Author Topic: Photo quality question  (Read 6750 times)

botty

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Photo quality question
« on: 15:13:43, 02/05/11 »
If my wife and I take shots in the same position in good sunlight, her photos always seem to be much better - in that they just seem crisper and smoother if you know what I mean. She uses a Panasonic TZ10 (12.1MP) and I use a Canon EOS400D (10.1MP) set at the highest quality. I use Canon IS lenses on my camera. Will it be purely down to the extra MP that gives the photos on my wife's camera the edge when light is good?


There's no point in posting the photos to compare as you won't see the difference when the photos have been reduced in size.

JulianC

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Re: Photo quality question
« Reply #1 on: 15:38:12, 02/05/11 »
Absolutely nothing to do with MP.

The main reasons:

1. The TZ10 is a point and click - the images will be processed to [censored] in the camera so that they come out well (over) saturated and oversharpened. Makes them look pretty at normal screen viewing. Zoom in to a 100% view and you will see a harsh mess. An SLR will not apply such aggressive processing in-camera so the results will appear to look duller and less crisp by comparison. A 100% view would generally reveal a lot more in-tact detail though. 30 seconds work to boost colour/contrast/sharpness to suit in photoshop or similar.

2. The TZ10 has a small sensor. Small sensor = huge depth of field at manageable shutter speeds. Effectively, your whole photograph will be in focus. SLR has a larger sensor = comparitively less depth of field. Using an SLR as a point and click will invariably result in less focussed images, especially if you leave it to the camera to decide what to focus on.

Unfortunately there is a misconception that using an SLR will automatically produce better photos. The reality is that it usually won't unless you learn how to use it (don't mean to sound patronising, it's just a simple fact). Take it off auto, if you are not doing so already, then read up on aperture/depth of field/hyperfocal focussing for starters. The output quality from a 400D with a basic kit lens should be far superior to that from a TZ10.

botty

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Re: Photo quality question
« Reply #2 on: 15:58:43, 02/05/11 »
Thanks for that JulianC. I must admit 99% of the time I just leave the camera on one of the auto settings, mainly because we're either out and about as a couple, and playing around with different settings would mean my wife having to spend more time stood around waiting for me. Or, I'm taking photos of Rugby and have the camera set to select the fastest shutter speed.

cuddlykoala

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Re: Photo quality question
« Reply #3 on: 16:02:38, 02/05/11 »
Interesting question Botty, I have owned a 400d and a 550d and did notice some of the kit lenses being soft, my favourite lens was the Sigma 105mm Macro.  Unfortunately I had to sell it all to pay the bills, recently bought a Samsung WB600 comapct with a 15x optical lens and 12mp and its my all time favourite camera, results are OK to my eye as can be seen on my blog of the parrots.  Now if I ever get some work I may get another Canon SLR for the macro ability and I do miss the 150-500 lens but my little compact with a tripod will reach to 450mm.
 
Are you using the kit lens?  I have had a 350d which came with a kit lens and that was poor, maybe you have been unlucky.  As for lenses I got mine from Hong Kong at a fraction of the price.

botty

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Re: Photo quality question
« Reply #4 on: 16:23:01, 02/05/11 »
I replaced the kit lens with the same 18-55 but the IS version. My other lens is a 55-250 IS lens - both are Canon. I know they are more of a budget lens, but it's a case of what you're willing to spend. The reason I posted was that to get most of my shots to a similar level of some of my wife's I do have to play with them on the PC to get them anything like. As i say though, I do tend to have the camera set to one of the auto settings, and the images I was comparing were taken with my 18-55 set in the long depth of field setting. My wife's photos just looked smoother and sharper.


Although difficult to tell after uploading, this was a similar harbour shot with my camera https://picasaweb.google.com/botty.1963/Scarborough24th25thApril2011#5599826192603958946


This was one with my wife's https://picasaweb.google.com/botty.1963/Scarborough24th25thApril2011#5602138602844354802

ianj37

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Re: Photo quality question
« Reply #5 on: 16:57:33, 02/05/11 »
I agree with JulianC but would add that it's not just learning how to use the camera and the editing software but also having the time to do the editing. Over the years I have literally spent hundreds of pounds on SLRs on the basis that I thought, incorrectly, the better the camera the better the picture. I have now sold all but one of my SLRs and bought a little Sony point and shoot for use in the hills and I'm happier for it. If you're interested examples are at https://picasaweb.google.com/104973783331258855427/20110427ToCrowdenHead?feat=directlink.

Again JulianC is right that if you blow them up to 100% and pixel peek then the result is often not that pretty, but I don't so I'm happy. I think it comes down to how much time you have and what you intend to do with the pictures.
Hope this helps.

botty

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Re: Photo quality question
« Reply #6 on: 12:29:29, 23/05/11 »
Do we have any 'experts' out there who I could email a couple of examples of my photos to, and they can advise if the quality is as expected, or whether it should be better for the camera I'm using. If there are, could you PM me your email so I can send a couple of originals - cheers.

ramblingpete

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Re: Photo quality question
« Reply #7 on: 14:59:35, 23/05/11 »
Botty are you shooting in RAW format or is it just on auto producing jpegs?

botty

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Re: Photo quality question
« Reply #8 on: 15:23:37, 23/05/11 »
Currently just auto. Thinking back, as I walked alone on Saturday I had the time to do some RAW but just never thought about it! :-[  However, you would think that an SLR would still be able to produce good quality shots in all modes - I'm just unsure as to whether I'm just expecting too much. I accept relatively poor shots in dim conditions, but when the sun is out you expect crisp shots - or do you?


I'm also unsure whether it's an issue with the lens, as I can take actions shots of Rugby games with my longer Canon IS lens in sunny conditions and they look crisper. Both lenses are Canon IS lenses, the one I use when walking is an 18-55 and for Rugby 55-250.

robstubbs

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Re: Photo quality question
« Reply #9 on: 08:23:45, 24/05/11 »
Try RAW and try taking exactly the same shots with 2 different lenses.  I have an old lens which is a lot worse than a new one I bought, so it's a possibility.  I'm sure someone can say in more detail than I but RAW doesn't compress (distort) the images like jpg does.  My camera saves 2 copies when in manual mode (which I always use) so you can compare the crispness and the detail - and it really is suprisingly different.
 
Rob.

botty

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Re: Photo quality question
« Reply #10 on: 11:36:39, 24/05/11 »
Will do. I replaced the stock 18-55 with an 18-55 IS and expected to get better shots, just now not sure if I wasted my money as shots in lower light seem no different to one's I took with the old lens. Will give it a go.
« Last Edit: 11:41:09, 24/05/11 by botty »

botty

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Re: Photo quality question
« Reply #11 on: 11:54:59, 24/05/11 »
Just took a couple of photos in the garden in bright sunlight, opened up the RAW and JPG in Photoshop Elements and there's no quality difference :(

ramblingpete

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Re: Photo quality question
« Reply #12 on: 12:00:54, 24/05/11 »
Botty - I'll send a PM O0

crisscross

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Re: Photo quality question
« Reply #13 on: 08:40:49, 02/06/11 »
I had a 350D and got so frustrated with the output I changed to Nikon D80, which I do not regret...however I often go back to my 350D stuff and can now get amazingly better results.

Too late for what you have already taken, but
1  use set to RAW with adobe RGB colour space and all settings at neutral or zero position; get used to choosing aperture and speed in Manual mode, sometimes repeating with 2 or 3 settings (400D probably has auto-bracket to do this for you; set 1EV apart, as RAW allows smaller corrections anyway)
2  that gives you a horrid grey image when you open up, but this is because YOU are going to do the processing, not the internal computer (as someone else has said)
3  canon's free DPP software has some brilliant features in the RAW panels and particularly good cloning, but never touch the RGB panels
4 more normally the best conversion (CR2 to tif) is using DxO optics software, which not only takes canon's in house, but also analyses real results and has brilliant lighting correction
5  for serious photography you then have to go to serious software which allows you to do different things to different parts of the image. Although Photoshop is meant to be the 'industry standard' it is hideously expensive and difficult to use. Adobe's Lightroom is an alternative approach, but I don't use it or know it, because Nikon Capture NX2 does 95% of what PS does for 1/4 of the cost and time input and will take tif or jpg files from any camera. It is often possible to also improve on jpg files converted in camera. Most software has 14 or 30 day free trials.

A very good site for easy learning is http://www.cambridgeincolour.com [nofollow] which has both tutorials and excellent friendly comment forums. I have an intro gallery to NX2 on my pbase gallery http://www.pbase.com/crisscross/nx2 [nofollow] (and lots of walking pics in other sections, the 2007 ones from 350D)

The canon 18-55 kit lens I had was excellent, load of rubbish talked about kit lenses being poor. I supplemented it with Sigma 50-150 for walking and would have added 2x converter if I had kept it.
« Last Edit: 11:43:35, 02/06/11 by crisscross »

robstubbs

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Re: Photo quality question
« Reply #14 on: 08:46:10, 02/06/11 »
Although Photoshop is meant to be the 'industry standard' it is hideously expensive and difficult to use. Adobe's Lightroom is an alternative approach, but I don't use it or know it, because Nikon Capture NX2 does 95% of what PS does for 1/4 of the cost and time input and will take tif or jpg files from any camera. It is often possible to also improve on jpg files converted in camera. Most software has 14 or 30 day free trials.

As a quick note - photoshop is expensive but PS elements is less so.  Also consider getting hold of older versions of the software.  You'll save an awful lot of money that way and unless you really 'need' the latest options, it will do everything you'd want and more.  I personally use elements 6 I think and bought that for less than 1/4 of the price of the latest version - and that's a proper version. not pirated.
 
Rob.
 

 

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