My new purchase is an unmitigated disaster. After 9 years with a bridge camera, I decided it was time for an SLR to get the better quality images that can be gotten with an SLR. I bought a Nikon D3400 and a Tamron 16-300mm lens.

The camera has 11 focus points which are 10 too many. I'm an old man and my eyesight isn't getting any better. The focus points in the viewfinder are dim, as are the sides of the rectangles that surround some of the points. I've selected single point focusing and I have trouble finding that point. It seems like I press the shutter button halfway a half-dozen times before every shot. It's much worse when there's a busy background against those dim points.

Do you have any suggestions for how I can deal with this focusing system?

Next problem. Back to age, my hands aren't getting any steadier, just like my eyesight isn't improving. I am unable to get sharp pictures when shooting at my lens' longer focal lengths. By the way, I shoot small critters such as butterflies and dragonflies, other insects, spiders, frogs and anything else that moves except people.

I did some reading about getting sharp pictures and tried doing some new things. 1) supporting the lens with my left hand and 2) pressing the shutter button with the flat fleshy part of my fingertip rather than pressing down with my fingernail. I also try to keep my elbows against my body when shooting position permits. I'v also tried pressing the shutter while holding my breath and exhaling.These changes made -0- improvement. Of course, being human, my degree of steadiness or lack of same isn't consistent and varies from shot to shot. What doesn't vary is that on every shot the mirror flies up. Might that be my problem?

I am pessimistic and don't see a way out. I don't know what to do differently. My lens' maximum focal length is 450mm equivalent. For what it's worth, I get a reasonable number of acceptably sharp pictures with my bridge camera at its maximum of 486mm equivalent. I know that sharpness can be had based on the many pictures I see on my photo group, with successful handholding at 600 on a Sigma 150-600 and >1000 with the Canon SX.

I know this is a long post with more than one subject and I thank you for and appreciate your patience.

Marty

My new purchase is an unmitigated disaster. After 9 years with a bridge camera, I decided it was time for an SLR to get the better quality images that can be gotten with an SLR. I bought a Nikon D3400 and a Tamron 16-300mm lens.

The camera has 11 focus points which are 10 too many. I'm an old man and my eyesight isn't getting any better. The focus points in the viewfinder are dim, as are the sides of the rectangles that surround some of the points. I've selected single point focusing and I have trouble finding that point. It seems like I press the shutter button halfway a half-dozen times before every shot. It's much worse when there's a busy background against those dim points.

Do you have any suggestions for how I can deal with this focusing system?

Next problem. Back to age, my hands aren't getting any steadier, just like my eyesight isn't improving. I am unable to get sharp pictures when shooting at my lens' longer focal lengths. By the way, I shoot small critters such as butterflies and dragonflies, other insects, spiders, frogs and anything else that moves except people.

I did some reading about getting sharp pictures and tried doing some new things. 1) supporting the lens with my left hand and 2) pressing the shutter button with the flat fleshy part of my fingertip rather than pressing down with my fingernail. I also try to keep my elbows against my body when shooting position permits. I'v also tried pressing the shutter while holding my breath and exhaling.These changes made -0- improvement. Of course, being human, my degree of steadiness or lack of same isn't consistent and varies from shot to shot. What doesn't vary is that on every shot the mirror flies up. Might that be my problem?

I am pessimistic and don't see a way out. I don't know what to do differently. My lens' maximum focal length is 450mm equivalent. For what it's worth, I get a reasonable number of acceptably sharp pictures with my bridge camera at its maximum of 486mm equivalent. I know that sharpness can be had based on the many pictures I see on my photo group, with successful handholding at 600 on a Sigma 150-600 and >1000 with the Canon SX.

I know this is a long post with more than one subject and I thank you for and appreciate your patience.

Marty

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Thank you for the replies.I will try and answer some of the questions

I do not wear glasses

The VC switch is always on.
I alternate between shutter and aperture priority. Shutter priority when sunny, set at 1/1000, and aperture otherwise, set at the maximum.

I think I'm getting the focus right most of the time. It drives me crazy to have to screw around and waste time finding the active focus point, but I don't shoot unless I've found it. Most of my subjects are large enough to hit with the focus point, but I may miss with smaller subjects. I don't understand this: " Assure your camera release priority is set on focus so it won’t fire if out of focus. "

The picture I've posted is very typical of my results. The spider is more than clear enough for I.D. purposes but lacking the sharpness that I want.