Bob:

The whole image appears a bit soft to me.

A few questions:

1) What was the camera to subject distance?

2) Were you using the center focus point?

3) What was the focus target?

4) I assume you were using autofocus, correct?

5) Was the wind blowing? If yes, how strong?

6) Was the camera/lens configuration mounted on the tripod base plate, or was it elevated using the center column? If the latter, how much was it elevated?

7) How heavy is the camera/lens package compared to the weight of the tripod?

8) Is the pano base rated for the load it was carrying? RRS products usually have adequated load capacity.

9) How well was the camera/lens package balanced ( front to back) on the tripod mount?

10) Is the tripod rated for the camera/lens etc. load it was carrying? Remember: In addition to pitch and roll, tripods are subject to wind-induced yaw (torsional) movement, depending on wind angle and strength. This can be a problem with a heavy, unbalanced load, on an elevated center column, on an under-rated tripod in a strong wind, etc. The movement may be imperceptible to you, but the camera/lens will record it.

11) I can't tell from the image: Is the movement horizontal or vertical?

12) Can you recall the above conditions when you achieved sharp images with this configuration?

If it isn't camera movement during exposure, it may be a focus issue that we can explore next if necessary.

I'm out of questions for now ...

Regards,

HBB in Phoenix, Arizona
Nikonian Team Member

Photography is a journey with no conceivable destination.