Sounds good for a meet up, though beginning of Oct I have a holiday booked for my birthday

I Have read the book on the stuff you mention, but will have another read, even using the single point focus to capture stuff I miss the point, that must be me

Might have to look at a early learning course for muppets in photography

You should'nt have a problem with single mode. Dont forget, it's probably set in the centre of the viewfinder. Try using the AF-L buton. Another member of the failed FL2 clutch/DMF club, twice.

I'll keep trying

A meet sounds a good idea Taz I'm up for it.

Nick, have to be careful what we say to Taz, after all he's a Canon man and as such has to be approved by the Pope. He does move in high places  Another member of the failed FL2 clutch/DMF club, twice.

I know, he was guided down the wrong path by his local vicor and end up with a large cannon in his hand

Wonder if he got 'tolled off''  Another member of the failed FL2 clutch/DMF club, twice.

NIKON + 18-200 f3.5 -5.6 AF-S DX VR  Wales
Were the mud is thicker, and the ruts are deeper.
(And we have the water to wash it off, and more on the way..! )
Sd4 and chrome Ar*e piece, Auto box for best fun
09 Xs Gone
12 xs Gone
HSE with Leather seats and 4 years warrenty.. staying for now !

I do think I need a better long lens, the tamaron 70-300 isn't very Sharp in my hands, but that could be camera shake with it been non VR, so thinking of picking up a tripod or possibly a monopod for those zoomed shots

Last edited by dunroof on 27th Sep 2012 7:22 am. Edited 1 time in total

Put the 70-300 on the camera, put the camera in "timer" mode.
Place the camera on a wall, safely, focus on something static, press the button and wait for the camera to fire, then check the resulting picture, it should be pretty sharp.
if you are concerned that it is wrong, place a tape measure at an angle of 45° about 10 foot away, focus on a point with the aperture wide open (lowest f number) take the picture and again check what you have, you will see there will be a narrow band of numbers in focus, the centre if which should be where you focussed.

At 300mm you need a shutter speed of at least 1/300 sec or higher to get away with it, it is also a common mistake in the heat of the shot, to grab at the shutter release, gently squeeze the button without moving the camera.

Tripod will help enormously too, depending on what you want to photograph of course, many places will not let you use a tripod, try getting one out in London!

At this moment in time, get used to the camera before shelling out on more kit, especially lenses, the best lens in the world will not give you sharp pictures if you havn't got a good technique, a better 70-300 will make little difference "in your hands" if they are the problem.

These books are excellent, very easy going, simple to follow.
http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/19043855690...adtype=pla

I will have a look at going somewhere in September, kids will be back at school and places tend to be quieter, maybe a lakes drive with photo stops, or the dales perhaps, I will have a think and put a signup on the forum shortly.

why can't you use a tripod in London? is it some sort of old by law, "Ye shall not place ones magic picture capturing device on ye old stick with thrice legs"

Its not a issue in Leeds, saw a bloke with his set up in the middle of the road the other day as if waiting for a police convoy to drive past on their way to the law courts

I quite like landscapes, as well as the candid family shots, (which are obviously handheld), might pick up a manfrotto monopod from Jessops for the sake of £20 better to have one than not i suppose and it will help with the longer 300 shots when capturing the kids etc

I will have a go with the tape measure and see what its like

Asking questions on TP, i realised i had not switched to single point when taking this picture of a bird at full 300mm zoom and they jogged my memory on the shutter speed to length, so i need to be looking at 1/300 to 1/500 with the tamaron

I suppose my issue is i see others photos try to replicate similar and fail

Not trying to compose the picture, just shooting a young bird hopping around doing test shots, this was taken on auto, and multi point focus which looks to have captured the planter in the back ground more than the bird, hand held no VR


bird by npinks, on Flickr

See this and print off the chart http://focustestchart.com/chart.html

stop about with that camera and cut your lawn At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

its now cut, did it on sunday the first day its been dry enough in a month

Needs to cut his own weeds a bit too