How to photograph with telephoto lens (400)?

[Frode]

I'm having problem getting sharp pictures with my AFS 400 2.8D (NON VR). The lens and camera have been to a certified office for adjustment and are approved.

Didn't have any problem with my 300mm...

Testchart innside: sharp. Outside: 50% soft images..... Tripod, ballhead, single shot, center AF, timer and so on...

How is your tele- technique?

[pluton]

I am not a telephoto expert, but this is what I would do to test:
With tripod, and high shutter speed such as 1/2000, 1/4000.  Auto focus and manual focus.  Image should appear sharp by eye in the finder, and on live view w/zoomed-in mode.
Even steady hand held at 1/4000 should give at least somewhat sharp results.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

For sharp images of distant subjects with  a long lens: heat waves, air turbulence and aerosols leading to haze are all powerful damagers of quality. Do shoot such subjects early morning or very late, even at night.

Goes without saying you need proper long lens technique and that does NOT include supporting the lens with your hand. Mirror lock-up and a cable release will both help as well. Look through the finder and lightly tap the sun shade - does the finder image shake violently or does it settle immediately? If not the latter, your tripod setup is inadequate.

[elsa hoffmann]

You need faster shutterspeeds on the 400 than you did on the 300. It is also heavy - so dont be shy to up the shutterspeed.
What are you shooting?
What settings do you get the problem on?
perhaps you can post some pics and the settings used?

[Bjørn Rørslett]

With a decent tripod, there is no need to use faster shutter speeds for a 400  ...

[elsa hoffmann]

Bjørn - you can't not always use a tripod. If I do birds - its totally impossible.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

With a long lens, one should always use some kind of support. VR alone is never enough.

[Bruno Schroder]

Try with 2 bean bags, one camera mount, one lens front, to eliminate the tripod/ballhead variable. I guess you're not shooting outside from the inside, through an open door or window?

[Frode]

Thank you all for your replies, appreciate it!

Reason why I get confused is that when I set up my SpyderLENSCAL chart inside, I get really sharp images. Using the same setup (tripod, timer and so on...) I get MUCH more unstable results. I really don`t get this!

Shutter speeds 1/2000+. So the tripod/ballhead should not be the problem....I think....

Get the same results with my D300 (yes, I know it`s old, but I love that machine in many ways :-) and the same lenses (AF- S 400 2.8D and AF- S 500 4.0 VR - last one are not mine though, just for testing).

I experienced something strange also (I`ve never paid attention to it anyway..); using live view outside I saw that after I had tuned to plane of focus, I saw that the screen went in and out of focus - SLIGHTLY. Using live view same way inside, the plane of focus was constant. "Air pollution/turbulance"?

Will use it for nature/wildlife/soccer/bird (from hide) so I`ll almost always will use it on a tripod/monopod (haven`t tried it with a monopod yet).

I`ve read your thread regarding long lens technique, Bjørn, so I don`t try to support the lens with my hand.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Hopefully you had your AF set up to use AF-ON *only*, so as not to be surprised by refocusing of the lens?

Air turbulence is a major issue for any subject > 100 m away when you shoot with long lenses.

[Frode]

Hopefully you had your AF set up to use AF-ON *only*, so as not to be surprised by refocusing of the lens?

Air turbulence is a major issue for any subject > 100 m away when you shoot with long lenses.

Yes, I always use AF- ON.

The chart was set up about 6- 9 meters away from the camera.

Regarding the experience with the liveview I`m not sure wether I was outside or stood just inside.

Most likely user failure, but, as I mentioned earlier, it`s so strange that I get so good results inside, compared to the ones outside....

[Bjørn Rørslett]

What kind of shutter speeds did you use?

[Frode]

What kind of shutter speeds did you use?

1/2000 + outside, but a bit konger for the test shots inside, about 1/800 (I think).

[pluton]

With a decent tripod, there is no need to use faster shutter speeds for a 400  ...

I was secretly assuming a somewhat wobbly tripod.  As you have documented, most tripods...even name-brand, fairly expensive ones like my $800 Gitzo with $450 ball head... are wobbly with a very long lens.

[Bjørn Jorde]

Start with eliminating difference between inside and outside to find the culprit:
- what surface is the tripod on? Grass, pavement?
- what distance to target? Same or longer outside?
- height of tripod
Etc

The good news is you can get sharp in one environment.