Focus Test image

[BenPonti]

This is the result of the kind advice I received when I posted a photo of a robin earlier. This shot was taken with the following settings:
ISO 200
Shutter 1600
f8
300mm
I'm new to this compared with a lot of you folk, so when it comes to checking sharpness I'm following a steep learning curve. The camera used is a 50D and the lens is a 100-400mm L. The focus point is on the cow's nose!
I would appreciate knowing if this image can be considered sharp. I've cropped it after zooming in to actual pixels. Oh, and I was about 7 mtrs. away.

[James Shadle]

Did you use a tripod?
Was this a .jpg out of the camera? If so what was the sharpening settings?
Or was there post processing? If so what adjustments?
Was this crop from the center or edge of the image?
James

[BenPonti]

I used a gorrillapod; The image was a raw file with no post processing or sharpening other then to open in PS and save for web as a jpeg. The crop was from the center, the cow being the center focus point.

[arash_hazeghi]

Looks good to me for RAW and no sharpening.

[Charles Glatzer]

Difficult to tell here. Using a flash at high sync speed negates the camera shake even on a tripod. A bubble level comes in handy for squaring the camera to paper.

Chas

[BenPonti]

Thanks for replies. Charles, I didn't use flash, just natural sun light. I'm afraid I haven't got a 'bubble level' but I strived (or rather husband strived) to get paper square on to the camera. All I want to know really is does my technique need fine tuning to get sparklingly sharp images, or should the camera go in for a checkup! I don't think its a lens problem cos I had no problem with my 400D camera.

[Tell Dickinson]

I think for 100% RAW with no processing this shows acceptable sharpness :)

Tell