Why's my birdie blurry?
Discussion
Don't know if you shoot RAW, but I've noticed that it preserves detail way better than the highest quality jpg setting on my 5D. Not saying you can't get a sharp image with jpg, but your images do look like a lot of detail has been lost in compression......also definitely some 'camera shake' in the last one.
Hope that helps.
Hope that helps.
Need more info really
Lens
Focal length
Shutter and Aperture values
You'll find that lots of cheaper telephoto lenses (and when I say cheap I mean expensive, just not bank manager disappointing expensive) will get softer at the long end, add to that a lot of lenses are sharpest at a particular aperture as well.
Then there is focal length, I cant remember the rule (is it 1/focal lenght?) for picking a shutter to avoid camera shake (without IS) but of course, the higher the focal length the more your movements are magnified so you need higher and higher shutter speeds to combat shake with higher focal lengths. Judging by the pictures it doesnt look like a particularly bright day so that + smallish apertures (telephotos with wide apertures = go play the lottery and hope you win) may mean lower than ideal shutter speeds, or higher than you'd like ISO... which will introduce more noise and soften the image again.
But if it still does it once you have all those things in ideal places... then the focusing maybe off a little. Depending on your camera I think you can dial in some AF adjustments. I know my 7D will let you adjust the AF focus by small amounts and remember the adjustment for a particular lens.
Lens
Focal length
Shutter and Aperture values
You'll find that lots of cheaper telephoto lenses (and when I say cheap I mean expensive, just not bank manager disappointing expensive) will get softer at the long end, add to that a lot of lenses are sharpest at a particular aperture as well.
Then there is focal length, I cant remember the rule (is it 1/focal lenght?) for picking a shutter to avoid camera shake (without IS) but of course, the higher the focal length the more your movements are magnified so you need higher and higher shutter speeds to combat shake with higher focal lengths. Judging by the pictures it doesnt look like a particularly bright day so that + smallish apertures (telephotos with wide apertures = go play the lottery and hope you win) may mean lower than ideal shutter speeds, or higher than you'd like ISO... which will introduce more noise and soften the image again.
But if it still does it once you have all those things in ideal places... then the focusing maybe off a little. Depending on your camera I think you can dial in some AF adjustments. I know my 7D will let you adjust the AF focus by small amounts and remember the adjustment for a particular lens.
For handheld, non-image-stabilised lenses, there is a "rule of thumb" that you should aim for a shutter speed of 1/focal length or faster; e.g. for a 200mm lens, 1/200th second or faster. For reasonably close, active subjects like birds, I aim for shutter speeds of 1/400th second or faster to maximise the number of "keepers", even when using a tripod/beanbag. It's often better to lose a little resolution by upping the ISO and gaining on shutter speed to help "freeze" movement.
Ed_P said:
For handheld, non-image-stabilised lenses, there is a "rule of thumb" that you should aim for a shutter speed of 1/focal length or faster; e.g. for a 200mm lens, 1/200th second or faster.
Ah, then at 1/60 sec at 300mm I guess it was still too slow.Looks like I need to be at least 1/300th second then?
Ari said:
Ed_P said:
For handheld, non-image-stabilised lenses, there is a "rule of thumb" that you should aim for a shutter speed of 1/focal length or faster; e.g. for a 200mm lens, 1/200th second or faster.
Ah, then at 1/60 sec at 300mm I guess it was still too slow.Looks like I need to be at least 1/300th second then?
If that 1/60th was handheld you did very well to get a decent shot at all.
Last shot is focused behind. Easy to spot - look around for the sharpest bits.
I think you just need to take more care and be more precise/careful with focus points. Watch also for birds on branches swaying back and forth - half an inch in the short time between focus lock and shutter release can take it out of focus. Plus, you're asking a lot from an inexpensive lens - it may simply unable to focus 100% right when shallow depth of field will show the slightest error.
Last shot is focused behind. Easy to spot - look around for the sharpest bits.
I think you just need to take more care and be more precise/careful with focus points. Watch also for birds on branches swaying back and forth - half an inch in the short time between focus lock and shutter release can take it out of focus. Plus, you're asking a lot from an inexpensive lens - it may simply unable to focus 100% right when shallow depth of field will show the slightest error.
Yup - as already stated - it's going to be practising your technique for these relatively low light, demanding shots. (Whatever, don't get disheartened - too many of us think that a great big long lens is the cure of all, the panacea to the wildlife award-winning shot of the year, only to find that crappy techniques can ruin the best of kit!)
If I had a D7000, I'd hit the ISO right up. Can always have a go at any noise after the event.
Next, support. 1/60th handheld says you must be doing something right. But if you can brace yourself even better - without tripod, monopod or the magic of VR - that'll help. Better still beg, borrow or steal a proper support! Oh - and VR isn't the answer: the poor little blighter's probably shivering a bit at this time of year and you ain't curing any subject movement with VR anytime soon!
Aperture. Not so bad on that last shot at 105mm, but you can still see you have little dof to play with. Possibly switch to manual focus and take full control. And otherwise (assuming f/5.6 was maximum on the Tamron) I'd be tempted - and with the benefit of even higher ISO - to try and stop it down at least 1/3rd of a stop at f/6.3. Even the best lens designs will be better just a little stopped down.
Length: As you're going to crop in anyway from the marvels of 16 meggiepicasaurs, I'd be tempted to just ease back from the maximum 300mm, to maybe around about 280mm, to see if your lens will perform a little better there.
You're sort of bouncing off the rev-limiter in about three areas there and just being a little less demanding might be three small steps that add up to something quite brilliant.
Of course, you could also get a whopping great flashgun to cure the low light issues......
..... but I guess you kinda like the little fella!
If I had a D7000, I'd hit the ISO right up. Can always have a go at any noise after the event.
Next, support. 1/60th handheld says you must be doing something right. But if you can brace yourself even better - without tripod, monopod or the magic of VR - that'll help. Better still beg, borrow or steal a proper support! Oh - and VR isn't the answer: the poor little blighter's probably shivering a bit at this time of year and you ain't curing any subject movement with VR anytime soon!
Aperture. Not so bad on that last shot at 105mm, but you can still see you have little dof to play with. Possibly switch to manual focus and take full control. And otherwise (assuming f/5.6 was maximum on the Tamron) I'd be tempted - and with the benefit of even higher ISO - to try and stop it down at least 1/3rd of a stop at f/6.3. Even the best lens designs will be better just a little stopped down.
Length: As you're going to crop in anyway from the marvels of 16 meggiepicasaurs, I'd be tempted to just ease back from the maximum 300mm, to maybe around about 280mm, to see if your lens will perform a little better there.
You're sort of bouncing off the rev-limiter in about three areas there and just being a little less demanding might be three small steps that add up to something quite brilliant.
Of course, you could also get a whopping great flashgun to cure the low light issues......
..... but I guess you kinda like the little fella!Thanks for all the replies chaps, really very helpful.
To answer a couple of questions, yes they were all handheld. I have single centre point focusing engaged, and the focus is set on AF-S.
Would I be better with AF-C? Or even AF-A (which I think only continuously focuses if the target is moving)?
To answer a couple of questions, yes they were all handheld. I have single centre point focusing engaged, and the focus is set on AF-S.
Would I be better with AF-C? Or even AF-A (which I think only continuously focuses if the target is moving)?
andrewrob said:
Ari said:
Ed_P said:
For handheld, non-image-stabilised lenses, there is a "rule of thumb" that you should aim for a shutter speed of 1/focal length or faster; e.g. for a 200mm lens, 1/200th second or faster.
Ah, then at 1/60 sec at 300mm I guess it was still too slow.Looks like I need to be at least 1/300th second then?
All good stuff though manual focus can be tricky on DX due to the small viewfinder. Unless it's a controlled shoot like a studio AF is often more accurate, and certainly quicker. Or you can try a right-angle finder.
As for AF-C, try it and see, but I doubt it's up to following a twitching bird. You can set it up to focus priority or release priority, but personally I like the reassuring beep of AF-S.
K12beano said:
You're sort of bouncing off the rev-limiter in about three areas
Good phrase; I'll add that to the collection!As for AF-C, try it and see, but I doubt it's up to following a twitching bird. You can set it up to focus priority or release priority, but personally I like the reassuring beep of AF-S.
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