Help help help

[SnapHappy]

Hiya, i have just got my self a Sigma 170-500mm for my nikon D50 hoping to get some nice wildlife shots, well things have not gone to plan not one shot further than 10foot is any good i have try'd upping the iso to give faster shutter speeds plus mounted on a very sturdy tripod still no good, I need help or lot will have to go.

[Ollie]

Hi.
Don't be to disheartened. That's a big zoom lens you are using and they do take a while to get the hang of. Took me weeks to get a decent shot out of the Sigma 50-500mm lens. you haven't mentioned what settings you are using apart from upping the ISO speeds.

If you give a little more detail I'm sure someone will be able to advise. Personally myself I use my lens on a Canon 400D. The camera is set to Aperture value mode and I use an f stop of around f6.3 to f9 for birds. Of course this is only a general setting and not a rule.

Roger

[HowlinWolf]

SnapHappy:

As Ollie says, getting the most from long lenses takes a while to get the hang of.
Check out the link for mastering the technique.

Proper Long Lens Technique

HW

[matt_xyz]

as Roger (Ollie) says, let us know what settings you are using and someone should be able to offer some advice. Are you using centre spot focusing?

Matt

[SnapHappy]

The first 2 shots was about 60foot away and shot at 500mm but the swan was only about 8 - 10 foot i have try'd AP mode ranging F6.3 up to F9 or 10 and SP mode at different settings and all of them at 500 mm were not good from strange colouring to just looking out of focus, is there a distance i should be keeping under as some of the shots have been about 200 foot away ?? Will be going out and trying (Proper Long Lens Technique) tomorrow so pray for some good weather.

[SnapHappy]

The middle pic was taken using centre focusing, metering: matrix, shutter speed: 1/640, F6.3, The top pic was again centre focus, metering: matrix, shutter speed: 1/125, F6.3 I try'd to keep the F. done to keep shutter speed high.

[kshotton45]

KODAK CANADA: Guide To Better Pictures

Telephoto


Tips for Telephoto Lens Photographs

[Interpreter]

This is what I would do.
Keep the camera locked solid. This means that a tripod is a must. Then select a specific object, such as the branch of a tree and take a photograph of it, letting the camera sort out the exposure and focus. Then repeat the operation, but this time use manual focus. Do it again using aperture priority and stop well down.
This should check that the lens is OK on your camera. After that it is, as everyone says, practice, practice, practice.

[HowlinWolf]

SnapHappy:

I've looked at your images in Photoshop, and the exif data reveals several points.
The first shot was taken using auto mode with the lens wide open. The ISO is not recorded in the data, but the shutter speed was 1/125 sec (at f/6.3). Using this shutter speed with such a long lens runs the risk of camera shake (even on a tripod, unless long lens technique is employed: even then it's a risk). The in-camera sharpening is set to 'normal'.
However, the swan image is altogether sharper. The exif data reveals that you shot it using shutter priority, selecting a shutter speed of 1/500 sec (at f/8). Two things happening here. First, your shutter speed is nearer the reciprocal of the focal length, which helps reduce camera movement, and second, you have stopped the lens down to f/8: this action will help improve the performance of the lens. Only pro-spec lenses perform well at maximum aperture. The swan shot has camera sharpening set to 'soft'.

It was the fact that the swan's eye was sharp that made me look into the problem further. Unsharp mask improves the image. Any further comment?

HW

[glsammy]

Likewise I've had a look at the swan shot. Here's my efforts to balance it.

Turns out to be not a bad shot at all.