# Camera pics look much better than when they are on the computer???



## cwindlephotos (Jul 1, 2013)

i currently have a Nikon d5100 and i do get on with it but there's part of me like WHY IS THIS HAPPENING I HATE IT?! I take pictures on Manual mode which I know how to use. When i look at the pictures I've taken they look absolutely mint! but when i put them on the computer well, there not? they look as if they've been completely washed out with some blur, colours aren't there etc but on my LCD screen they look fab and i come away from a photo-shoot thrilled!! 

I have a page on Facebook that i keep people updated on and even on Facebook the photos are a little fuzzy on not exactly like they look on my LCD but tonnes better than viewing it on the computer screen?! also have a website so people can go through and buy the images and they look better than viewing on my yet again, computer screen. I never know what to do when clients ask me for a digital copy on a disk as they look rubbish on comp screen?!?!

I edit my photos on PS CS5 and once saved they still look hideous?! I have a Packard bell computer if that is any help? AND PLEASE, if you know the answer to solve my solution i'd be grateful if you could tell me in a basic way and step by step what i need to do. ****small brain lol****


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## SCraig (Jul 1, 2013)

I'd recommend that you start by getting a calibration device and calibrating the monitor on your computer if you haven't done that.  Datacolor, X-Rite, NEC, etc. all make good calibration devices that will make a huge difference in making what you see on the screen correct.


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## ShooterJ (Jul 1, 2013)

Can you post some of the images you're having trouble with? That might help people answer you better, if they can see what's wrong with the image.


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## Aloicious (Jul 1, 2013)

have you calibrated your monitor? colors, gamma, etc can and will vary pretty wildly from one monitor to the next unless they are calibrated properly. also if you've got a standard LCD display, the viewing angle can severely affect how things appear, ideally a calibrated IPS (wide viewing angle display type) monitor is what should be used to do editing with.

if you haven't calibrated your monitor, look around for some calibration devices, there are a few different brands out there, spyder, x-rite, etc...

edit - hah looks like Scraig beat me to the punch...


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## ShooterJ (Jul 1, 2013)

What about the fuzzy images? Only thing that comes to my mind is RAW that hasn't been sharpened?

Don't most cameras display the image on screen as a jpeg when reviewing? They might look ok there but if they aren't sharpened in post after uploading, might that be a culprit?


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## chris (Jul 1, 2013)

The blurry image issue could have several causes - camera shake, too low a shutter speed, subject movement, shallow depth of field etc. You would need to post the images for examination. The reason that your images look sharp in the camera LCD is that you are looking at a small image and it will always appear to be sharper than a larger version. This was a common problem when shooting 35 mm or smaller format film; a contact print from the negatives would look fine but a 10"x8" print would reveal all sorts of problems. It's due to viewing distances and CoFs.


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## Kolia (Jul 1, 2013)

ShooterJ said:


> What about the fuzzy images? Only thing that comes to my mind is RAW that hasn't been sharpened?
> 
> Don't most cameras display the image on screen as a jpeg when reviewing? They might look ok there but if they aren't sharpened in post after uploading, might that be a culprit?



This. ^

The LCD will usually display a jpeg preview. So it will look different when shooting raw. Monitor calibration and LCD size are possible culprit too.


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## cgipson1 (Jul 1, 2013)

cwindlephotos said:


> i currently have a Nikon d5100 and i do get on with it but there's part of me like WHY IS THIS HAPPENING I HATE IT?! I take pictures on Manual mode which I know how to use. When i look at the pictures I've taken they look absolutely mint! but when i put them on the computer well, there not? they look as if they've been completely washed out with some blur, colours aren't there etc but on my LCD screen they look fab and i come away from a photo-shoot thrilled!!
> 
> I have a page on Facebook that i keep people updated on and even on Facebook the photos are a little fuzzy on not exactly like they look on my LCD but tonnes better than viewing it on the computer screen?! also have a website so people can go through and buy the images and they look better than viewing on my yet again, computer screen. I never know what to do when clients ask me for a digital copy on a disk as they look rubbish on comp screen?!?!
> 
> I edit my photos on PS CS5 and once saved they still look hideous?! I have a Packard bell computer if that is any help? AND PLEASE, if you know the answer to solve my solution i'd be grateful if you could tell me in a basic way and step by step what i need to do. ****small brain lol****



My suggestions / questions are:

How long have you been shooting? 
What are the shutter speeds in the shots you see blur in? 
What ISO?
What Aperture?
What are your focusing modes? And what was your focal point?
What lenses? 
Do you have a UV (or other) filter on your lens? 
Does it still happen if you use a tripod?
Are you shooting wide open aperture? This seriously reduces DOF... and magnifies any error in focusing. Plus most lenses are not at their sharpest wide open.

*PLEASE post some of the images... with Exif data intact so we can see what is going on. We will be glad to help, but need more information. +

*Please keep in mind that the LCD display is tiny.. it lacks the resolution to show all my major problems... it is not a good guide for judging IQ. 

Always keep your shutter speed at least a reciprocal of your lens focal length:  Technique - Shutter Speed Guideline "the Reciprocal Rule" and use and ISO / Aperture that allows that speed with a solid meter reading.

Use VR / IS if available.

If having blurry photos / poor image quality, REMOVE any filters... verify clean lenses, and shoot again. We often see cheap UV filters seriously degrading IQ.


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## Solarflare (Jul 1, 2013)

1. Your computer monitor has a much higher resolution than the tiny monitor at the back of your camera.

2. You can check the quality of the image on the back of your camera, too, you just have to scroll in.

3. You might look at the 100% view on your computer. Then output of a sensor with a Bayer color filter will ALWAYS have a little haze and blurr over it. Thats because how it works, it only sees ONE color in every spot, instead of all three, making it necessary to recreate the other two colors by basically guessing (the so-called demosaicing). This wont shop up in prints, though, unless you print crazy large.

4. My D5100 definitely can produce sharp images .. but not with camera shake, movement blurr, wrong focus etc, just like any other camera.


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## KmH (Jul 1, 2013)

The LCD on the back of the camera cannot be used to accurately judge exposure or color by looking at the photo itself. Looking at the photo only allows verifying focus (by using the LCD zoom feature) and for verifying composition.

If you want to judge exposure and color you have to look at the histogram, but as mentioned the rear LCD can only display a JPEG and not a Raw file.
Understanding Digital Camera Histograms: Tones and Contrast
Understanding Digital Camera Histograms: Luminosity and Color

In the D5100 users manual (on the software disc), see pages 125 and 150.


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