I need some help! :)

[N10k]

I have a D40 and some of the photos im taking at the moment are coming out slightly blurry. im being very patient but im noticing on the camera they seem fine, but once on the PC they are hideously blurry. Is there any tips on helping stop the blurring of a photo.

http://sites.google.com/site/nickwellssnaps/nikon-...

Some photos are here

[AlfaFoxtrot]

What shutter speed are they being taken with? That's the most likely cause, unless you had condensation on the lens or something. General rule of thumb is to have 1/focal length shutter speed to get a sharp image ie 1/50s with a 50mm.

[GetCarter]

The main reasons for blur are:

Your shutter speed is too slow. Anything under 1/60th sec will be a problem. Taking photos in dim light with no tripod on 'auto' may well give you grief.

You are not holding the camera VERY steady. Even at 125th sec the camera needs to be rock solid to get pin sharp

Your depth of field is too shallow. Your last photo is very sharp - but only on the place on which you were focussing - the foregrond and background are out of focus. To overcome this you will need a tripod (in dark coonditions) and change from Auto mode to speed or Apature priority (in any conditions). These modes are explained in the manual.

Edited by GetCarter on Monday 8th December 11:58

[Scho]

the problem...you are using nikon

Edited by Scho on Monday 8th December 12:01

[N10k]

Brilliant, I think it must be the shutter speed, maybe i should invest in a tripod

[gingerpaul]

For the second pair of shots a tripod would help due to the low light. The first two should be fine hand held though.

Do you know what the main settings were on the camera when you took the photos (the aperture, shutter speed and iso)?

[andy-xr]

They'll look fine on a tiny screen as the resolution is different. I've had this as well

No idea on what settings you've used but I presume as Mr Carter has taken them apart he's looked at it.

Incase it's not that, try looking at AE lock and check you're not on manual focus on the lens and in the settings on the camera. In Auto, the D40 wants to use flash all the time and will have quite a quick shutter speed so I'd be surprised if it was that

Edited by andy-xr on Monday 8th December 13:03

[beano500]

EXIF for first two says 1/2.5th !!!


....invest in a tripod and a cable release!

[N10k]

beano500 said:

EXIF for first two says 1/2.5th !!!


....invest in a tripod and a cable release!

Cable release, whats that?

Thanks

[Simpo Two]

N10k said:

Cable release, whats that?

Cable thingy that lets you release the shutter without touching the camera. However I'd be very surprised if the D40 takes one - but you can use the self-timer instead.

There are two things you need to distinguish. 'Camera-shake' is caused by camera movement during the exposure - it usually has a smudged/smeared look, but the underlying image can be perfectly in focus. 'Out of focus' means the images is not focused correctly - spot this by looking for areas in front of or behind the desired focus point which look sharper. The former is an issue for shutter speed and tripod etc, the latter is an issue for the lens and AF system, especially focus points of which I think you have 5 to choose from.

To me your shots just look soft, as if the lens is front focusing. The final shot (close-up) seems fine. The b/g is out of focus which is nice - you'd need a lot of depth of field to make everything sharp. A DSLR is not a point-and-shoot, it won't do exactly what you want every time because it needs to know what you want from it

Edited by Simpo Two on Monday 8th December 13:41

[flat-planedCrank]

N10k said:

beano500 said:

EXIF for first two says 1/2.5th !!!


....invest in a tripod and a cable release!

Cable release, whats that?

Thanks

As mentioned above, when the camera is attached to a tripod it allows you to fire the shutter without touching the button on the camera.

Not seeing a cable release for the d40 - do see a remote release though : Nikon ML-L3 Remote Controller
Its like a wireless version of the cable release, doesn't look too expensive either


If you don't have a tripod then I'd certainly invest in one first


Cheers.

[Simpo Two]

flat-planedCrank said:

Not seeing a cable release for the d40 - do see a remote release though...
Its like a wireless version of the cable release, doesn't look too expensive either

It's a pity the D200/300 and upwards don't support this gadget - it's great.

I didn't know it worked on the D40 but Simpo Camera Shop Ltd happens to have one for a tenner!

[Yellabelly]

John,
Surprised you haven't tried one of these

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Wire-Wireless-Remote-Control...

I've had one for about a year and it is excellent, never misses and can be triggered at distance, I much prefer it to a cable and for the price it is worth a punt.

YB

[Simpo Two]

^^^ I know there are aftermarket devices but they are clumsy and ugly compared to the Nikon RC. It's generally easier to use the self-timer and save a bag full of plastic lumps

Edited by Simpo Two on Tuesday 9th December 10:06

[Yellabelly]

Simpo Two said:

^^^ I know there are aftermarket devices but they are clumsy and ugly compared to the Nikon RC. It's generally easier to use the self-timer and save a bag full of plastic lumps

Edited by Simpo Two on Tuesday 9th December 10:06

IMHO I've not found them to be that much of a problem and having used the self-timer I find it annoying waiting for the timer to run down when it might make the difference in getting the right shot at the right time. I would have loved to get the Nikon RC but for my level of usage it is a lot of money when these HK remotes fulfill the role for next to nothing and far cheaper than a cable with it's obvious limitations.
YB

[andy-xr]

The Nikon wireless remote is great.

If you're infront of the camera...