I have been taking photos for a long time and I always like learning a new technique. The fact of how easy this was to understand and not overwhelming is a serious talent. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with thw world!
I've always been too careful about maintaining the right ISO because I thought the presence of noise would make or break my photos, so I ended up sacrificing a good shutter speed/ aperture for that, and thus ended up wondering why my photos came out blurry or not correctly exposed. thank you so much for this super helpful video!
@@smarthousetech8593 I will say, this is easier to make look intentional with a full frame sensor camera than a crop sensor or mobile level sensor. You can push a full frame to 12,500 and have perfectly acceptable photos. My old Nikon D7100 was great, but looked really rough above 3,200.
@@smarthousetech8593 Yes I sometimes like a bit of noise in my favourite mode Black/White, it gives it a bit of atmosphere, especial military enactments,& dress.
You're an amazing teacher. I have been in photography for a couple decades....(with a hiatus somewhere in there). I too, was over-cautious with ISO settings fearing noise. No longer! You're absolutely right....sharpness over noise is best. It's a GAME CHANGER with moving targets (macros). I have MORE keepers now. THANK YOU!
Your conceptualization of photography is refreshing and concise Pat. The clarity of your presentation fits with your lifestyle and daily goals. I admire you for that!
For still objects, it's simple. A tripod solves most of the problem. It allows you to use the lower ISO, longer shutter speed, and whatever aperture size is called for. A good tripod goes a long way and it's not an item any serious landscape or studio (and might be other) photographers would spare. Just don't be lazy ;)
I've been shooting for quite some years now and I believe this video needs to be re-watched by beginners quite a few times. I've banged my head against the wall for months trying to figure out why in different scenarios my images are not as sharp as I want them to be and you have literally listed some of the very fundamental reasons why images are not as sharp as people would like them to be. Obviously not going as much in depth as you could because it would make the video half an hour but these really are the key reasons :)
Thank you. Many years ago I shot everything manually and was totally familiar with my camera. Many years later I got a new camera and got lazy, using auto for everything. You helped me get back on track.
I have been limited by this since I got a DSLR. I always prioritized low ISO over everything (trying to avoid noise), not realizing that my kit lens at 1/5 ~ 3.5 ~ 200 would never be sharp. A great tip to add to this video is to buy a lens that opens wide enough to allow for proper exposure at higher shutter speeds.
I have my kit lens I use for general photography but if I'm doing anything like studio I switch to my 50mm f1.8 - it's manual which is fine, and my camera is a crop sensor so the nifty 50 has an effective focal length of 80mm but that is also fine 'cos every shot I make with that lens is super crispy.
Yeah I’m a complete noob but when I saw some guides and lens reviews it seemed like on canon RP up to like 800-900 is basically no loss in sharpness really. Or so it’s seems.
In the film days we focus manually using hyperfocal focus/distance and depth of field for tack sharp imagery. I am doing the same technique doing focus compensation taking advantage of limitless digital shots.
@@patkay If you are using a full frame lens on a crop sensor would you have to take that into consideration? a 70-200 on nikon is a 105-300 so does it mean shutter speed have to be 1/320, or 1/640, or 1/1000 for 3 times????
@@MissHitAllTheTime If using a full frame lens on a smaller sensor, it works sort of like using a full frame sensor but with cropping. I’d say yes, you need shutter speeds according to the smaller sensor equivalent, just as you would if you crop a full frame image.
One thing you didn't mention in achieving sharpness, is to set the aperture to the lens's sweet spot, which is somewhere in the middle and so avoid using the lens wide open or closed down. Of course, if you need the speed of the lens for low light then this may be unavoidable.
yeah usually between f8 and f16 will be the sharpest apertures you can get. but all of this really depends on the shot youre trying to get. sharpness isnt an inherent feature to a great photo. ive won thousands of dollars and got tons of commercial contracts shooting fashion with a slow shutter speed while using off camera flash. theres no tip to achieve sharp photos everytime because the conditions of every image is different
Something to add when shooting at the minimum shutter speed, is to shoot on burst. For sony with IBIS, I usually go a little below your recommended. For instance I will shoot at a minimum 1/15th on my 20mm at do a 3-4 shot burst. 2-4 shots are usually unusable, so I would never trust this on single shot.
As far as gear goes. My favorite picture of all time was taken on a Nikon D50 with a older 50mm AF lens in the dreaded mid day sunlight. This is a $100 set up. The picture came out razor sharp. My point more important than spending money on expensive gear is get to know your current camera and learn it's strengths and weaknesses. For example this same D50 I wouldn't take it out at night because it's limited by it's ISO but mid day in sunlight? It's money all day. All of my cameras have their own strengths and weaknesses. The D5000, D3200, D700, D7100, D3, Canon 5D mark 2 all of them can provide what you're looking for. My daily driver the camera I carry around is the Nikon D5300 @ 24 MP It's compact and all I'll ever need. I like not worry about damaging a 5k camera at the beach. I slapped a 50mm 1.8 DX Prime on it. My advice is to learn to shoot in bad lighting first like I did. ahand held no tripod challenge yourself. That way Day time or portrait photography is a piece of cake. Or you can go out and spend 8k on an expensive mirrorless camera and let it cut your meat for you but what's the fun in that?
What happens when using a zoom lens, for example, 24-70? Do you do your calculations based on the most extended focal length of the lens? Or whatever focal length using at that particular time? For example, I’m zoomed in to 35mm. Do I do 3x the length you’re at? OR 3x the total focal length of the lens (70mm). No one has clarified this principle for zoom lenses.
Love your videos! I also think it would be helpful for most of us as visual learners, if you showed these great nuggets of information as you apply them on your camera!!
I was a professional photographer before. You have really brought out some good points. Very helpful to new photographers. I’m many tines thinking about what I’m shooting & is depth of field important vs the shutter speed. Thanks for your video.
THANK YOU for this! by far the best description I’ve come across since getting my first DSLR this year. Subscribed and cannot wait to watch more of your content.
What often gets overlooked and for many years I didn't appreciate the importance of, is the quality of light. You can have the best lens but if the direction of light is off, such as with an on camera forward facing flash, you won't see any texture and it naturally doesn't look sharp. There's a lot to be said for side lighting if you want to show off how good your L lens is. And also an off camera flash allows you to freeze the action for maximum sharpness.
Absolutely thrilled to bits to finally have a clearer idea of how to set optimum camera settings for sharpness. I have listened to many experts including Serge Ramelli and Tim Shields. But your simple presentation in this video is perfect AND SIMPLE to understand and remember. Setting the ISO last is not something I have been doing! So thank you for this.
Man thx for this tip. I never realized why some of my photos were still blurry when shooting wide open at 1.8f (old camera body) even though I was dead on the eyes for focus but was still somewhat out of "focus". It's so minimal but very noticeable at the same time and it's very distracting. I'm a dad and primarily using my old D5000 to shoot my son. I'm shooting indoors a lot so low light is what it is.. heard great things about this Nikkor budget prime lense but was getting blurry photos, now I know why.
shooting at the widest aperture is never the best thing to do if you want sharp images. the sharpest point a lens will be is generally between f8 and f16
Wow, use ISO last like a gain control was huge. Makes me wonder how much more I missed in my "Basic Photography Training" You are so clear and precise I hope you have a course available. "Looking Now"
Wow, what a brilliant tutorial, I wish I had come across you sooner. Clearly spoken and totally understood your teaching and where you are coming from. I think I have found my full time teacher.
Thank you for the video. Question: when you are shooting a family (example 4 people) do you use single point focus or auto focus? What do you aim at? Because there are multiple ‘eyes’ in this situation?
Speaking personally, I use single point and lock onto someone who's the most central of the group. I also close down my aperture a bit, usually at least f4. Between the two, I get very good results with a balanced focus of the family.
Very helpful, but one question. Instead of switching between single focus and continuous focus, why don't I just set to continuous focus even for landscape or other non-moving subjects. Since my subject isn't moving, the continuous focus will not change. Is there some downside to this approach? Great video by the way.
in modern cameras, there's actually zero downside to doing this and it's actually what i do 90% of the time. the only reason why i suggest the traditional way is that some older cameras have a hard time locking on in general and it can be frustrating having your focus hunt so much for every photo you take. but if your camera doesn't do that, then go for it!
Actually there is a big downside. You won't be able to RECOMPOSE your shot which is what nearly ALL pro's do. For example if you set a back button for focus (never the same as the shutter- bad), then you can aim at the landscape, get focus, release and recompose the shot (frame the first shot (focus) then move your camera around to reposition and get the ideal shot. You must NOT move the camera forward or back- side to side and up and down is fine.) If you are set to continual focus, it will re-adjust to the landscape which "could" easily put your main subject out of focus. It's very easy to change this setting. Do it 100 times for practice and you will own it- promise!
@@MOAB-UTI’ve read many RUclips explanations trying to explain the same thing, but yours actually made sense to me. Thank you so much for your insight, this is way better than trying to manually set the focus area using the camera’s d-pad.
@@Taigrr854 Glad to help. I use a tripod and remote relase (cable/button.) If you don't have that you can set up a delayed shutter so you press and a second or two later, it snaps- a brief delay. That way your finger pushing does not cause much blur. With a slow shutter speed (e.g., lower light or going for a cool light trail effect or night photography), you will almost always get blur if you push on the camera without using delayed release mode or cable release. I also take several pics, especially on images I really want to nail down. No matter how good you think you did, when you go to edit, any issue can have issues. Even wind, light, shadows, etc., can make a well set up picture look less then perfect. It's amazing to me however how hand-held cell phones seem to nail every shot.
Good tips. I will add, use a great tripod and remote or timed shutter release. Set up a back button to focus. Lock the mirror. Use great glass and expose correctly. If in doubt, ETTR (slightly over expose) because they're will be less noise if you bring light down vs. trying to brighten a photo. Of course ALWAYS shoot RAW or Raw+JPEG at the highest quality setting. Pay attention to your white balance as well and adjust for the conditions e.g. sunrise vs daylight vs inside light, etc. For several reasons it is a best practice to focus your cameras exposure meter on the blue sky or the color green if shooting things like flowers. Exposure bracketing and focus stacking are some other techniques that the pro's use. I'm almost finished with a great book called Understanding Exposure and I realize how much there is to learn. Don't think it's just a few of these tips and you are all set. This poster has years of experience- still his tips have merit but there is still much more to it.
@@MOAB-UT yea well it matters to me. you referred to 'the poster' in an ambiguous fashion. as an aside, i don't need the tips; i've been shooting for over 40 years.
@@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568 You are right then. For what it's worth I was referring to the OP and not myself. I have been doing many things for a long time- not quite 40 years but I still like to learn from others. Also technology changes. I am open to learn. If on the other hand you know everything, good for you.
@@MOAB-UT your original mentioning of 'the poster' consists of no 'OP' other than your self (since you are the originator of this thread). the person or entity posting video to youtube is not typically referred to as 'the poster' (where that phrase, within its linguistic contextuality, strongly deductively implies a reference to a textual post. hence my original request for clarification as to whom you were referring to, met with your very american self-righteous reply to the effect that it doesn't matter (apparently you determine what matters to others atop your inefficient grammar).
As a photographer, if I may add, I think camera handling is important too. When I was a new photographer, I often have blur photos even on good camera settings. I discovered that my handling is not good ang my hands are shaky. 😊
@@MOAB-UT Yes. But not all the time you carry a tripod. Handling is really important. It means even if i shoot 1/200 of a second, I can still get not perfectly sharp pics if my handling is not good
@@ArtandLes I hear you and I get it. But if you generally have shaky hands it's probably worth the extra effort to carry along a tripod a sturdy one is best with four legs but any tripod is better than no tripod and hang something underneath it that partially sits on the ground so that it can keep it even more steady. To your main point I agree proper handling of the camera elbows in hands close to chest is very important when you can't use a tripod.
@@MOAB-UT yes. As i've said on my first comment, I solved the issue by proper camera handling. I only need tripod on landscapes and night photography. When I was a beginner even 1/200 i still get imperfect shots. Proper handling makes a difference. 😊👍
Pat this was such an amazingly well done tutorial on understanding the basics of Sharpness or achieving sharpness in ALL cameras. Your explanations were spot on and I can't wait to follow you as you produce more videos for the RUclips community!!!!
Something not mentioned here, is whether or not you are panning your camera with a subject or remaining stationary and 'trapping' a subject moving in your frame. The PLETHORA of continuous focus modes on modern cameras makes these tasks super confusing, so I personally prefer the method I always used with film and that is to pre set a focus trap for any moving subject whether or not im stationary or panning. This only works for subjects moving in a horizontal trajectory - unless you of course set a wide enough depth of field with a high apature number in order to "trap" subjects moving towards or away from you. I find focus trapping infinitely more useful a method in situations like street photography or weddings, where I can pre set a focus distance and then not worry at all about things being in focus - I just need to know at what distances my subjects will be in focus, get in position, lift my camera and shoot. Its way less stressful and I can just concentrate on light and composition.
You are awesome! Theres so much awesome information here. Your content (at least this video) isn't a sell, just phenomenal information from one artist to another. Thank You.
Thank you so much!!!🙏🏽 you have been more informative than any professors I have ever had. I appreciate how you take your time to break it down detail but detail. Thank you!🙏🏽
This is very good teaching, many years ago, they never teach us like this way, you have to shoot many frames as possible specially with films to getting the way you wanted, and hope you’re getting right,, today any body can take a good pictures,, I have seen many video of people just holding the camera and shoot. Thanks for sharing!
You have to admit though, the newer mirrorless cameras are making getting a sharp image a lot easier with their improved autofocus and subject tracking.
for sure; the newer cameras definitely make the whole focus thing easier, leaving you to concentrate on other things. i honestly don't even use cameras without Sony's new general subject tracking stuff now because it's that good
I used to have a Nikon D80 and I would say that the ISO was much more of an issue for me on that camera. Photos would look so noisy and the loss in dynamic range was quite dramatic too. Newer cameras are far better at higher ISOs but on older ones it was much more of an issue to balance the grain and softness from the ISO and the blurriness of a longer exposure.
@@omgtyshotthat What do you mean the best? ISO 100 was definitely the best (as on most cameras). Anything above 400 was noticeably noisy and above 800 it got bad imo. The highest I shot was 1000 and it was fine for producing interesting pictures but in terms of sharpness, any fine detail was gone.
Rule of thirds noted. And this has just helped me nailed sharpness. Cos I am buying no new lenses until I get the basics right and I shoot in FF these days.
Definitely subscribing to watch more of your videos. I traded my camera for a canon 5d and suddenly I feel like I have no clue what I’m doing in terms of setting my shutter and aperture. This video helped.
Outstandingly good presentation. Plus a bonus of a Fellow Aussie. Thank you for giving me a new focus point within my photography. ( gee. That sounded pretty good ehh). You really make a tutorial a pleasure to watch. I’ll be back .stay safe.
Many, mny thanks. You are so on point. This straight to the facts and relative short video could have save me and will save many others hours of pain and suffering in understanding why it is not sharp as expected.
Such a fresh point of view and very helpful... We subscribed, but frustrated that many times the only way to find educated professional photographers willing to share their skill is by the luck of a random you tube recommendation.
Hi Pat, I'm a great fan of your videos - so thank you & I'm grateful for what I learn from you. Just wondered about the auto focussing with these settings. Some of photos on these photos were slightly out of focus for landscape photography. Should I resort to manual focus on infinity for landscape shoots. Thank you & keep up the great work 😊
Hey, you really helped me out in this video, a lot. You do a pretty good job teaching and making your video easy to understand. Keep it up, cause I can see you with at least 100k subs by end of summer, your channel is really up to par and professional.
I think my 5DSR is an exception to this rule. I get that little bit unsharpness pretty much no matter what unless it's on tripod, with no wind, and no vibration in the ground, and with a remote.. heard it has to do with the very high megapixel count on a standard full frame sensor, in combination with a physical shutter.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I watched soo many videos and THIS ONE made me understand it easier cause this shit is overwhelmingly confusing trying to figure out the perfect formula for each setting.
First time watching you. Really impressed how you explained the basics of photography. Definitely i’m subscribing your channel, I’ll go right now and check more content! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
My previous dslr was a canon 1000D twin lens kit, 18-55 with IS & 75-300 without IS. I started taking photos of my sons rugby games and even though rugby is a fast moving sport the shutter speed was generally set at 1/125 shooting with the 75-300. I consider myself on the amateur side of photography and up until that point had been taking photos of reasonably still things. So I was surprised when taking these photos they were sharp at that shutter speed. Another thing it's very rare I edit my photos as when I do in my eyes they look bad so I try to compose them right and keep changing the settings. Like for one 80minute game of rugby I took 300-400 photos & got about 5-7 great shots. So this shows even with the kit lenses you can, with practice, take good photos. This year I updated to the canon F50 mirrorless again twin lens kit and wow couldn't believe how much the technology with the lenses have changed. But one important thing I've learned just have fun & take a heap of photos.
Oh my word this 11:46 minute video has truly been time well spent. I’m a wildlife artist and work from my own reference images. However the photography part has always been the more difficult aspect of my profession, but you’ve made everything seem crystal clear. Time to put your tips into practice 👍🏻 Thank you for sharing xXx
My friend, I wear glasses. I am far-sighted. If I use LiveView on my Canon, I get great results. But I want to use the ViewFinder, but I get blurry photos. Is it recommended to use LIveView for people that wear glasses?
There's a button slider close to the view finder "Dioptric adjustment" Look in the view finder with your glasses on and turn that knob till the view through the view finder is perfect for you. Tell me if this works Mazel tov
There's a button slider close to the view finder "Dioptric adjustment" Look through the view finder and slide the button till the images become clear and perfect for you. I hope this works Mazel tov
Absolutely fantastic video. Thanks Pat! Like so many others ISO noise always freaked me out. Shutter speed is now king, followed by aperture. QUESTION: what camera did you shoot this video on? Eye tracking is great!
Good hints with the shutter speed. I have a greater concern on this because I like to shoot at night, on the streets, hand held camera. I’m always struggling with shutter speed to avoid motion blur and still have enough exposure. When ISO is in auto the number goes to my limit 1600 with no good result and it is not that easy to correct the noise with Lightroom.
Thank you so much for this video. It is the best video I have seen on this subject matter. You presented it in a simple concise way, Making it so much easier to understand.
Simply stabilizing the camera by using a tripod or monopod can help as well. Where possible one of these should be used. Sharpness can be dialed up, in body, on many mid range cameras.
Hi Pat, thank you for this video, it was quite an eye opener. I really need some help - a beginner in the field! I want to start my RUclips channel on beauty and eventually lifestyle and I feel I should go with the Sony ZV E10 or the Sony A6400. Is there any other camera you’d recommend? If not, I’m confused if I should go with the Kit Lens or should I get a 50mm for my beauty videos and another lens for lifestyle (but I don’t know which and budget is a little limited too). Any recommendations please?
Hi greetings from india.... I d like to ask one que, you spoke abt ss which should be x 3 times of focal length. So why you said in case of 16mm lense use 1/16 of second and why in case of 200 mm you said use 1/600 ss why it was minimum in minimum focal length but why not it was minimum in 200 mm case ( ex. 1/200 ss) Thanking you
Also to add if you are shooting on a tripod and have a lens with image stabilization don't forget to turn it off. Its an easy one to forget even for seasoned shooters going back and forth between hand held and tripod.
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I have been taking photos for a long time and I always like learning a new technique. The fact of how easy this was to understand and not overwhelming is a serious talent. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with thw world!
I've always been too careful about maintaining the right ISO because I thought the presence of noise would make or break my photos, so I ended up sacrificing a good shutter speed/ aperture for that, and thus ended up wondering why my photos came out blurry or not correctly exposed. thank you so much for this super helpful video!
Yeah sometimes a nice film grain look can add something to a photo
@@smarthousetech8593 I will say, this is easier to make look intentional with a full frame sensor camera than a crop sensor or mobile level sensor. You can push a full frame to 12,500 and have perfectly acceptable photos. My old Nikon D7100 was great, but looked really rough above 3,200.
@@smarthousetech8593 Yes I sometimes like a bit of noise in my favourite mode Black/White, it gives it a bit of atmosphere, especial military enactments,& dress.
Same here!
Thanks just starting photography and I need tips thanks so much
You're an amazing teacher.
I have been in photography for a couple decades....(with a hiatus somewhere in there). I too, was over-cautious with ISO settings fearing noise.
No longer! You're absolutely right....sharpness over noise is best. It's a GAME CHANGER with moving targets (macros). I have MORE keepers now. THANK YOU!
Your conceptualization of photography is refreshing and concise Pat. The clarity of your presentation fits with your lifestyle and daily goals. I admire you for that!
thank you for the kind words! :)
For still objects, it's simple. A tripod solves most of the problem. It allows you to use the lower ISO, longer shutter speed, and whatever aperture size is called for. A good tripod goes a long way and it's not an item any serious landscape or studio (and might be other) photographers would spare. Just don't be lazy ;)
For most DSLR users, tripod usage is a must….or….a monopod! Good point!
I use my tripod on a regular basis
I've been shooting for quite some years now and I believe this video needs to be re-watched by beginners quite a few times.
I've banged my head against the wall for months trying to figure out why in different scenarios my images are not as sharp as I want them to be and you have literally listed some of the very fundamental reasons why images are not as sharp as people would like them to be. Obviously not going as much in depth as you could because it would make the video half an hour but these really are the key reasons :)
The clearest understanding of the photographic process I have ever gotten from a tutorial video. Very, very helpful. Thank you.
Thank you. Many years ago I shot everything manually and was totally familiar with my camera. Many years later I got a new camera and got lazy, using auto for everything. You helped me get back on track.
I have been limited by this since I got a DSLR. I always prioritized low ISO over everything (trying to avoid noise), not realizing that my kit lens at 1/5 ~ 3.5 ~ 200 would never be sharp. A great tip to add to this video is to buy a lens that opens wide enough to allow for proper exposure at higher shutter speeds.
I have my kit lens I use for general photography but if I'm doing anything like studio I switch to my 50mm f1.8 - it's manual which is fine, and my camera is a crop sensor so the nifty 50 has an effective focal length of 80mm but that is also fine 'cos every shot I make with that lens is super crispy.
Yeah I’m a complete noob but when I saw some guides and lens reviews it seemed like on canon RP up to like 800-900 is basically no loss in sharpness really. Or so it’s seems.
1/5 at f3.5 can absolutely be sharp if you have a tripod
In the film days we focus manually using hyperfocal focus/distance and depth of field for tack sharp imagery. I am doing the same technique doing focus compensation taking advantage of limitless digital shots.
Yo, I used this camera for like a year, and honestly, it never let me down! 💯
It’s not the fanciest out there, but for small channels? Perfect!
Thanks for this! Just what I needed to intentionally make my photos as sharp as I'd like, which I've been struggling with a bit.
hopefully the tips help! cheers for watching :)
@@patkay If you are using a full frame lens on a crop sensor would you have to take that into consideration? a 70-200 on nikon is a 105-300 so does it mean shutter speed have to be 1/320, or 1/640, or 1/1000 for 3 times????
@@MissHitAllTheTime If using a full frame lens on a smaller sensor, it works sort of like using a full frame sensor but with cropping. I’d say yes, you need shutter speeds according to the smaller sensor equivalent, just as you would if you crop a full frame image.
One thing you didn't mention in achieving sharpness, is to set the aperture to the lens's sweet spot, which is somewhere in the middle and so avoid using the lens wide open or closed down. Of course, if you need the speed of the lens for low light then this may be unavoidable.
yeah usually between f8 and f16 will be the sharpest apertures you can get. but all of this really depends on the shot youre trying to get. sharpness isnt an inherent feature to a great photo. ive won thousands of dollars and got tons of commercial contracts shooting fashion with a slow shutter speed while using off camera flash. theres no tip to achieve sharp photos everytime because the conditions of every image is different
@@zip5644 where did you go to get access to these types of contests?
Something to add when shooting at the minimum shutter speed, is to shoot on burst. For sony with IBIS, I usually go a little below your recommended. For instance I will shoot at a minimum 1/15th on my 20mm at do a 3-4 shot burst. 2-4 shots are usually unusable, so I would never trust this on single shot.
As far as gear goes. My favorite picture of all time was taken on a Nikon D50 with a older 50mm AF lens in the dreaded mid day sunlight. This is a $100 set up. The picture came out razor sharp. My point more important than spending money on expensive gear is get to know your current camera and learn it's strengths and weaknesses. For example this same D50 I wouldn't take it out at night because it's limited by it's ISO but mid day in sunlight? It's money all day. All of my cameras have their own strengths and weaknesses. The D5000, D3200, D700, D7100, D3, Canon 5D mark 2 all of them can provide what you're looking for. My daily driver the camera I carry around is the Nikon D5300 @ 24 MP It's compact and all I'll ever need. I like not worry about damaging a 5k camera at the beach. I slapped a 50mm 1.8 DX Prime on it. My advice is to learn to shoot in bad lighting first like I did. ahand held no tripod challenge yourself. That way Day time or portrait photography is a piece of cake. Or you can go out and spend 8k on an expensive mirrorless camera and let it cut your meat for you but what's the fun in that?
What happens when using a zoom lens, for example, 24-70? Do you do your calculations based on the most extended focal length of the lens? Or whatever focal length using at that particular time? For example, I’m zoomed in to 35mm. Do I do 3x the length you’re at? OR 3x the total focal length of the lens (70mm). No one has clarified this principle for zoom lenses.
The one you're shooting at....
Love your videos! I also think it would be helpful for most of us as visual learners, if you showed these great nuggets of information as you apply them on your camera!!
I agree Matt
I was a professional photographer before. You have really brought out some good points. Very helpful to new photographers. I’m many tines thinking about what I’m shooting & is depth of field important vs the shutter speed. Thanks for your video.
Thanks Pat! Please keep making these vids, I keep learning with every one!
This really helped me,as I’ve just started photography in the last few months.Thankyou and have a great day 👍
thanks for watching!
THANK YOU for this! by far the best description I’ve come across since getting my first DSLR this year. Subscribed and cannot wait to watch more of your content.
Agree 100%, i just wasted a couple hours of differing people telling me about what to take and not HOW to take it. Thank you Pat. sincerely new sub
Straight to the point, easy to understand,this channel should deserve a million subscribers.
aw thank you!
What often gets overlooked and for many years I didn't appreciate the importance of, is the quality of light. You can have the best lens but if the direction of light is off, such as with an on camera forward facing flash, you won't see any texture and it naturally doesn't look sharp. There's a lot to be said for side lighting if you want to show off how good your L lens is. And also an off camera flash allows you to freeze the action for maximum sharpness.
Absolutely thrilled to bits to finally have a clearer idea of how to set optimum camera settings for sharpness. I have listened to many experts including Serge Ramelli and Tim Shields. But your simple presentation in this video is perfect AND SIMPLE to understand and remember. Setting the ISO last is not something I have been doing! So thank you for this.
did Tim get you to buy his course-all those emails! I just bought two great books...watched his free videos though. Limited info. included.
Man thx for this tip. I never realized why some of my photos were still blurry when shooting wide open at 1.8f (old camera body) even though I was dead on the eyes for focus but was still somewhat out of "focus". It's so minimal but very noticeable at the same time and it's very distracting. I'm a dad and primarily using my old D5000 to shoot my son. I'm shooting indoors a lot so low light is what it is.. heard great things about this Nikkor budget prime lense but was getting blurry photos, now I know why.
shooting at the widest aperture is never the best thing to do if you want sharp images. the sharpest point a lens will be is generally between f8 and f16
Wow, use ISO last like a gain control was huge. Makes me wonder how much more I missed in my "Basic Photography Training" You are so clear and precise I hope you have a course available. "Looking Now"
Wow, what a brilliant tutorial, I wish I had come across you sooner. Clearly spoken and totally understood your teaching and where you are coming from. I think I have found my full time teacher.
Just saw this video for the first time and I am impressed. I look forward to watching of Pat's work.
Thank you for the video. Question: when you are shooting a family (example 4 people) do you use single point focus or auto focus? What do you aim at? Because there are multiple ‘eyes’ in this situation?
Speaking personally, I use single point and lock onto someone who's the most central of the group. I also close down my aperture a bit, usually at least f4. Between the two, I get very good results with a balanced focus of the family.
Very helpful, but one question. Instead of switching between single focus and continuous focus, why don't I just set to continuous focus even for landscape or other non-moving subjects. Since my subject isn't moving, the continuous focus will not change. Is there some downside to this approach? Great video by the way.
in modern cameras, there's actually zero downside to doing this and it's actually what i do 90% of the time. the only reason why i suggest the traditional way is that some older cameras have a hard time locking on in general and it can be frustrating having your focus hunt so much for every photo you take. but if your camera doesn't do that, then go for it!
Actually there is a big downside. You won't be able to RECOMPOSE your shot which is what nearly ALL pro's do. For example if you set a back button for focus (never the same as the shutter- bad), then you can aim at the landscape, get focus, release and recompose the shot (frame the first shot (focus) then move your camera around to reposition and get the ideal shot. You must NOT move the camera forward or back- side to side and up and down is fine.) If you are set to continual focus, it will re-adjust to the landscape which "could" easily put your main subject out of focus. It's very easy to change this setting. Do it 100 times for practice and you will own it- promise!
@@MOAB-UTI’ve read many RUclips explanations trying to explain the same thing, but yours actually made sense to me. Thank you so much for your insight, this is way better than trying to manually set the focus area using the camera’s d-pad.
@@Taigrr854 Glad to help. I use a tripod and remote relase (cable/button.) If you don't have that you can set up a delayed shutter so you press and a second or two later, it snaps- a brief delay. That way your finger pushing does not cause much blur. With a slow shutter speed (e.g., lower light or going for a cool light trail effect or night photography), you will almost always get blur if you push on the camera without using delayed release mode or cable release.
I also take several pics, especially on images I really want to nail down. No matter how good you think you did, when you go to edit, any issue can have issues. Even wind, light, shadows, etc., can make a well set up picture look less then perfect. It's amazing to me however how hand-held cell phones seem to nail every shot.
Pat's demeanor and persona is so endearing.
Good tips. I will add, use a great tripod and remote or timed shutter release. Set up a back button to focus. Lock the mirror. Use great glass and expose correctly. If in doubt, ETTR (slightly over expose) because they're will be less noise if you bring light down vs. trying to brighten a photo. Of course ALWAYS shoot RAW or Raw+JPEG at the highest quality setting. Pay attention to your white balance as well and adjust for the conditions e.g. sunrise vs daylight vs inside light, etc. For several reasons it is a best practice to focus your cameras exposure meter on the blue sky or the color green if shooting things like flowers. Exposure bracketing and focus stacking are some other techniques that the pro's use. I'm almost finished with a great book called Understanding Exposure and I realize how much there is to learn. Don't think it's just a few of these tips and you are all set. This poster has years of experience- still his tips have merit but there is still much more to it.
which 'poster'?
@@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568 It doesn't really matter. Just follow the tips and you'll do fine. Or don't your call.
@@MOAB-UT yea well it matters to me. you referred to 'the poster' in an ambiguous fashion.
as an aside, i don't need the tips; i've been shooting for over 40 years.
@@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568 You are right then. For what it's worth I was referring to the OP and not myself. I have been doing many things for a long time- not quite 40 years but I still like to learn from others. Also technology changes. I am open to learn. If on the other hand you know everything, good for you.
@@MOAB-UT your original mentioning of 'the poster' consists of no 'OP' other than your self (since you are the originator of this thread).
the person or entity posting video to youtube is not typically referred to as 'the poster' (where that phrase, within its linguistic contextuality, strongly deductively implies a reference to a textual post.
hence my original request for clarification as to whom you were referring to, met with your very american self-righteous reply to the effect that it doesn't matter (apparently you determine what matters to others atop your inefficient grammar).
Easily the best video i have watched on getting sharp images! Nice work Pat!
As a photographer, if I may add, I think camera handling is important too. When I was a new photographer, I often have blur photos even on good camera settings. I discovered that my handling is not good ang my hands are shaky. 😊
Tripod!
@@MOAB-UT Yes. But not all the time you carry a tripod. Handling is really important. It means even if i shoot 1/200 of a second, I can still get not perfectly sharp pics if my handling is not good
@@ArtandLes I hear you and I get it. But if you generally have shaky hands it's probably worth the extra effort to carry along a tripod a sturdy one is best with four legs but any tripod is better than no tripod and hang something underneath it that partially sits on the ground so that it can keep it even more steady. To your main point I agree proper handling of the camera elbows in hands close to chest is very important when you can't use a tripod.
@@MOAB-UT yes. As i've said on my first comment, I solved the issue by proper camera handling. I only need tripod on landscapes and night photography. When I was a beginner even 1/200 i still get imperfect shots. Proper handling makes a difference. 😊👍
@@ArtandLes Thanks.
Pat this was such an amazingly well done tutorial on understanding the basics of Sharpness or achieving sharpness in ALL cameras. Your explanations were spot on and I can't wait to follow you as you produce more videos for the RUclips community!!!!
This is such an enormous wealth of fundamentals, clearly and perfectly exemplified..highly uplifting and inspiring presentation..
You explained everything in a very descriptive manner and I understand it ever than before and added the little nugget of sometimes sacrificing ISO
Something not mentioned here, is whether or not you are panning your camera with a subject or remaining stationary and 'trapping' a subject moving in your frame. The PLETHORA of continuous focus modes on modern cameras makes these tasks super confusing, so I personally prefer the method I always used with film and that is to pre set a focus trap for any moving subject whether or not im stationary or panning. This only works for subjects moving in a horizontal trajectory - unless you of course set a wide enough depth of field with a high apature number in order to "trap" subjects moving towards or away from you. I find focus trapping infinitely more useful a method in situations like street photography or weddings, where I can pre set a focus distance and then not worry at all about things being in focus - I just need to know at what distances my subjects will be in focus, get in position, lift my camera and shoot. Its way less stressful and I can just concentrate on light and composition.
I love how easy you explain things!
glad you understood it 😊
You are awesome! Theres so much awesome information here. Your content (at least this video) isn't a sell, just phenomenal information from one artist to another. Thank You.
Thank you so much!!!🙏🏽 you have been more informative than any professors I have ever had. I appreciate how you take your time to break it down detail but detail. Thank you!🙏🏽
This is exactly what I needed. Very well thought out yet still authentic. Will be subscribing 🙏
I'm new to this channel, but need a refresher. Thank you.
Brilliant presentation. All you camera video presenters learn from Pat.
This is very good teaching, many years ago, they never teach us like this way, you have to shoot many frames as possible specially with films to getting the way you wanted, and hope you’re getting right,, today any body can take a good pictures,, I have seen many video of people just holding the camera and shoot. Thanks for sharing!
You have to admit though, the newer mirrorless cameras are making getting a sharp image a lot easier with their improved autofocus and subject tracking.
for sure; the newer cameras definitely make the whole focus thing easier, leaving you to concentrate on other things. i honestly don't even use cameras without Sony's new general subject tracking stuff now because it's that good
I used to have a Nikon D80 and I would say that the ISO was much more of an issue for me on that camera. Photos would look so noisy and the loss in dynamic range was quite dramatic too. Newer cameras are far better at higher ISOs but on older ones it was much more of an issue to balance the grain and softness from the ISO and the blurriness of a longer exposure.
Did you ever find out which was the best number
@@omgtyshotthat What do you mean the best? ISO 100 was definitely the best (as on most cameras). Anything above 400 was noticeably noisy and above 800 it got bad imo. The highest I shot was 1000 and it was fine for producing interesting pictures but in terms of sharpness, any fine detail was gone.
Rule of thirds noted. And this has just helped me nailed sharpness. Cos I am buying no new lenses until I get the basics right and I shoot in FF these days.
Definitely subscribing to watch more of your videos. I traded my camera for a canon 5d and suddenly I feel like I have no clue what I’m doing in terms of setting my shutter and aperture. This video helped.
Outstandingly good presentation. Plus a bonus of a Fellow Aussie. Thank you for giving me a new focus point within my photography. ( gee. That sounded pretty good ehh). You really make a tutorial a pleasure to watch. I’ll be back .stay safe.
aye a fellow aussie! cheers for watching mate
Many, mny thanks. You are so on point. This straight to the facts and relative short video could have save me and will save many others hours of pain and suffering in understanding why it is not sharp as expected.
glad you enjoyed it!
Such a fresh point of view and very helpful... We subscribed, but frustrated that many times the only way to find educated professional photographers willing to share their skill is by the luck of a random you tube recommendation.
Outstanding video! You are pleasing to listen to and watch. This was very helpful..thank you. Clapping from Norfolk, Va.🤗
Thank you so much for your knowledge, I can't wait to utilize these settings to get better photos with the Rebel t7
Hi Pat, I'm a great fan of your videos - so thank you & I'm grateful for what I learn from you. Just wondered about the auto focussing with these settings. Some of photos on these photos were slightly out of focus for landscape photography. Should I resort to manual focus on infinity for landscape shoots. Thank you & keep up the great work 😊
Hey, you really helped me out in this video, a lot. You do a pretty good job teaching and making your video easy to understand. Keep it up, cause I can see you with at least 100k subs by end of summer, your channel is really up to par and professional.
Your explanation is SO GOOD!! Really easy to follow! I will be using it for my food photography! Thank you!! I appreciate this!!
I think my 5DSR is an exception to this rule. I get that little bit unsharpness pretty much no matter what unless it's on tripod, with no wind, and no vibration in the ground, and with a remote.. heard it has to do with the very high megapixel count on a standard full frame sensor, in combination with a physical shutter.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
I watched soo many videos and THIS ONE made me understand it easier cause this shit is overwhelmingly confusing trying to figure out the perfect formula for each setting.
Thank you for guiding me on the moving subjects, I'm in sports photography.
First time watching you. Really impressed how you explained the basics of photography. Definitely i’m subscribing your channel, I’ll go right now and check more content! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you for the information and providing it in an easy to understand way.
my pleasure! thanks for watching :)
I just learned more from this video Than I have from the last 20, I have watched. Thank you, nicely done. New subscriber here.
My previous dslr was a canon 1000D twin lens kit, 18-55 with IS & 75-300 without IS. I started taking photos of my sons rugby games and even though rugby is a fast moving sport the shutter speed was generally set at 1/125 shooting with the 75-300. I consider myself on the amateur side of photography and up until that point had been taking photos of reasonably still things. So I was surprised when taking these photos they were sharp at that shutter speed. Another thing it's very rare I edit my photos as when I do in my eyes they look bad so I try to compose them right and keep changing the settings. Like for one 80minute game of rugby I took 300-400 photos & got about 5-7 great shots. So this shows even with the kit lenses you can, with practice, take good photos. This year I updated to the canon F50 mirrorless again twin lens kit and wow couldn't believe how much the technology with the lenses have changed. But one important thing I've learned just have fun & take a heap of photos.
Oh my word this 11:46 minute video has truly been time well spent. I’m a wildlife artist and work from my own reference images. However the photography part has always been the more difficult aspect of my profession, but you’ve made everything seem crystal clear. Time to put your tips into practice 👍🏻 Thank you for sharing xXx
Your video is very sharp and clean 👌🏻
Wow!! This is the video I have been looking for! Thanks, so very much!
Hello from Australia, this video was ever so helpful, blessings to you :)
great video and thank you for not over explaining or complicating things - very well done!
6D Mark II here + 50mm 1.8 ... Pretty good video mate. PS: I loooove that accent and color of your voice Greetings from Serbia 🇷🇸
haha the australian accent. thanks for watching!
I have the same setup. What settings worked best for you?
My friend, I wear glasses. I am far-sighted. If I use LiveView on my Canon, I get great results. But I want to use the ViewFinder, but I get blurry photos. Is it recommended to use LIveView for people that wear glasses?
There's a button slider close to the view finder "Dioptric adjustment"
Look in the view finder with your glasses on and turn that knob till the view through the view finder is perfect for you.
Tell me if this works
Mazel tov
There's a button slider close to the view finder "Dioptric adjustment"
Look through the view finder and slide the button till the images become clear and perfect for you.
I hope this works
Mazel tov
Absolutely fantastic video. Thanks Pat! Like so many others ISO noise always freaked me out. Shutter speed is now king, followed by aperture. QUESTION: what camera did you shoot this video on? Eye tracking is great!
He had it in the details of gear used: Sony NEW Alpha 7S III
Thank you one of the best explanations i have seen yet.
This video is really helpful. I tried this last night especially the minimum shutter for you lens focal length. Ugggggh. So good!
Pat, this helped me in my food images greatly. Thanks!
Good hints with the shutter speed. I have a greater concern on this because I like to shoot at night, on the streets, hand held camera. I’m always struggling with shutter speed to avoid motion blur and still have enough exposure. When ISO is in auto the number goes to my limit 1600 with no good result and it is not that easy to correct the noise with Lightroom.
Comprehensive sharing of your awesome knowledge, thank you!❤
Thank you so much for this video. It is the best video I have seen on this subject matter. You presented it in a simple concise way, Making it so much easier to understand.
Thank you for all of the help man! Explained everything super well :)
Always enjoy watching your videos.
Excellent video subscribed so I can pick up more of your stuff. Presentation and delivery style excellent. Thank you.
Simply instructive. Enjoyed it. Thanks Pat.
First timer here great learning stuff keep your videos com in…. From Melbourne 👏👏👏🇦🇺
Great video, you discuss a few tidbits that I haven't seen elsewhere, such as the softness of high ISO.
Thanks so much for the tips. I have a Canon 80D, and I would LOVE to learn how to keep the "Eye" Subject Auto Focus on? How do I do that? thank you
That is sick the eye tracking focus. Focused so good on your then your hand was out of focus. Awesome INFO THANK YOU SO MUCH
nice video😊
could you please tell me which lens should i buy for canon 80d . I have 50mm 1.8
I do fashion, portraits.
I like how the tips are made into inspirational quotes XD great video!!
Your explaination is very understanding and easy to follow. Thank you
Simply stabilizing the camera by using a tripod or monopod can help as well. Where possible one of these should be used. Sharpness can be dialed up, in body, on many mid range cameras.
I really enjoyed this video. As a beginner this helped out a lot
Hi Pat, thank you for this video, it was quite an eye opener.
I really need some help - a beginner in the field!
I want to start my RUclips channel on beauty and eventually lifestyle and I feel I should go with the Sony ZV E10 or the Sony A6400. Is there any other camera you’d recommend? If not, I’m confused if I should go with the Kit Lens or should I get a 50mm for my beauty videos and another lens for lifestyle (but I don’t know which and budget is a little limited too).
Any recommendations please?
Hi greetings from india....
I d like to ask one que, you spoke abt ss which should be x 3 times of focal length.
So why you said in case of 16mm lense use 1/16 of second and why in case of 200 mm you said use 1/600 ss why it was minimum in minimum focal length but why not it was minimum in 200 mm case ( ex. 1/200 ss)
Thanking you
Nice video, u almost fooled me with the background. Very impressed with subtlety in blur intensity.
this is really in-depth. Insightful
I have a d3500 and I do a lot of outdoor sports for my kids. I currently use the kit lens. What other lens would you recommend as an upgrade?
Answered all my questions, thank you very much!
Also to add if you are shooting on a tripod and have a lens with image stabilization don't forget to turn it off. Its an easy one to forget even for seasoned shooters going back and forth between hand held and tripod.
totally! although modern cameras have gotten better with this, it still can be an issue for some cameras for sure
Hi, can i ask why you need to turn the image stabilization off on tripod? I’m a beginner and still have a lot to learn. This is new concept for me.
I have a starter camera with 18-135mm lens. What will be the shutter speed when i take photos?
Thanks for the tutorial is was very helpful, you explained the topics very clearly. Cudos!
Just getting back into photography. My boy plays soccer so your points on shutter speed is most welcome. Thanks for the vid mate.