Take SHARPER Images with ANY camera! No More BLURRY Photos! Tips for Success

Can't get RAZOR SHARP Images? Let's explore why that happens and change it! So you can, too, take those stunning sharp and detailed images!
In this video I will share my top tips that have allowed me to take consistently sharp bird images over the years. Gear helps, but there are a lot more factors to consider to nail the image every time!
Bird Photography isn't easy and making sure you're doing the right steps to getting sharp images is an important step!
Can you find the mistake I made in this video? :D
Sony A1 vs Canon R5
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• EOS R5 - The SETTINGS ...
Let me help YOU to take YOUR IMAGES to the NEXT LEVEL!
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👉 / jan_wegener_
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This is the Equipment I recommend:
Canon EOS R5
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Canon EOS R6
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Sony Alpha 1
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Canon RF 100-500 L IS
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RF Extender 1.4x
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RF Extender 2x
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Sony FE 200-600
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RF 800 F11
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RF600 F11
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Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
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Canon 600 L IS III (I have v. II)
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Canon EF 5.6/400 L
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Canon 1.4x TC III
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Canon 2x TC III
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Canon 600 EX - RT
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Wimberley Head II
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Gitzo 5543LS (new version of my tripod)
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Gitzo GT2545T Travel Tripod
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Wimberley Flash Bracket
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Wimberley M-6 Extension Post
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Better Beamer (check for compatibility)
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Flash Battery (Godox & Flashpoint is the same)
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Power Cord
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Y connector
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Novoflex STA-SET
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LensCoat LensHide
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LensCoat Lens Hoodie
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Canon 2.8/70-200 II
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Canon 4/24-70
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Canon 4/16-35 L IS
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JBL Clip3 Speaker
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Sandisk Extreme Pro CFexpress Card type B 512GB
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Sandisk Extreme Pro
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Panasonic Eneloop Pro
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Minox 8x43
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Canon LP-E6N
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Manfrotto Mini Ballhead
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FStop Gear Sukha Backpack
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TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Intro
0:53 Does Gear Matter?
1:30 Bad Extender Use
1:45 Extender on Zoom Sample
1:55 Throw away those UV Filters!
2:41 The right technique matters, or does it?
3:19 The most important of all
5:19 High Mpix Cameras
6:14 Slow Shutter Speeds?
6:57 How to get the right Shutter Speed
7:19 DON'T just shoot Wide Open!
9:08 What about the BG?
9:36 Extenders
10:01 DON'T be SCARED of HIGH ISO
11:03 Noise reduction Sample
11:57 Setting the RIGHT ISO
12:34 Autofocus
17:50 Sometimes too far away is....
18:25 #1 reason for soft Images!
20:07 DON'T Screw it up when editing the Images!
21:14 Sharpening
22:10 Special TIP - Perceived Sharpness!
23:40 What about YOU?

[@curtisbme]

Best thing about this (and similar) videos is when you show your shots that aren't perfect. Usually all we see are the amazingly crisp shots (usually after processing even) and so us casual shooters with less skill and less high end gear can think there is something wrong with our gear. Good to see even those with the best gear and best skill get plenty of bad shots for various reasons.

[@jan_wegener]

Yes. I guess we can shape our own perception on the net by what we post, so we tend to only post the best, but that's only like 1% of what we actually shoot :)

[@Tomsdrawings]

Extra tip: move to where Jan lives with all these great bird species. Thank you for the fantastic tips, Jan. You’re an expert!

[@jan_wegener]

It helps, but doesn't make your photos sharper :D

[@frits1463]

Jan's accent suspects Australia but his name is Dutch. Had some nice tips in this video!

[@joe3eagles]

@@frits1463 Actually, to me, Jan's accent sounds more South African.

[@bazwillrun]

@@frits1463 Originally Germany..based in Australia now

[@DalsPhotography]

hahahh exactly!!!!!!!

[@juleshorse9056]

This guys talks more sense than most other tutors. What his advice says to me, is that those who think sharp images can be obtained straight out of the box are living a fallacy. Technical set up and application, technique (standing, holding, breathing and rolling the shutter), and training/practice are all key to a sharp image as well as editing technique. Great video.

[@trevorguy9095]

The best common sense approach to sharpness I have ever seen and presented with such calmness! Much appreciated and a lot learnt about benefits of mirrorless. Mines on order!!

[@sayoragulyamova9620]

I've experienced most useful 24 minutes of a lecture, given by real expert! Thank you!

[@jan_wegener]

You're very welcome! :)

[@michael-4k4000]

Where & when?

[@nerrelloader4226]

An excellently produced tutorial; well spoken & articulated. Thank you for all the valuable information in this video. Greatly appreciated. I'll be watching more of your teachings with eagerness.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you enjoyed it! :)

[@mattcom2]

For an absolute beginner at bird photography this is a superb tutorial. All the basics which need to be considered are explained clearly. And I’m sure the impact of using them will be great. Magnificent job of simple, direct communication.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@hertwend]

Wide open apperture is actually spot on, I usually have taken pictures with zoom lense wide open, but when comparing pictures taken with 4.0 and 8.0, the difference is huge with 8.0, crisp clear 👌 I'm happy I found your channel ☺️

[@MrBarrettlawson]

Very helpful video on the topic. I thought the discussion on balancing ISO, Shutter, and Aperture was very well presented. The point about color cast at the end was an eye-opener. I’ve never seen that discussed, but your example really brought home the point! Thanks.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful! I think the casts can make a big difference

[@annerichard788]

Excellent advice! I resisted increasing the ISO and therefore the speed for a long time, but now I do and yes, get sharper photos.

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks for sharing!

[@grahamorr8763]

One of the few KZbin videos I have watched without skipping from beginning to end...and then went back and watched it again. Excellent.

[@jan_wegener]

Wow, thank you!

[@dlanska]

Well organized, thoughtful, practical, and sufficiently detailed to make a real difference. A lot of "tips" videos are so superficial that they are just useless. Not so here. Excellent job from someone who has a deep knowledge of the subject. Thank you.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Tomsdrawings]

This is so true.

[@roninrtist560]

Great work Jan. Lots of good tips and reminders for beginners as well as seasoned photographers. I sort of get tunneled visioned into some of my shoots that I forget about a lot of things only to realize it later when my settings are off. So focused on my subject, I forget about the technical side. Keep up the great work.

[@jan_wegener]

Yes, that's where it's important to learn to use your camera "blindly" essentially. And always think about settings before pulling the trigger

[@ceugb]

Ouch! Guilty as charged on shooting too many of my shots wide open. This has been extremely helpful and am looking forward to putting these tips into practice in the field. Some of your other videos have helped me a lot with things like extenders, back button focus and others but this one called out another tweak I need to make. Thanks so much

[@bloneric]

Hi Jan great video, what I really enjoy is not only the interesting contents but the time you take to respond each of the comments of your viewers so you show respect for your audience thanks

[@jan_wegener]

As long as it's manageable, it's the best way to connect and show appreciation :)

[@juliestich5601]

Thanks for this video. It really clarified a lot of the setting issues I have had. One of the best one I have watched!

[@willswings]

You've just resume in 25 min what I've learned in 3 years of photography.I wish I knew you earlyer ! thanks ! I suscribed .

[@jan_wegener]

Better late than never :D

[@robriley9895]

Brilliant tips video, so many things I've battled with over the years have just been cleared up. Always been afraid of high ISO and getting focusing correct is a problem but you've just made things so much clearer for me. Thanks so much 👍

[@jan_wegener]

Great to hear! :)

[@CleanSlateFarm]

I was also using auto ISO on my new Nikon D500 but as I get accustomed to the camera I find I can change aperture, shutter speed, EV compensation, and ISO very quickly as all controls are within "finger memory" reach and I don't even have to take my eye from the viewfinder. Great tips Jan! Thanks!

[@RM-zn7id]

@@jan_wegener got Canon 80D plus Sigma 150-600 C. I was always frustrated that my shots were not sharp enough even shooting aperture priority mode. Only some but I thought that was just luck. Will key in aperture, ISO and shutter settings in manual mode and see how it compares. Challenging natural light in Ireland I find.

[@brownie3609]

I use the Lightroom sharpening tool for every picture. I have a lot to learn and you are helping out hugely. Thank-you.

[@wellingsamuel3479]

Thanks Jan for the helpful guidance!

[@Squeezesify]

Brillant points, Jan! 👍I really liked your comments on the color cast in the end. Lots of people do not Even see this, ut it makes a picture go from dreadful to interesting. Thanks for the video. Always enjoyable! Kind Regards, Jan

[@jan_wegener]

Thank you! The cast can make a huge difference!

[@JM-xl3ij]

Thanks Jan, I had never thought about colour cast affecting sharpness!

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@cristinawright6660]

Excellent video. I think it is so effective to explain your reasoning behind why you use certain techniques and then apply them to a real life photo. Thank you.

[@cliffhodge4763]

Thanks so much for this - it is incredibly helpful. I've recently started shooting mirrorless and have had trouble unlearning all of my habits from film days. Your tips about ISO and "spray and pray" are just what I need to get into the right mindset. I totally agree that a noisy image is better than a blurry image any day, and this gives me some of the tools I need to retrain my muscle memory.

[@jan_wegener]

happy I could help :)

[@marktaylor9579]

Thanks Jan, I took these tips onboard last week at Slimbridge WWT(UK) and was amazed at the difference they made (not shooting wide open, and using higher ISO mainly).The downside now is that I have an awful lot more in focus sharp shots to go through before deciding on the best few - a great problem to have.

[@jan_wegener]

that's great to hear! I suppose it's much better than having to look at blurry images :D

[@chadolson5537]

Thank you for the great information on this video! I removed my uv filter off my 600mm sigma lens and WOW! What a difference! I thought my camera was not good enough. I was wrong. I never knew the uv filter was so limiting! High iso noise is down a lot and my auto focus works better!

[@jan_wegener]

Great to hear! Sad to see so many people with these filters ruining their photos!

[@TomatenDK]

Such a great video with priceless tips. Thank you so much for your hard work with youtube videoes Jan. Very much appreciated :)

[@kennethdavies3208]

I cannot thank you enough for finally sorting out my “soft” focused images. My kit is a 7D mkii with a 100-400 mkii and occasional 1.4ii extender. I’d tried everything but when taking shots between 250-400 I constantly lost sharpness. It was getting so frustrating as shorter zoom shots were very sharp. The solution was to remove my Hoya UV filter! It was that simple. No other “experts” blog mentioned this. Camera shop said my lens was faulty so I had the Image Stabilising Unit replaced, but problem persisted. It was all down to having the filter in front of the lens. I now have some superb images. Only issue is I’ll have to revisit some of the earlier locations. 😄 Fantastic informative video.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad I could help! These filters should really come with a warning!

[@garyleavens8661]

I'm certainly guilty of over-cropping images, and I have noticed that that tends to increase the appearance of noise. A possible tip from astrophotography (which I have followed in the past): using faster shutter speeds may help decrease heat haze; astrophotographers need to take long exposures, which can suffer from the same kinds of atmospheric phenomenon that causes heat haze. What they do is take many shorter exposures and then stack the ones that seem less blurry. A practical thing that has helped me is to try not to take a photo unless I can see that the bird is in focus; too often the camera will focus on a stick or leaf near the bird (even in the spot focus mode), but when I try to wait until I'm sure that the focus is on the bird, then I get better results. Sometimes I need to manually focus to achieve the right focus if there is a stick in front of the bird. What programs do you and others recommend for noise reduction?

[@jan_wegener]

I use DXO Pure RAW for NR. Yes, the more you crop the noisier images will look. Interesting tip about heathaze. I suppose it makes sense, since the shorter exposure allows less time for the air to ruin the shot

[@meh11235]

heat haze,...ether distortion of light...

[@Chris-Brown-]

The image may still be slightly warped, like looking into a mirror that is bent. Fast shutter speed limits the "blur" caused as the warping effect changes

[@manojpathiravasam852]

Outstanding video Jan. Extremely high pixel density of some new APS-C sensors sometimes make it even the best telephoto lenses struggle in sharpness

[@jan_wegener]

Interesting point! Thanks :)

[@jayengee]

Thanks, Jan. I very rarely use a wide open lens and usually use f8 or 9. Quite a lot of Canon lenses are offered with differing f settings and I really struggle to understand why many photographers choose an f4 lens over an f5.6 one, for example, and pay a lot more for the wider aperture. The few really wide aperture lenses I have are those I might use indoors in low light situations. So glad I sold my Canon EOS 5d Mk4's and went mirrorless a year ago.

[@danielthomas7747]

Excellent Review.... as usual. Thank you!

[@SiilGra]

Thank you! Teaching (and of course photographing) is in your blood. One of the best tutorials I've ever seen.

[@jan_wegener]

Thank you! :)

[@DebiScott_]

TIPS for Sony users, the advice given on the "Setting the right ISO" hqve in-build function. This is the SS[A]ISO, meaning Shutter Speed when Auto ISO. Be on Aperture mode "A", set your aperture (example f/8) put your ISO on Auto and define your ISO range (example 100 to 12800 ISO) and I recommand to setup a bouton to select your shutter speed with the SS[A]ISO (example 1/2000s). With these setting it will setup your ISO within the range at f/8, 1/2000. If it's over your ISO range, it will dozngrade the shutter speed to match with your ISO max. You can easily change your Aperture and Shutter Speed without using Manual mode. This avoid when change a setting to not have manually compensate with another setting for the same exposure level.

[@jws6181]

Debi Scot, thanks for the tip...to difine your ISO range, i try that greetings from the Netherlands

[@PeterLariviere1]

Great tips. Wish I had seen a video like this a few years ago when I struggled with blurry images. 100% agree with all your comments.

[@jan_wegener]

Awesome, thanks :)

[@narinthip3058]

Another fantastic video Jan.. These are exceptional advices. So true that many times people just don't set the right expectation and do too much sharpening in post. Look forward to seeing more from you...Cheers.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@thecuriocat]

This is so helpful! Thank you! Especially about the ISO - I took a photography class last semester and the prof was so adamant that we needed ISO 200 and was so fixated on noise that it has always made me paranoid about the ISO lol! Can’t wait to get back out in the field and play around with ISO now!

[@jan_wegener]

Noise is literally a thing of the past :) I don't think I have used ISO 200 in 5-10 years for birds

[@stevewhiteraven1086]

I had been trying to keep low iso and wide-open aperture until last weekend I went out locally and tried higher speeds and actually f8 not worrying about iso and wow the difference, so many sharper photos with great detail very happy this is well worth watching and go try it if you haven't already

[@jan_wegener]

Glad I could help! It can make such a difference, that's why I will keep talking about it until everyone has at least tried it :D

[@neeraj_clips]

Another gem of a video. You touched upon many issues that we face and have pragmatic, experience based solutions for that. Loved the low light burst technique tip...

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@barryscrase134]

V. Helpful - will try what you have said. Thank you.

[@stephenrack7484]

Thank You Jan for the excellent video! I appreciate the advice on stopping down to take advantage of the lenses optimal settings. I generally fix the shutter speed and aperture and then let the ISO "float" by using Auto ISO on my 5D4. Am I giving anything up by using the Auto ISO? Many thanks for all your great videos.

[@jan_wegener]

You are giving up control by using auto iso. Nothing wrong with it, but the camera will decide what your exposure looks like, not you. So there could be potential issues like too bright or dark images.

[@dannydanquah3681]

@@jan_wegener I have been using auto ISO too because the weather isn't consistent in my area. There could be a difference in sunlight or darkness between pressing the shutter to take a phone and recomposing for the next one. I am still your student so I am going to try and manually control my ISO from now on. Thank you for the advice🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@jan_wegener]

@@dannydanquah3681 There isn't really right or wrong. If you shoot full manual you certainly have to make sure to check your settings a lot.

[@rogerfleming1121]

@@jan_wegener Many cameras today are 'ISO-less' or ISO-invariant. I shoot Sony, which is 'ISO-less' within two different ISO ranges, low gain up to ISO 640 and high gain above. The result, as far as I can tell, is that the camera choosing the wrong ISO for you is easily corrected in post with no loss of image quality. The only issue is if the ISO is hovering around ISO 640 where it indeed makes a difference and you might want to force the issue. This makes the use of auto-ISO less problematic if you have that kind of camera.

[@jan_wegener]

@@rogerfleming1121 for me iot's not so much about the ISO itself, but the inconsistent exposures the cameras create potentially when using Auto iso vs full manual

[@slowlyrusting4044]

As I have grown older it has become evident, when "shooting" hand held, that I have to use higher shutter speeds and higher ISO's.

[@jan_wegener]

yes, it definitely helps

[@bryanwilliams36]

I've noticed the same thing. My handheld shots, even with proper bracing technique, aren't as sharp as they used to be because my entire body isn't as steady as it was when I was younger.

[@chandrashekhara5555]

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION

[@johnchedsey1306]

Great video! So much reinforces what I've learned (the hard way) over time. ISO these days is much different than 15 years ago. My original Canon Digital Rebel got noisy at 800 while the R5 is essentially noise free at 800. I am glad, however, I never was a "wide open" shooter in almost any circumstance so that was one habit I didn't need to break.

[@jan_wegener]

Totally, the ISO game has changed

[@scalaacom]

I just want to encourage people to test their lenses and see where the true sharpness lies with their particular example. Some are great at F8, some are better at 5.6.. Test it out and find your sweet spot.

[@jan_wegener]

Yes, that's always good to know. In the end it can be a trade off between peak sharpness and more DOF

[@zoltankaparthy9095]

You are spot on about ISO. We are not shooting Kodachrome anymore.

[@jan_wegener]

exactly!

[@perezleon31]

Great tips! Thank you.

[@129clau]

Very good advices ! Thanks 😊

[@MrDennisk4]

Thanks Jan for a great video into Sharp vs Blur images giving as usual a clear verbal explanation to the problems!

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@cedric9370]

Jan, I was just about to nail you on this video, then you said Tip no 1. I will go no further. Thank you for making that your first TIP

[@Henry30065]

One of the most useful and helpful videos I have ever seen on taking sharper images👌 Thank you very much Jan.

[@jan_wegener]

You're very welcome!

[@terrellcwoods]

EXCELLENT! Not a birder but many if not all your techniques apply to the sport shooter. Thank you.

[@jan_wegener]

Yep :) Thank you!

[@Mario_1980]

Nice, nice video as always, Jan. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@davidligon6088]

Excellent tips. Thanks for this video. Now to try and put them into practice.

[@jan_wegener]

You got this!

[@wendyhaymans9991]

Very helpful video! You hit the issues I have been struggling with to get sharper images.

[@jan_wegener]

You're welcome!

[@jacobgarvelink2441]

So many amazing tips. Respect for what you are doing Jan. You are changing the game for so many of us.

[@jan_wegener]

Thank you so much!

[@paulhabgood7928]

Great video and very interesting and Helpful thanks 😊

[@stephen1942]

Excellent video. I can easily recognise several of my mistakes from Jan’s tips.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@xrayedman]

Thank you! Your comment on aperture was very helpful! I always tried to keep the iso lower in the past.

[@jan_wegener]

Great to hear!

[@ruubenvandenheuvel2869]

Everything you do is SHARP. Thanks for putting all the effort in and sharing your. art Jan.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@jeffslade1892]

Nice one. Everything you said was spot-on. Slight lost in translation moment with 'extender' for 'teleconverter' (TC); 'extenders' were bare tubes (still are) for messing with the back-focal length of lens to focal plane e.g. astrophotography, mounting camera to telescope. Format. Full frame is lovely but a smaller format will get you closer to wildlife. Lugging around a lens the size and weight of a telegraph pole is not a lot of fun. Some of the latest systems offer combined lens and body stabilisation, the monster extra-long tele suddenly becomes hand-held. Which is a real eye-opener. Still needs fast shutter for birds but now we can easily pan and frame them in flight and the AF locks-on immediately because the image is not jiggling about. You touched upon light. With most other forms of photography we can wander about to get the angle of the light right but with wildlife that is not always possible, we often have to shoot back-lit. Modern cameras can fiddle with the gain curves (shadows/highlights), colours, and exposure. You probably shoot raw and this can be adjusted in post but there is a problem. For example both Olympus and Panasonic have extra information in the raw that Adobe simply does not understand, so conversion is incorrect if it can do it at all. And now they have capabilities in-camera that are beyond the ability of typical post editors to replicate. They can be converted and reprocessed in-camera but the LCD is too small for the job. The more sophisticated these cameras get, the more they do in the camera. They are becoming more like film cameras where you had to get it right first go in the camera. Set it right and let the camera do its job. Something about ISO. The base ISO is not normally the best ISO. If base ISO is 200 then optimum is probably 400. There again dual-gain sensors are making nonsense of what 'high ISO' is now. Smaller sensors produce less electronic noise because there's less room for stray electrons to swim about on. Noise reduction is about signal to noise ratio, there will be a threshold that the NR settings adjust. The default NR is usually pretty strong and may be reduced by experiment. The Sharpness control should also be considered a form of NR with edge detection, it can be counter-productive. NR, Contrast and Sharpness all fiddle with the gain. Where the gain is altered, some of these settings do operate on the raw.

[@rachelhusband9890]

Thanks Jan. Some really good points here, many of which I've experienced and can attest to, and I used to be frightened of using high ISO, though watching your videos give me the confidence to hike up that ISO ... together with your video on noise reduction tools which also really helpd. Another VERY useful video.

[@kenalexander8714]

A very useful video and thanks for your advise. I certainly recognised some areas I can improve on with these recomendations.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rickardflodin4200]

Thanks, very nice video! Even though I have been photographing for some years now I always learn something new looking at your videos, color and sharpness was new for me.

[@jan_wegener]

Great to hear!

[@bobbriggs5142]

Great vid Jan, nice and clear (just like your images) :-). Really appreciated the tip about colour casting.

[@jan_wegener]

You're very welcome

[@davebailey5678]

Thank you Jan....very informative...love your videos...you are a great instructor ...and you have made me reflect on some of my own misconceptions....

[@jan_wegener]

Thank you so much!

[@mrmosk2011]

I totally agree with using high ISO to get the right shutter speed and aperture. I sometimes use H1 on 5D mark iv. Yes it is grainy, but few people zoom all the way in. I think the priority order of acceptable photos is exposure, sharpness and noise.

[@erikmortensen1091]

Thanks for an informative video where all elements are included!!

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bethpeg]

Great video Jan! I always learn lots and totally agree with not always shooting wide open when photographing birds. Thanks again for all the tips.

[@jan_wegener]

Happy to help :)

[@tdwierda7454]

Thank you Jan for your clear explanation, learned a lot again, now try it out in practice.

[@jan_wegener]

Wonderful!

[@explorer8741]

Excellent Tips and very well explained. One of the best videos watched on capturing sharp images. THANKS A TON...

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dylanlamb8710]

Great video! Thank you for helping regain some confidence in taking photos. I just recently stepped up from a T7i DSLR to the R6 and I naively thought the camera would fix my images, but the habits formed while shooting DSLR have reared their ugly heads in my R6. All the things you mentioned…shooting wide open to keep ISO low, and not realizing that I rolled the shutter speed down too slow….I’ve looked and realized it was at 1/60….never going to get a great image that way. When I see your images, that look incredible, I assume they’re similar settings, but couldn’t be further from the truth. Now, I don’t have a 600mm lens, but I do have a 70-200 2.8, so I should be able to get great closer images at 7.1 or 8 and ISO 6400 but I have to be willing and learn to trust the camera and lens and then see what I can do in post because, like you said, you can’t fix stupid…I mean blurry…lol. Thanks again for taking the time to put together this, and all the other, great videos that are really inspiring for noobies like myself.

[@dougstead1956]

Excellent tutorial! Well-organized and paced instruction. Made for easy absorption, of your knowledge and know how. Now I just have to practice, practice and practise some more.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ljohn50014]

Such great advice...yes guilty of shooting wide open too much! Thanks for the great advice.

[@jan_wegener]

Happy I could help :)

[@itaylorm]

Big help in terms of the color not being right sometimes making it not appear sharp. Your demonstration of that was a major eye opener

[@jan_wegener]

Yes, it's something most people don't realise, but has a big impact

[@jettysplash]

Thank you Jan. I love your channel. You obviously speak from experience and love what you do. Your video confirms stuff I learned by trial and error and I will be trying out your ISO and Aperture advice next time I go out. This is the second time this week I am hearing that stopping down the Aperture will improve focus. Explains my inconsistency in sharpness when setting Shutter Speed priority high as possible according to my histogram. I guess the stopped down speeds are also highlighted on the histogram for a reason :) Also followed through and found out my G9 has an AF manual on how to set up Auto focus settings. I am reaching brain overload. This may take some time to figure out and set up instead of just going out and shooting at stuff.

[@jan_wegener]

Great to hear :)

[@LangbeinWildlife]

Brilliant. Only came across your channel today. Very well and clearly presented, which meant I learnt more in less than hour than watching umpteen hours on other youtube photography channels.

[@jan_wegener]

Great to hear!

[@OldJack1960]

Great tips, Jan, the one concerning the UV filter is so obvious that it never occurred to me before. And I'll be sure to try your tracking set up as I've been struggling with that so thanks!

[@steveplayford5424]

Excellent content. Helpful tips. The simplicity on the far side of complexity.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mattkarikomi5947]

The bit on how we perceive sharpness as a result of color cast was really insightful!

[@gregdubois8399]

Excellent video. You hit on multiple problems I have struggled with and suspected but had not heard verbalized by others. 1. Distance to subject and how air quality, heat distortion and cropping too much affect image sharpness. Thank you!!

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@roadapple8193]

Great Video filled with GREAT ADVICE !!!!! Thanks

[@jan_wegener]

My pleasure!

[@sparty94]

this is good stuff, thanks for sharing your knowledge and techniques.

[@jan_wegener]

My pleasure!

[@rickmasters818]

Best video I’ve seen on taking better photos of Birds. Thanks

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@jgates]

Great tips! I've always hated my bird images because I just do not see the sharpness I expect. I look forward to giving these tips a try and hopefully seeing improved results! Thanks, Jan!

[@jan_wegener]

That's great to hear. I hope you are getting some better results, soon!

[@SkylarkFields]

This has been very valuable to me, thank you. Loads of good advice which I am going to try to apply to get better images!

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@twilightskateboard]

thank you for good tips, but the last one about the color cast is absolutely mind-blowing!

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jean-louisrousselle1794]

Thank you Jan, great insight for all levels of experiences. Keep up the great work :)

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JoeHTX]

Awesome tips and information! Thank you so much, this will definitely help me improve on every point you made.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@janetteplanck4504]

Love it Jan. Thank you for your work. Always informative.

[@jan_wegener]

Thank you so much!

[@axelhildebrandt]

Great advice, Jan. Another issue with heat haze is in the winter when using the car as a blind. The engine block or heat in the car can have that effect as well. I enjoy warm morning or evening light and wouldn't lower the color temperature, but that's just me.

[@jan_wegener]

Great point! Thanks mate Yes, i's definitely a personal taste thing. I don't like those too warm colours.

[@GreenhornPhototaker]

Well, this is probably the best video on the subject I've ever encountered. Thanks so much Jan for sharing your knowledge, it is appreciated greatly!!!! That last tip especiailly - the light bulb went off on some of my work, even with indoor sports photography

[@jan_wegener]

Yes, the casts are very prevalent indoors and the first time I came across this issue

[@christopherrussell8565]

Love these videos, good content to watch during lockdown. Keep them coming!

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks, also good content to make during lockdown :(

[@dayalanpillay241]

Great video. Reality check on basics - like overcropping and not using high ISO. Thanks. Need to replay video to get the bits I missed.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jdale4360]

Great Tutorials! I am just a beginning photographer but your videos have been immensely helpful in helping solidify my decision on which camera to purchase and you have made it so easy to understand and confidently adjust ISO and aperture for adequate shutter speed. I was shooting wide open and afraid to take the ISO too high and I also have a UV filter on! I have a ton to learn but I will be pouring over your tutorials when I get my new mirrorless camera!

[@jan_wegener]

Great to hear! :)

[@rst33079]

Thank you for this great video! Very good advice and example pics

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@GertjandeKorte]

Great, good tips and a clear explanation why and how. Gentle spoken easy to keep up.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@AliasJimWirth]

This is a rather useful video. Thank you, for all that you have shared and, for posting this video.

[@jan_wegener]

You're very welcome!

[@davespencer9658]

Another great video! Thanks! For setup using my R5 and 100-500 lens at about 500mm, I usually start with 1/1000 second, F/8, and set to Auto-ISO. When I BB focus on a subject, I look at the actual ISO reading and quickly rotate my ISO adjust to a value that looks correct for the shot.

[@jan_wegener]

sounds good

[@craignicol6758]

Another quality video! Thanks Jan!

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you enjoyed it!