I am specifically talking about Nikon 24-70mm f 2.8 lens
Here is the picture I took with that:
And here is another one I took with my prime lens Nikon 85mm f 1.8 I think this one is sharper and better than the first pic.
I feel like the pictures I take with 24-70 lens are not sharp. Is it my lack of skills and I should still keep the lens? Or is this as good as it gets with this lens?
The only difference in terms of sharpness I see is that the first shot appears to be at f/2.8 and slightly front-focused, while the second appears to be shot at f/1.8 and either slightly front focused if you are aiming for the branch in the left central area or grossly back focused if you were aiming for the nearer branch.
When viewed at the same display size (the first image uploaded at 819x546 pixels and the second at 2576x1719) it is hard to tell much of a difference in the sharpest parts of each photo.
The first image, though, is in my opinion much better composed and the better photo of the two. The strong diagonal curve of the in-focus branch leads the eye from the upper left corner to the lower right intersection of the vertical and horizontal "thirds" lines. The color also appears more natural in the first image than in the second.
Prime lenses are generally sharper due to the reduced diffraction by not having the extra lens elements required for zoom lenses.
A prime lens, even a cheap one, is a master of one focal length, that's all it needs to do and generally, it does it as well as the glass permits.
Whereas, a zoom has to get it right over a much larger focal range, in other words, be a jack of all!
Unless you are paying for professional quality lenses, you will find, when you compare like for like, there is a noticeable sharpness with the prime lens.
The picture with the prime has a creamier background and this makes the flowers pop more and subjectively creating a more pleasing shot. The one with the zoom, is still a good shot, but within the confines of what the zoom can produce with regards to both, sharpness and background blur, both of which are below par when compared to the prime lens.
If you are still unsure and believe that there maybe another issue, then you need to look at Mico adjusting the lens.
Sometimes, lenses can back focus or front focus and some new cameras have a setting which allows you to make small adjustments to get the focus correct. You will need to check the manual.
Personally, I believe that the prime is just the sharper lens.
To finish off, sharpness isn't everything, an interesting composition is equally as important, and for that alone, the 24-70mm is a great lens.
The 24-70 is an f/2.8 lens. You are shooting at f/2.8. The lens is fine. Read up on what Depth Of Field is and you will understand why your pictures appear blurry. They are not, you are just using a small Depth Of Field.
