Focus!

[TheEngineer]

Maybe my eyes are messed up, but I for the life of me can’t figure out why something looks in focus in the viewfinder and comes out blurry in the shot. Sometimes they look meh on the LCD and then they’re mostly OK when viewed on my PC.

What am I missing? I’ve got a Nikon D5000. Am I focusing wrong?

 

[tenurepro]

Check out of the d5000 has a focus calibration option. There are focus calibration sheets that you can download and print out from the net. Put the camera on a tripod and focus on a specific marking on the sheet and look at the shot you took and see if autofocus needs to be shifted back or forth by changing the calibration on the camera. I had to do that on my old d7000

 

[TheEngineer]

Check out of the d5000 has a focus calibration option. There are focus calibration sheets that you can download and print out from the net. Put the camera on a tripod and focus on a specific marking on the sheet and look at the shot you took and see if autofocus needs to be shifted back or forth by changing the calibration on the camera. I had to do that on my old d7000

Unfortunately it doesn’t have that option.

 

[KMench]

 

[O'l Salty]

I have to wear my reading glasses and it's still tough.

 

[Ilikefishies]

Check your shutter speed or F stop. If you're shooting too slow you can get motion blur which is very hard to see on the LCD and if your DOF is too shallow certain things will be in focus while other won't. Without knowing your settings, I would try getting a tripod, keeping your shutter speed above 100th of a sec and your F stop at F4 and above. Hope this helps. If you have any questions feel free to PM me

 

[TheEngineer]

Check your shutter speed or F stop. If you're shooting too slow you can get motion blur which is very hard to see on the LCD and if your DOF is too shallow certain things will be in focus while other won't. Without knowing your settings, I would try getting a tripod, keeping your shutter speed above 100th of a sec and your F stop at F4 and above. Hope this helps. If you have any questions feel free to PM me

Thanks. I've been trying to mess with raising the F stop up into the 6-9 range and it has helped with the greater depth of field. I've also been shooting stationary objects with the camera on a tripod. It must be my eyes. I find I need to go a little beyond what I think is in focus and that seems to be better,

 

[erk]

What lens are you shooting with, ISO, mode?

The entry level DSLRs don't handle high ISO well and can cause the image to appear blurry.

I would use manual mode when doing any macro photography. Aperture priority for action shots. You can control the speed in aperture mode by increasing or decreasing ISO.

The rule of thumb I follow for minimum speed on lenses is 1/focal length. I also check lens reviews to see what aperture gives the cleanest images.

 

[TheEngineer]

This is more general with my two prime lenses. The issue is most pronounced, unsurprisingly, with my 90mm Tamron. I shoot in manual mode.

 

[erk]

Does manually focusing result in sharper images or do you get the same image?

When you use the LCD, do you zoom in on the subject, then adjust focus? This is something I do if I can't tell whether the image is truly in focus or not.

 

[TheEngineer]

Does manually focusing result in sharper images or do you get the same image?

When you use the LCD, do you zoom in on the subject, then adjust focus? This is something I do if I can't tell whether the image is truly in focus or not.

I should have been clearer. I always manually focus. I use the eyepiece and then review on the LCD

 

[PedroYoung]

I found that when i started using a remote trigger instead of pushing the button on the camera it really helped to keep focus. I think the act of pressing the button on the camera can induce some shake/blur. Only cost me about $20 for a canon remote.

 

[Ilikefishies]

I found that when i started using a remote trigger instead of pushing the button on the camera it really helped to keep focus. I think the act of pressing the button on the camera can induce some shake/blur. Only cost me about $20 for a canon remote.

You can also just set the timer on the camera. There should be a 2 sec timer for exactly that reason.