Lens problem and question

[ypurcaro]

I love my T1i and my lenses, macro, wide angle and zoom lens 55-250mm f/4-5.6.
My problem is I don't know why all the photos I took with this zoom lens are blurry. I mean they are not sharp at all. I made sure the light is fine because I looked at the meter.

Should I get a faster lens for this type of shooting? I was at the Safari Park and tried to take some photos of the animals.

Any suggestions what kind of lenses I should get? What do you think about Tamron?

Thanks.

[justin_ing]

Faster lenses help with it, but great glass is great glass. Could be settings, or maybe you need IS on your lenses.

What settings do you use on your camera? and was it bright outside?

[ypurcaro]

Originally Posted by justin_ing

Faster lenses help with it, but great glass is great glass. Could be settings, or maybe you need IS on your lenses.

What settings do you use on your camera? and was it bright outside?

What is IS?

Yes, it was bright that day, a sun shinning day in Southern California. I used hood.

These are my setting:
Exposure 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 250 mm
ISO Speed 200

[Sloseph]

Hi

i also own the 55-250 and i can tell you it has IS (image stabalizing)

i find the problem is the autofocus on this lens isn't that cracking especialy at the 250 end

if you take your time and make sure your focused before you press you can get some cracking shots from this lens, i find if you have a fast shutter speed and then take the focal length back a little (maybe to about 230) you will see improvements

also just check to make sure the little switch on the side of your lense that says IS on it is flicked to ON

[gturner]

post samples please or a link to flickr

Is it focusing through the view finder?

[BigFuzzy]

Yeah, post an example of one of these imags with the Exif info and we'll be better placed to help you figure out if it's your lense, your settings or you that's the problem.

[copernicus]

I had a similar problem with a 450d. Family said it was DOG (Doddery Old Git) syndrome but I ended up sending the camera back to be re-calibrated which seemed to solve the problem.

[Ambrosia76]

I have also found I get better images by manual focus on my bigger lens (70-300),problem with that is it takes me a lot longer cause my hand are kind of shaky.

[ypurcaro]

Originally Posted by BigFuzzy

Yeah, post an example of one of these imags with the Exif info and we'll be better placed to help you figure out if it's your lense, your settings or you that's the problem.

I did include the flickr link, but it didn't show. I don't know why. I'll try one more time.

[ypurcaro]

Originally Posted by Ambrosia76

I have also found I get better images by manual focus on my bigger lens (70-300),problem with that is it takes me a lot longer cause my hand are kind of shaky.

I have shaky hand too. But you know what, it's hard to carry tripod around which we supposed to.