okay so I love this image.I think it one of my better ones. But in order to get that sun burst I shot with an aperture of F/22. So I think I got a bit of defraction. Its not as sharp as I'd like. Looks good on a screen but worried about printing it. Any ideas?
sorry aout the last post. forgot to upload image
Can't fix blur in post if that's what you're asking. Was f/22 really necessary? I've never gone past f/16 myself. If I was worried about diffraction, I'd shoot this scene twice, once at f/11 and once at f/16, then blend the two.
Why not print it and see what it looks like.
Well, the effects of diffraction will only show up on large, more expensive prints so I presumed that's what he was going to do and that's why he was asking.
Yes I was wanting to print it. Big if possible. So I am going to print it and we will see. Thanks for the info. I was wondering how severe are the effects of diffraction at f22 and if there is a way to clean it up in post. The image looks clear enough even on a decent sized computer screen. Thorsten, I always appreciate your input.
But please clean up the dust spots before printing ;)
If f/22 is your only option I would use a composite. Take 2 photos and use the burst from the one shot at f/22 just for the burst.
I find a lot of lenses make decent bursts at f/9-11 also so I like to test them out :)
Assuming you do post processing this to me is the best answer. Take two shots and blend the better star burst into the image w less overall defraction. It's easier than it sounds.
Hi Marcus,
First, as others have mentioned, you don't need to stop all the way down to f/22 to get a good sunburst. Yes, you will be limited by diffraction, so stick to f/16 or larger apertures.
Second, sunbursts work a lot better with lenses that have straight (as opposed to curved) aperture blades, so if you have a choice of different lenses, use the one with straight blades to get the best results.
I know my response doesn't tell you what to do with THIS shot. Sorry about that. But hopefully the next one you take will have a more prominent burst.
Cheers,
Sid