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can't say i've noticed the same, though some difference in sharpness may come in when comparing pixel to pixel for cameras with different megapixel numbers I can't say I think the D90 is soft [coming from a d80]
Do you have 2 examples to show with full EXIF data so we can see what is going on?
Posted 6 months ago.
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I'll see what I can come up with!
Posted 6 months ago.
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Without examples its going to be impossible to suggest anything...
I would say that any issues with technique would be magnified with moving to the higher MP, but that is all without examples...
I have not noticed any soft focus issues with my D90 that were not my own doing :(
Posted 6 months ago.
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mine works great. maybe you got a lemon. see if you can compare another one with the one you have. it's a great camera.
Posted 6 months ago.
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Yeah, I've been trying to compare but I dont know anyone else with one, lol.
Posted 6 months ago.
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Taken with D70
farm3.static.flickr.com/2445/3654901196_cea3be6955_b.jpg
Taken with D90
farm4.static.flickr.com/3355/3654105405_a8fa32e922_b.jpg
Posted 6 months ago.
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I realise this is not a perfect test but:
Both images taken on auto with flash fire.
the D70 image seems to be very crisp unlike the D90 which (especially when zoomed) seems to be much softer. This tends to happen on most (if not all) portrait shots taken in auto.
Larger images here:
D70
farm4.static.flickr.com/3650/3654941908_dcea14d33f_b.jpg
D90
farm4.static.flickr.com/3326/3654945180_e65fb76cdb_b.jpg
Originally posted 6 months ago.
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photographic-leigh edited this topic 6 months ago.
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Can you link to the fist two (plant) so that we can see the exif data as well.
Just open the main image page and copy/paste the UPL into the message box between the [ ] brackets, incase you didn't know...
I think I can kind of see the issue in that picture, but I would like to see the exif data...
Posted 6 months ago.
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im no expert but one thing you can try is ajusting the sharpness.
Posted 6 months ago.
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Sharpness is up full
Posted 6 months ago.
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www.flickr.com/photos/photographicleigh/3654901196/in/pho...
www.flickr.com/photos/photographicleigh/3654105405/in/pho...
What is the "UPL"
www.flickr.com/photos/photographicleigh/3654901196/meta/
www.flickr.com/photos/photographicleigh/3654105405/meta/i...
Originally posted 6 months ago.
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photographic-leigh edited this topic 6 months ago.
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Those links are fine. I misstyped it, I meant URL not UPL...
Are you using the same lens on both camera's, it looks like you are...?
Do you have VR turned on on the lens when using it on a Tripod perhaps?
Posted 6 months ago.
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I would try to test in manual mode. Shoot Jpeg and Raw. Sharpness @6, Saturation and Contrast @5 or 6. Standard or Vivid.
Originally posted 6 months ago.
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licokao edited this topic 6 months ago.
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Grass Blade:
Focusing setting: D70@AF-S, D90@AF-A
You will find that the D70 exif shows
AFArea Mode: Single Area
AFPoint: Center
AFPoints In Focus: Center
But this wasnt shown in D90. Suspect due to the different focusing settings
White Balance fine tune: D70@0, D90@1
Exposure difference: D70@0, D90@+1 (not sure where exactly you set this though)
Contrast and Saturation: D70@normal, D90@-1 and -1
These may be causing the difference.
I tried to compare with the portrait photos but they were taken with different lens, different auto settings, different white balances so lots of exif data were different.
I suggest you delete all colour profiles in your d90,
press the 2 buttons to reset settings to factory default (these 2 buttons have 2 green dots next to it)
Double check all settings are the same
Use Aperture mode and set to f8 (sharpest for most lens)
Use the same lens for ALL test (ie multiple photos)
Use a Tripod (minimise distance shift)
Do not edit anything else.
The reason I suggest this for fair comparison is that in the D90 there is a higher amount of control. I dont know where you got the camera from or was it shrink wrapped when it was taken out. Means that the camera might have been tested by someone else and saved that setting. D90 Shutter count =800+. Have you taken that number of photos?
From what I can see you seem to know that you can do these settings, yet having contrast and saturation -1 seems to suggest that in the profile control although you have chosen normal, there are slight alterations. Might imply that there have been changes to it by someone/something unless you know abt this and set it deliberately. Dont forget with the d90, if you use say vivid mode, you can still edit certain settings like sharpening/contrast/saturation etc to suit your taste (availble to d90/300/700/3/3x i think), and be saved as a profile.
The reason I suggested not to set other controls is that 2 very different cameras can have different algorithms to do things. Though sharpening might be maximum, they can be of different amount. The best is to compare with no sharpening. if you want sharpening control , maybe do it out of camera.
I guess until you rectify these issues, we cant tell if you got a dud, or if the d90 is inherently inferior to the d70.
I am also a d70 -> D90 user just like you and I am loving the d90 in comparison. Only exception is for infrared photography where the d50/70/40 shines. I have the d40 now for infrared (d70 has been passed on to dad) :)
Originally posted 6 months ago.
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Bluemonkey08 edited this topic 6 months ago.
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I lowered the Contrast & Sat, myself.
I have taken probably about 800 pics so far. I'm giving the camera a good test as I was'nt pleased with the way it arrived when delivered (see my gallery and you will see the box it was delivered in!!)
But I still think I was having problems with it before I changed the settings!
It could just be me? I tend to use the D70 without Tripod and have had stunning shots. Maybe the D90 is very sensitive camera shake? Which is a shame because I dont always go out with a tripod!
Bluemonkey08, I'm interested in the fact that you went from the D70 to D90, do you tend to shoot with a tripod?
Originally posted 6 months ago.
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photographic-leigh edited this topic 6 months ago.
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It's worth pointing out that because the D90 has double the pixels of the D70 it does require you to hold the camera steadier if you want similar sharpness on a pixel level
Posted 6 months ago.
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I realize this, but I'm pretty used to shooting without a tripod. Also when shooting with flash on auto at close range I believe I should be getting much sharper images in my portrait shots than I am! To me the D70 seems to be better (in auto) This is not what I expected from the successor of the successor to the D70!!
Originally posted 6 months ago.
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photographic-leigh edited this topic 6 months ago.
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It would be interesting to know how many people here shoot with their D90's with & without Tripod support?
Posted 6 months ago.
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oh sorry maybe i wasnt clear. I do love the d70. the tripod i meant was for the test not real world shooting. I shoot for HDR hand held anyway most of the time.
I only use tripods for low light and long exposures, or self portraits.
:)
Posted 6 months ago.
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i would use a tripod below 1/40th if you can but i can use 1/15th @ 17mm with a fair amount of keepers.
Posted 6 months ago.
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I rarely shoot with a tripod. I don't have the will to lug it with me all over the place. When I handhold compared to my tripod shots though there is definitely a difference in crispness. Anytime I have to use the full zoom it's tough for me to keep sharp pictures handheld.
Originally posted 6 months ago.
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smashedpoodle edited this topic 6 months ago.
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"It would be interesting to know how many people here shoot with their D90's with & without Tripod support? "
All without Tripod. Handheld. Some of the newer shots with the 80-200 f2.8 are less sharp due to shutter speed handheld. But the ones with the Tamron 17-50 f2.8 seem sharp?
.
Posted 6 months ago.
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i have a D90, of course being in this group and i dont have a problem with soft photos (randoms do occur though given different situations) I mostly shoot hand held, though sometimes use a tripod....some of my trip shots are so sharp you coulc cut yourself on them, hand helds are generally very sharp also. i shoot with now 17-55mm f/2.8, 80-200mm f/2.8 and 50mm f/1.4G but also used the 18-200mm which also produced fairly sharp images....i would do the direct comparison tests as described above again and pay attention to detail....good luck
Posted 6 months ago.
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-- I looked at the grass images and a few things pop out --
The images available to us (what you posted and from the image pages) are absolutely crushed and littered with JPEG artifacts. That's probably Flickr's re-sizing and sharpening, not the cameras.
The D90 is using AdobeRGB -- that will make them appear somewhat flat and dull online for most people. When viewed in an application with color management on a properly calibrated monitor, the D90 picture has a lot more "color" to it that otherwise. In short, use the same colorspace when you compare images.
The white balance is different between them. They might both bet set to a manual "cloudy" WB, but that does not mean the two models will use the same interpretation of "cloudy."
Always use AF-S when comparing camera bodies or lenses. You want to make very sure that both images are taken from the same place with the same focus point. Always use phase detection autofocus unless you are testing contrast detection.
Shoot raw -- or at least RAW+JPEG -- unless you are testing the camera's ability to crush an image into JPEG format.
When testing camera bodies or lenses and attempting the same image, use a tripod. You really don't need one in most normal use, but if you'r going to pixel-peep (a hobby of mine, so I'm not knocking it), then you have to make things as equal as possible and that's not possible hand-held (esp on a macro shot).
A 100% blowup on the D90 is not the same as a 100% blowup on the D70. I would not worry about camera shake too much unless you are shooting at 1/60 or less. 1/60 is the point where almost everyone can maintain a steady image. You might want to pump that up to 1/640 or so if you want to eliminate camera shake entirely.
Test the cameras at higher ISOs as well. See how that D70 compares to the D90 at ISO400, ISO800, and ISO1600 (I don't think it can follow the D90 to ISO2000 and above).
Anyway -- some ideas. Good luck.
Posted 6 months ago.
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"Test the cameras at higher ISOs as well. See how that D70 compares to the D90 at ISO400, ISO800, and ISO1600 (I don't think it can follow the D90 to ISO2000 and above)."
Ahhh yes that phrase reminds me why i started loving my d90 so much.
Thanks.
I progressed from a coolpix4300 -> bridge coolpix 5700 -> d70 ->d90.
ISO control is so different (of course the 4300 and 5700 sensor size is different from the slrs).
Posted 6 months ago.
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Cheers guys, gonna give a few more days testing. The shop I bought from have given me till the end of this month if I'm not happy due to the condition the camera was delivered in.
www.flickr.com/photos/photographicleigh/sets/721576194969...
Originally posted 6 months ago.
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photographic-leigh edited this topic 6 months ago.
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I read in one of your posts that you use the VR. Many articles using the VR features that clearly state that VR can and will reduce sharpness of portrait and sill photos. VR is very well suited for action types of shots which I use often photographing my hunting dogs in the field. VR I have found is very poor for still photos.
Posted 6 months ago.
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If I dont use the VR, Ive found it near impossible to get a staedy shot!
Posted 6 months ago.
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I went with the Tamron 28-75 & 70-200 and both have no VR. The 28-75 is easy enough to hold for a steady shot where the 70-200 i do use a tripod as much as possible. The 90 is one of those cameras where you need to know it. By that i mean there is so many settings you can change to tweak it to your liking. I have only owned this for the past week and everyday i am still discovering new things about it thanks in part to these threads. If i see a picture i really like i am looking at all the settings and trying them out on the same picture. If you have the same picture and you are trying various settings you can see the effects you can get. some i did not like while others were good to go. Like i said i am a newbie to Nikon & the 90 but i hope to become as good as most of you are.
Posted 6 months ago.
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if you happen to put NR on HIGH, tune it down.
thats what happened with mine (although... i didn't mind much)
Posted 6 months ago.
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Cheers guys, gonna give a few more days testing. The shop I bought from have given me till the end of this month if I'm not happy due to the condition the camera was delivered in.
www.flickr.com/photos/photographicleigh/sets/721576194969...
DHL is by far the worse shipping service in the entire world to do business with. Here in the United States, they have replaced full time delivery workers that were employed with the company, with temporary contract workers from temporary manpower firms. This has allowed them to drastically lower the wages of their employees, and also totally eliminate giving them any benefits.
I've heard a number of horror stories about DHL service here in the USA. But since the delivery people who wear the DHL uniforms here are poorly paid, get no benefits, and are not even actual employees of the company, can anyone really expect them to care about the service they deliver?
I do not know if they operate in this same way in other countries. But I do know that the company is considered by industry analysts to be very badly mismanaged, and is currently on the verge of totally going out of business.
Even the famous CBS investigative news magazine "60 minutes" did an investigation of DHL recently, and told the story about how they took over a prosperous company called "Airborne Express" here in the USA, and totally ran that business into the ground, causing the loss of many thousands of jobs here in the USA.
If you would like to see this CBS News investigative report about the mismanagement at DHL, it is available online here:
www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/17/business/main4952111.s...
The latest business news that I have heard about them is that they are trying to find a buyer for their business. However, I think that they may well just up and fail. The company has been so mismanaged, that it is almost worthless now.
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Posted 6 months ago.
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-- If I dont use the VR, Ive found it near impossible to get a staedy shot! --
Well, but this is controlled by basic physics, and not your D90. If you use a slower shutter speed handheld, you are not going to get a sharp image, no matter what camera you are using, even a D3.
The fact that you state that the image is better with VR turned on, would basically confirm that the cause of the problem is that you are using too slow a shutter speed when taking the photos. Not everyone can hold a camera super still in their hands.
An examination of your photos basically confirms this. You are using 1/60 second in all of these photos. Yet, in the blade of grass photo shot with the D90, I see that you are using your lens set at 70mm On a 35mm or full sensor size camera, that is the equivalent of a 105mm lens. APS-C sensor size cameras like the D90 multiple the effective focal length by a factor of 1.5 times.
A good rule of thumb is that your shutter speed should be at least a minimum of 1/x , where x = the 35mm equivalent focal length that you are using. Thus, using that formula for that photo, the bare MINIMUM shutter speed that you should have been using would have been 1/105 sec
Your D90 can do a full flash sync at up to 1/200 second. So there is no point in not taking advantage of that, and using a faster shutter speed. I would recommend using at least 1/125 th sec Feel free to even experiment using 1/160 or 1/200th sec also.
There is clearly no problem whatsoever here with your D90. As long as that remains your focus, you will never be able to get better looking photos.
Nikon packs their cameras quite well. And no doubt, there was additional packing material around the camera box. The damage to your shipping box is really not that severe.
So while it may be disappointing that DHL did not better handle your package more carefully, I would not extrapolate from that that your camera is in any way at all damaged.
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Originally posted 6 months ago.
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LanceSpring edited this topic 6 months ago.
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