Am i expecting too much,i am really new to this but i just dont seem to understand the settings!!
Perhaps i should go to a Photography workshop,or perhaps i should just continue to take record shots of birds.Perhaps there is a problem with my lense.I have seen some fantastic shots on websites with this combination that are so sharp but i just dont seem to get the same results,mine are soft and its annoying me,maybe i expect too much of a jump from the D80 to the D7000 using the same lense but something don't feel right at the moment.
I have followed what certain people have told me but my shots seem to come out worse,maybe its just because its new,takes some time getting used to,i don't know,perhaps i should just get a new lense,a better one,although i would prefer not to until i know theres a problem with this one.
Anyway,i went to Thames Chase,Broadfield Farm today with Les Sutton,who i met at last weeks Wildlife meeting,it was freezing cold when we got there but it soon warmed up.A pretty cold morning basically held 20 Siskins,a few fieldfare & Redwings,Goldfinch,pigeons and naff all else,although we spent the majority of it messing around with my settings,confusing me even more.
We went to the centre for the delicious bacon baguette they serve up,then i had to clean and fill the feeders for the birds around the centre,while Les had a look at the Nikon Manual.He gave me a few pointers which i put into practice after but didn't really get any decent results until i started messing around a bit more on the scrape.
The Scrape which was devoid of birdlife the other day now had a Green Sandpiper,Grey Heron,2 Mallards,a couple of Linnets on the fence,Kestrel overhead and a Grey wagtail on the pipe,there could of been other stuff but until the vegetation on the top is cleared we can only see part of the scrape.
I got a few decent shots of the Green Sandpiper after tweaking about with the camera although i am not too sure how i did it,it was about 40ft away and hasnt come out too bad but it could be better,its birds that are feet away that bother me lol.I guess i shall have to take the lense back to sigma to check,or better still,someone with the same combination to help me out and see if their lense gives me better results on my new D7000 or better still,find time to go on a course and actually learn how to take photos properly,its not quite as easy as focusing and pressing the button.
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Hi Rob Im no camera expert , but I take it you are using a tripod if not the softness could be due to camera shake especially at the top end.
ReplyDeleteAlso some of your pictures seem to have a strange colour cast to them
I've heard some bad things about this lens. Some swear by it, while others say they've bought one and shipped it back three or four times before getting a crisp copy. Toothslayer is right - a tripod helps, but, generally, if you use a tripod, you should turn optical stabilizer off (not sure if you're using it or not). Having OS on while using a tripod can actually make the image less clear, as the OS mechanism actually causes shake.
ReplyDeleteSometimes certain cameras just don't go with certain lenses. I shoot canon, and have found that my 100-400mm looks great on my Rebel T2i, but not so sharp on my 7d. Could be the same with Nikon combos.
Matt
If you are not already try using apiture priority mode set at its widest for the lens you will lose depth of field but your point of focus should be sharp.I use a sigma lens 70-300mm optical stabilizer and manage to get sharp pictures hand held normally.
ReplyDeleteMost people on nikon chat forums say the combo works well,i never use OS with the tripod.
ReplyDeleteI use Aperture,always did with my D80 but the decent shots i got today were in S mode,which i did feel uncomfortable with,mainly because i have never used it before.
With regards to colours,i only use basic software from my PC,i have never taken it too seriously until i decided to get the D7000 and often fiddle around with the colours too much.
I think i may go back to Hand held for now and leave the tripod for an after thought as i have been using it all the time since i bought the camera,probably because i assumed i would get a better shot with it.
Am not counting out a problem with the lense,although i would like to spend a day in the field with someone who has the same combo as me,who gets sharp images so i can set my gear up the same and see what differences if any there are,there are so many different settings compared to the D80 that i guess it will take time to figure out the best ones.
Good luck Rob let us know how you get on.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt you will read all about it,i may just take the lense back on wednesday to sigma and see if they can test it,otherwise a new one may be on the cards!!
ReplyDeleteIf you are taking pictures handheld then you will need a fast shutter speed at the long end of the zoom, around 1/1000 to negate any hand shake. you will probably be able to step that down a bit if you have a decent tripod and obviously the better the light the better the shot
ReplyDeleteRob,speak to Russ as he has a Sigma 150-500mm, he may be able to help.Dave
ReplyDeletecheers dave,will do,although i think i may have sorted the problem,could always do with a bit of advice from those with the same lense
ReplyDelete