Should I upgrade from my D3200 ? I have a D3200 and use a tamron18-270. I will be traveing to africa and want sharp pictures that i may choose to enlarge. I find i get shots now that...

schneiss Loc: Long Island NY

I have a D3200 and use a tamron18-270. I will be traveing to africa and want sharp pictures that i may choose to enlarge. I find i get shots now that arent as sharp as id like them to be. Ive tried to keep shutter speed up, but same issue. Should I uprade my equipment? Other suggestions?

Ched49 Loc: Pittsburgh, Pa.

The question is... how far up the ladder do you want to go (how much do you want to spend)? You have a lot of options.

schneiss Loc: Long Island NY

Budget is limited. Dont want to spend if not necessary but want to be satisfied with sharper images.

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

You may get more convenience upgrading but that camera is capable of sharp images. If you need a larger buffer, more focus points, better low light capabilities, etc., etc., then upgrade. Only you will know the answer.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I'd say only if you have exceeded the limits of what you're using now. Or, if you are competent with what you are using currently and see a big improvement in the capabilities of the equipment you wish to purchase.
--Bob

schneiss wrote:

I have a D3200 and use a tamron18-270. I will be traveing to africa and want sharp pictures that i may choose to enlarge. I find i get shots now that arent as sharp as id like them to be. Ive tried to keep shutter speed up, but same issue. Should I uprade my equipment? Other suggestions?

truckster Loc: Tampa Bay Area

schneiss wrote:

I have a D3200 and use a tamron18-270. I will be traveing to africa and want sharp pictures that i may choose to enlarge.

It might not be the camera ... it just might be the lens. I have a Nikon 18-300 that I bought before joining this forum. It is one heavy lens and I knew that before I bought it. What I didn't take into consideration was how that weight would make holding the camera and lens combination unsteady. I have since taken to using my 35 prime or the 18-55 kit lens. I don't know how much the Tamron weighs but depending on its weight it might not be the camera but the lens causing your sharpness issue.

orrie smith Loc: Kansas

schneiss wrote:

I have a D3200 and use a tamron18-270. I will be traveing to africa and want sharp pictures that i may choose to enlarge. I find i get shots now that arent as sharp as id like them to be. Ive tried to keep shutter speed up, but same issue. Should I uprade my equipment? Other suggestions?

What you may want to consider rather than purchasing a new camera/lens is to rent the equipment for your trip.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

Typical of some superzooms, according to reviews, the Tamron and Nikon both have sharpness issues at the longer focal lengths.
Do you get sharp images at shorter focal lengths?
Try it on a tripod to eliminate user shake and see what you get.
As far as weight, I use a 70-200 2.8
Probably double the heft of either of those lenses. I think it’s easier to hold steady because of it.

wetreed

I would upgrade to either the Nikon D5300 or the D5600. I think you will really enjoy either of these fine camera bodies. I would to see if Nikon had refurbished ones available, always a great option. You will definitely be happy you made this move.

TBerwick Loc: Houston, Texas

I have quite a bit of Nikon glass but I use the Tamron 18-270 A LOT! I have never had a problem with sharpness with that lens.

Ched49 Loc: Pittsburgh, Pa.

Send us some examples of your shots, the 24 mega pixel D3200 should give you well detailed photo's.

therwol Loc: USA

schneiss wrote:

I have a D3200 and use a tamron18-270. I will be traveing to africa and want sharp pictures that i may choose to enlarge. I find i get shots now that arent as sharp as id like them to be. Ive tried to keep shutter speed up, but same issue. Should I uprade my equipment? Other suggestions?

How do your images look if you shoot on a tripod? Also, a zoom with that range is a compromise and would not be expected to give tack sharp images over the whole range. I don't own that particular lens, but this is a known issue with lenses like this. There is a reason why the best zooms are limited to something like a 2.5-3 ratio from wide to long. Think 80-200, 24-70, 200-500 etc.

mleuck

Sharp? You might need to upgrade your eyes. Try not to get caught up in the "sharp chase".

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

schneiss wrote:

I have a D3200 and use a tamron18-270. I will be traveing to africa and want sharp pictures that i may choose to enlarge. I find i get shots now that arent as sharp as id like them to be. Ive tried to keep shutter speed up, but same issue. Should I uprade my equipment? Other suggestions?

Yes, and buy used or refurbished. Decide on a top price and take it from there. You can get an old, well-used high quality camera for a low price, but you'd better off getting a newer, medium range camera for the same price. It's like buying an old, worn out Cadillac or a newer Chevy for the same price. If you buy refurbished, it will be like new and save you money. If you buy used, get an accurate shutter count first.

As for the lack of sharpness, first test you gear and make sure it's doing the best it can.

Checking focus -
How to Check Focus
http://photographylife.com/how-to-quickly-test-your-dslr-for-autofocus-issues
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/are_your_pictures_out_of_focus.shtml
http://regex.info/blog/photo-tech/focus-chart#features
https://photographylife.com/how-to-quickly-test-your-dslr-for-autofocus-issues
http://cameralightlens.com/newsblog/?p=264

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

schneiss wrote:

I have a D3200 and use a tamron18-270. I will be traveing to africa and want sharp pictures that i may choose to enlarge. I find i get shots now that arent as sharp as id like them to be. Ive tried to keep shutter speed up, but same issue. Should I uprade my equipment? Other suggestions?

Usually, for un sharp images, it comes down to operator error instead of the equipment. I remember a friend who wanted really bad to be a better golfer, so he went out and bought the best set of clubs on the market. The result, no improvement in his game.
So, check your self out first. A main cause of un sharp images is camera shake and not shooting with fast enough shutter speed and un proper camera holding. Practice your camera handling technique. Breathing is very important, always release the shutter on the breath out, slowly squeeze the shutter button, not a jab. Make sure to have one hand under the camera and have your elbows in touching your body so your tripod is make up of two elbows to the body and camera against your face.
Lastly, after all this practice, if images are still bad get a better quality glass. That is second in importance to proper technique. Nikon makes an excellent 18-200 glass that is plenty sharp. And their new 70-300 gets great reviews.
But first, practice, practice, practice. Good luck and keep on shooting until the end.