nikon 85mm 1.4G

P

pmac

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Name
peter
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Yes
thought i would post some pictures taken with my new toys. i got the lens on monday and the d700 two weeks ago.
all are un edited straight from the camera,just converted to jpeg in lightroom.
im loving this lens,but still need to work with it,im finding nailing focus at 1.4 to be tricky.


callum un edited by pmac1985, on Flickr
friend and work mate callum


jamie by pmac1985, on Flickr
friend and ex work mate jamie


shot of myself by pmac1985, on Flickr
shot of myself by callum(hes a cannon user with a 1.2 85:nono:)


DSC_6651-3 by pmac1985, on Flickr


xiu at the park by pmac1985, on Flickr
two of my daughter xiu at the park

thanks
peter
 
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custodian said:
Nice natural captures but looking very soft. Focus or camera shake?
Click to expand...

not sure,i did think they may be soft myself.
all the exif info is available via flickr.
camera shake could be the problem ive found the weight differnce from this set up compaired to my old set up(d90+50mm) very heavy .i struggle to keep it compleatly steady alot of the time.

here are some shots i took to check the dof/focus the first day.
i dont have a tripod,so were taken resting the camera on the floor with the toy about 2 feet away.

DSC_6541 by pmac1985, on Flickr
the focus point on NX is the left eye,but the hand seem the sharpest part??


DSC_6539 by pmac1985, on Flickr
again the hands seem the sharpest part but the focus point in NX is the end of the nose

to be honset in a noobie with all this,only got my fisrt dslr 1 year ago...all the gear and no idea now
 
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-Rob- said:
Personally i think you are too close in on the first few shots to be using f1.4. Such a narrow DoF just isn't required, you could easy get away with f2.8 or f4.
Click to expand...

I sort of agree with this, but the look of #1 in particular is unique to these very fast lenses and I think can make even a simple portrait looks something special.
 
on Flickr
again the hands seem the sharpest part but the focus point in NX is the end of the nose
Click to expand...

I have exactly the same problem on my d90 and don't know what it is

Are you using af-s and a single point of focus?

I'm going to try af-c and see if that helps
 
I've been after this lens for ages, well Jealous. With this lens you can get good DOF with f2.8 whilst giving you a bit more play with focusing. What a lens though :love:
 
Lovely bokeh, Peter, and nice shots, but very soft and difficult in the first three to decide where the point of focus actually is.

The camera/lens combination is capable of stunning results, sharpness that will blow you away, and if these were mine I would be looking to find out if there was a problem with camera shake/missed focus/back or front focussing.

The way forward is not difficult though, simply eliminate the possibilities until you find the problem, and work on it. Your first step should be to put the camera on a tripod in a well-lit area and take a picture of something that doesn't move, note where you focus, take the shot with a remote or the self-timer, then look at the image.

A vase of flowers is a good subject as it is about head shaped and sized, easy to focus on one flower. You will then see if it is sharp where you focussed, as well as being able to test the dof at various apertures.

Look forward to seeing some really sharp shots with that combo!

p.s. I am a huge fan of using the focus button on the back of the camera, then focusing becomes a separate part of the picture-taking process.

HTH.
 
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Wow! Love number 5 of your daughter :) The light is beautiful and the colours :love: what a lens! Great shots :)
 
The lens isn't soft at all in my opinion, it's just the fact that the focus hasn't been nailed. The first image the nose and some of hair is in focus so the eyes aren't. Printed as an 8x6 you'd not even notice it.

The bokeh looks lovely.
 
jamin100 said:
I have exactly the same problem on my d90 and don't know what it is

Are you using af-s and a single point of focus?

I'm going to try af-c and see if that helps
Click to expand...

the first 3 shots were taken with af-c and a single point(centre) the two of my daughter were taken with af-c and the area focus.

Lovely bokeh, Peter, and nice shots, but very soft and difficult in the first three to decide where the point of focus actually is.
Click to expand...
thanks the focus point on the first is the tip of the nose over the right nostril
the second is the right eye and the third is the left eye

The camera/lens combination is capable of stunning results, sharpness that will blow you away, and if these were mine I would be looking to find out if there was a problem with camera shake/missed focus/back or front focussing.

The way forward is not difficult though, simply eliminate the possibilities until you find the problem, and work on it. Your first step should be to put the camera on a tripod in a well-lit area and take a picture of something that doesn't move, note where you focus, take the shot with a remote or the self-timer, then look at the image.

A vase of flowers is a good subject as it is about head shaped and sized, easy to focus on one flower. You will then see if it is sharp where you focussed, as well as being able to test the dof at various apertures.

Look forward to seeing some really sharp shots with that combo!
Click to expand...

thanks will try this out.
can maby steal the works tripod for a day or two.
ive been starting to get myself into a bit off a worrie over it all,checked the web and there does seem to be quite a few with front/back focus issues.

i know that its most likely user error though,but it still plays on your mind.
ive also struggled abit getting used to the d700s focus system,i found my hit rate went down since getting that.
the d90 was alot easier to use,maby because of the simplicity or i dont have my d700 set up properly.
cheers
peter
 
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grotty said:
The lens isn't soft at all in my opinion, it's just the fact that the focus hasn't been nailed. The first image the nose and some of hair is in focus so the eyes aren't. Printed as an 8x6 you'd not even notice it.

The bokeh looks lovely.
Click to expand...
this is where i wasnt sure if it was just user error or wrong focusing.
if you check them large on flickr,you can even see the pores on his nose,and that is exactly where i focused.i may just be missing it through movement and the dof being so shallow
 
Worth doing the tests, because your pics will improve greatly once you regain confidence in the lens.

Incidentally, have you sharpened the images after transferring them from the camera? Unless you are shooting in jpg, than all raw files need sharpening before use; just remember to do all other pp first, save the image at the size you want, then apply sharpening.
 
david357 said:
Worth doing the tests, because your pics will improve greatly once you regain confidence in the lens.

Incidentally, have you sharpened the images after transferring them from the camera? Unless you are shooting in jpg, than all raw files need sharpening before use; just remember to do all other pp first, save the image at the size you want, then apply sharpening.
Click to expand...

they were loaded to lightroom then exported
setting were convert to jpeg quality 100%
output sharpening for screen at high setting
thanks
sry another qusetion,when people talk about sharpening does the above cover it or is what they mean the tab/sliders in light room.are these the same or do they work differntly,do different things to your picture
 
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I like them. I like the natural compositions and the bokeh is really nice.

D700 and 85mm F1.4 eh!? Swine! :crying:
 
pmac said:
they were loaded to lightroom then exported
setting were convert to jpeg quality 100%
output sharpening for screen at high setting
thanks
sry another qusetion,when people talk about sharpening does the above cover it or is what they mean the tab/sliders in light room.are these the same or do they work differntly,do different things to your picture
Click to expand...

What sharpening settings do you suggest, I rarely sharpen mine.
 
Beautiful. I'm seriously trying not to buy this at the moment. Very sharp indeed!
 
pmac said:
this is where i wasnt sure if it was just user error or wrong focusing.
if you check them large on flickr,you can even see the pores on his nose,and that is exactly where i focused.i may just be missing it through movement and the dof being so shallow
Click to expand...

Have you looked at the tested results for the lens at slrgear?

On a FF D3 at f1.4 the lenses has a softer spot in the center. It sharpens up at f2.8 across the frame.
 
I have this lens on my D700 and its my absolute favourite. I dont shoot it wide open though. Try stopping down and the lens gets sharper and it gives you more scope for nailing focus and better DOF. You will still achieve fab bokeh at f2 .8.

The lens did take time to get used to, particularly the weight.
 
You really need to nail the focus. at a subject distance of 6 feet f1.4 you only have 2inch DOF. Half of that is in front of the focus point. The distance from tip of nose to the eye is over 1 inch.

Lens envy creeping in here......
 
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