Canon 100-400 vii lens - Pictures could be sharper Need help!

[Summerlee340]

Okay, so it could be me - I'm not a total noob, but who knows. Been shooting with my Canon Rebel T3i for several years. Mostly used my 55-250 kit lens and at times I got some tack sharp photos from that lens

Regarding my new 100-400 vii lens, I have yet to get a crisp shot - the shots are just okay to me. Granted I am hand holding the camera and lens when  trying to take photos, and it is a bit heavy (mostly of birds and wildlife) but I do have the IS on.  I usually shoot on M but lately I've been using TV mode - my photos are okay but they just are not sharp enough.  I have it on AF - and sometimes it takes a few seconds to focus.

Even with my tripod, again, the shots are okay - some are passable, but I know what sharp is as I've taken a few with my 55-250 and so far I'm not cutting it.  

I usually have the lens to full zoom at 400 and I try to keep the shutter speed at least 400 as I've read the focal length should be reciprocal to the shutter speed.  My histogram looks great quite often...

Question/Issues:  Perhaps I am too far away from my subject? Birds are so skittish so I usually stand maybe  20 feet away.

 I thought with the larger zoom that meant I wouldn't have to be as close to my subject .  

So am I too far away?

If someone has a few moments, perhaps I can get some advice or point me to a great website....Thanks very much.

[Waddizzle]

I think that those are pretty good shots. 

Jittery critters like squirrels are hard to capture in focus.  They make appear to be sitting still, but many times they are trembling like a tuning fork, which caues their bodies to be out of focus.  Comparing the squirrel to the stationary object, like the tree, shows the focus is pretty much equal.  I'd say you did fairly well.

The other two shots are even better.  You're dealing with creatures that are relatively stationary compared to the squirrel.  

That is good advice about needing a good tripod.  IMHO, you can never have a tripod that is too sturdy, not in my book.  The load ratings on tripod legs and tripod heads must be taken with a grain of salt.  There is no standard for determining how much load something can support. 

Some manufacturers seem to rate their products conservatively, while others seem overly optimistic, almost to the point of being flat out false.  Most tripods are rated with the center column fully lowered.  Raising the center column only destabilizes the tripod, reducing the maximum load it can support, because the entire setup can become top heavy and tip over.  YIKES.

Nice shots, though, once again.

[Summerlee340]

Wadizzle,

Thank you!  I'm trying. I need more practice - I go for weeks sometimes without taking photos and then I am out there every day. Need to be more consistent.

I like what you said that they "tremble like a tuning fork".  From what others say, I need to focus on the eye. 

My Manfrotto tripod appears to be sturdy. I took a basic photo course at a high school recently and the instructor said he puts his camera bag on the tripod to sturdy it even further.  Anyway, next I will take shots with the tripod. 

Yikes is right - would hate to see my gear get crushed. Didn't know that about the center column.

I appreciate the detailed comments. There is nothing like the feeling when I get a crisp shot. I need to get much more of them!

[ebiggs1]

Summerlee340,

Those shots are nice.  Well on your way.  Experience is the best teacher.  You mentioned Lightroom and I think you should get it or at least use the DPP that came free with your camera.  LR is better but DPP is better than none!  Here is why, these two post editors have Canon lens correction built in.  This is a correction I apply to all my shots.  It is done automatically in LR as they import.  All lenses need this, even the best and the most expensive!  Doesn't matter.

I have a couple reasons why I don't like Auto ISO. First you are not truly in manual mode.  Second I don't like it going too high.  I know you can set limits on how high or low is can adjust but them why?  Just set it where you want it and be done with it.  Probably because I grew up when cameras were truly manual, not semi-manual.   Cameras can guess at what you want but isn't it better to decide for your self.  I think, yes it is.

Try setting the camera to high speed shooting instead of One Shot.  No to Ai-servo.

[Summerlee340]

ebiggs, thank you for your comments about my photos. The squirrel, if I recall, I didn't think of focusing on the eye. The bird, same thing - they move so fast.  The butterfly, I focused on the butterfly - at least I think I did.

Interesting about lens correction. 

I never used the disk that came with my camera (got the camera as a gift  in 2012). I will have to check it out. I wonder if there is a more current one - I will research that.  Anyhow - I agree about setting the ISO myself-I am trying every which way that is suggested. You are so right - experience is the best teacher - when I look back at my photos from 2012 I can see a difference.

You mention "high speed shooting"?  Do you mean AI Focus the one that detects movement and changes to mode automatically?

Thank you for your comments!

[ebiggs1]

"You mention "high speed shooting"?  Do you mean AI Focus the one that detects movement and changes to mode automatically?"

High speed is the 'motor drive' for a DSLR. It fires multiple shots very rapidly.  My camera fires 10 frames per second, FPS.  I don't remember how fast yours is but it is quick.  Wildlife make small quick changes in their movements and sometimes this will catch it.  You may shoot 10 frames in a second and only get one in critical focus.  But you might have missed it all together with just one chance. 

IMHO, avoid Ai-servo shooting. It will throw you off for now.  Concentrate on One Shot but select the High Speed function.  It might be called 'continous mode' on your camera with a high and a low option.

[TTMartin]

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@Summerlee340 wrote:

Do you mean AI Focus the one that detects movement and changes to mode automatically?

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Do NOT use AIFocus!

For moving subjects or subjects that may move use AIServo.

[diverhank]

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@Summerlee340 wrote:

Hello diverhank,

Here are three unedited uncropped photos that I took after I read everyone's comments today about upping the SS, etc. Still handheld (next stop, use tripod). Settings: 1/1000, Manual mode, 400mm Auto ISO. They still do not look tack sharp. Perhaps I should take tons more as several people have mentioned not every photo is a keeper. Thanks again.

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Hello Summerlee340...the sample pictures you posted are sharp...but may not be where they need to be sharp.  I think the problem here is not sharpness but rather where the focus was at.

At 400mm, the Depth of Field (DOF) is rather thin and therefore the focus has to be precise.  I'm not sure what your focus mode was...for this type of shooting, you need to use a single focus point, aimed squarely at the critter's eye.  If you use more (like auto focus point), the camera will usually grab something, usually the closest part but not always.

Via DPP you can tell where the focus point was for each of the picture. I suggest you take a look at these.  On the first one, it's hard to tell where but it looks like the main focus was on the tree bark behind the squirrel and its eye wasn't quite in focus.  On the second one, it might be focusing on the bird OK except the bird was dark and was small...it's hard to get a razor sharp image for something that small and in the shadow.  On the third, it looks like the focus was on the flower slightly in front of of the butterfly.

All in all, these aren't that bad at all...as people correctly pointed out, for this kind of shooting, the keep rate is quite low.  Consider yourself really good if you get one keeper out of ten which is currently my keep rate on a good day.  There is no substitute for good lighting and cooperative subjects...in many cases, it's not always possible and hence the lower keep rate.

Just keep in mind that focus has to be precise and aim for the eye.  Be disciplined and do this for every shot and soon it will become second nature.   If it's too hard, just place the eye right smack in the middle and crop for composition later.  For non-moving objects and critters, you can move the focus point to the eye.  I usually just aim right smack in the middle...after a while, I don't shoot non-moving critters anymore...and the moving kind is too fast to mess with moving focus points.

[ebiggs1]

diverhank outstanding hummingbird shot.  

[Summerlee340]

diverhank,

Thank you for taking the time to comment. 

My focus mode is a single point in the middle - I wil try again (and again) and focus on the eye.

I don't why, but I never looked at the disks that came with the camera. I don't see a DPP disk. I see a disk for basic controls and a disk for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 with a 30 day trial.

 I imagine there must be a free download of DPP somewhere on line.     Perhaps Canon's website?

[diverhank]

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@Summerlee340 wrote:

 I imagine there must be a free download of DPP somewhere on line.     Perhaps Canon's website?

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You can download them at the Canon website:

Canon T3i Download website