sharper photos with my 600d? also better landscape photos? what lens to buy?

[hsintra]

Hi!

I have bought a Canon 600d with a 18-55mm lens a few months, and I'm very satisfied with it. I'm still learning how to get great pictures with my Canon.

I was on trip to the Azores Islands and i took plenty of pictures, mostly from the landscape (almost 1000)...they seemed very nice in the camera, but when I saw them on the computer, the foreground was very nice but the background wasn't sharp and the colours were faded. I used my 18mm-55m lens, and a small aperture (f16)...I took the pictures first in landscape mode and then in the P mode.

Any hints how to make great lanscape pictures with my canon 600d and my lens (I have also a Conon 70mm-300mm lens, the autofocus isn't working - old lens - but with manual focus it works fine)? How to get everything sharp and with nice colours (foreground and background)?

I can use any kind of tips and hints. Thanks.

Another question is, what cheap and good lens would you recommend me to add to the ones I've already got? to use all around (landscape, portraits, some macros, etc.). We are in crisis in Portugal, and the money lacks a bit, so it must to be a cheap lens (don't need to be a new one...second hand lenses are ok for me).

Thank you all.

Greetings from Portugal.

Humberto Sintra

[AngeloDefensor]

Try Sigma 17-70 f/2.8-f/4.5 HSM OS. It is all around lens from portrait, landscape and macro. It gives sharp images as well with reasonable price.

[wavemachine]

It would be useful if you could post a couple of examples up so we can see what you mean, it is very difficult for people to help and advise you otherwise.

[hsintra]

Ok, tomorrow I will try to post some pictures.

Thanks.

[hsintra]

Ok, here is one example of a picture I've took.

The background isn't sharp and the colours seemed like washed out, faded.

I've taken better pictures...but they've got the same problem (thy're a little sharper in the background).

What am i doing wrong?

Thanks for your advices.

Greetings from Portugal.