Help me out here, and disregard the subject matter. My roommate is trying to sell his car. Why are these shots so soft:

http://www.mattdell.com/hostedfiles/mikeyrs01.jpg
Exposure Time: 1/15 sec
F-Number: f/8.0
ISO Speed Rating: 100
Lens Aperture: f/8.0
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Metering Mode: Pattern
Flash: No Flash
Focal Length: 300.00 mm
Color Space Information: sRGB
Image Width: 820
Image Height: 553
Rendering: Normal
Exposure Mode: Auto
White Balance: Auto
Scene Capture Type: Standard

http://www.mattdell.com/hostedfiles/mikeyrs02.jpg
Exposure Time: 0.3 sec
F-Number: f/8.0
ISO Speed Rating: 100
Lens Aperture: f/8.0
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Metering Mode: Pattern
Flash: No Flash
Focal Length: 300.00 mm
Color Space Information: sRGB
Image Width: 820
Image Height: 553
Rendering: Normal
Exposure Mode: Auto
White Balance: Auto
Scene Capture Type: Standard

And yet, these are so much sharper?:

http://www.mattdell.com/hostedfiles/mikeyrs04.jpg
Exposure Time: 0.4 sec
F-Number: f/8.0
ISO Speed Rating: 100
Lens Aperture: f/8.0
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Metering Mode: Pattern
Flash: No Flash
Focal Length: 21.00 mm
Color Space Information: sRGB
Image Width: 820
Image Height: 553
Rendering: Normal
Exposure Mode: Auto
White Balance: Auto
Scene Capture Type: Standard

http://www.mattdell.com/hostedfiles/mikeyrs05.jpg
F-Number: f/8.0
ISO Speed Rating: 100
Lens Aperture: f/8.0
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Metering Mode: Pattern
Flash: No Flash
Focal Length: 18.00 mm
Color Space Information: sRGB
Image Width: 820
Image Height: 553
Rendering: Normal
Exposure Mode: Auto
White Balance: Auto
Scene Capture Type: Standard

http://www.mattdell.com/hostedfiles/mikeyrs03.jpg
F-Number: f/8.0
ISO Speed Rating: 100
Lens Aperture: f/8.0
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Metering Mode: Pattern
Flash: No Flash
Focal Length: 18.00 mm
Color Space Information: sRGB
Image Width: 820
Image Height: 553
Rendering: Normal
Exposure Mode: Auto
White Balance: Auto
Scene Capture Type: Standard

Granted, I'm a lot closer in the last three, but I'm using a tripod on the 300mm shots (the first two). I didn't use my remote shutter, but I did use the timer. Could it be because my camera (300d) doesn't have the mirror lock-up option, or is it something else?

-Matt

Can you post the EXIF data for all of the shots, in particular the shutter speed and aperture? It looks like the first two are out of focus - the second much more than the first and the engine bay shot also looks like it could be sharper. First impressions are that there isn't enough depth of field but when looking closer it seems they are slightly out of focus which is why they lack that "snap".

is the lens usm or not?

i have a few issues with focusing on a ef 28-80 non usm (on d30 body). sometimes - not always.

I don't think that the lens is USM, however the last three shots probably had a USM lens. The first two were taken with a Sigma 70-300 macro lens that I'm borrowing long-term from a friend.


-Matt

For the first two shots, was the camera mounted on the tripod by the camera body or by the lens collar? At those shutter speeds it could simply be a case of camera shake being introduced when the shutter trips if the body was mounted on the tripod -- use the lens collar (if it has one).

Just had a quick look on Google and it appears this lens is quite soft so that could be another factor in the equation.

Yes, it was mounted on the tripod at the body since that lens doesn't have a lens collar. Perhaps I should just shoot these kinds of shots at 200mm from now on.


-Matt

don;t see anythign wrong with the pics

Front wheel on pic two is definitely soft but the rear isn't too bad so could be a lens thing. Quite often the edges of a cheaper lens at full zoom can be soft.

For a car ad, you wouldn't need that high res so you could use short FL, keep the car away from the edges and then crop to fill the frame....?

Maybe it's just my eyes but the whole back end on pic #2 seems very soft?