.
Even after adjusting aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, the images don’t look fully sharp when viewed at 100% on a computer. Autofocus is enabled.
What can I do to improve sharpness for this kind of setup? What aperture is a good starting point, and where should I focus?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
5
In addition to mattdm's suggestion to get a flash or two (which can be a very cheap way to get better light for your image).
The sharpness in the sample image looks reasonable for a kit lens - most of the objects are around the edges of the image - and the corners are likely to be the least sharp parts of a lens. The focal plane of a lens is not always flat - so focussing on the center of the image, may not give you sharp corners.
Lenses normally have a "sweet" aperture when they have their optimum sharpness - find out where this is for your lens. You may want to consider a prime lens which are generally sharper than zooms - as you have a specific setup - you can work out what focal length is required and buy a prime close to this.
Although the rest of the image isn't as sharp as possible (see above) - there is a specific reason why the flowers are out of focus. If the flowers are only 30cm from the lens, then this is too close for your lens. The minimum focus distance for the Nikon 18-70mm is 0.38m according to the Nikon website - your scene is simply too close to your camera
Originally by user46386. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user46386
9y ago
0
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A few things are likely limiting sharpness here.
First, your camera may simply be too close. The Nikon 18-70mm lens has a minimum focus distance of about 0.38 m, so at 30 cm the flowers can fall outside the lens’s focusing range. Move the camera back, then crop if needed.
Second, your zoom lens is usually not sharpest at the frame edges or corners, and many lenses are best a few stops down from wide open rather than at the very smallest apertures. A good starting point is around f/8 to f/11, then test from there.
Third, flat lays indoors often need more light than window light alone provides. Adding one or two flashes, ideally softened, can improve sharpness by giving you stronger, cleaner light.
For focus, don’t just focus on the center if important objects are near the edges, because lens sharpness and field flatness vary. Focus on the most important subject area, and try to keep the subjects as close to the same plane as possible.
If this is a dedicated setup, a prime lens at the focal length you use most may also be sharper than the zoom.
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