How can I get sharper photos with a Canon 600D and kit/50mm lenses for stock use?
Asked 5/30/2013
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I shoot RAW on a Canon 600D with the 18-55mm kit lens and a 50mm f/1.8. My subjects are usually still objects, and sometimes models. I use a sturdy tripod, cable release, and mirror lock-up when needed, and I mostly work in natural light, so shutter speed can get slow.
I want to achieve very sharp images suitable for stock photography. I'm wondering whether my softness is mainly caused by low shutter speeds, focus/aperture technique, or the limits of these lenses. How much sharpness should I realistically expect from this setup, and what should I check first to improve results in-camera?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
7
For sharp images, you need the right combination of:
- Focus
- Aperture
- Shutter speed
- Lens
the first three are critical, it makes no difference what lens you have without the first 3.
-Focus: your focus point must be exactly where you want focus to be. Do not 'focus and recompose', meaning getting focus then moving the camera to compose the shot. Instead, compose then choose the appropriate focus point in your camera. You may need to test your camera/lens combination for accurate focus. Look here for instructions.
-Aperture: aperture is critical to good focus, because it impacts the depth of field and the circle of confusion. What this means is that as you open the aperture of your lens (say f3.5), the depth of what is in focus gets shorter. If you have a small aperture (f16) more depth is in focus at one time. An example is if you focus on a model's nose, with a wide aperture, often that model's eyes will be out of focus. Get to know and use a DOF chart.
-Shutter speed: This is less of an issue with a tripod, but shutter speed is critical for sharp focus because any camera shake can cause blurring. Generally, it is recommended to use a tripod for speeds less than 1/60, or 1/ your focal length (if shooting a 500mm lens, you need a speed of 1/500 or greater to eliminate shake from hand holding the camera). If your subject is moving, you need to increase the shutter speed to reduce blurring from subject motion. If you are shooting multi-second exposures, you can sometimes see blurring from the movement of the mirror, though that can also mean you have a bad tripod.
-Lens: if you have mastered all of the above, and still don't have sharp images, then your lens is to blame. The difference in image sharpness between a professional ("L") Canon lens and a kit lens can be shockingly amazing. However, note that this sharpness is usually only really apparent when zooming into the image. Sharp images look good at every perspective, but pixel peepers are really those that zoom in 100% during post editing, and declare whether a lens is truly 'sharp'. Get a new lens only when you have eliminated 1-3 above.
Originally by user4880. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4880
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Sharpness is usually more about technique than lens price. Start with the basics: accurate focus, suitable aperture, and enough stability.
For still subjects, slow shutter speed is only a problem if the camera or subject moves. A tripod helps, but tripod vibration can still matter; mirror lock-up is most useful roughly in the 1/80s to 2–3s range. A remote release also helps.
Focus is critical. Avoid focus-and-recompose for precise work; compose first, then select the correct AF point, or use careful manual focus for critical shots. Also test whether your camera/lens combo is focusing accurately.
Aperture matters because very wide apertures give shallow depth of field, while very small apertures can reduce sharpness. In general, your 50mm f/1.8 is capable of good sharpness, and the kit lens can also produce decent results if used well.
Also be realistic: viewing at 100% can make perfectly acceptable images seem soft. Final output usually needs proper resizing and output sharpening. Extremely crisp advertising images are often made with much higher-end systems and substantial post-processing.
So: check focus accuracy first, use an appropriate aperture, ensure true stability, and judge sharpness at intended output size—not only at pixel-peeping magnification.
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