3

I have a Nikon D70 and it seems like whenever I use manual focus everything will look very sharp through the view finder and on the camera screen, however when I open the pictures up on my computer they are almost always out of focus. I am not sure if this is something wrong with my camera, or if I am doing something wrong. I always shoot in manual with a 1/250 - 1/100 shutter speed and as low as of an aperture (usually 3.5 or 4.5) I can get with what lenses I have. Here is the most recent example of a picture that looked really sharp through the view finder but came out very soft and seemingly out of focus. http://imgur.com/omBQsQE That picture was taken at 300mm, 1/125 shutter speed, and 3.5 on f stop.

||improve this question
10

That's looks like camera shake to me.

You need to use a faster shutter speed or flash. You can trade ISO for shutter speed.

Another alternative is to use a tripod and a long exposure at low ISO. You would ideally trigger the shutter with a timer to avoid touching the camera and causing vibrations.

||improve this answer
  • Hmm, maybe you are right. I always shoot from hand. I will go try bumping up the shutter speed. – Zach443 Dec 19 '15 at 16:52
  • 1
    Bumped shutter speed up to 1/640 and results were much better. Thank you! – Zach443 Dec 19 '15 at 17:08
  • 1
    The long lens magnification magnifies the camera shake too. The old rule of thumb (for photographers careful to be steady) is a Minimum shutter speed of 1/focal length, or 1/300 second for a 300mm lens. But the D70 is a DX sensor (1.5x crop), so that becomes 1/300 x 1.5 = 1/450 second, Minimum shutter speed for 300mm lenses. Higher yet for shaky or careless people, possibly sometimes a bit lower for rock solid steady people. A tripod can help too (using the self timer to allow a few seconds for shutter finger shake to settle down). – WayneF Dec 19 '15 at 18:12
  • 1
    Don't forget that the 1/(focal length x crop factor) rule of thumb is for viewing an 8x10 display size at a distance of 12 inches. If you enlarge the viewing size then you must factor that in as well. Viewing a 24MP file at 100% on an HD monitor with 96ppi pitch is like viewing a part of a 60x40 print! Even if viewing from 2 feet away the rule of thumb becomes 1/( focal length x crop factor x 3). – Michael C Dec 19 '15 at 21:20

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.