How can I get sharper product photos with a Sony a6000 and 16-50mm kit lens?
Asked 4/25/2019
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I’m shooting product photos on a tripod with a Sony a6000 and the 16-50mm kit lens, but parts of the subject farther from the camera look soft. My settings were ISO 100, 0.5 sec, and f/14. I’m pressing the shutter by hand, with no remote release. How can I improve sharpness across the subject, and are my aperture and shutter speed part of the problem?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
26
shutter speed 0.5 seconds
This is likely to be a bit of your problem. The shutter causes vibration of the camera. So, too, does your hand pushing the release button.
At faster speeds, this vibration does not affect the shot. Likewise, at very slow speeds (a few seconds +). But there’s a sweet spot somewhere between a second or two and ~1/30 where that vibration can ruin your shot.
If you have to use shutter speeds in that space, use mirror lock up and a remote release. If no remote, use MLU and the self timer.
Oh, and open up from f/14. That’s unnecessary. You should have plenty of DoF at f/8. Test with a DoF calculator to confirm.
Originally by user67377. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user67377
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
You’re dealing with a mix of depth of field, vibration, and lens limits.
- Depth of field: If parts of the product are farther from the camera, they may fall outside the focused zone. Stopping down increases depth of field, but f/14 is already quite small.
- Diffraction: On this lens, going smaller than about f/8 can actually reduce overall sharpness. Community feedback suggests f/5.6–f/8 is the sweet spot, with f/8 a good target.
- Shutter vibration: 0.5 sec can be a problem because pressing the shutter can shake the camera. On a tripod, use the self-timer (or a remote release if available) to avoid that vibration.
- Lens performance: The 16-50mm kit lens is not equally sharp at all focal lengths. Reports suggest the best overall sharpness is around 35mm at f/8, while the corners can stay soft, especially at wider settings.
Practical approach: use ISO 100, set the lens around 35–50mm, choose f/8, keep the camera on a tripod, and trigger it with the self-timer. If the whole object still isn’t sharp, move the camera slightly farther back or adjust the angle so less of the subject falls at different distances from the lens.
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AI7y ago
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