Help! The photos I am taking are blurry!

[Deerhunter61]

Hello All,

This is my first post. I am pretty new to photography. I enjoy taking photos of nature and wildlife. The photos of nature, flowers etc, turn out pretty good. The photos I am having the most difficulty with are the wildlife photos.

I use a Cannon Rebel XSI. I have 3 different lens, EFS 18-55mm, EFS 55-250mm, and Wide angle 28-135mm Ultrasonic. All have image stabilizers on them.

So here is the problem. I like taking photos of wildlife such as deer. I am taking a lot of photos between 75 and 150-200 yards and 90% of the photos I am taking are blurry. And then when I increase the zoom, from say 25% to 75-100%, on my computer to get a closer look even the ones which are pretty clear get fuzzy.

Part of the issue I think is the Auto Focus...but even when I turn the auto focus off I still have not been able to get good quality photos...

Could it simply be that the distance of 100 yards is too much for me to get good quality photos of an object the size of a deer with the current equipment I have? Or is there something I can do differently to get great quality photos?

Thanks,

[venchka]

Operator error. Most likely culprit: slow shutter speed. Next most likely culprit: lenses that aren't the sharpest tacks in the box used wide open. Did you turn on the IS? 100 yards is a long way for deer. In my backyard with a 400mm lens and 100 FEET, I have trouble filling the frame. Of course I mount the lens on a tripod.

[johnastovall]

Can you post some 100% crops of the images so we can see what you mean. Also include EXIF data.

[Deerhunter61]

Here are a couple of photos from this past weekend. Please forgive my ignorance...what is EXIF data?

I appreciate you all trying to help me!

[Rson]

Looks like you were zoomed all the way out, had low light conditions and are a victim of slow shutter speed. Even the slightest movement will give you the blur.

[timbertoes]

there is no substitute for being very, very close. 75 to 100 yards wont cut it.

well, there is the $5,000+ lens substitue. but you still have to get very very close :)

[johnastovall]

EXIF data

[MicWayWal]

Originally Posted by Deerhunter61

Please forgive my ignorance...what is EXIF data?

I appreciate you all trying to help me!

Deerhunter,

Just post images right out the camera if you are shooting jpg, the EXIF info is embedded in the image. The ones you posted are cropped and processed. We can't help as much.

[Deerhunter61]

Unfortunately I always delete the photos from the camera after I load them on my computer so I do not have any on the camera.

[SCone]

Forget the pics you've taken for the moment. Go outside and take several pictures of something, make sure it's at least 100 yards away. Then post them here with the EXIF data.

Odds are it's you, you're moving too much. What happens when you use a tripod?

[MicWayWal]

Originally Posted by Deerhunter61

Unfortunately I always delete the photos from the camera after I load them on my computer so I do not have any on the camera.

OK then. Go get one of the files you moved to your computer, that you have not edited, and upload one. That is still considered out of camera files and it will have EXIF data embedded.

[Deerhunter61]

I have tried to load additional photos and it is giving me the error sign...I will try again tomorrow.

How do you adjust the shutter speed on a camera like this?

Thanks,

[Rson]

Here is my hypothosis:

The light is low, metered low, or at dusk. Therefore your camera adjusts for a longer shutter than normal to compensate for the available light.

Email me a pic (preferably the same as above without editing.)

rich.reierson@verizon.net

[iCe]

There isn't much data there to play with (posted images). The solution is get closer or use longer glass... or both. A tiny improvement can be made with relatively simple photoshop-age... but not much...

nice deer...

< edit > the foreground is more in focus than the deer... I wonder if you're having trouble with the auto focus of the camera? Or maybe a back focus issue

[L Stegall]

Deerhunter, pick up a copy of Bryan Peterson's book, Understanding Exposure - it will really help you a lot with understanding how to set shutter speed, etc.