D80 pic softness

[dwgriffi]

Hi,


The reviews here and elsewhere have mentioned softness of the D80's images at default settings. But how do the pictures compare to others as far as how they respond to sharpening in software? Do the unsharpened results compare well to other DSLRs with internal sharpening similarly off (or at least matchedf)? Also, when the sharpening in the camera is turned up, how do the pics then compare in this regard to others? What I mean by this is does slight in-camera sharpening cause inferior results compared to Photoshop? Naturally processing later is better (and sharper isn't necessarily better), but is "soft" in this case, in your experience, just soft from not being sharpened, and the pics aren't too soft otherwise (with a lense that doesn't contribute to it)?

Thanks for any experience with the D80 with this.

D

[corndog]

Im not surprised nobody has answered this, theres a few oddly phrased questions in there! I will try to pick your paragraph apart, and then add my own 2c.


But how do the pictures compare to others as far as how they respond to sharpening in software?I would say that the images from the D80 are effected with photoshop sharpening identically to the way pictures from other camera are. Did that make sence, lol.


Do the unsharpened results compare well to other DSLRs with internal sharpening similarly off (or at least matchedf)?This is very camera dependant. They definitly vary as to thier level of sharpness at factory defaults.


Also, when the sharpening in the camera is turned up, how do the pics then compare in this regard to others? What I mean by this is does slight in-camera sharpening cause inferior results compared to Photoshop?I actually like the results from my D80's in camera sharpening compared to adjustments with the unsharp mask in Photoshop. Maybe its me though as I dont have much time logged with the unsharp mask.


Naturally processing later is better (and sharper isn't necessarily better), but is "soft" in this case, in your experience, just soft from not being sharpened, and the pics aren't too soft otherwise (with a lense that doesn't contribute to it)?I had to read that like a dozen times. Pictures that are soft from my D80 are soft for a reason, cheap glass, long handheld exposure, etc. I have printed 20x30 landscapes with my D80 on +1 sharpness, and the cheapy 18-55mm kit lens with great results. I like to leave the D80 set at +1, just my preference. Portaits look better to me in the - settings, or softened with software.

To put it in a nutshell. Dont worry about the sharpness of the D80, use good glass and proper exposure. Also, the more pictures I take, the more I hate G lenses. The 18-55mm kit lens isnt too bad, but the 70-300mm is far from stellar. Just do your share of research when buying a lens, and especially remember that you get what you pay for(except for the 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 its an excellent value for under 100).

[dwgriffi]

Corndog,

LOL! Yes, that paragraph did come out pretty terribly! I should have proofed it instead of writing the thoughts as they tumbled out of my head. I was rushing out on my way to visit some shops and feel the cameras and perhaps make an impulsive caffeine influenced purchase.

Yeah, my last paragraph stemmed from a concern to differentiate between "soft" as fine, just not sharpened up, an "soft" as in softer than it should be. I was having a hard time getting a sense of this from reviews that just said...soft!



Thanks very much for your insight! That's what I needed to know.

Best

D

[eduardofrances]

Hi,


The reviews here and elsewhere have mentioned softness of the D80's images at default settings. But how do the pictures compare to others as far as how they respond to sharpening in software? Do the unsharpened results compare well to other DSLRs with internal sharpening similarly off (or at least matchedf)? Also, when the sharpening in the camera is turned up, how do the pics then compare in this regard to others? What I mean by this is does slight in-camera sharpening cause inferior results compared to Photoshop? Naturally processing later is better (and sharper isn't necessarily better), but is "soft" in this case, in your experience, just soft from not being sharpened, and the pics aren't too soft otherwise (with a lense that doesn't contribute to it)?

Thanks for any experience with the D80 with this.

D

I have seen photos taken with a Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 AF-D IF, a crappy old Sigma 28-90mm and with the Nikkor 18-135mm on a D80, and I have to tell you glass makes a world of difference, the D80 out of the box settings are very conservative, but I wouldn't call an image taken with a D80 soft -as said before put a crappy lens on the camera and it will be soft, put a good lens and the image will be sharp-

You can easily dial sharpness in camera (+1 my recommendation) without it being abusive on Image quality.

The Nikkor 18-135mm isn't the best lens for the camera as it is kind of soft I would prefer a Nikkor 18-70mm with the D80....