Newbie focusing HELP

blazingsaddle · Nov 30, 2009

I recently bought a Nikon D5000 for the family and I to use.
I know absolutly nothing about photography- but would like to be able to be comfortable shooting wildlife someday.
I have been out several times taking pictures of animals to try to get the hang of it. I tried the Auto Focus at first with no luck. The focus always seemed to be on the bushes/branches in front of the animal. So I tried manually focusing, while down on the Henrys this weekend. Needless to say I'm really disappointed in the turn out of the pictures I took. At first look, they seem pretty good, but when I zoom in on the animal-most all of them are blurry.
I know its something I am doing, because a few of them turned out really well. I cannot tell if its a focus issue, or a movement issue on my end. Should I always use a tripod?
Most pictures were taken from a distance of 100-300 yards. Am I asking too much from my lenses at these distances?
I have the two lenses that came with the kit: 18-55 f/3.5-5.6G VR and 55-200 f/4-5.6G IF ED
Any pointers would be of great help- I messed up too many pictures of some amazing bucks.

redrabbit · Nov 30, 2009

Tripod, turn off the VR, use a remote release, see how high ISO you can go without noise and f/5.6-8 to get a faster shutter speed, get closer.

Maybe Tony or Rod can chime in with their suggestions.

blazingsaddle · Dec 1, 2009

thanks for the help- I'm trying to read about about ISO/Apature/shutter speed-or in other words just trying to learn all that I can.
One question- why would you turn off the VR?

OutdoorWriter · Dec 1, 2009

LAST EDITED ON Dec-01-09 AT 07:25AM (MST)[p]If something in the photo is in sharp focus, camera movement is likely not the problem. It just sounds as if you're letting the auto-focus take over without making your own adjustments. That's why the bushes are sharp, but your subject isn't.

I'm not too familiar with your camera, but if it has a SPOT focus mode, that's a good choice to use. For wildlife, you do not want multi-area focus going on. Focus on the critter, -- eye is the target -- LOCK that focus with a 1/2 push of the shutter button, then compose the shot and press the shutter.

Now, if there's nothing in focus, camera movement is likely the cause. Go to a higher shutter speed by either adjusting the ISO to a higher speed -- 100 to 400 -- or shooting in programmed aperture priority mode with the lens wide-open, i.e the smallest f-stop like 5.6 or so. That will automatically provide the highest shutter speed under any given light condition.

TONY MANDILE

How To Hunt Coues Deer

redrabbit · Dec 1, 2009

With the camera on a tripod, the camera is still. The VR will "look" for nonexistent vibrations/motion and hence cause some image blurr. Thus, turn it off when using a tripod.

Try setting your ISO to 800. You could try testing a series of higher ISO settings and see what image quality you can accept.

Using aperture priority, set it at f/5.6 That is as wide open as your lens can be at 200mm. According to this report, you should not suffer much loss of resolution over f/8 or f/11

http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikk...-200mm-f4-56g-if-ed-dx-vr-review--test-report

blazingsaddle · Dec 1, 2009

Thank you, thank you-I will try the things you guys mention- I figure I can mess around with things when I take my dogs out in the hills-try to capture them.
Thank you

TFinalshot · Dec 2, 2009

I never turn off my vr. . . .

www.tonybynum.com

"Roadless areas, in general, represent some of the best fish and wildlife habitat on public lands. The bad news is that there is nothing positive about a road where fish and wildlife habitat are concerned -- absolutely nothing." (B&C Professor, Jack Ward Thomas, Fair Chase, Fall 2005, p.10).