Why do some photos from my Canon 60D look soft, glowy, and grainy?
Asked 8/28/2022
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I’m new to photography and using a Canon 60D. Some of my photos of small accessories look soft or slightly “glowy,” and also a bit grainy, while others look fine. One example was shot at f/13, ISO 320, 1/80s on a tripod with a remote shutter. What camera settings or technique changes can help avoid this effect?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
3y ago
2 Answers
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Diffraction
At f/13 on a Canon 60D, you're well past the sensor's Diffraction Limited Aperture (DLA) of f/6.9.
For the Canon EOS 60D, you can see the calculated DLA of f/6.9 at that camera's review at The-Digital-Picture. Bryan also has a short article about what DLA is and how it affects images.
For more about diffraction and Diffraction Limited Apertures, please see these related questions here at Photography SE:
Does sensor size impact the diffraction limit of a lens?
Do smaller apertures provide more depth of field past the diffraction limit, even if peak sharpness suffers?
Is there an online lens diffraction and maximum sharpness table?
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
3y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A few things can cause this, but your example settings point to two likely issues:
-
Diffraction at f/13: On a Canon 60D, f/13 is small enough to reduce sharpness due to diffraction. That can make detail look softer or slightly “glowy.” Try using a wider aperture such as around f/5.6 to f/8 if depth of field allows.
-
Noise / grain: ISO 320 is not very high, but lower ISO will usually look cleaner. Since your subject is stationary and you’re using a tripod and remote shutter, you can usually lower ISO and let the shutter speed get longer.
Also check these basics:
- Use the camera’s highest image quality setting.
- Make sure nothing is moving during the exposure.
- If you were handholding in other shots, slight movement could add blur that looks like glow.
So, for cleaner and sharper product shots: use the lowest practical ISO, avoid very small apertures like f/13 unless you truly need the extra depth of field, and keep the camera and subject steady.
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