Canon 100-400 Zoom - not sharp

[anglefire]

Can't see the pictures without registering.

[Epsomsalt]

OK sorry about that. I have uploaded the images to my Gallery on here. Here is the Woodpecker:

http://www.photoradar.com/photos/989...ted-woodpecker

Here is the Great Tit (hopefully):

http://www.photoradar.com/photos/989...salt/great-tit

[sharky]

Hi everyone, i'm new here.

I bought this lens new last week to go with my EOS 500D (also recently purchaced) and i'm very much a noob.

During the 1st 2 days of owning this lens i found it was really good and the images were sharp... however 5 days on its seems like the sharpness has gone... the image even looks soft via my eye through the view finder.

Ok, i dont have a trained eye like you guys probably do but i'm sure my images should be sharper than what i'm getting.

This was a pic i took of a robin the day after i got it which i think is ok and sharp enough...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMG_18432.jpg

This was also took soon after buying the lens...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMG_17382.jpg

This was taken yesterday and is an images i find to be not as sharp as the others...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...e/IMG_2059.jpg

And this was taken yesterday...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...e/IMG_2092.jpg


Please do share your opinions on the last 2 pics compared to the 1st and 2nd.

I'd hate to think i've wasted £1300


Chris

[Cutter]

Hey Sharky I was like you ! thought I had wasted money but realised with the help of these guys, and of course Forseti on the forum, it was my technique that was the problem, take a look at my gallery and my Robin. It's a great lense you just have to know how to use it. One of the biggest problems was not focusing correctly and having a very small depth of field so the image looks soft also a shutter speed thats too slow that allows movement makes the image soft. I am not an expert but with everyones help I am producing far sharper and better pictures than I have ever done before.

[sharky]

Hi, thanks for your help, since I posted this a few weeks ago I have managed to get some better pictures, I'm still mainly relying on the auto and TV settings on the camera and sometimes just manually adjusting 1 or 2 settings but things are looking better.

[matt wilson]

glad to hear it sharky.