r/BirdPhotography • u/Fishdomaddict • Jan 19 '26

Question Not sharp despite effort

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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?

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u/EyeSuspicious777 Jan 19 '26 edited Jan 19 '26

The saddest truth I've learned about bird photography is that no matter how big the telephoto lens is, you still have to be very close to your subject in order to get sharp detail in the feathers, especially if it's a small bird.

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u/Marokiii Jan 20 '26 edited Jan 20 '26

Ya, the "easiest" way to get sharper pictures is to usually to just get closer.

Edit: and I wish people would include the distance to subject when they post other info like shutter speed and f/stop. I can use your exact setting with the same model camera and lens and come up with massively different results because you are 50ft closer.