Saturday, February 27, 2010

Equipment Trouble, Operator Error


I have been trying to figure out why I cannot get sharp images while handholding one of my best lenses, the 70 - 200mm 2.8 VR.  Especially wide open, from f2.8 to f7 or so, even at very high shutterspeeds --- like 1/3000th. Well, I guess it helps to read the manual.  At some point the Active slider got turned on, which the manual tells you is only to be used when shooting from a moving vehicle.  Evidently it counteracts the Vibration Reduction. So many ruined shots.  At least it is not all due to bad technique, I was really starting to get frustrated.  Then add a 1.7 teleconverter and there goes your depth of field, just learned about that from Moose today.

Golden evening light, cute cat trying to hide...not so great depth of field
Nikon D200, 70 - 200mm 2.8 lens with 1.7 tc at f4.8 and 1/500th 

3 comments:

  1. You kept thinking it was the new camera causing all your problems. I knew that D700 was better than what you were indicating.

    Cute shot. I would crop up from the bottom a little more to remove most of the OOF foreground. I think it would make for a stronger photo.

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  2. No, I knew it was not the camera (love it!) because other lenses were getting sharp images. I was trying to figure out if maybe I had dropped that 70 - 200 lens and didn't remember the incident, or what! I kept trying all the techniques including Joe McN's left-eyed shoulder-brace one. At first I thought my panning was just really bad, or maybe I need to start lifting weights in the worst way...I don't use that lens constantly and it is much worse wide open than stopped down a little so it was just confusing! I mean, why pay that money for a constant f2.8 aperture and not use it because it isn't sharp there...and it was when I first got it...should have known it was human error not the lens.
    I thought about cropping in more on the cat but left the foreground to tell more of the story about how it was trying to hide.

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  3. Okay, I'll buy the story on hiding. It makes sense after you say it.

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