Why does my Canon 70D look sharp in Live View but softer after capture?
Asked 1/11/2021
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2 answers
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I use a Canon 70D with a macro lens on a tripod for tethered jewellery photography. In Live View, the crystals look very sharp, but after taking the shot the captured image appears a bit softer. The camera is steady and triggered from software, so camera movement should be minimal. What could cause Live View to look sharper than the final image, and what should I check?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
5y ago
2 Answers
1
Depending on how live-view is handled, the aperture and speed for live-view can be different than your actual settings for snapping the photo. This can cause the DOF to be deeper during live view than the exposure, and the speed could be faster for livevew than your exposure where you may be getting blur.
The exposure is what matters anyhow. Always check your shots to understand how the DOF is and if it is in focus.
Originally by user96930. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user96930
5y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A few normal things can make Live View look sharper than the final file.
First, Live View may not be showing exactly the same depth of field or shutter behavior as the actual exposure. If the shooting aperture or shutter speed differs at capture, the recorded image can look softer from shallower DOF or blur.
Second, if you shoot RAW, the camera preview is usually a processed JPEG-style preview with sharpening applied. The actual RAW file will often look softer until you add sharpening and contrast in post-processing.
Third, images can appear sharper on a small camera/LCD preview than when you inspect the captured file more closely.
What to do:
- Judge sharpness from the actual captured image, not just Live View.
- Confirm your final exposure settings, especially aperture and shutter speed.
- If shooting RAW, apply appropriate sharpening in your editing workflow.
- Review the image at consistent magnification when comparing preview vs capture.
For macro jewellery work, even tiny differences in depth of field are very noticeable, so checking the recorded file is the most reliable test.
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