Sharpness

Simon, how do you get your photos so sharp? Look at the OP Flordora seedling photo you have posted. The edges are beautifully sharp. Try as I might I can never get them that sharp. I use AV, spot metering, tripod, 80-300mm lens. I have a Pentax 200Super DSLR, 6mgp. I don't think it is the camera because it received a very high rating in the reviews when aI bought it.
Do you use a macro lens to get the extra sharpness?

My macro is pretty good... but as I process them I also add sharpness because when you resize an image down you also introduce blurriness... a light sharpen is almost compulsory to keep it looking decent.

That's interesting because it's almost the opposite to how things operated with film photography. As you enlarged , detail got furry .

I'm looking for a DSLR now so I'm interested in what people have and why.
Prior to being introduced to the computer and digital age in 2005 I had an ongoing love affair with my Yashica .
The digital PHD's are fun and some of them are so tiny .... but I liked being able to do other things as well with my camera
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cheers. Rosalie

Enlarging a digital print will also introduce the fuzzies by way of pixelation. Whenever you resize digital images there is a certain amount of digital 'interpretation' going on and so you need to apply digital darkroom techniques whenever you resize. I use two dSLRs. The first is the first Canon dSLR, the 300D. I bought this when I first moved to Norfolk Island 6 years ago. Since then I have concentrated on getting good lenses for it. I have a few good lenses now including a nice Sigma, F2.8, 105mm macro for rose portraits (great for people portraits too). If Canon is what you like, the 50mm, f1.8, prime is a must too. The other camera I use is a new Canon 450D that the school bought me to do the school magazine ( job I am handing over to someone else this year... it's just too much on top of everything else). I really like my Canon gear (for digital) and would love to buy their 'L' lenses ('L' stands for luxury... it's their high end pro lenses).

The 300D has served me well over the last 6 years and I firmly believe it's not so much the camera that makes the image but the control of the features... as it was when I was doing 35mm photography. The thing I mostly photograph these days is landscapes. I teach graphic design at the school I work at and digital darkroom techniques using photoshop is a big part of that. This one was taken with the 450D + a good Slik tripod etc, and is a series of 5 or 6 shots stitched together using photoshop (CS4):

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I'm using a Canon 400d which I bought off a friend in Dec 09. I've now also added a Sigma F2.8, 24-70mm macro and recently purchased a Canon EFS F4- 55-250mm telephoto zoom lens. I haven't been out to test this yet, so most of the pics I've uploaded here have been with the Sigma lens.

I really miss my Vivitar macro zoom from the film days and can't get over how expensive lenses are these days! I also wish I had the knack for photography that I used to have pre digital and back in the days when my eyesight was much better. In those days, I had two cameras strapped over my shoulder wherever I went

Like Simon, I 'sharpen' my pics before I post them for the same reasons.

I have a mental image of them being put through a pencil sharpener

I know zilch about photo shop or dressing up my pix , do you need fancy software to do this ?

Nope.. you can get a free one that does a good job of everything here: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and here: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

That's very funny OzRose - I love the imagery This digital era with all its gadgets conjures up many an odd & hilarious mental picture.

I'm looking for a new camera too. My Canon A95 Powershot died and costs too much to fix. Thanks for the info. Any other thoughts?

What's your budget, Dave?

Hello David, this site is great to help you with specs etc: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Then when you decide what you want to buy, make sure you go on E-Bay first. I saved over $100 on my last lens by buying it from Hong Kong.

I've also loved Canon, so tend to stick with them. Also have an IXUS 75 (circa $200) which I use for work and family snaps. It does me fine, here are some samples:
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A storm brewing on the Tamarama coast, Sydney
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Lamarque @ Parra Park and, remember this handsome devil
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Rita, are these shots, just shots or are they "touched up". the one of Tamarama is it Bronte beach in the background.
Can I assume the third picture is a smuggler named Dave C placing his contraband in a suitcase

Under $500 Simon. I really loved the Canon. Would like something similar.

LOL Roseman, Rita got the roses, I got the cucumber!

Hi David (M), no, these shots are not 'touched up' only reduced from their original size and sharpened slightly. Yes, the photo was taken at the Sculptures by the Sea from Tamarama Park overlooking Bronte Beach. It was Friday evening and an almighty storm was brewing.

David (C) was far from smuggling - he was delivering a very important ''house warming'' gift or two, one which grew to represent my avatar. BTW David (C), RR must really love the heat, she is producing some great coloured blooms without the balling just now, but its too hot to stand there with a camera, will see how the evening pans out.

The Canon IXUS75 is a great little camera, although it is limited it can still take a great shot. But it is small, light and very convenient to carry in your purse or briefcase and as you can see, it can take a mean shot. Here are a couple of others
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Taken from NSW Library on Macquarie St in Sydney through a glass window.[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Sunrise at the Dawn Chorus, Clifton Gardens, Mosman Sydney[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Finally, the resident unknown yellow HT in my garden - can anyone tell me what it is please?

RitaG wrote:
Finally, the resident unknown yellow HT in my garden - can anyone tell me what it is please?

Sunburnt.

Rita, Love the shot of Bronte beach, my grandparents had a house at the end of the park, western end, in Murray St, we would climb down through the pailing fence and swim at Bronte's Boggey hole as it was called as children then walk back up the park to have lunch at their place, then back to the beach.
Ice cones(shaved ice) with colourings was a treat in those days.
Do you remember the trams on the southern side of Bronte beach or is that before your time.