Re: Help with focusing
It just doesn't look as "clean" to me but I cleaned my lens and everything.
CAUTION, my answer will be a bit harsh, tainted with satyrical content, but I will speak the truth.
Cleaning your lens does not mean you can take sharp photos. The sharpness of a picture depends on many factors.
Shutter speed, aperture, subject, Post-processing (sharpening), and, what many many beginning photographers don't take into account, THE QUALITY OF THE LIGHT hitting the subject.
You learn to control all the above elements and I can assure you that you will get nice crisp photos, but, as stated in your question, with all the few elements that you've presented, seems you have a lot to practice and learn before you get to that point.
Your question reminds me of a person that goes into an art supply store and buys the best brushes and paint, canvas, then goes home and start painting. I'm not sure the first painting will be a museum piece...
Photography is both a technique and an art. It's the art of seeing light and the understanding of how it will turn out in a picture. And, as for all arts, it is a question of learning by practice.
So, my advice to you would be to get some books about photography (doesn't have to be digital photography), look at what was written and done, and practice, practice and keep practicing. You will find out that your results will get better, but only with practice. Oh, did I mention a lot of practice.
Good luck, and enjoy your Nikon.