Beginner Help, camera blur

pipgyp

pipgyp

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59
Name
hazel
Edit My Images
No
i have the Nikon d7100 with the Nikon 200-500 5.6, i am finding that when i zoom in on my pics, or crop them they are not as sharp as i would like, i tend to use shutter priority for moving objects, and aperture for still shots, can anyone help me with what i am doing wrong
 
Lots of variables Hazel, what shutter speed are you using? How are you supporting the lens?
Best to post up an example and show the complete exif then we might be able to help. :)
 
Samples please, with full details of the settings used - there are a lot of possible causes of blur, most can be diagnosed quite quickly when the information is available.
 
Looks like your shot is out of focus. Would help to know your focus settings too to advice appropriately.
 
your auto focus will also have various settings. On a basic level it will have AF-S for single point focus (i.e. focus doesn't change once focussed) and AF-F i.e. continuous AF (used to track the focus of a moving subject). Then there is different AF coverage, wide, centre point etc. What did you use?
 
pipgyp said:
i had the lens on a handy post
Click to expand...
That's not the best way to photograph a bird in flight, too many chances of losing the focus point.
If you have or download Nikon NX-D (it's free) you can check where the focus point was at the time the shutter clicked ... even so, at 500mm the lens is fully extended and your technique needs to be fairly good to avoid blur caused by your movement.
 
AF-S = focus is set but does not change whilst tracking.
AF-C = focus tracks the subject.
 
so what is the best settings to get a bird in flight, my still birds are not much better lol
 
Working at that 500mm length really needs a tripod to keep the camera still. Even hand held with VR on may not be enough to stop camera shake.The good news is it can be improved in editing which I have just tried but can't post as you have requested no editing, but can show if if you give permission
 
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Set your camera auto-focus to AF-C for continuous tracking and experiment with how many focus points you will use, e.g. 9, 21, 51 to see what works best for you.
 
This might help (I haven't watched it) there are plenty of tutorials on youtu.be

 
just ask me to post the edited picture is enough as I won't go against forum rules
 
There is little point in editing this image, it will never make it be in focus.
 
how do i ask you, just be saying will you post edited pic please lol
 
we all have made he same error of out of focus using wrong camera settings agreed, but the question is how can I at least try and make it better after taken. I use a simple editing suite Adobe Elements 14 which at least can make a an out of focus picture more presentable
 
A tripod or monopod would definitely help but I wouldn't say it's a need per say.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Before jumping into wildlife (let alone BiF) I suggest first practice using your telephoto on static objects around your house/garden. Make sure you can consistently get sharp focus shots. Then try tracking objects that are predictable like cars, again making sure you can get sharp results consistently. Then can try unpredictable subjects like birds.
 
i have done birds on garden and get some good results, i have just had a op so have been sofa bound , i am trying to upload to flickr
 
you have asked so her is my edit




compare with your original below to decide for yourself




Only used gentle sharpening but not to the full amount Elements will go, doing more would show up. the neck- head -tail and leading edge of the wing is better. I didn't touch the background just worked on the bird


didn't work on anything else like contrast light/dark etc just focus
 
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Long lens photography is not easy. It takes a good level of knowledge, skill, and lots of practise. Even then, expect plenty of disappointments.

There are many possible reasons for lack of sharpness. Assuming your camera and lens* are performing as they should and images are properly post-processed, reasons include: inaccurate focus, slow shutter speed, dull overcast light, high ISO, under-exposure, excessive cropping (enlarging a small area of the image), and atmospheric pollution/moisture that is more common over water. Your shutter speed should be sufficient, but apart from that I suspect you may be suffering all the other problems.

*check your lens is properly calibrated and focusing accurately.
 
thanks will do, guess i expect too much for a beginner lol
 
off to wales soon to photo red kites, need to get much better
 
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