Clarity in long range photos

Hi,

I have the D90 and 18-200 lens, and have been using these since Oct 2011. I have, to date, mainly used P mode with auto ISO, and find that when I zoom on a distant subject, I don't get the clarity I would like. Is it called 'soft'? I am familiar with depth of field and have been starting to use A mode with small aperture eg f16-f22 to see if that makes a difference. Not much. I am wondering if it's the lens and/or pilot error.


Would appreciate your advice. PS This is my first post. Thanks

To get the best results at 200mm... use F8 ! Results will be poor past F11 and should be avoided where possable.
Use a shutter speed a bit higher than the focal lengh of the lens. IE... 200mm on apsc = 300mm... use at least 500th sec. ISO 200 will give you the best results, but the above is more important and takes priority.

Welcome..It's probably not the lens...Take a portrait pic of some one up close and focus on the eyes at an aperture of F5.6 to F8...If that's nice and clear it's not your lens....F13 is probably the smallest aperture I would use for landscape photography and if you want to isolate a subject use larger aperture [smaller numbers]..

Try shooting in Aperture Priority and set your ISO to 200...Another thing that might help is AF-C Auto Focus Constant if you are moving the camera will refocus it could be that simple...Hope some off this helps..

Just a bit more info for you in genral...... Super zooms, covering such a large range are always a compromise.
You would get far better quality by splitting the range in two lenses. Virtualy all superzooms perform at there
worst at the long end of the range. Most lenses start to get affected by lens defraction from F11. So f16 and F22 F33
are usualy very poor. Shooting wide open often gives ok in the middle of the pic with soft edges and even softer corners and contrast is usualy low. This of course can be corrected in photoshop.

I agree with pedroj and Ms. Westmill, good points!

Many thanks for those suggestions.

My belief to date, perhaps misguided, has been that, for wider/widest DOF in A mode, I should use the smaller apertures. I'll play around some more with your ideas. AutoIso is set to 200.

Cheers and best regards

RicardoMilano said:

Many thanks for those suggestions.

My belief to date, perhaps misguided, has been that, for wider/widest DOF in A mode, I should use the smaller apertures. I'll play around some more with your ideas. AutoIso is set to 200.

Cheers and best regards

Click to expand...

I'm afraid auto ISO will select whatever the camera chooses...If you want your ISO on 200 you will have to set it the menu..

I see a Koala as your Avarter r u an Aussie...

An Aussie and AFL follower. Thanks pedroj. So, my understanding for the landscape shots is to take the camera off AutoIso, set it for ISO 200, use A mode, and aperture at f11-f16, as a starter. How am I doing?

Should I be using another forum for these 'settings' questions?

Many thanks.

I Have a look at our local soccer some Saturdays...I use ISO 200 most of the time unless shooting where the light is a little dull...Aperture F11 should be good and also open it up to F8 and try that...

Auto Focus Constant is the setting I have my cam on most of the time...If the subject or I move the camera refocuses..Equals more keepers...post a few shots so we can see how you go...Cheers