samjd - general sharpening advice

[samjd]

hi all,
recently returning to JP after a photography hiatus due to covid etc.
while getting back into the groove of processing images for JP, I've been struggling with a lot of 'unsharpened, soft' rejections.
I'm currently using a canon 55-250 on a 77D body, so no L glass.

just wondering if I could get some general sharpening / export advice when exporting out of Lightroom, and an opinion on whether my processing is the issue, or general edge-of-frame softness from the cheaper glass. I've attached 2 recent rejections for reference.
cheers

[dlowwa]

hi all,
recently returning to JP after a photography hiatus due to covid etc.
while getting back into the groove of processing images for JP, I've been struggling with a lot of 'unsharpened, soft' rejections.
I'm currently using a canon 55-250 on a 77D body, so no L glass.

just wondering if I could get some general sharpening / export advice when exporting out of Lightroom, and an opinion on whether my processing is the issue, or general edge-of-frame softness from the cheaper glass. I've attached 2 recent rejections for reference.
cheers

First image is very soft, second somewhat. Without seeing the originals, couldn't tell you if it's due to processing or gear.

[samjd]

Thanks for writing back.
Here are two originals, bar the cropping.

[fleckenmann]

Not a screener but looking at the originals it definitely looks like a processing issue

[dlowwa]

Thanks for writing back.
Here are two originals, bar the cropping.

Hope those are not actually the originals since they are only 2000pix. If they are, that could be a big part of the issue, since they are still quite soft.

[samjd]

I resized the originals down to 2000px, wasn't sure if the forum permitted full size, my apologies. Here are the maximum res copies. thank you for your patience.

[dlowwa]

I resized the originals down to 2000px, wasn't sure if the forum permitted full size, my apologies. Here are the maximum res copies. thank you for your patience.

These images are both very soft, so it indeed seems that it is a gear/technique issue, and not so much the processing.

[samjd]

okay, good to know. Saving up for L glass
Thank you for the help.

[samjd]

Hello, hoping to get prescreening advice on these two images if possible. Apologies for making a duplicate thread before, I forgot I'd posted here.

[dlowwa]

Hello, hoping to get prescreening advice on these two images if possible. Apologies for making a duplicate thread before, I forgot I'd posted here.

1. soft, dark
2. dark/contrast

[samjd]

Thank you for the feedback. I've altered my processing on #2 and found a sharper shot of #1. Are these any better or still too dark? They might just not be suitable for the database in general.

[dlowwa]

Thank you for the feedback. I've altered my processing on #2 and found a sharper shot of #1. Are these any better or still too dark? They might just not be suitable for the database in general.

Lack of direct light makes it challenging for both, but they're not terrible. I think they'd both likely be rejected, but I've been wrong before, so up to you if you want to try.

[samjd]

No worries, thanks for taking the time to review them for me, much appreciated.

[samjd]

After some advice on these images please! Trying a new sharpening technique.

[dlowwa]

After some advice on these images please! Trying a new sharpening technique.

Soft/dark.