Fuzz Around Birds

[vwalla]

I took this image just a few minutes ago and I have noticed that when I use my Nikkor 55-200 zoom (max zoom), I get a weird "fuzz" or gohsting around the objects. Anyone have sug. on what is causing this (maybe its b/c I am a noob) Here are my settings:

F stop 5.6
Shutter: 1/100
ISO 100
WB: Auto
Zoom: 200mm

Thanks.

 

[Aayria]

I think it's probably the low F-Stop you chose. At 5.6, you're giving yourself a more shallow depth of field. Only your focus and a small area around it will be in focus, the rest will be blurry. If you want more in focus, use a narrower (higher number) F-stop, and then adjust your shutter speed accordingly.

It also looks like in this shot you didn't really focus on anything in the frame, except maybe.. sky?

 

[o hey tyler]

Well your shutter speed might be too slow. It should be (here come the variables), whatever your focal length is XXXmm as the denominator. So 1/xxx. Try reshooting at 1/200s at 200mm (or faster than 1/200).

 

[rufus5150]

Two things may be at work -- is the lens a VR lens (and if so is it turned on?) 1/100 at 200mm may be showing some camera shake. Also 1/100 won't stop movement so if that tree is blowing in the wind you might get some ghosting there.

You're also blowing out the sky which causes a massive contrast with the birds which is a prime candidate for chromatic aberration, especially with a lens where controlling that can sometimes be difficult (I'm not familiar with the exact properties of that lens in terms of CA control).

 

[Overread]

I belive that haze you are seeing is chromatic aboration - and beyond that name I don't know much more about dealing with it. However it gives you a research starting point. I can say that the sky in that shot is certianly overexposed, which is not helping that effect and shooting wide open on many lenses also increases the chances of getting chromatic aboration.
I do understand that dark birds against a bright sky are hard to expose correctly - generaly speaking you have to reach for flash to boost their lighting levels and thus let you expose for the brighter sky - letting the flash boost the bird lighting. Reflectors can also be used, but are slower (generally) to setup for shots than a quick flash burst

 

[vwalla]

Wow! Thanks for all the great feedback. The lense doe not have VR, that may be one of the culprits, along with the overexposed sky, and my settings. Thanks 'o hey tyler' for the fraction. That helps for a starting point.

I will give it a go again tomorrow and see ehat happens.

V