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hi all, im just starting out really, i have a canon 400D with 100-400mm L IS lens, that i use for wildlife shots,I use the presets mostly wile im larning, my problem is i cant get my photo sharp,is use the lens fully extended mostly to get as close as poss, iv tried turning the IS off, any tipps or adivce, cheers
Assuming your focus is ok, what sort of shutter speeds are you using? If you're using the camera in auto mode then chances are its picking a shutter speed thats too slow for a lens that long.
You want to be shooting at 1/500th second at least to get sharp shots. Even faster if its a heavy lens.
Try using shutter priority, setting a fast shutter speed and see how you get on.
What kind of shutter speeds are you using?
Even if you use one of the "program modes" you should be able to see what the shutter speed is in the viewfinder, and it is recorded in the EXIF information file that is saved along with the image.
Say you are using your lens at 400mm, a rough guide is that you need a shutter speed of 1/400 to avoid the effects of shake. It's just a guide, but it's something to start with. Using IS, you should have a bit of leeway, but really you need a tripod (with IS turned off) for best stability.
[edit: sorry, posted before seeing the same advice above!]
Well the ways I know of to increase sharpness of photos are these :
1. Make the shutter speed as fast as you can. If you want to increase shutter speed further, then try using shutter or aperture priority mode and then boosting the exposure compensation as this will enable you to use a faster shutter speed but still get a decent exposure. (when you use a faster shutter speed, your pictures will be slightly darker the faster the speed so using exposure compensation enables you to add more brightness to the image to compensate for you using a fast shutter speed.)
2. Use a sturdy tripod, and definately use the 2 second timer when doing so, will cut out any camera shake. When you press the shutter button to take a picture it moves the camera ever so slightly, so with using the 2 second timer, any camera shake or vibration from you pressing the shutter button wil have died down and the camera will be dead still at the time of the shutter opening and the picture is taken.
3. Turn IS or VR to 'on' if you have it on your lens. I say it this way, because this apllies to anyone with a canon or nikon with lenses with VR or IS built in.
And thats about it really. If you are using a tripod though, remember to ALWAYS turn IS or VR to 'off' because there will not be any camera shake or vibration for it to solve and will create vibration etc... due to it looking for any shake.
Quote: (when you use a faster shutter speed, your pictures will be slightly darker the faster the speed so using exposure compensation enables you to add more brightness to the image to compensate for you using a fast shutter speed.)
This sounds like excellent advice, I will practice this at the first opportunity, if this gets me better pictures I will be dead chuffed.
......Mike
Quote: my problem is i cant get my photo sharp
Hand held - If you don't use a fast shutter speed with the lens fully extended the chances of getting a sharp shot are minimal -
1mm movement near the camera is magnified enormously if you're focusing on something 50 metres away hence you'll get motion blur -
at that distance on wildlife you really don't neeed depth of field so depending on light conditions- set your camera on tv (speed) mode - UP your iso to maybe 200/400 - go for MINIMUM 1/500th - take a deep breath - relax - squeeze don't jerk and it may work - 
Dave
I have to admit (hangs head in shame) I once bought PP mag (not so long ago) as they had an article on how to get pin sharp shots. I thought this might include sharpening techniques on the computer, tips for which is the best aperture, etc, but their 3 top tips were...
(drum roll....)
1. Hold the camera really steady, or use a tripod
2. Use a smaller aperture
3. Buy a better lens
For true sharpness a good quality tripod is essential, and even then, proper technique must be used, especially with a long telephoto. Moose Peterson has a good little tutorial on long telephoto technique.
As far as shutter speed goes, I use aperture priority and select the aperture I want, and the camera will give the fastest available shutter speed for that f-stop. Whether the image is over or under-exposed usually depends on the tonal value of the metered subject. If the subject is a bright tone, any colour, open up 1 stop with EV compensation, if dark, vice-versa, and you work from there, checking the histogram for accuracy.
Now, I could be totally wrong here, and I'm sure someone will correct me.
HTH, Good Luck.
Just realised why my shots on my 100-400 are so bad. I thought the IS worked in the "Off" position. Humpf
Palmister - using the 100-400, use a tripod wherever feasible (and attach to the tripod mount on the lens, not the camera) and turn IS "OFF". If you use IS when on a tripod, look through the viewfinder as you depress the shutter half way and you will actually see it moving around.
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