There is some good advice given already. Here's my additional comments:
If your shutter speed is between 1/4 and 1/2 second, consider using the mirror lockup feature. Turn IS off if you use a tripod, the gyros in the lens will add to micro movement. Wait 5-7 seconds without touching anything on your camera/tripod before clicking the shutter.
No one mentioned that ALL raw images need both input and output sharpening to maximize the image quality. For input sharpening you'll apply based on the scene - fine details get a different setting than if the image is a portrait or one with low contrast.
The largest influencer on sharpness is output sharpening. This is sharpening for either print or screen, they're different. When you print an image out on a 8x10 size it will have different sharpening than printing out 13x19 size. Output sharpening is different when the image will be viewed on a screen. This too is specific to the image size in pixels - a 1200x900 pixel file gets a different output shapening than a 100x150 size image.
So how do you know what settings to use when? Fortunately in most cases you really don't need to know much. Use a raw conversion program like Lightroom. Zoom in 100% when applying sharpening, otherwise you're just guessing. It doesn't take a long time to learn how the sliders work, you basically set them (input sharpening) based on the image, making sure to avoid creating halos.
Output sharpening with a program like Lightroom is for the most part fully automated. The Print module puts most of the heavy sharpening work into the background. Set your paper type and print parameters correctly or set your export to jpg settings and the application will do the rest. Output sharpening has a HUGE impact on image quality.
There are stand alone programs like photokit sharpener that can push your images to even a higher level of quality. If you find yourself making large prints on high quality paper you may benefit from this application.
If your shutter speed is between 1/4 and 1/2 second, consider using the mirror lockup feature. Turn IS off if you use a tripod, the gyros in the lens will add to micro movement. Wait 5-7 seconds without touching anything on your camera/tripod before clicking the shutter.
No one mentioned that ALL raw images need both input and output sharpening to maximize the image quality. For input sharpening you'll apply based on the scene - fine details get a different setting than if the image is a portrait or one with low contrast.
The largest influencer on sharpness is output sharpening. This is sharpening for either print or screen, they're different. When you print an image out on a 8x10 size it will have different sharpening than printing out 13x19 size. Output sharpening is different when the image will be viewed on a screen. This too is specific to the image size in pixels - a 1200x900 pixel file gets a different output shapening than a 100x150 size image.
So how do you know what settings to use when? Fortunately in most cases you really don't need to know much. Use a raw conversion program like Lightroom. Zoom in 100% when applying sharpening, otherwise you're just guessing. It doesn't take a long time to learn how the sliders work, you basically set them (input sharpening) based on the image, making sure to avoid creating halos.
Output sharpening with a program like Lightroom is for the most part fully automated. The Print module puts most of the heavy sharpening work into the background. Set your paper type and print parameters correctly or set your export to jpg settings and the application will do the rest. Output sharpening has a HUGE impact on image quality.
There are stand alone programs like photokit sharpener that can push your images to even a higher level of quality. If you find yourself making large prints on high quality paper you may benefit from this application.
