doubts on photo taking using 500D, 18-200mm lense

[JamCanSing]

Dear all,
I am a newbie on DSLR... Played with my 500D for more than half a year already..

However, i always find that there are two problems with the picture i took.

1. During my outdoor shooting (under hot sun), I tried to set the exposure to center (0), however, i always get photo which looks whitise, and i need to use photoshop to darken the color of the photo so that it looks more natural. Is it i shouldn't set the exposure to center if i am shooting under hot sun? How should i improve this?

2. I am using 18-200mm lense. I always find that the photo i take is not sharp enough. Is it my skill problem, or the lense problem, or the camera problem, or setting problem? How should i improve it?

Please help.. .Thanks.

regards,
Tee

If you are shooting at mid-day sun I recommend you putting on a polariser to help boost your contrast as mid-day sun tends to make everything washed out. Use the Evaluative Metering and try to make sure the light is not behind the subject.

Use the 'Auto-Exposure Bracketing' and have the camera take three photos at the different exposure settings. It uses up storage and that's about all. Later you can choose from the best of exposures without having to do too much post-processing (on RAWs).

If you've got a problem with sharpness check with focusing mode you are using. Single, AI Servo or AI Focus. Match according to the subject matter. Still subjects or little movement Single. Moving Servo. Anyway you can read up in the manual...

As you are new perhaps you are trying to learn too many things at once, composition, exposure, etc. Fix the focus point to the centre point. Then just take pics. You now that that point in the centre of the frame should be in focus. You can always crop away what you don't need to fix the composition.

Try to make sure you are using smaller apertures (bigger f-stop numbers) but not too small, anything beyond 8 or 11 won't achieve anything sharper. Anyway, in bright mid-day sun you should have no problem with the small apertures.

Good luck with your next shots. Don't be afraid to experiment and shoot more. Of course don't shoot and experiment with shots you must catch and keep.

 

[ehotzc]

Thanks all masters for all the useful tips and techniques. I will step down the exposure and try shooting again next time.

I normally do shooting without tripod. It's kind of shooting of "the moment", and no time to setup tripod. Therefore, i think IS is still useful to me. From above comments, can i say that i cannot set the aparture to too small (smaller than number 11)? Cause i set the aparture to 16 when i do shooting (supposingly to get sharp image for whole picture).

I do not know how to attach picture in reply... Let me learn first then i will post my picture here.

Thanks all sifu..

 

[neech7]

Thanks all masters for all the useful tips and techniques. I will step down the exposure and try shooting again next time.

I normally do shooting without tripod. It's kind of shooting of "the moment", and no time to setup tripod. Therefore, i think IS is still useful to me. From above comments, can i say that i cannot set the aparture to too small (smaller than number 11)? Cause i set the aparture to 16 when i do shooting (supposingly to get sharp image for whole picture).

I do not know how to attach picture in reply... Let me learn first then i will post my picture here.

Thanks all sifu..

It is not practical to take every picture on tripod. A compromise between tripod and handheld is to use a monopod. Leave your IS on unless you're using a tripod or your IS is the tripod-sensing type.

Every lens has a sweet-spot aperture range. Typically f/4 - f/8. Picture will begin to get softer as you deviate from this range for your lens. Unless a picture calls for extreme DOF, I suggest you don't go beyond f/8 if you're using a crop body, and f/11 if you're using FF. Diffraction starts to set in and your picture will be soft. You can also do 'aperture-bracketing' if situation permits.

 

[charlee]

I do find the pictures get sharper when the aperture was stopped down to 5.6 or smaller. Maybe you can try that.