How to Get Sharp Images

You frame the perfect shot, nail the composition, and press the shutter—only to zoom in and find… blur. Sound familiar?

You think you’ve captured the perfect moment—until you check the details and realize it’s just not tack-sharp. Frustrating, right?

Don’t worry—I have the ultimate solution. The Hasselblad H6D 100c… it’s only $33,000… oh and you’ll also need the 90mm portrait lens for another $4300. Then, unlock my exclusive, proprietary, AI-powered focus mode that guarantees razor-sharp shots every time. Coming soon.

Just kidding… but let’s actually fix your sharpness issues—without breaking the bank.

Nothing’s more frustrating than missing the mark on sharpness, especially when everything else in your photo is spot on. Today, we’re breaking down exactly how to get tack-sharp photos every time—no matter what camera or lens you’re using.

I AM going to touch on gear, but that’s not always the problem.

I’m also going to talk about focus settings, camera settings, camera stability, post-production, and other practical tips for sharp images. I even have a whole section on getting sharp photos in low light

How Your Gear Impacts Sharp Photos

Let me be honest with you so that you can be honest with yourself… Gear is a factor when it comes to getting sharp images. Those blurry historical photos you have aren’t blurry because it makes them more nostalgic. They’re blurry by today’s standards because camera gear has gotten so much better.

For example, with old cameras, people were focusing manually and it was harder to achieve sharpness in fast-moving environments.

Just over 7 years ago I used to struggle with getting sharp photos and the biggest and easiest thing that I did was upgrade my camera gear. To determine if the gear is the problem, consider if you’re using a modern setup. Everything else I’m going to talk about in this article will still help you regardless of your gear but sometimes if you’re doing everything else right it’s about the gear.

Newer Cameras and Sharper Photos

In the last 5 years, autofocus with 2nd-3rd-generation mirrorless cameras has gotten really good. We used to shoot with the Canon 5D Mark II which is a great camera that takes great pictures. But it struggles to nail the focus in low light.

It had nine focus points and it would sometimes select the wrong thing to focus on. When the Canon R5 was released 12 years later in 2020 it had nearly 6000 focus points. So, from 2008 to 2020 it goes from 9 to 6000 points covering almost 100% of the frame.

We switched to Sony in 2018 and suddenly I could track my subject and I could even track my subject’s eye specifically with 100x the number of focus points my previous camera had. Many of my sharpness issues went away. Now, as long as you’re buying a camera that’s at least 5-7 years old, whether it’s top of the line camera or a beginner camera, you’re likely going to have great autofocus.

Lens Quality

Next, when it comes to your lenses, it’s a quality factor. There are lenses that are known to be really bad (often cheap ones) and others that are known to be very good (often more expensive ones.) Occasionally, there are affordable lenses that have great sharpness.

Later in this article, I’m going to share some tips on how to pick sharp lenses and use them correctly.

Len Calibration

We even had an ongoing problem one time where one of our lenses was calibrated incorrectly and nailing sharpness was impossible with that lens. I still have anxiety about this sometimes and will revert to my habit of double-checking that I nailed the sharpness before moving on to the next scene. However, sharpness is rarely if ever a problem for me anymore, so let’s move on to talk more about why and what you can do.

How Your Focus Settings Impact Sharpness

First things first—your focus needs to be precise. Autofocus is amazing, but it’s not foolproof.

You camera has focus area and focus modes.

For focus mode:

We use af-c (continuous autofocus) with back-button focus. This allows us to hold the focus on where we place our focus area by holding the back button. As we move our camera or adjust our framing it will continuously adjust to be focused on the focus area we chose. This allows us to control what we’re focusing on without any unexpected focus jumps to where we don’t want it. If you want more on how to use this continuous focus mode, let me know in the comments and I can always do a dedicated video on it.

For focus area:

We use Spot or Single-Point Autofocus – Letting your camera choose focus points can be a recipe for disaster. Select a single point and place it exactly where you want sharpness helps you control what area is in focus. You can set up your camera so you can move that focus area around. For example, if you know you want your subject on the left middle of the frame, you move your focus point there and then use backbutton focus on af-c.

For Portraits, Focus on the Eyes

If the eyes are sharp, the whole image feels sharp. Some cameras even have eye tracking that will find your subject’s eyes and lock on. Many cameras can be customized to set this function to a specific button. If you use eye-focus on af-c it will track the subject’s eyes as they move around in the scene and then when you’re ready to capture the moment, click, it’ll be sharp.

Manual Focus for Precision

In low light or macro shots, switching to manual focus and using focus peaking can be a game-changer. This is for stationary subjects and macro photography, precise focus work is best done on a tripod.

Fast Moving Subjects

For fast-moving subjects, you might consider pre-focusing on the location you want to capture your subject moving through the frame. Then, you can use high-speed drive and your subject will be sharp when they’re in that spot.

Camera Settings

Next up let’s talk about camera settings. The exposure triangle settings (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO) play a part in mastering sharpness. I’ll talk about them briefly here but if this is something you need to understand better check out our other videos and articles on the topic.

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When it comes to Aperture here are some general rules of thumb:

Avoid the Extremes

Shooting wide open (like f/1.2 or f/1.4) can look dreamy but often results in a razor-thin, shallow depth of field. Using f/2.8, f/4, or f/5.6 usually gives sharper results. This is especially important for something like group shots where you want multiple people to be sharp. Most lenses have maximum sharpness somewhere between f4 and f8. You can look up your specific lens.

Landscape Shots? Go Narrower

If you want everything in focus, f/8 to f/11 is your sweet spot. Just don’t go too far—past f/16, diffraction kicks in and reduces sharpness.

Bokeh

If you want to use a low aperture because you’re looking for that extreme bokeh, you’ll want to ensure your subject is sharp by using eye autofocus as we talked about in the last section or some of the techniques we’ll talk about in the practical tips section.

Dealing with Common Focus Challenges

In this section, I’ll give you some quick tips for dealing with camera shake, blurry images, and image quality.

Blurry shots?

Your shutter speed is probably too slow. It’s either camera shake or motion blur of your subject.

For camera shake?

Follow the Reciprocal Rule – Your shutter speed should be at least 1/focal length to avoid motion blur. So, if you’re shooting with a 100mm lens, you need at least 1/100s shutter speed.

For Moving Subjects where you’re concerned about motion blur?

Start at 1/500s or even faster shutter speed to freeze action. The faster the action, the faster the shutter speed you need. Race cars require faster speed than someone walking around.

On that note don’t use silent shutter on fast-moving subjects. It will read it line by line and you’ll get a wonky look.

Shooting Handheld?

Play It Safe. If in doubt, bump up the shutter speed or adjust the ISO to compensate. If you need to shoot slower shutter speeds, use a tripod and a 2s timer. Some people are more comfortable than others shooting at slower shutter speeds, we’ll talk more about that in the camera stability section coming up.

Use the Lowest ISO Possible

Lastly, High ISO introduces noise, which can make an image look less sharp. Start at ISO 100 and only raise it when necessary. Know a comfortable ISO range for your camera as it varies.

Use Noise Reduction Wisely – Too much NR can make your image look soft.

Get the Best Out of Your Lens

Not all lenses are created equal, and even great ones have their quirks.

Find Your Lens’s Sweet Spot – Most lenses are sharpest two stops down from wide open (so an f/2.8 lens might be sharpest around f/5.6).
Avoid Cheap Filters – Low-quality UV filters can kill sharpness. If you don’t need it, take it off!
Use High-Quality Glass – Prime lenses and professional zooms tend to be sharper than entry-level kit lenses.
If you’re using a kit lens, this might be one of the reasons your photos aren’t sharp. Be sure to subscribe because I’ll dive deeper into getting the sharpest photos with your lenses later in this article.

Camera Stability

Even the best settings won’t give good light or help if your camera isn’t stable. Slower shutter speeds and low-light photography require more camera stability to ensure sharp photos and image quality.

Handheld? Use Proper Technique – Brace your elbows in, hold your breath slightly, and press the shutter gently. With a nice camer,a you can get sharp images up to 1/5th of a second shooting handheld if you practice and are really good at it. Know your comfort and skill level for shooting at slower shutter speeds.
Use a Tripod – This is a must for long exposures with slower shutter speeds. A 2-second timer also helps because you can press the shutter and then remove your hand and it will take the photo two seconds later. That will eliminate any possible shake from you pressing the shutter.
Turn On Image Stabilization – If your lens or camera has stabilization, it can help counteract minor shakes.

Post Production – Shoot in RAW & Sharpen in Post

Even if you nail everything in-camera, a little post-processing can make your images pop. Shooting in RAW retains maximum detail and dynamic range so that you can sharpen in Lightroom or Photoshop. Use the Detail panel to add sharpening without overdoing it. Overdoing it can make it look bad. And remember, you don’t have to sharpen the whole image, you can focus on the important areas.

Practical Tips

Finally, let’s talk about some practical tips you can try to help sharpen your images.

I’ve already talked about Back Button Focus and while it takes some getting used to, I think this is a very effective to consistently get sharp images.
It’s always easier to focus on something with contrast. Taking a picture of a white wall can be hard so look for a picture frame or something to give your camera something to latch onto. The same goes for the blue sky, you might pick a cloud instead. This is especially important in low light conditions which will be the subject of the next section of this article.
For something tricky like astrophotography, I might manually focus and take a few test shots to make sure it’s perfect before setting up my long exposure.
Don’t be afraid to take multiple shots. If you know you’re shooting something tricky that has low contrast, you can adjust focus and shoot again taking a few shots so that statistically you’ll get one that nails it. I use this for something like a ring shot where it’s hard to tell the camera what it’s looking for. The other option is to use manual focus which can be slower.

How to Nail Focus in Low Light | Low Light Photography

Low-light photography is magical—but let’s be real, getting sharp focus in the dark can be a nightmare. Your autofocus hunts, your shots turn out blurry, and you end up missing the moment. Sound familiar?

Want to nail focus in low light? Easy. Just get a $10,000 lens with night-vision technology, hire a team of lighting experts, and always shoot at noon. Problem solved. Or… you could stick around because I’ve got real tips to help you get tack-sharp shots—even in the darkest conditions.

In this section, I’m going to walk through tips that will help you improve your low-light photography and get sharp photos even when there is less than enough light for your camera sensor to see. We don’t always have an f1.8 lens to work with so we need to be able to get sharp photos with our camer body.

Use the Right Autofocus Mode

Autofocus can struggle in the dark, but the right settings make all the difference for low-light photography.

Use Spot or Single-Point Autofocus – Letting your camera pick focus points in low light is a recipe for missed shots. Take control and choose a single AF point. Cameras will give you the choice of the size of the focus box, don’t choose the smallest one if you’re shooting in low light.
Use back button focus so that you can lock focus once and avoid hunting from shot to shot if your shutter is also your focus button. Back button focus separates your shutter button and your focus button.
Use AF-C (Continuous AF) for Moving Subjects – If your subject is moving, keep autofocus tracking on to maintain sharpness.

Find a Contrast Edge to Lock the Focus

Cameras rely on contrast to focus—if everything looks flat, they’ll struggle.

Aim for Light & Dark Edges – Find where light meets shadow, like the edge of a subject’s face or clothing.
Use a Bright Object – If there’s no contrast, use a light source (a streetlight, phone screen, or even a flashlight) to help the camera lock focus.

Use an external light to create contrast on your subject

Many cameras and flashes have AF Assist Beams, which project light to help autofocus. We prefer to use an external light, typically a headlamp, to temporarily illuminate your subject so that you can lock focus. Often we’ll use this for something like a star portrait where we’re also using a tripod and our subject is stationary making this method possible.

Switch to Manual Focus When Needed

If autofocus isn’t cutting it for your low light photography needs, manual focus is your friend.

Use Focus Peaking (If Available) – Many mirrorless cameras highlight in-focus areas in red or white.
Zoom In with Live View – Magnify your image on the LCD to fine-tune focus.
Use a Distance Marker – Some lenses have a distance scale—pre-focus to an estimated range and fine-tune from there. Note that this distance marking is not always very accurate so you’ll have to double-check what it’s doing.

In general, with my newer camera and lenses, I find that autofocus works really well even in low light. Rarely do I have to switch to manual except perhaps in astrophotography. If you’re using an older system these tips will be more relevant.

Boost Your ISO & Use a Faster Lens

In low light photography, sometimes, your camera image sensor just needs more light to see better and focus faster.

Increase ISO – A brighter preview makes it easier to focus, even if you adjust it back later. Mirrorless cameras automatically do this for you which is why they focus so well in low light.
Use a Wide Aperture Lens – Lenses with f/1.8 or f/2.8 let in more light, helping your camera focus. I always use my low-aperture lenses in low-light conditions.
Know your gear – Some lenses (especially cheap zooms) struggle in the dark—know your gear’s limits.

Prefocus & Anticipate the Shot

In unpredictable low-light photography situations, planning ahead makes a huge difference.

Lock Focus in a Brighter Area – Focus where there’s more light, then recompose your shot. You need to make sure the distance from the camera to the subject doesn’t change. This is easiest with wider angle lenses where the depth of field isn’t as narrow at low apertures.
Use Back-Button Focus – This lets you lock focus separately from the shutter, so you’re not refocusing every time you shoot.
Shoot Multiple Frames – Take a few extra shots to increase your chances of getting a tack-sharp one.

Use a Tripod & Manual Focus for Landscapes

If you’re shooting low-light landscape photography, astrophotography, or night cityscapes, autofocus often won’t work at all. Low light photography sometimes requires you to use a tripod and manual mode.

Use a Tripod – Stability lets you fine-tune manual focus without camera shake.
Focus on Infinity (Carefully) – Some lenses have an infinity focus mark, but always fine-tune to get the sharpest result.
Use Live View & Magnify – Zoom in on a star, streetlight, or distant object to nail focus.
Take a test shot and double-check by zooming in on the back screen

The Sharpest Lenses You Can Buy (Are You Using Them Right?)

Ever feel like your lens isn’t giving you the sharpness you expected? Maybe you’ve got a top-tier prime or a pro-level zoom, but your shots still come out a little… soft. The problem isn’t always the lens—it’s how you’re using it.

Today, I’m breaking down exactly how to get the sharpest photos with any lens, whether you shoot with primes, zooms, budget glass, or pro gear. Let’s get into it!

Find Your Lens’s Sweet Spot

Not every aperture is created equal. If you’re having trouble with sharpness it’s important to know your lenses’ sharpest aperture range. Here are some tips for finding your lens sweet spot

Avoid Shooting Wide Open – Most lenses are soft at their widest aperture (like f/1.4 or f/2.8). Stopping down one to two stops (to f/2.8 or f/4) usually makes a huge difference.
For Maximum Sharpness, Shoot at f/5.6 to f/8 – This is the sharpest range for most lenses, balancing depth of field and diffraction.
Don’t Go Too Narrow – At f/16 or f/22, diffraction softens the image—great for depth of field, but not for sharpness.

Don’t take any of these tips as constraints. I often shoot my lenses wide open, especially in low-light photography, instead, these are just tips to try out if you’re struggling with sharpness specifically. Higher-end lenses will perform better at the extremes than budget lenses. So if you’re using a kit lens learning its sharpest aperture range is most important.

Master Focus for Each Lens Type

Your focus technique changes depending on the lens you’re using.

For Prime Lenses – Use single-point AF and nail focus on your subject’s eyes (for portraits) or the most detailed part of your scene.
For Zoom Lenses – Be aware that some zooms are sharper at certain focal lengths—test your lens to find its best range.
For Wide-Angle Lenses – These have a deep depth of field, but they can still misfocus. Use manual focus and Live View when necessary.
For Telephoto Lenses – Longer focal lengths magnify any mistake. Use fast shutter speeds, tripod support, and image stabilization to compensate.

Use the Right Shutter Speed for Sharpness

Your shutter speed plays a huge role in image clarity.

Follow the Reciprocal Rule – Keep your shutter speed at least 1/focal length to avoid motion blur. A 200mm lens needs 1/200s or faster.
For Handheld Shooting, Play It Safe – Go even faster—1/250s or 1/500s—if you’re shooting without stabilization.
For Moving Subjects – Start at 1/1000s or faster for action shots and sports.

Best Lenses for Sharpness (Gear Recommendations)

Some lenses are just naturally sharper than others. Here are my top recommendations if you want the sharpest images possible without spending a fortune:

Best Sharp Prime Lenses (Sony & Canon)

35mm Lenses:

Sony 35mm f/1.8 – not as sharp as the f/1.4 version but still quite good.

Canon 35mm f/1.8 – again, not as sharp as the f/1.4 version but still solid.

50mm Lenses:

Sony 50mm f/1.4 – a solid 50mm lens but you’ll pay for the quality.

Canon 50mm f1.4 – an awesome, very sharp lens.

85mm Lenses:

Sony 85mm f/1.4. GMII – version 2 of this lens is even sharper & lighter weight

Canon 85mm f/1.4 – quite expensive but also very sharp – this cheaper one is good enough.

Best Sharp Zoom Lenses

Wide Angle Zooms (16-35mm):

Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II – version II is even smaller/lighter/sharper

Canon 15-35mm f/2.8 – an excellent lens

Mid Range Zooms (24-70mm):

Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II – version II is even smaller/lighter/sharper

Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 – a great zoom lens with excellent sharpness

Telephoto Zooms (70-200):

Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II – again, the version II is even better than the original

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 – pricey but very good image quality

Budget Lenses with Good Sharpness

For Sony:

Sony 35mm f1.8

Samyang 50mm f/1.4

Samyang 85mm f/1.4

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN II

Sony 70-200mm f/4 G II

For Canon:

Canon 35mm f/1.8

Canon 85mm f/2

There aren’t currently as many Canon RF mount budget zoom lenses which is one of the reasons I choose to go with Sony but hopefully Canon will continue to add some over time.

Stabilize Your Camera for Maximum Detail

Even the best lens will struggle if you’re not keeping your camera steady.

Use a Tripod for Long Exposures – Essential for landscapes, astro, and studio shots.
Turn Off Image Stabilization When Using a Tripod – Some stabilization systems can actually introduce blur when mounted.
Use Proper Handheld Technique – Brace your elbows in, press the shutter gently, and breathe out slowly when taking the shot.

Sharpen Smartly in Post-Processing

Even if you get everything right in-camera, a little sharpening in post makes a big difference.

Shoot in RAW – JPEGs lose fine detail due to compression.
Use Smart Sharpening in Lightroom – Increase sharpness, but don’t overdo it or you’ll introduce noise.
Use Masking to Sharpen Selectively – Avoid sharpening the whole image—just the subject.

Test Your Lens for Sharpness Issues

Think your lens might be soft? Here’s how to check:

Use a Test Chart – Print a focus chart and shoot at different apertures to see your lens’s sharpest setting.
Check for Decentering – Shoot a flat object straight on and compare sharpness across the frame—soft corners might indicate a misaligned lens element.

Conclusion

Low-light photography focusing doesn’t have to be a struggle. With the right autofocus settings, a bit of manual control, and some smart tricks, you can get sharp shots every time—even in the darkest conditions. Which of these low-light photography tips will you try first?

Sharp photos don’t happen by accident—it’s all about knowing where to focus, how to set up your camera, and how to process your images for the best results. Getting sharp photos isn’t about having the most expensive lens—it’s about using your gear the right way. Use these tips for low-light photography and more to get sharper photos, and let me know how it goes.

About the Authors

We’re the Bergreens, a photography team based in Evergreen Colorado. On the blog, we share our favorite gear tips and photography advice.

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