

PhaseOne’s newest lenses are ‘future-proofed’ by promising to resolve for sensors over 100 megapixels in size (their largest sensors are currently ‘only’ 80-megapixel sensors). Sigma is out on a mission to create extremely sharp glass for quite a bit less money than the competition. Without great glass in front of your lens, you’re already shooting yourself in the foot right at the start of your sharpest image marathon. Your lens is what guides all of the light of the real world to your sensor (I will use “sensor” and “film” interchangeably, here, unless specifically discussing digital or film concerns). Welcome to the most thorough sharp-shooter’s checklist currently online. This is simply the most comprehensive list of aspects to consider for all genres of photography that I now know of. Last preface: there is nothing in this article that can't be found elsewhere. Do yourself a favor and – you guessed it – skip to the part that applies to you. There is guaranteed to be something that you have yet to consider in this list – so don’t be silly and quit reading just because you feel like the beginning is a bit basic. To the best of my ability, these are organized by things that affect every photographer and get more specific as time goes. If something doesn’t apply to you, simply skip that section and go on to the next. Regardless of your intended subject or shooting style – this will have you covered.

By the end, you’ll have a checklist to make sure that everything is in line for the sharpest image possible.
Sharper image 3.2 digital photo viewer software how to#
Below, we discuss types of sharpness, illusions of sharpness, and how to get the sharpness you want.

But there’s no doubt that every photographer has at one point needed or wanted to create a perfectly sharp image. You may be in that category of “artsy” photographers that wants soft, diffused images. Notes have been made where updates exist and will remain for some weeks. Thank you to those who contributed in the comments and to those on Twitter who helped clarify and add some points. UPDATE: There are parts of this article that have now been updated for improved accuracy and thoroughness. Get ready to dive in: this is a no-questions-left-behind study on sharpness. This is the new go-to guide for absolutely everything to know about how to get your images to be tack sharp. Some photographers like that soft, ethereal feel as they specifically seek out types of plastic to stick in front of the lens, or even go so far as to buy defocus control lenses and LensBabies that will allow them to distort an otherwise true image.
