Test shots with my NEW OLY 70-300

[Wicked Dark]

Yeah, basically you know what went pear shaped on you. Keep the shutter speeds around 2x what the focal length is and you should be ok. Later when you've developed more skill with the lens you can probably lower them. Half of dealing with a long lens is finesse and smooth movements, so that just takes time with the lens and getting the feel of it. A tripod will definitely help, and like a sniper remember to watch your backgrounds.

[FredS]

Thankyou for the replys.
Here is one at Shutter 800, ISO 800, F 5.6, 300mm. Better but still needs work.
Hand Held

[Mad Aussie]

That looks really good FredS. Don't expect too much more than that with a zoom lens.
On many zoom lenses you get a falloff of quality, especially in focus at the extremes of the zoom. You'll hear people talk about the 'sweet spot' and this is the range of zoom where the lens is sharpest. Usually this is somewhere in the middle section of the zoom and hopefully most of the zoom will still be good.

When I got my zoom lens a few years ago after being out of photography for some time I was hopeless with it. I thought there was something wrong with it. Had to be. I was doing everything right but the photos were soft. It was me. After a few hundred shots the shots just got better as I learned to steady myself better, breath, and gently caress the button not ram it down.

[Michaelaw]

Fred...Is that the Zuiko 70-300mm f4.5-56.? If so, what Oly model are you using?

[FredS]

Fred...Is that the Zuiko 70-300mm f4.5-56.? If so, what Oly model are you using?

Yes that is the Zuiko 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 on my E-520.
As Mad Aussie said " Don't expect too much more than that with a zoom lens "
I realise it is an INexpensive lense.

I took some shots in Manual Mode last evening.
A small improvement using F 8.0 , ISO 800, Shutter 640, WB Auto

Fred..

[Michaelaw]

The lens is a fantastic piece of glass for the money delivering incredible sharpness. I used it on both my E-510 and E-3 with excellent result and all hand held! If you check out my photo blog in my sig and go back in the archives before August of last year (I traded into Nikon at that time) all of the CU/Macro work was done using that lens. It's certainly more at home with lots of light, Ideally 500 shutter and above. Cloudy days and low shutter speeds will cause softness in my experience. Ramping the ISO can help somewhat but ideally Light and lots of it is the key. It's a far better lens than the Nikon 70-300

[Michaelaw]

Here are a couple of examples

E-510 ISO 100, 1/100th, 300mm, f5.6 Handheld




E-3 ISO 400, 1/250th, 300mm, f5.6 Hand held




E-3, ISO 800, 1/200th, 300mm, f5.6 Hand held





The E-3 and E-510 produced exactly the same quality of image in my experience