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09/11/2006 04:23:05 PM · #1 |
I'm sure many people out there can answer this for me, is it preferable to use manual focus or auto focus when shooting a night time skyline? seems like autofocus doesn't always produce the sharpest results. (using sigma 18-125 dc for canon and rebel xt)
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09/11/2006 04:34:20 PM · #2 |
I notice that also with my rebel xt and my sigma 28-80 lens, if I leave my lens on auto.....
so when I shoot at night if I use my sigma I put the lens on manual but with my little canon 1.8 lens never a problem with that lens focusing
I just got another sigma lens this weekend just remembered to add to my profile, I will try some night skyline shots with that one and see how they turn out.
Message edited by author 2006-09-11 16:39:39.
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09/11/2006 04:49:12 PM · #3 |
exactly, the canon 1.8 seems to focus a lot better in medium to low light conditions. i think overall its a lot sharper than the sigma 18-125 as it is. too bad the sigma is the only wide-ish lens i have.
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09/11/2006 05:08:06 PM · #4 |
For best results on night skylines, stop down; try f/8 to start. Manual focus, adjusted so that the viewfinder image is in focus is a good practice. At f/8, the DoF will be very large at focal lengths in the 18-24mm range.
Use a steady tripod, and do use either a remote releae or the self-timer. Shoot in manual mode so you control the exposure. Watch your histogram. Bracket the exposure and select the best one later, or combine them! |
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09/11/2006 05:27:23 PM · #5 |
What mode are you shooting in?
I have found the AF on the 350D to be better than my own eyes.
In Av, Tv, M, set you AF point on the LED below dead-center (6 o'clock), that way when you press the shutter 1/2 way, it will pick up the lower half center area. In very low-light conditions, all AF mechanisms have trouble, as it is looking for obvious differences in contrast in the area selected.
Here are a couple shot in manual exposure mode, using AF point set to 6 o'clock:
 <--70-300mm Sigma at 70mm focal length.
 <--28-75mm Tamron at 65mm focal length.
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09/11/2006 06:55:01 PM · #6 |
i shoot in Av, and usually set the aperture to f/8 or so. autofocus does lock (beep), but it seems like the shots aren't as sharp as they could be. perhaps it is just the lens?
here is one in full resolution: //www.nabilshahid.com/IMG_7719.jpg
with an aperture of f/5 taken with tripod, ofcourse.
i have more i can post, with apertures varying from 3.5 all the way to 22, but they are all more or less the same sharpness. the sample above is one of the sharpest ones of the lot.
does that seem soft, or is that about the sharpness i should expect from this lens/camera combination? |
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09/11/2006 07:25:19 PM · #7 |
Not Found
The requested URL /IMG_7719.jpg was not found on this server.
Apache/2.0.59 (Unix) Server at www.nabilshahid.com Port 80
What lens were you using and what post-processing did you do? |
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09/11/2006 07:32:58 PM · #8 |
sorry
//www.nabilshahid.com/IMG_7719.JPG |
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09/11/2006 07:34:54 PM · #9 |
using sigma 18-125 dc. the linked photo is the original.
as for post processing, i do USM (0.5 pixels, 150%), auto levels, auto contrast, and resize. |
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09/11/2006 08:33:50 PM · #10 |
I looked over the original and it seems acceptably sharp. It does take a little more USM pretty well too.
Remember that...
- The Canon XXXD (as well as XXD) DSLRs have pretty strong AA filters, and thus images will not be razor sharp out of the box, but need some USM to really shine.
- At this shutter speed (0.4s) *any* camera shake will slightly degrade image sharpness. Precautions to follow to ensure as sharp as possible results would be:
* Use a very stable tripod/head
* Try weighting the tripod for extra stability
* Use mirror lockup if possible
* Use a remote release or the self-timer
Message edited by author 2006-09-11 20:34:09. |
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09/11/2006 09:01:35 PM · #11 |
I second what kirbic says.
That actually isn't bad out of the camera. I'd be happy with it.
I did see you have your in-camera sharpness, contrast and saturation all at +1. M personal preference is 0 across the board so I can make the adjustments as I see fit and also it gives me the least "stepped-on" (processed) jpeg available out of the camera.
Sharpness all depends on what resolution it is being viewed at, what size it is being printed, etc.
A good USM setpoiint on the 350D/XT is to make the first step a 300/0.3/0 then edit, fade and adjust to taste. If it's a web-sized image, after cropping, use the manual sharpening tool at around 10%, soft-edged brush, and sharpen areas as needed, watching for halos. If not cropping and resizing only, try Bicubic Sharper, Bicubic, or Bicubic Smoother as your resampling methods. If the smoother seems nicer, sharpen it up a little after, then fade back to taste. |
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09/11/2006 09:04:12 PM · #12 |
Night city shots are among my favorite things to shoot. Personally, I like to shoot *really* long exposures at small apertures. Go for f22 at 15 seconds, for example. It just seems like these kinds of shots bring out the colors, and give the lights a little extra twinkle, and the long shutter speed gives water (if there is water) a smoothness that you don't have with a fast speed.
Plus, you're going to have a better chance of everything being in sharp focus.
Message edited by author 2006-09-11 21:05:08. |
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09/11/2006 10:09:38 PM · #13 |
| thanks, all... appreciate the help. will definitely try out some of these refinements. |
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09/11/2006 10:21:14 PM · #14 |
here's one after some post processing. what do you guys think?
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09/11/2006 10:30:24 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by k4ffy:
here's one after some post processing. what do you guys think?
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Very nice. Care to share the original and your processing steps? |
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09/11/2006 10:36:00 PM · #16 |
sure.
original: //www.nabilshahid.com/IMG_7718.JPG
processing steps: auto levels, auto contrast, desat blue/cyan/magenta, raise saturation on yellow/red, unsharp mask 0.5/300%, curves, resize, smart sharpen.
glad you like. |
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09/11/2006 10:50:37 PM · #17 |
The original seems to have a blue cast to it and the lights/buildings seem to blend into the background.
Your processing has certainly added wow to the image. The edited version has much more punch to it.
Well done. |
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