Achieving sharpness and IQ

Desguy · 2011-09-19T03:09:37+0100

In the search for better IQ and questioning the need for an upgrade from the kit lens (K20D), my heart sank a little after discovering I have the mkI 18-55: I should say that most images are destined for internet use, I do not often need to print images and even then rarely larger than A4; so my demands are minimal really. The K20D & kit lens are of course a vast improvement over the 4MB compact I had been struggling with previously; noise reduction being the major benefit. Better IQ to start with has meant less processing time, however there hasn't been the level of improvement in finished images that I could have expected. A few years ago I moved from CorelPhoto to Photoshop and appreciated a subtle improvement in IQ, a smoothness and more of a quality feel to final images. So now I'm looking at equipment (I don't want to blame it, it's probably me :? ) I see so many really fine images here and elsewhere, images that 'look' like what one would expect of a high quality 300dpi print, but of course they're not, they are are being viewed at less than 100dpi, yet with lovely tonal quality and pin sharp with no hint of acutance. Occasionally I hit the mark but not often enough, and rarely up to the standard I see here so often. Sharpening low contrast areas leads to over cooking the high contrast areas, but as I invariably capture at the largest size and highest quality settings and final image often resampled 10% to 20%, acutance gets lost. But I do wonder if I would be better off with a better lens and then perhaps shoot at an image size nearer to the intended final size. On the other hand, it's not just sharpness. I know the lens could be better in this respect, but when for example I've taken a shot (with flash) of a full length garment at 18mm and at about 3 to 4 metres distance, then zoom in at 55mm and can see individual fabric fibres, the lens isn't too bad. But there's something lacking! Any suggestions please.

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simonkit simonkit

2106 posts
19 years
Mold,
North Wales

Posted 20/09/2011 - 22:57 Link

With sharpening I find adding a reasonable amount of "capture sharpening" in ACR together with final output sharpening works really well with the K5, it does need more than my K20D did though.

I actually use the Bruce Fraser developed "Photokit sharpener 2.0" plug-in for my output sharpening, great piece of software

http://www.pixelgenius.com/PKS2-PR/

Simon

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