Soft Help Mk2

[scoff]

Ok, I've pinned some text to the wall, tripod mounted the cam, and used various lenses.
I have used a neutral setting and a sharp user defined setting - all details are in the file name.

Personally other than the difference between settings I cannot see any issues with the equipment, I focused on the centre of the page, but on some round the edges it is less sharp - which is a general issue with my pictures...
Also tried some hand held shots of my laptop screen last night they were also ok.. So can I assume its a technique issue??? :)

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/28mm_f8neutral.jpg
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/28mm_F8_sharp.jpg
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/50mm_f1_8_neutral.jpg
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/50mm_f1_8_sharp.jpg
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/135mm_f8_nautral.jpg
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/135mm_f8_sharp.jpg
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/200mm_f8_neutral.jpg
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/200mm_f8_sharp.jpg

[scoff]

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/400mm_f8_neutral.jpg
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/400mm_f8_sharp.jpg

[RobertP]

Your shot was soft particularly at the right edge in portrait so I'd be looking closer at the top/bottom than the middle. I'd also have used a few sheets of newspaper so all the frame is filled when shot at the same distance your dodgy example was.

Don't look too bad so far though :)

[CT]

They don't look bad at all, but for these tests to mean anything at all you need to be scrupulous in setting up the shot so that the camera is parallel vertically and horizontally to your test sheet. You don't need to be out by very much to get a misleading result. Make sure too that you don't touch the camera, either use a remote release or self timer. Using mirror lock up will avoid a lot of possible vibration too. :)

[scoff]

Cheers Chaps,
I used my cable release, I did notice that at the bottom of the page in the 28mm shots the page curled out by a fraction, and this is less sharp than the main focal point.

My worry therefore is that at F8 I'm having problems with good DOF is this usual?
Looking at the pictures i've taken when zooming in on the hi res ones there is not a sharpness issue with the equipment... its me!!! or my settings??

Will go and take some real world examples with different settings, before I do any more newspapers :)

Thanks again

[RobertP]

According to this (http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html) a curly page should not be enough to cause an OOF problem. I'd do some more test shots to make sure.

[scoff]

Hmmm, will do.
Thanks