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I am a relatively new photographer and I just purchased a Canon R7 and the Tamron SP 35mm f/1.4 DI USD lens. 1. I have read that the lens I am using is super sharp and have seen photos of it that look incredible but I can't seem to produce the same sharpness.

I have been trying to learn how to make really sharp photos but I don't seem to be able to do it, at least not as sharp as I want them to be and with the landscape photos I seem to get a bit "hazy" photos.

So my questions are:

  1. Is the lens not a good fit for my R7 and is that why I am getting poor sharpness?
  2. Is my settings wrong?
  3. Is the problem the quality of light?
  4. Is it something else?

The photos have been shot with a Velbon EX-530 tripod.

First image is shot with these settings: ISO 125, f 8,0, shutter speed 1/320

Second image is shot with these settings: ISO 100, f2,0, shutter speed 1/800

enter image description hereenter image description here

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    \$\begingroup\$ They look pretty good for me. Can you link an example of a super-sharp photo you want to emulate? \$\endgroup\$
    – Rafael
    Sep 26 at 16:41
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    \$\begingroup\$ You can read helpful information here: How do I diagnose the source of blurry photos? \$\endgroup\$
    – osullic
    Sep 26 at 17:20
  • \$\begingroup\$ And also Why are my photos not crisp? \$\endgroup\$
    – Philip Kendall ♦
    Sep 26 at 18:31
  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks alot for your help. @Rafael I was trying to get sharpness more in lines of something like this: pexels.com/sv-se/foto/landskap-bergen-natur-himmel-3022417 As shashin-ka commented it seemd like alot comes down to quality of light and weather conditions (and ofcourse experience) to get results like this. \$\endgroup\$
    – Robin
    Sep 26 at 18:42
  • \$\begingroup\$ When you use f/2 as in the car photo you have a shallow depth of field. The focus will be good at one distance from the camera but you will go out of focus quickly. This is especially true when you focus close to the camera. If you had used f/8 you would have had much more depth of field. This is four stops slower, so you would need to use about 1/50 second exposure. \$\endgroup\$
    – Ross Millikan
    Sep 26 at 20:06

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First the VW: the photo is extremely sharp, but it may not be sharp where you want it to be. The point of greatest sharpness is the edge of the VW logo in the middle of the wheel. The sharpest area extends towards the camera along the wheel spokes to the edge of the tire. If your camera is set to multiple autofocus points it has chosen that area. To ensure you, and not the camera, decide what should be in the sharpest focus you may need to adjust the autofocus settings. Try different numbers of focus points, and make sure you can see the squares in the viewfinder indicating the focus points.

The landscape: This is not a focus issue but rather atmospheric haze. Your lens is most likely focused at infinity, which is correct. The trouble is that there is a lot of very humid air between your lens and the landscape. This has several effects. Light coming towards the lens is partially scattered, causing sharp lines to appear blurry. The humidity absorbs different light wavelengths than more arid air, changing color hue and contrast. The overall effect is similar to looking through a fogged window.

Both are very good photos, and with a little more experience you will be more comfortable with your equipment and be able to create even better photos.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Thank you very much @shashin-ka. This answer was very helpful. I understand now that there is alot more than just the camera settings impacting the image quality. I guess practice makes perfect! Will get out tomorrow again and try the same settings and see if I get a different result in a hopefully better weather condition. \$\endgroup\$
    – Robin
    Sep 26 at 18:39
  • \$\begingroup\$ (And you can always push the "sharpen" button) \$\endgroup\$
    – Rafael
    Sep 26 at 21:03

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