D300: Does manual exposure mode produced sharper image ?

JediKnight · 3rd January 2009

Usually shoot in either A or P mode, occassionly M. Recently was shooting the same scene of Hill Street Fire-station in both M (f10 1/500s, ISO360) & P (f14, f/1000s, ISO1600, focus 45mm).

Noticed the resulting image was sharper (example: brick lines on buidling wall are clearly defined) when shot in manual mode though both pictures having similar color tone and brightness.

I have enabled sharpening +7 on D300 which I assume that applied to any of the exposure mode P,A,S,M. Just wondering what could be the contributing factors affecting the sharpness as I do not think it was due to hand-shake ?

xintothezonex · 3rd January 2009

hey thr..
good to have the pics post up here.
from there can make the comparison..
cheers!

chris667198 · 3rd January 2009

It's all about knowing your len. Shooting at difference aperture will produce difference IQ.
You have not tell us which len you are using.

coolin · 3rd January 2009

its not the mode you shoot in, its probably the aperture.
different lenses will reach optimum sharpness at different apertures.

JediKnight · 3rd January 2009

> Will try to figure out how to upload the photo - am quite new to forum

> I am using 17-55mm/2.8 and 18-200mm VR.

postman · 3rd January 2009

No, shooting in manual will not result in sharper image. It is not the mode but may be due to the settings.

Shooting in A, S or P gives you the "correct" exposure. So for example if you take a photo in A mode at f/2.8, the camera gives you a shutter speed at 1/30s for a correct exposure as determine by your camera. This might produce a picture with image blur. So you can set it in M mode at f/2.8, 1/60s to reduce handshake. This will produce a sharper image as compared to the earlier settings. But may also means that your photo will be slightly darker by one stop.

JediKnight · 3rd January 2009

Image 1: P Mode

Image 2: M mode

coolin · 3rd January 2009

the loss of detail in your picture taken in P mode is probably due to the higher iso that it was shot in.

chris667198 · 3rd January 2009

You forget mention that your exposure on the iso1600 is +1/3. Did you manual adjust it ?

catchlights · 3rd January 2009

de-noise in high ISO will cause lost of details.

JediKnight · 4th January 2009

Thanks for all the responses. Looks like the highest ISO 1600 is the key contributing factor to the "noisy" (loss of sharpness) in P mode.

Will avoid using P mode and sticked to A mode as I noticed the camera in P mode usually pick smaller aperture (anthing from f16 onwards in many instances) and then chose the highest ISO1600 set.

doom102938 · 4th January 2009

I believe its your aperture. The image appears "soft" as it the small aperture caused diffraction. Try both test out on F8 where ymost lens would be sharp.

jnet6 · 4th January 2009

from the pics, is the iso and diffraction causes the softness.

Try sharpen up yr image1, it should be better but with lots of grains.

chris667198 · 5th January 2009

Originally Posted by JediKnight

Thanks for all the responses. Looks like the highest ISO 1600 is the key contributing factor to the "noisy" (loss of sharpness) in P mode.

Will avoid using P mode and sticked to A mode as I noticed the camera in P mode usually pick smaller aperture (anthing from f16 onwards in many instances) and then chose the highest ISO1600 set.

In P mode, main command dial can use to change difference program presetting.
You need to understand more on ISO, Aperture, shutter speed, exposure.
Maybe you can try this site.

lsisaxon · 6th January 2009

Originally Posted by JediKnight

Usually shoot in either A or P mode, occassionly M. Recently was shooting the same scene of Hill Street Fire-station in both M (f10 1/500s, ISO360) & P (f14, f/1000s, ISO1600, focus 45mm).

Noticed the resulting image was sharper (example: brick lines on buidling wall are clearly defined) when shot in manual mode though both pictures having similar color tone and brightness.

I have enabled sharpening +7 on D300 which I assume that applied to any of the exposure mode P,A,S,M. Just wondering what could be the contributing factors affecting the sharpness as I do not think it was due to hand-shake ?

Do note that at f/14, diffraction will also make the image soft. It's best to keep the aperture at f/11 or faster for a 12MP DX sensor. It has to do with the sensor pixel size.

Richter · 6th January 2009

Please take 1 picture in P mode and then set the camera in M mode with totally same setting. The result should be the same if taken from the same camera, same lense and same focal lenth and distance. But of cos the cloud may cos slight difference even if pictures are taken secs apart. Also set white balance manually instead of auto. you can only have 1 different variable to be able to judge it better.

3rd January 2009	#1
JediKnight Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Punggol Posts: 93	D300: Does manual exposure mode produced sharper image ? Usually shoot in either A or P mode, occassionly M. Recently was shooting the same scene of Hill Street Fire-station in both M (f10 1/500s, ISO360) & P (f14, f/1000s, ISO1600, focus 45mm). Noticed the resulting image was sharper (example: brick lines on buidling wall are clearly defined) when shot in manual mode though both pictures having similar color tone and brightness. I have enabled sharpening +7 on D300 which I assume that applied to any of the exposure mode P,A,S,M. Just wondering what could be the contributing factors affecting the sharpness as I do not think it was due to hand-shake ? __________________ Good photography is not so much about what you use as the way that you use it.

3rd January 2009	#2
xintothezonex Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: East Side Posts: 392	Re: D300: Does manual exposure mode produced sharper image ? hey thr.. good to have the pics post up here. from there can make the comparison.. cheers!

3rd January 2009	#3
chris667198 Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Jurong West Posts: 222	Re: D300: Does manual exposure mode produced sharper image ? It's all about knowing your len. Shooting at difference aperture will produce difference IQ. You have not tell us which len you are using. Last edited by chris667198; 3rd January 2009 at 05:48 PM.

3rd January 2009	#4
coolin Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Pasir Ris Posts: 364	Re: D300: Does manual exposure mode produced sharper image ? its not the mode you shoot in, its probably the aperture. different lenses will reach optimum sharpness at different apertures. __________________ My Flickr

3rd January 2009	#5
JediKnight Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Punggol Posts: 93	Re: D300: Does manual exposure mode produced sharper image ? > Will try to figure out how to upload the photo - am quite new to forum > I am using 17-55mm/2.8 and 18-200mm VR. __________________ Good photography is not so much about what you use as the way that you use it.

3rd January 2009	#6
postman Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 136	Re: D300: Does manual exposure mode produced sharper image ? No, shooting in manual will not result in sharper image. It is not the mode but may be due to the settings. Shooting in A, S or P gives you the "correct" exposure. So for example if you take a photo in A mode at f/2.8, the camera gives you a shutter speed at 1/30s for a correct exposure as determine by your camera. This might produce a picture with image blur. So you can set it in M mode at f/2.8, 1/60s to reduce handshake. This will produce a sharper image as compared to the earlier settings. But may also means that your photo will be slightly darker by one stop. __________________ D700, S5 Pro, 50, 24-70, 70-300VR

3rd January 2009	#10
catchlights Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Punggol Posts: 10,760	Re: D300: Does manual exposure mode produced sharper image ? de-noise in high ISO will cause lost of details. __________________ Shoot to Live, Live to Shoot www.foto-u.com \| www.benjaminloo.com \| email

4th January 2009	#11
JediKnight Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Punggol Posts: 93	Re: D300: Does manual exposure mode produced sharper image ? Thanks for all the responses. Looks like the highest ISO 1600 is the key contributing factor to the "noisy" (loss of sharpness) in P mode. Will avoid using P mode and sticked to A mode as I noticed the camera in P mode usually pick smaller aperture (anthing from f16 onwards in many instances) and then chose the highest ISO1600 set. __________________ Good photography is not so much about what you use as the way that you use it.

4th January 2009	#12
doom102938 Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 199	Re: D300: Does manual exposure mode produced sharper image ? I believe its your aperture. The image appears "soft" as it the small aperture caused diffraction. Try both test out on F8 where ymost lens would be sharp.

4th January 2009	#13
jnet6 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: not here often anymore Posts: 6,251	Re: D300: Does manual exposure mode produced sharper image ? from the pics, is the iso and diffraction causes the softness. Try sharpen up yr image1, it should be better but with lots of grains.

6th January 2009	#16
Richter Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 106	Re: D300: Does manual exposure mode produced sharper image ? Please take 1 picture in P mode and then set the camera in M mode with totally same setting. The result should be the same if taken from the same camera, same lense and same focal lenth and distance. But of cos the cloud may cos slight difference even if pictures are taken secs apart. Also set white balance manually instead of auto. you can only have 1 different variable to be able to judge it better.