Nikon P1000 , problems with image quality or shaking ?

[Derrel]

I see that the cardinal was shot at 1/500 second at 539mm, a very long actual focal length. This is the 3,000mm-FF-equivalent that is referenced above...the subject blurring is far from terrible...but by the same token, the photo is far from crisp...

 

[taipei101]

This weekend is the weather is good I'll go birding again .I'll turn off VR if the shutter speed is high and if I'll lean on anything to see the difference.
I'll set manual 100 iso and F.8.
I might bring my first superzoom Canon SX50 HS to test against the P1000 , and see which images I like more or sharper /focused/steady.

 

[Derrel]

ISO 100 might be too low unless the light level is really high!

 

[taipei101]

I also took this bad pic of a blue heron the day before the cardinal ,but this time the problem was probably the too low shutter speed and the VR couldn't correct the shake , what do you think the problem was?

 

[taipei101]

Hi Derrel , I know but with such a small sensor I have to try 100 ISO as much as possible

 

[taipei101]

Hi Derrel , I like your pics , very creative, I noticed there is no like button in that gallery

 

[Rinderart]

If your ever In LA. contact me. I would Like to shoot you rinderart@aol.com

 

[taipei101]

Hi Rinderart , if you refer to my avatar it's a photo 20 years ago , no longer photogenic

 

[taipei101]

You cannot turn off VR on the P1000 !!!.
only in the video settings in the menu I turned it off , but when I take pics the waving hand still appears on the screen .
in the photo settings there is no VR option.
Am I missing something ?
I might have to return the camera , I hope not.
I also made a long distance video test of a window at night , 1,1/2 mile (nobody appeared) with VR turned off and manual focus ,but the image seems to slightly move and shift focus ,could it be atmospheric distorsion ?

 

[Rinderart]

Hi Rinderart , if you refer to my avatar it's a photo 20 years ago , no longer photogenic

Cool. Mine is 10 Years ago.

 

[Derrel]

My avatar photo is a mirror selfie from 2006 or so...

RE: atmospheric conditions causing "shimmer",etc., over a distance of 1.5 miles, it is very possible!
RE: ISO 100 being needed in a small-sensor digicam...the cardinal at 320 ISO looked OK, but possibly the culprit was the VR at 1/500 second..perhaps the shot would have turned out better at ISO 100 at a slower shutter speed?

 

[taipei101]

Hi Derrel , I thought the same thing about the ISO ,I was surpised that the automatic went to 320 in a sunny situation ,so from now on I'll shoot daytime Manual at 100 iso in full sun to lower the shutter speed.
Later I'm going to a Meadowlands park and then Van Saun park and test these new insights on the birds there , I'll keep you posted.
Thank you and have a nice day

 

[taipei101]

Could this be a clue ?

I shot this plane with autofocus first and it looked terrible (shaken) so I tried manual focus and it looks a lot better (only atmospheric shimmer), hand held.

F.8

1/80 sec.

ISO 100

Focal length 539mm or equivalent 3000

Both

 

[taipei101]

Thanks for replying , I didn't include many details because I thought that you can read the properties/exif from my images , my mistake , so now I include 2 pics of the properties of the cardinal and cheetah from PC and Phone together , you said that the tripod is the problem but the good photo of the cheetah is also handheld with a lot less light and slower shutter speed . With the cardinal the light was perfect and the settings very fast but it looks blurred by movement ,maybe not out of focus , pay attention to the little branches all around the bird,they seem doubled as shaking , I had a very steady hand leaning on a fence and no wind. In the shot of the cheetah I held the camera high to avoid the Cheetah fence at the Philadelphia Zoo..
I heard rumors from other Nikon owners that the Nikon VR doesn't like complete stillness ,it will try to correct anyway and create a shake ,I don't know if it's true but after 2 weeks of good quality images using this camera the pics didn't come out "still" anymore ,.there always seem to be a little shake no matter what ,in daylight ,sunny , cloudy sunset ,flash etc... I don't know what to do . my fear is that it is defective and worked good only for 2 weeks ,I'm gonna try different setting soon to see if I'm missing something . I got a 5 years total warranty from Adorama so I might use for a replacement .
I include also a shot of an Owl with the tripod and the problem is still there like the cardinal.

When I went into the settings I didn't see an option to disengage the VR in the still images menu/column . It's only in the menu column of the video controls . does it sound correct ?

Please give me some advice , this is my first Nikon since digital so maybe there are some things about Nikon that I don't know . the only FF camera I own is the Sony A7 and I also have a few APSC from Sony , Fuji and Canon .



Regards.

 

[taipei101]

I still believe that I got a defective P1000 , because my old superzoom Canon SX50 HS (only 1200mm) never gave me a problem , photos always beyond my expectations , very satisfactory , rarely a shaky or blurred photo. But with this P1000 I find myself asking everybody for help and no matter what I try the image are always shaky or blurred ,tripod or not , I believe more and more that the VR is defective in my item , I never had this problem with my Canon which I still enjoy , but I was craving more telephoto reach. The photo of the cheetah was taken in the first 2 weeks of owning the P1000 when most photos were still and beautiful , afterward I didn't get still photos anymore.

In a week or 2 I'll exchange it if I doesn't give me correct photos.