Photography Help-Advice Needed ....

I have been taking photos for a few years now, and have learned a good bit about what is needed to achieve certain shots.
But I find that I am still not getting the quality photos I want.

The last couple nights I have taken a few shots of lights I am reviewing.
I find the photos alittle grainy, and too much of the shot is out of focus.

I have tried to get a greater focal length by closing the apature, which seemed to help some, but I still cant get the depth I want.

The main thing that bugs me is the grainy, noisy haze I am seeing.

Here are a couple pages I did today for my reviews.
Surefire L4
Surefire U2 the revire isnt done yet, buy the photos are there for you to see.

Please tell me what you think of the photos, and what I should do to make them better.
I am using a Canon A95 camera.
The lighting is a mix of flourecent and incan lights. No Flash.

Thanks !
~John

weird i just came in from photoing moon

Clean lens? Using a Low ISO? Not too much editing with PS right? Try shooting it on a timer to avoid the shake from the tripod. Even my $300 tripod shakes a little when I push it sometimes.

Can you post the Exif data?

I was using ISO 50 and 100 most the time.

For this shot the settings were...
Shutter= 1/8
Aperture= 6
focal legnth= 7.81mm

hmmmm thats about all i can see.
Is there a good program for looking at the Exif files?
Im using ASeeDC

Read the how to pages at www.kenrockwell.com

Also remember even when you read the how to do it portions from any text on photography, with modern electronically controlled cameras you still need to read every single page of the instruction manual.

Grainy noisy haze frequently is not using a UV filter on the lens or using a too fast film. If taking shots at night on film and going to a faster film to do it, the faster film will usually be more grainy. Professional photographers monkey with settings and continue to use a slow film to get the proper results.

Richard.

EDIT...ok just noticed you're using digital so ignore everything I said...the kenrockwell.com link is still useful though..

Richard.

Maybe try using one type of light? The only time I see pictures like that is when 1) Using a high ISO 2) Over processed in Photoshop 3)Not enough light for the camera sensor.

Are those lights normal room lights? Seems like a pretty fast shutter speed at F/6 for 50-100 ISO.

Reducing grain:
Did you check the 'sharpening' settings?
More sharpening results in crisp looking images but may add some noise in the shadow areas.

No idea if your are Photoshopping but if your are editing under exposed images, try to shoot with more light or use slower shutter speeds with a tripod.

Depth Of Field:
You will get more depth of field with a wider lens. The drawback to this is that the perspective gets distorted the wider you go. Combined with some creativity and good framing it will result in some unique photos, so I guess not really a 'drawback'.

Set the focus to the front 1/3 of the area you want in focus. The closer an object is to the lens, you get less depth of field.

Take your U2 photo for example..
If you want to keep the whole length in focus, do not set it at the middle or front bezel, but at just about the brightness adjustment ring (or whatever you call it).

If this still does not acheive the depth of field you require, the only other thing I can think of is getting a new camera, or remember the 'closer you get, less DOF' rule and pull the camera back a few inches.
This will result in loosely framed images but cropping a 5 Mega pixel image slightly shouldn't do you much harm.

I Prefer Incand. Lighting over a Mixed Lighting especially when shooting pictures of small objects. .. FL Lighting Flickers... and has adverse effect....

Set the Cam to Incand. Mode.. and use Incand. light... See if there is difference.

Try 0.1 to 1 Second Exposures ..... too.. (with 0 Exposure Compensation setting on camera)

Thanks for the advice guys.

I do not photoshop my photos.
99% of all the pics on my site are untouched, besides cropping, and maybe a SLIGHT increase in brightness.

I think the #1 thing that most ppl are telling me, is that I need even moooore light.
And to use just incan, instead of a mixture.

I am going to pickup 2 Halogen flood shop lights, each has a 500 and 1000W setting.
I will also build a light box, that hace a white sheet draped over it, and then the lights shinning on it.

I just found this odd, sence my camera usslly does well in low light situations, but I think the fact that i am so close, and basically doing macros here, that I need even more light.

~John

well, from what i've gathered about digital camera's it probly is a good idea to use a little more light when using the A95.

but i think a simple program to clean the noise up would improve it alot. software can really help pictures.

Hi:
To start with, YOUR PHOTOS ARE GOOD!
Some good advice has been given, and V8TOYTRUCK hit it squarely: Depth of field (depth of acceptable focus) extends from about 1/3 in front of the subject to 2/3 behind. It gets shallower with larger aperture,(f/stop)and when a longer focal length is used. That is the laws of physics, and doesn't change.
Wide angle lenses have distortion problems, which results in the bezel looking like a big circle, and the backside looking tapered, and pointy. About 50mm is a good "normal" setting--about the angle of coverage of the human Mark I Mod A1 eyeball.
A small electronic flash bounced off a white card, or use of a Sto-fen bounce reflector will help greatly , or the use of a couple of GE Reveal 100 watt bulbs, set at about 45 degrees on either side of the camera, and placed high to simulate the usual aspect of the sun.

More light=higher shuter speed and/or smaller f/stop=more depth of field.

Good tripod = more steady, and ability to shoot at smaller aperture/faster shutter speed. Hand holding a camera is alwys less sharp than some kind of support. Be careful with high output lights--they work, but can provide horribly dark shadows and increased contrast.
Keep doing what you are doing, but with more light. Try to simulate bright, diffused daylight, like you have in your examples.

Photography is a MAGICAL pastime!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif BRIGHTER! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif