Out of focus pictures

scion7722 · Feb 28, 2013

I recently bought a Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens so far just about every picture i take is blurry, there is no prob with a different lens. The only thing i can think is that the lighting might be off or a setting somewhere that is screwing it up.

SCraig · Feb 28, 2013

Make sure the Auto / Manual switch on the lens is set to Auto if you are using autofocus.

Keep in mind that at 300mm any motion of the camera is going to be magnified just as the view is. The longer the lens the more stable you have to hold the camera and the more careful you have to be when pressing the shutter release.

Make sure your shutter speed is fast enough for the same reason. At 300mm you should be shooting no slower than 1/250 second until you learn to use the lens properly.

Make sure you aren't shooting at wide open aperture. No lens is sharpest at either end of its aperture range.

The_Traveler · Feb 28, 2013

SCraig said:
Make sure the Auto / Manual switch on the lens is set to Auto if you are using autofocus.

Keep in mind that at 300mm any motion of the camera is going to be magnified just as the view is. The longer the lens the more stable you have to hold the camera and the more careful you have to be when pressing the shutter release.

Make sure your shutter speed is fast enough for the same reason. At 300mm you should be shooting no slower than 1/250 second until you learn to use the lens properly.

Make sure you aren't shooting at wide open aperture. No lens is sharpest at either end of its aperture range.

What he said.

Almost certainly, it is a shutter speed problem but post a picture that shows your problem.

scion7722 · Feb 28, 2013

I have tried auto focus and manual both with the same results. Also thinking it might be a lens that does better in outside light conditions?

SCraig · Feb 28, 2013

scion7722 said:
I have tried auto focus and manual both with the same results. Also thinking it might be a lens that does better in outside light conditions?

If you're trying to shoot indoors with that lens I'd almost guarantee that your shutter speed is too slow unless you are using a flash.

cynicaster · Mar 1, 2013

Set your camera to shutter priority mode with a shutter speed of 1/500 and snap a few test shots out your back door using autofocus on a contrasty object. If you don't get fairly crisp images doing this, there must be something wrong with your lens.

EIngerson · Mar 1, 2013

Call it "Art" and be done with it.

480sparky · Mar 1, 2013

Post a small, unedited example.

scion7722 · Mar 1, 2013

Well this is the only picture that i can find that i didn't already trash. I wasn't trying to anything special in the pic my kid was playing peek a boo with me and i figured if it turned out it might be a cute pic, guess not lol. If i would have thought about it earlier i would have kept some pictures to post, but this is actually my first post on a forum. Thank you everyone for all the info.

480sparky · Mar 1, 2013

Unfortunately, the focus point data isn't available, so I can't see which focus point was used. But by the exif data, it appears to be a combination of high ISO, shallow DOF and low shutter speed.

Camera Maker: NIKON CORPORATION
Camera Model: NIKON D5000
Image Date: 2013-02-06 19:23:29 (no TZ)
Focal Length: 135.0mm (35mm equivalent: 202mm)
Aperture: f/4.8
Exposure Time: 0.017 s (1/60)
ISO equiv: 800
Exposure Bias: none
Metering Mode: Matrix
White Balance: Auto
Light Source: Unknown
Flash Fired: Yes (Auto, return light detected)
Orientation: Normal
Color Space: sRGB
GPS Coordinate: undefined, undefined
Software: PaintShop Pro 15.00

I'm also seeing some camera movement. Since the flash created most of the exposure, it's best to shoot at the highest synch speed available to reduce the amount of ambient light exposure.

Also, gently push the shutter release.... don't slam it and jam it. Roll your finger slowly onto it.

Patrice · Mar 1, 2013

Make sure that the VR feature of the lens is activated. I don't have that lens but there should be an on/off switch somewhere on it.

otherprof · Mar 1, 2013

Make sure the VR is on. I inadvertently shut it off on my 18-200.

StandingBear1983 · Mar 5, 2013

You got already great advice from others, now you just need to practice and let the info sink in...to add on what others have said, don't let the camera choose Autofocus, put on AF-S or AF-C NOT on AF-A (af-s for non moving objects and af-c for moving or sports), that way the camera can't get mixed up and miss focus from time to time...another thing to do is to choose the focus area, for example, if your shooting your son's portrait choose single point focus and put that red dot right on he's eye, that will give you tack sharp portraits...of course that AND everything that others said will give you Sharp pictures.

Dee2258 · Mar 6, 2013

StandingBear1983 said:
You got already great advice from others, now you just need to practice and let the info sink in...to add on what others have said, don't let the camera choose Autofocus, put on AF-S or AF-C NOT on AF-A (af-s for non moving objects and af-c for moving or sports), that way the camera can't get mixed up and miss focus from time to time...another thing to do is to choose the focus area, for example, if your shooting your son's portrait choose single point focus and put that red dot right on he's eye, that will give you tack sharp portraits...of course that AND everything that others said will give you Sharp pictures.

Sweet! I just got my new Nikon D7000 and have no clue how to use it....but excited all the same. I'm a noob so the video comes in handy. I subbed to the ytube channel.