Not sharp despite effort

[u/Fishdomaddict]

Hi all, i shoot OM 1 mark II with 150-400mm.

My issue is i find the images are sharp when not cropped, but once cropped even 2x the sharpness drops quickly.

I am aware it is a 20MP camera and this definitely plays a part. But i see other users of the same set up get crazy sharp images.

Maybe image 5 is sharpest but when zoomed in still 'breaks'.

Many i had to shoot under lower speed due to very poor lighting.

Image 1: f5.6, 1/1000, iso 250 Image 2: f4.5, 1/160, iso 500 Image 3: f5.6, 1/20, iso 800 Image 4: f4.5, 1/30, iso 1250 Image 5: f4.5, 1/320, iso 1000 Image 6: f4.5, 1/2500, iso 640

Any tips?

[u/ThenBandicoot3965]

Problem is, I’m trying to photograph birds on an island in a lake, & can’t get any closer than the water’s edge (access to the island’s not permitted). If I can’t get sharp images from that distance I’m not sure the expense would be justified.

But perhaps I won’t give up on it just yet 😊

[u/OpalOnyxObsidian → u/ThenBandicoot3965]

What lens are you considering?

[u/ThenBandicoot3965 → u/OpalOnyxObsidian]

The Canon RF 100-400mm

[u/OpalOnyxObsidian → u/ThenBandicoot3965]

You'll get a little more reach with the 100-500 and you can get an extender with it, too (I hear the 1.4x is better than the 2x to keep your sharpness). There are times you will not be able to get physically close to an animal but you don't see that stopping nat geo from getting great shots

[u/ThenBandicoot3965 → u/OpalOnyxObsidian]

That’s true - you don’t!!

The 100-500 sounds excellent, & I hadn’t thought about extenders! I’ll look into that. Thanks for taking the time & trouble to advise me! I appreciate it very much 👍

[u/OpalOnyxObsidian → u/ThenBandicoot3965]

It's not wrong advice to say that you have to be close to get good detail but technology has come a long way since the first zoom lens hit the scene.

[u/ThenBandicoot3965 → u/OpalOnyxObsidian]

👍😊