I must be doing something wrong .. (Page 2): i see two problems here. UV filter and IS on. Try removing both and you will get sharp pictures.

ephraim Imperio

pinkycat wrote:

All I had on was a UV Filter. The lighting was good as it was 5:00 - 8:00 pm. I was probably a slightly more than a car length away. I did have the IS on. Why would you take the IS off? Do you mean take it off when it's on the tripod or handheld? Handheld might be tricky. Not so steady, you know. I also could use my monopod with the shoulder brace. What do you think?

i see two problems here. UV filter and IS on. Try removing both and you will get sharp pictures.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Take off that UV filter...you don't need it for one thing.

Second, you have to use only one focusing point and practice getting the birds eye in focus....do it over and over.

I don't know what ISO you used but keep it low as you can and as MT said...bright light makes everything sharper!

michelleGD

It's true . I had the same problem, and I learned it from here ! Also, for bugs and butterflys, morning is a great time to shoot these, they are much slower.

Tea8 wrote:

quote=pinkycat All I had on was a UV Filter. The... (show quote)

martinfisherphoto Loc: Lake Placid Florida

ISO500 is fine if that's what you need to get the shutter speed up. Lower is better but you need more light. Must have been cloudy if shutter speed was only 1/200 at f/4.5. Would be nicer if shutter speed was at least 1/320 at 300mm. I personally leave the VR on at all times even if mounted on tripod, but that's just me. Focus on the eye and not the feeder. Nice if you can shoot at higher f/stops but only if you have more light. 90% of my shots are at f/5.6 at 300mm. Just takes time. Maybe get software to help reduce noise caused by higher ISO's. Practice, Practice, Practice. If your shooting at your bird feeder get a chair and sit closer, at first birds will fly away but will return if your not moving around, Patience, Patience, Patience.

siamesecatmanuk Loc: Leicestershire UK

Hi just a suggestion,but if you are pressing the shutter button ? ,that could be it,try using a 2 second delay self timer for the camera to take the shot itself,should be clear as a bell. ! let me know . Graham

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

siamesecatmanuk wrote:

Hi just a suggestion,but if you are pressing the shutter button ? ,that could be it,try using a 2 second delay self timer for the camera to take the shot itself,should be clear as a bell. ! let me know . Graham

... or a remote control.

MMC Loc: Brooklyn NY

Did you check sharpness of your camera and lens with the same settings, lighting condition and distance taking picture of something stable. If result of your test OK problem is you if not something wrong with your camera. May be this link can help you to check your camera. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op5MQ8-ku70

pinkycat wrote:

How do you guys do it? Every day I look at the pictures that are uploaded. Everyone has such close, detailed shots of birds, butterflies, grasshoppers. I have my zoom to 300mm and my 24-150L. I'm getting some clear pictures, but not razor sharp and when I crop, I lose it. Somebody let me in on the secret ... PLEASE!

northshore Loc: St. Paul, MN

I found that removing my UV filter improved my sharpness significantly (and my photos are better too!). It would also help to get a cable release rather than manually pressing the shutter button.

lachmap Loc: Sydney Australia

Hi mate. I had the same complaint/question when I first joined this great site. I have a canon 50d. I now see it comes down to (a) high enough speed to stop the effect of shake or else use a tripod (my hands are not good anymore I realise!!!), (b) low enough ISO to reduce grain and (c) focus (I realise that my auto focus is often way out, especially in macro as the depth of field can be miniscule).
That said, what do I know???? Put up a couple of shots for us to see.

siamesecatmanuk Loc: Leicestershire UK

HI
the point you raise about uv filter affecting photo,s, i was considering one to protect the lens as well as reducing UV,but if it makes things that bad i may not bother,what do others think about UV filters ????

Graham

lachmap Loc: Sydney Australia

Take the filter off. I never use it now and results are better.

ole sarg Loc: south florida

IMO MT nailed it. Try his suggestion and get back to us.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

siamesecatmanuk wrote:

HI
the point you raise about uv filter affecting photo,s, i was considering one to protect the lens as well as reducing UV,but if it makes things that bad i may not bother,what do others think about UV filters ????

Graham

Boy, is this a hot topic! A filter is good protection, but it can degrade the image. I always keep UV filters on my lense, but often take them off for shooting, depending on what I'm shooting. If you use the Search feature at the top of the page, you will see lengthy discussions. Below are links to online articles. Adorama and B&H sell clear glass lens protectors.

Filters
http://camera-filters.biz/pl_filters/general_ranking.html
http://camera-filters.biz/pl_filters/reflectance.html
http://camera-filters.biz/pl_filters/color_tone.html
http://camera-filters.biz/pl_filters/transmittance.html
http://camera-filters.biz/pl_filters/uv.html
http://camera-filters.biz/pl_filters/general_ranking.html
http://www.lenstip.com/113.1-article-UV_filters_test.html

Rader Loc: Northwest Missouri

it doesnt appear that the sun light is hitting the bird? It appears that the house is on this side of the photo and either trees or a wall on the opposite side so flash may help along with spot metering

Patriot66 Loc: Minnesota

pinkycat wrote:

How do you guys do it? Every day I look at the pictures that are uploaded. Everyone has such close, detailed shots of birds, butterflies, grasshoppers. I have my zoom to 300mm and my 24-150L. I'm getting some clear pictures, but not razor sharp and when I crop, I lose it. Somebody let me in on the secret ... PLEASE!

Keep in mind that for every 1 shot that is really good there are probably 50 that are not so good - it is a matter of numbers and practiced skill. These people in here are really good and I am always amazed - pretty humbling..