Question on in-camera sharpening (1 Viewer)

[deborahp]

This is one of the first images taken with a new D70s and Sigma 170-500 APO at 500mm. It looks peculiar, overly smoothed, as though it was processed with noise reduction software, but it wasn't. It's a 100% crop with no post-processing at all other than adding text and the cropping. Possibly relevant shooting data:

Optimize Image: Normal
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: AF-S
Color Mode: Mode 1a (sRGB)
Tone Comp: Auto
Hue Adjustment: 0°
Saturation: Normal
Sharpening: Auto
Long Exposure NR: Off

I'm not sure which of the settings (Optimize Image: Normal or Sharpening: Auto ?) is doing this, any guesses? I've read the manual and see I can switch Sharpening to None, but I'm not sure I should do that, or if that's the problem.

Also, would a faster ISO possibly kick in some in-camera noise reduction that can't be adjusted in the menu? The manual says it can only take effect at exposure times longer than 1 second.

1/1000 sec - F/6.3
Exposure Comp: 0 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 400

I'm thinking that maybe I was just too far away and the camera tried to fix the image, but I'm not sure what it tried to do. Any advice appreciated.

 

[normjackson]

Through the jpeg artifacts I think there's quite a lot of detail there for a 100% crop. Maybe it's not so much a case of the camera removing info as info being masked somewhat by a slight colour cast and lens blur. Maybe focus wasn't spot on? :h?:

 

[deborahp]

Through the jpeg artifacts I think there's quite a lot of detail there for a 100% crop. Maybe it's not so much a case of the camera removing info as info being masked somewhat by a slight colour cast and lens blur. Maybe focus wasn't spot on? :h?:

Yes, after looking at your crop I see that might be the case. The combined weight of this lens and camera might be too much for this tripod - it wobbles when I press the shutter. Maybe a cable release and more precise focusing will help. Thanks!

 

[mjmw]

Yes, after looking at your crop I see that might be the case. The combined weight of this lens and camera might be too much for this tripod - it wobbles when I press the shutter. Maybe a cable release and more precise focusing will help. Thanks!

I would personally turn off the in-camera sharpening (as a Canon user I can't help you with the how). You will have much better control of this during post-processing. The amount of sharpening (and how) also depends on the medium you are going to view an image (e.g. print or on screen). It is normally the last thing that you would do to an image once everything else, such as re-sizing, is prepared for the viewing medium.

Looking at the image, I do not think that the 'soft' image at 1/1000 sec was caused by your tripod. I am guessing that the bird was quite small in the frame? If so, there are few pixels for the camera to work with to sharpen the subject, so any sharpening efforts are going to be applied to a lot of blue sky.

HTH. Cheers Mark.

 

[Andy Bright]

Looks as if it could be suffering from some heathaze? With a small subject at great distance, you will be struggling to get enough pixels covering the subject to give any real detail. So there could be a few things conspiring against you here.

The in-camera sharpening won't be a major factor, it doesn't have a massive effect one way or another. Given the good light, I would've been tempted to stop down the lens aperture to f8 or so... you'll find your lens produces better results at these higher f#.. though it will cost you shutter-speeds.

cheers,
Andy