cost of photography: I currently use a Nikon D3300 with the kit lens, I am interested in Landscapes, I find the kit lens alright for fairly near scenes, but for wide angle shots I do...

OZMON Loc: WIGAN UK

I currently use a Nikon D3300 with the kit lens, I am interested in Landscapes, I find the kit lens alright for fairly near scenes, but for wide angle shots I do not seem to be able to get good clear backgrounds, I have tried several settings white balance etc,I almost always shoot in aperture setting but I am not happy with a lot of my photographs, I shoot in raw and jpeg but still not happy.
My question is this, what would be the cost of a good lens for my needs, I am a pensioner so that is important.

Bazbo Loc: Lisboa, Portugal

OZMON wrote:

I currently use a Nikon D3300 with the kit lens, I... (show quote)

How wide do you need to go? Prime or zoom?

While you are considering your options, rent lenses. Its not too expensive and give you a chance to use a variety of them in the field. I rent pretty often, especially on long trips and it has always worked pretty well for me.

Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

What kit ens are you using?

krl48 Loc: NY, PA now SC

OZMON wrote:

I currently use a Nikon D3300 with the kit lens, I... (show quote)

Ozmon, it would probably help folks if you'd tell us 1) What lens you currently have, 2) an idea of the price you could pay for wide angle, and 3) if a prime or a zoom
lens is preferred.

Eddy Vortex

Focus method? I use the 3300 with kit lenses and have no problems with focus...Back Button Focus/Centre spot.

Pilot 6 Loc: Eugene, OR

The kit lenses are very sharp---optically equal to the more expensive lenses, but of lesser build quality. If taken good care of, your gear is fully capable of producing the sharpness you seek. Look to your technique: the VR won't prevent softness if your shutter speed is too slow or your aperture too wide and your stance/grip too unsteady. The tack-sharpness you admire usually involves a rock-steady tripod.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

Also, do you do any post processing? Are you comfortable with any programs like Lightroom or Photoshop? Sometimes the choice of lens can be affected by what you do with the image once you get home.

SonyA580 Loc: FL in the winter & MN in the summer

It might not be the lens. f/stop, ISO, focusing and speed are all things that affect sharpness. Most lenses have an f/stop that is the sharpest, usually, but not always, around f/11. Using the lowest ISO gives the sharpest results. Try using manual focusing to eliminate the camera's focusing system. Run a test of your lens, ON A TRIPOD, at the minimum zoom, best f/stop (found by testing), lowest ISO and fastest speed you can. If, after all that, you still get bad results, consider a new lens.

OZMON Loc: WIGAN UK

the kit lens is the 18-55 dx vr , I have a sigma lens it is a 70 300 zoom lens, so I know I should use a tripod for that one.
renting may be the answer if I can find anyone that rents them, I will investigate that angle.
As I said before the kit lens is good for near views at widest aperture, but the far views never seem to be really sharp at whatever aperture I use, I could never afford the lens that are recommended for landscapes by most experts, they are over £1000 each so out of my league.
I do not want to sell my photographs, I just want to be self-satisfied with them.
Maybe I should try a new hobby.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

OZMON wrote:

the kit lens is the 18-55 dx vr , I have a sigma l... (show quote)

Don't give up. Tell us about the shots you don't like. What shutter speed? What time of day? Maybe post a couple so people can get an idea of what problems you are facing.

SS319

Omzon, put up a few of your pictures that you are having trouble with. Do not forget to check the include original box so we can look at the photo information. Most of these folks can tell at a glance what the issue really is. The pictures will also tell us what Focal length, aperture and shutter you are using so we can help you balance your lens needs to how you shoot.

For landscapes, there is no reason not to set your aperture very small (F/16 - F/32) and your ISO to 100 or less, and use a long shutter speed - all of this on a tripod. Take your ISO out of Auto and set it for the lowest value you can effectively use!

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

OZMON wrote:

I currently use a Nikon D3300 with the kit lens, I... (show quote)

From your description it sounds like a depth of field problem. 18mm is more than wide enough to get most landscape shots. But you'll need to stop down to at least F8 or perhaps smaller, bearing in mind that as you go smaller on the aperture to get greater depth of field, you will encounter more and more sharpness loss due to diffraction. I would not go beyond F11. The other alternative is to take several shots at different focal points, then stack them If you two shots - one on the background and the other somewhere closer, and you are at F8, there should be sufficient overlap to get everything in focus. Then you would use a focus stacking program or Photoshop to merge the images. I do that for flowers, landscapes and other subjects where I want clear front to back focus.

https://iso.500px.com/tutorial-focus-stacking-for-landscape-photography/

jackpinoh Loc: Kettering, OH 45419

OZMON wrote:

I currently use a Nikon D3300 with the kit lens, I... (show quote)

If you can't get clear backgrounds on landscape photos, the problem isn't your lens, it is the aperture you are shooting at and your focus point or it is camera shake.

1) Learn about the hyperlocal point. There are a number of apps for your cell phone or on line that will help. You enter your lens focal length and f-stop and you get the hyperfocal distance. That tells you where to focus to maximize the amount of the scene that will be in focus. For example: The D3300 with the kit lens set to a focal length of 18mm and the aperture set to f11, when focused on an object 5 ft away, everything from 2.5ft to infinity will be in focus.

2) Camera shake will cause a greater loss of sharpness on objects in the distance than on close objects. Solution: Use a tripod.

For a really good e-book on the Nikon autofocus system (including how to get sharp photos), get Steve Perry's book "Secrets to the Nikon Autofocus System." It costs around $15 and is the best source on autofocus I have seen.
http://backcountrygallery.com/secrets-nikon-autofocus-system/

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Pilot 6 wrote:

The kit lenses are very sharp---optically equal to the more expensive lenses, but of lesser build quality. If taken good care of, your gear is fully capable of producing the sharpness you seek. Look to your technique: the VR won't prevent softness if your shutter speed is too slow or your aperture too wide and your stance/grip too unsteady. The tack-sharpness you admire usually involves a rock-steady tripod.

OZMON Loc: WIGAN UK

many thanks for all replies, I suppose I should use a tripod, but I am disabled and usually I take the shots from my car, I sometimes use the roof with a bean bag to steady the camera, I always shoot with the lowest iso and aperture from f8 to f14 the iso is not on auto.
I do use a post process to get the best results,I have a very steady hand so camera shake does not appear to the problem, I will post a couple of pics so you may see what I mean.