Soft images

[allykat411]

I have a Rebel XT and pretty new to DSLR's. Can anyone tell me why my photos are soft and don't have crisp lines? What do I need to change/adjust? I haven't ventured out of Dummy Mode very often since I'm still intimidated by the camera so I'm sure that might be part of the problem.

 

[lockwood81]

Hard to say without examples.

Slower shutter speeds with handholding will cause softness. If you are looking for professional quality then you need to invest in a tripod.

Also check what it is autofocusing on, maybe its not locking on what you want it to...

 

[BTilson]

Another thing to consider is your lens. Not all lenses are created equal. Some lenses can be somewhat soft at the far ends of zoom and aperture. I know that with my 55-200 VR, if I have the aperture wide open and I'm at 200mm (which I am at frequently) my images tend to be somewhat soft. Not objectionably so, but it's noticable when looking at them at 100%.