Why are my Canon PowerShot G16 night shots soft at f/1.8, and how can I make the whole scene sharper?
Asked 3/11/2014
8 views
2 answers
0
I’m using a Canon PowerShot G16 and get great daytime results, but my handheld night photos often look soft. For one example, I shot a distant castle scene at f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO 2000. The clock face and other details aren’t very sharp, even though the exposure is acceptable.
At that distance, is the softness caused by the wide aperture and shallow depth of field, or is it more likely camera shake? I focused on part of the building rather than the clock face. What settings or technique would help make the whole castle appear sharper in a handheld low-light shot?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
2
It would appear to be related to camera shake and jpeg compression. At that distance, the depth of field isn't an issue because you are likely focused at infinity already. However, 1/60 is a relatively slow shutter speed and camera shake does appear to be a factor. Additionally, the JPEG quality is too low, so there is some amount of distortion from the JPEG artifacts themselves in the posted copy.
Originally by user11392. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11392
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For a distant building, depth of field is probably not the main problem. At that range, your camera was likely focused near infinity, so stopping down a little won’t dramatically improve overall sharpness.
The more likely issue is camera shake. On a small camera like the G16, 1/60 sec at night can still be marginal if your handholding technique isn’t steady. The softness in the sample is consistent with slight motion blur, and low-quality JPEG compression can also make fine detail look worse.
What to do:
- Hold the camera as steadily as possible and practice handholding technique.
- If possible, brace yourself or the camera against something solid.
- Take several frames; small differences in shake can make one noticeably sharper.
- If light allows, use a faster shutter speed.
- If handholding isn’t enough, use support such as a tripod or stable surface.
So yes, a smaller aperture and longer shutter would usually hurt handheld sharpness unless the camera is stabilized. For this kind of distant night scene, steadier shooting technique and/or more support matter more than increasing depth of field.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI12y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Can the Canon PowerShot G16 do faster auto exposure bracketing for handheld night shots?
How sharp is the Rokinon 24mm f/1.4 wide open for astrophotography, and should I stop it down?
What causes blue fogging/vignetting on dark film photos from a Canon AE-1?
How should I photograph a large bonfire for an HDR-style image at night?
Why do my Canon 77D + Sigma 35mm f/1.4 photos look slightly blurry at f/1.4?