John's slides - Camera lens - Sharpness Message-ID: <199605250101.BAA07801@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

[P3D Dr. George A. Themelis <DrT-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: photo-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I just received John Arrowsmith's slides... If you remember an earlier thread, John was concerned about the sharpness of his Realist Custom. He did not think it did a good job and he sent me a few slides for my expert (yeah, sure...) opinion. 

Here is what I found (I am posting this in photo-3d because the subject should be of interest to many members): 

Camera lenses are fine. Sharpness is top-notch. I spent time looking around for details. Not only center. Up down, right and left. Everything is sharp, as sharp as one can expect.

Photography if good. Mounting is great (John must take great care to mount the slides and the results show it). 

Yet, the pictures leave something to be desired. What is the problem?

Bad lighting! Sunny day in Australia... Excessive contrast. Slight haze by the sea water... Definitely not a good day to be out with a camera. And a high-contrast film like Fuji Sensia does not help either...

The usual reaction when the pictures do not look good is to suspect the camera. That would be the last in my list. Poor lens resolution usually shows up away from the center. If the center is sharp but the edges are not then it's the lens. But there are other factors too that make a big difference like the film, the picture-taking technique (some people shake the camera) and the light...yes the light. 

Light makes the pictures. Beginners don't realize how important the quality of light is... Soft diffused light is the best. Pictures look much sharper when taken on a clear day, late afternoon, with the camera on a tripod. When testing a camera for sharpness, try different lighting situations, including flash indoors. 

Any luck getting better pictures John? Does it ever get cloudy over there? ;)

Regards -- George Themelis


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