zzzynick Loc: Colorado

Use a tripod.
Use a wireless shutter release.
I have a SMDV, I recommend it.
Try using live view.
Dial in your viewfinder.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

The softness in your spider picture has nothing to do with your technique. It's most likely your Tamron 16-300mm lens. Please tick the (store original) box when uploading your images. This gives us much more information such as the exif. Please try to upload original images, (opposed to cropped) so that we can crop in and see how sharp they are and so that your software doesn't remove the exif when YOU save the image and post it. That happens sometimes.

I suspect that a native Nikon lens would solve your problems but before you spend a bunch of money on a new lens, try learning some sharpening techniques with your software. Sometimes this can have a very positive outcome. If you shoot raw, then you absolutely NEED to sharpen each image. If you don't, your images will ALL be soft. If you shoot jpg, then the camera does the pre sharpening, but sometimes not enough so sharpening the image more might help.

With a focal length of 1/1000th, this should be adequate, but not always. I shoot in aperture priority, lens wide open (f/4 or f/5.6), whatever wide open is on your lens, and use a high enough ISO so that in good light my shutter is always up at around 1/2000th or higher. This technique keeps camera and subject movement still so that you are sure to have the sharpest image possible. I've seen many people get their shutter up to 1/4000th and not have any adverse effects and in fact a very sharp image. Also, when shooting any living thing hand held, use burst mode. Shoot away and shoot away. You aren't paying for film so shoot away and then cull through the images on your computer and find the sharpest one. It's important to use burst mode because you don't always get the correct pose, or wing position of the animal. You are more likely to get the shot you are looking for if you shoot a long burst.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Part of the reason the viewfinder seems so dim and difficult to use is the lens you've chosen.

At it's wide angle setting, it's f/3.5, which isn't bad. But as you zoom to longer focal lengths, the max aperture is reduced and less light is allowed through to illuminate the viewfinder. I don't know where the steps to smaller apertures occur with that particular lens, but it probably is a fairly dim f/5.6 at 100mm or 135mm, then further reduced to f/6.3 at 150mmm and all longer focal lengths (you can estimate yourself this by watching the aperture change as you zoom the lens, observing the approx. focal length at each step of reduction). Lenses like that 16-300mm are all about convenience.... but have to compromise in other ways to be able to have such a huge range of focal lengths, all in one. One of the compromises is smaller lens apertures that allow less light to pass through.

A faster lens, such as a zoom that's f/2.8 throughout it's range or a prime lens (single focal length, not a zoom) that's got an even larger f/2, f/1.8 or f/1.4 aperture would make for a brighter viewfinder. In case you're not aware, f-stops are actually fractions or ratios (f = "focal length"/aperture diameter). As a result, the smaller the number (divisor), the larger the aperture.

f/1.0 allows 100% of light to pass through.
f/1.4 is one "full stop" smaller and allows 50% of light to pass thru.
f/2 is another full stop smaller, allowing 25%
f/2.8 allows 12.5%
f/4 allows 6.25%
f/5.6... 3.125%
f/8.... 1.562%
etc.

In other words, a lens with a largest possible aperture or f/6.3, which is 1/3 stop smaller than f/5.6, is only able to pass through about 3% of the light... at most! Not a lot to work with or illuminate your camera's viewfinder.

This is particularly true of cameras like the Nikon D3000/D5000-series, which use a "penta-mirror" to save weight and cost, instead of a true pentaprism. (Canon does the same with their Rebel series models). A penta-mirror makes for a somewhat less bright viewfinder, too. Higher-end DSLRs have bigger, brighter viewfinders.

The problem is that larger diameter apertures require the entire lens be larger to accommodate them. As a result, larger aperture or "faster" lenses are bigger, heavier and more expensive. Especially zooms! The actual diameter of an f/2.8 aperture on a 70-200mm zoom has to be almost 72mm (i.e., nearly 3 inches). The barrel of the lens itself has to be large enough to accommodate that and the glass elements throughout the lens also have to similarly large diameter. Prime lenses can be faster and smaller.

One review of the Tamron 16-300mm stated that the lens' optimum aperture is f/8. Using that for your images as much as possible will help assure the sharpest images possible with it. Of course, you have to use other apertures at times, in order to get correct exposures. So this is just a general guideline. (Note: There's no worry about the viewfinder being dimmer when you set the aperture of a lens like this to f/8 or smaller. That aperture isn't actually set until the very instant of exposure. Both before and after exposure the aperture is actually maintained at it's largest possible setting.)

Another big factor effecting image sharpness is camera shake blur.... VC or "Vibration Control" helps with that... up to a point. One place that image stabilization is of little help is with high magnification shots.... close-ups and macro, such as your spider example. For that type of shot a tripod.... or at least a monopod or other form of support... can still be necessary. A trick that might help is to set your camera to continuous shooting mode and take a short burst of three to five shots. In all likelihood at least one of them should be sharp... free of shake blur and accurately focused.

Also, do you have a "protection" filter on the lens? If so, try some shots without it. I've seen more than a few filters that reduce image sharpness (as well as cause other problems).

I agree, too, that you should experiment with sharpening your images in post processing. That is usually done as a final step, once the image (or actually a copy of the original) has been resized for it's intended use. The amount of sharpening that can and should be applied to an images changes significantly, depending upon image size and resolution. There are tutorials online about image sharpening, that you might check out.

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

Post examples of some images that illustrate your frustration. There are a large number of things that can contribute to image softness. Check the box to "Store Original" when you post the images.

AlfredU Loc: Mooresville, NC

I know you are getting a lot of good advice here, but I think for your situation, you need a class. Find a class where you can get some good instruction from a human being. In my career, I pioneered many online learning applications, and they have their place. But sometimes a real person is best. Best of luck to you with your new camera.

srt101fan

How much was this image cropped, Marty?

ballsafire Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

Marty, I think you need a good book about your Nikon camera. Your eyes may not be good enough to do much reading but that is the way I learned my DSLR camera. I used the DUMMIES book about my camera and had to spend a few years going back and reading the parts I didn't understand. I also read the MANUAL first thing. The learning curve at our age is pretty steep so you may have to go back to your bridge camera; nothing wrong with that as there are some real good ones easy to use. Also the eyes may be getting worse little by little -- and maybe an eye operation for cataract(s) might be in order-- just saying. That learning curve for me took several years and I still don't know it all-LOL.

As you can see there are a lot of people ere in UHH willing to help.

agillot

their must be a way to have a single auto focus point at the center of frame , that way no issue .

swartfort Loc: Evansville, IN

Two quick thoughts (I use a d3400 also).

1) When you use aperture priority you say that you have it set on maximum. I assume that is wide open, so on your lens that should be around 4.5. The lens has a "sweet spot" that is NOT at the wide open setting. I would work at the 7.1 or 8 aperture setting. I think that the picture you attached is "soft" not out of focus. Soft photos are often mistaken for out of focus.

2) The fastest way to get your focus point to center if it has moved (i'm still not sure why this happens sometimes) is to use your thumb on your right hand and hit the center button in the directional switch. That centers the focus button.

I realize that there is a bunch to learn on this camera vs. a bridge camera. I also recognize that I too have had frustration. BUT and I keep reminding myself this.... pixels are FREE and learning is a lifelong endeavor. My suggestion, for what it is worth, is to put your focus on learning the camera and enjoying your progress vs. the outcome of each image.

I wish you well, and if you have any specific questions, please feel free to pm me.
(I think that BBF might help you, but it would be best if someone walked you thru that)

Best to you

dhight Loc: Marysville, Ca

I have many of the same problems, bad eyesight, not as steady, etc. i’m Also a trained sniper thanks to the army; it was drummed into me to control my breathing and shoot between heartbeats. I use that same training when taking pictures with good result. I also have adapted some shooting positions to taking pictures. I use multi-point focusing and most of the time let the camera make the decision due to my eyesight, unless the back or foreground are busy then I manually override the camera to focus on the subject. To get enough light to focus I use a LED ring light on insects and shoot early before it warms up the insects

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

I'm in a similar situation with the eye sight and age related shakiness.

As to the focus point, I would go to youtube and learn how to set back button focus for your D3400; trying to set focus by depressing the shutter release was way too much trouble for me and my focus constantly changed when trying to take a photo. Back button focus took care of that problem.

When I set the focus point, I usually do it against a dark background (just setting the focus point) and then use that point when I back button focus.

As to the shakiness, I find that I can get very sharp photos when shooting at 1/125 and faster. Contrary to the experts, I will shoot at 1/125 at 300mm and still have a sharp photo.

You have a good camera in the D3400, don't let these little problems get you down. You'll do fine and I can say that because I use a D3000 and D3200 (and my old D40 when traveling); I have a different lens on each one for landscape photography.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

You are getting a lot of very bad advice, in my humble opinion. Gene’s however, is spot on. You have a perfectly good body and lens. Far better than any bridge camera and capable of top quality results.

Post the original and you’ll get much more realistic advice. Don’t give up and don’t go thinking you’ve got to spend another thousand dollars.

Andy

Charles 46277 Loc: Fulton County, KY

I thought everybody would say what I say--but they didn't.

I am 74 years old, but when I was young, I used a tripod and slow shutter speeds (for most things, I still do)--often half a second. Nobody can hold long focal lengths with the necessary fast speeds they would require--use a tripod. Move closer rather than zooming in.

As for focusing, I suspect your manual lets you set the camera to focus on one focus point. If not, the problem is not age--it is that digital cameras do not have the focusing aids that older cameras did (the bristling donut, the split image), because the camera focuses for you. The old trick I use is to touch the shutter release lightly to focus, then (keeping the button halfway down) compose and take the shot. But again, this is not an issue if I use a tripod and take my time. Mine (yours too, I think) has a button on the camera that magnifies the image on the screen so much that you can focus very long lenses easily--and sharply--but this is done with a certain amount of care (and time).

For sharp pictures, avoid the longest focal length settings unless you must use them. Choose between small apertures and fast shutter speeds (you can't have both unless the lighting in in your control).

A great deal depends on what you photograph, but whatever it is, you have to stay within the limits of optical realities. Many realities require slow shutter speeds (tripod) or large apertures, or shorter lenses. You have to manage these, and learn to use the self-focusing feature of digital photography. You have taken steps to go for higher quality pictures--don't throw this away with easy compromises. You cannot do with a long lens everything you can do with a short one, or in fair light what you can do in bright light, or at fast speeds everything you can do with slow ones. Controlling the light is a possibility that makes the rest easy--flash or other lights have been a Godsend for photographers for a very long time. This can give you shorter shutter, longer focal length, smaller aperture, and smaller ISO.

Some of your pictures can be a piece of cake with your equipment (and give you choices), but some pictures are harder, or else they just require staying within the limits of the science through practice.

ronpier Loc: Poland Ohio

Hang in there Marty. I also have a D3400 and a similar lens:Tamron 18-200. I’m 64, wear glasses and have been told I have the beginning of cataracts. I am enjoying learning how to use this camera. Photos are amazingly sharp. I use AF-S focus mode with single point af-area mode for still subjects and AF-C and Dynamic Area for moving subjects. Nikon D3400 for Dummies (like me) has been a life saver especially Chapter 5 Controlling Focus and Depth of Field. This is a great entry level DSLR for guys and gals like us who are just learning. Have fun, shoot often and enjoy!!

MartyfromWNY Loc: Rochester, NY

Some miscellaneous comments

"their must be a way to have a single auto focus point at the center of frame , that way no issue " There is, on my bridge camera

" I used the DUMMIES book about my camera"

I also have the Dummies book. I'm dependent on it, as the information from Nikon (including the online manual) is woefully inadequate

"How much was this image cropped, Marty" I can't quantify it, but it's significant and probably excessive by the standards of many people here.

"do you have a "protection" filter on the lens?"

No filter.

Here is a picture with a lack of sharpness

(Download)