Sharpening - is it necessary?

[Korky]

I've never bothered with sharpening for images that are to be displayed on a monitor, but I was reading yesterday that it should be considered a necessity for all images.

 

Any comments, hints, suggestions or advice before I attempt to get a bit sharper?

 

Korky

[JHFoto]

I sharpen sometimes when I have reduced the size of my image. 

[ChrisLumix]

I've never bothered with sharpening for images that are to be displayed on a monitor, but I was reading yesterday that it should be considered a necessity for all images.

 

Any comments, hints, suggestions or advice before I attempt to get a bit sharper?

 

Korky

 

Having spent the last couple of weeks at dpreview mulling over my recent camera upgrade and all the debates there, I now feel we get ridiculously obsessed with the whole idea of sharpness. It really doesn't matter, folks!! Ok, I know from my old archive that images can be too soft, but it's a too-little debated fact that they can be too sharp too. 

 

Where did you read this clownish statement?

[Craftysnapper]

I sharpen all the while but then I do shoot only raw where no in camera sharpening as been applied.

[Black Pearl]

I output sharpen every image depending on its final use.

The trick is to use the correct type and the right amount depending on what you are doing with the image - prints need completely different handling to a down sampled shot for the web.

[JHFoto]

My eldest son say's that we should get it right in the camera...

[Craftysnapper]

My eldest son say's that we should get it right in the camera...

Well  if that means the basics like composition, exposure and lighting then I'd agree.

 

But if every thing in camera should be right without editing then you would be changing setting for nearly every exposure and you may as well shoot raw like I do and apply the setting at the conversion stage rather than let the camera do it.

 

For example changing the sharpening setting to one that's suitable for the subject ( more for landscapes less for portraits), changing the contrast setting depending on the contrast of scene, a very low contrast scene will require the contrast setting to be increased or a flat image will result and vice versa. White balance needs to be manual and changed  every time the lighting changes after all auto white balance is not fool proof.

 

Of course most people will use the standard settings and let/hope the camera's computer will get it right, but then that's not really you getting it right in camera is it.

Edited November 20, 2014 by OlyPaul

[ChrisLumix]

My eldest son say's that we should get it right in the camera...

 

I think that's a good principle. And if certain adjustments need to be made, the menu for them can be added either to your QuickMenu, or assigned to a function button.

 

That's not to say that PP is wrong, just that if it can be got right in-camera, how much later time it saves!

[JHFoto]

I am not saying I agree with him I do like to have a none destructive play...

[Guest]

My eldest son say's that we should get it right in the camera...

Not if you shoot RAW. Sharpening is not applied to RAW files.

 

My thoughts on sharpening http://billallsopp.com/?s=sharpen

[Black Pearl]

This started as a 16 million pixel DNG 9RAW) file from the Pentax.

 

I cropped it 1:1 then added my border and resampled it down to 800x800 pixels for the web. 

The one on the left has been left at that point and to be fair its not bad - the one on the right has been sharpened to make it 'pop' once it has been saved as a JPEG and hosted (here) online. 

 

 

[JHFoto]

Very interesting but why would you not sharpen RAW files, I only shoot RAW and do sharpen sometimes.....?

[Black Pearl]

RAW files need to be sharpened twice.

They need capture sharpening when the data is first opened (by default your RAW software will do this but you can tweak it) then output sharpening once you've fully processed the image and sized it.

[FUJI]

RAW files need to be sharpened twice.

They need capture sharpening when the data is first opened (by default your RAW software will do this but you can tweak it) then output sharpening once you've fully processed the image and sized it.

Sharpening is a Bourgiois Concept BP ;-)

Seriously though it is essential that RAW files are sharpened .....my current favourite method is using the...High-Pass Filter......it takes some learning but is amazing if applied in selected areas.

FUJI

Edited November 20, 2014 by FUJI

[JHFoto]

Another vote for the High pass filter........

[colinb]

 

My thoughts on sharpening http://billallsopp.com/?s=sharpen

 

Interesting blog there Bill, liking the photobus 

[Craftysnapper]

I've even been known to occasionally use selective sharpening.