----- Original Message -----
From: Jerome Daryl Coombs-Reyes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 2:58 PM
Subject: 50mm lens TOO sharp?
> This is my first posting to PDML after reading damn near every posting for
> the past 2 months I figured it was finally time to subscribe. So before I
> ask my question I just want to say thanks to the many who have
> (unconsciously) given me some great advise via their informative postings.
>
> Anyhow here's my current concern. Before last week, I had only used my
> 50mm f1.7 to take scenic nature shots, and the results have been
> incredibly sharp and hence pleasing. Last Friday, however, I used this
> lens to take some pictures of people at a Christmas party (it's the
> smallest lens I have, and I wanted to be someone inconspicuous). In this
> case, I honestly have to say that my wife's point-and-shoot pictures came
> out better than mine! (well, sort of) Why? Well, I learned firsthand how a
> lens could be considered TOO sharp! While I appreciated a fast lens in
> such a dark restaurant, the sharpness of the lens hid NOTHING! Every
> blemish, pimple, wrinkle, you name it showed up in every picture. My wife
> is so self-conscious as it is, that I didn't even bother showing her the
> pictures of herself (I didn't want to hear about the pimple on her
> forehead all week). Her "blurred" p&s pictures made everyone look
> glamorous while my shots highlighted the blemishes that makeup could not
> hide. Well, you live and learn. Now I know.
>
> It's just pretty funny / ironic to me that I traded in a not-so-sharp lens
> (35-80mm) to get a much sharper one, and then have to buy filters and such
> to tone it down and make the images softer (like the original lens). Well,
> I'll surely be photographing some people over the holidays. Hence, when
> I'm in NY next week, my plan is buy a Tiffen Soft/FX3 filter (or something
> along those lines) from B&H. Here's a silly question: Does anyone you
> have any opinions/ comments / suggestions/ experiences along these lines
> that may help me remedy this "sharpness problem"? Thanks a million.
> .jerome.
Just out of curiosity, were you using an on camera flash? The
combination of a sharp lens with front on flash will certainly reveal every
blemish known... I'd try to take the flash off the camera and/or use a soft
box on the flash to minimize the dermotoligist look... That way the final
images will still be sharp enough to be enlarged, and you'll have more
pleasing light to boot!
Isaac
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