Good sharpness in a photo is one of the key indicators of technical quality. The composition and subject matter can be beautiful, but if the shot is blurry or lacks sharpness, they won’t save the image. What influences whether a photo will be sharp or not, and how can you achieve clear, non-blurry photos?
Sharp/Soft Lens
The first factor is the lens you use. There is a general trend that budget models are usually less sharp and may blur the edges. However, an expensive lens doesn’t necessarily guarantee super-sharp images.There are even specific models with a softer sharpness pattern, like the Canon EF 135 mm f/2.8 Soft Focus or Pentax SMC FA Soft f/2.8. These lenses are often used for female portraits, as they naturally smooth out fine details during the shooting process, making retouching much easier.
To understand whether a particular lens will be more sharp or soft, you should act the same way as when you are choosing the Best Online Roulette in NZ — read reviews.
However, there are general trends that usually help in making a choice:
- Expensive lenses are often sharper than budget ones.
- Prime lenses are sharper than zoom lenses.
- Macro lenses are sharper than lenses without this specialization.
- High-aperture lenses are less sharp, especially at their widest aperture.
Modern lenses for mirrorless cameras are generally sharp enough and don’t present significant problems. Many photographers might even find them excessively sharp. If that’s your case, you might find a soft filter useful, which allows the lens’s image to be softened. These filters significantly reduce contrast and detail.
Camera Focus Type, Focus Mode, and Focusing Skills
The second factor that influences sharpness is focus handling. We often call a photo unsharp when the focus misses the main subject of the shot.
This problem often occurs when working with high-aperture lenses at low f-stop values. The type of autofocus used by the camera is responsible for the speed and quality of autofocus. There are two main types: contrast autofocus and phase detection autofocus. Phase detection is generally considered faster and better, especially when it comes to capturing moving subjects. So, if you’re choosing a camera for sports photography or, for example, shooting children, this parameter is worth considering. Also, consider the number of phase detection sensors on the sensor — the more there are, the better.
The focus mode can also affect how well the camera focuses automatically. There are three main modes:
- Single-shot.
- Continuous.
- Tracking.
When using the single-shot mode, during burst shooting, the camera will keep the focus where you initially set it. If a child in the frame, for example, is running towards you, they will quickly fall out of focus.
In continuous mode, the camera will refocus for each new shot within the burst, based on where the focus frame or point is set.
In tracking mode, the camera’s autofocus system will “lock onto” the subject and follow it, refocusing with each shot. For example, if a child is running across the frame, the focus will follow them.
Tracking autofocus is commonly found in newer, higher-end models. It’s less common in entry-level models. This is a fairly complex feature that requires a good processor and smart software.
Shutter Speed Used
“Unsharp” photos can also often be simply blurred images. Blur occurs due to incorrect shutter speed settings. There are two types of blur: subject motion blur (when a fast-moving child is blurred while the background is sharp) and camera shake blur (when the entire image is uniformly blurred due to camera shake).
Both of these problems can be fixed by using the correct shutter speed. The shutter speed is selected based on the focal length you’re working with, taking into account whether the lens is stabilized or not, among other factors.
To simplify:
- Avoid handheld shooting with shutter speeds longer than 1/100.
- Static scenes can be shot at 1/100.
- Smooth, calm motion—1/250.
- Dancing, running, and other fast movements—1/500.
- Professional sports, speeding cars, water splashes—1/1000.