How to get the most out of images like these? – Processing

It basically comes down to:

• that sensor and lens doesn’t resolve individual pixels precise enough to be cropping that much
• the more you zoom in, the faster the shutter speed needs to be to get sharp picture , specially handheld.
• the lens is probably worse at the zoom end vs the wider end. So the more you zoom, the less pixel precise results you get
• the faster the shutter speed, the more noise you get (even when keeping iso low).
• to get less focus issues , stop down a bit more. But… This requires more iso or slower shutter speeds.

So… Zooming at the far range makes the picture harder and harder to make good. So zooming in far and then expecting to crop (a lot), sorry but that’s not your camera.

So, if you zoom a lot, don’t expect to crop. Your lens get worse , so you resolve less. So make your subject / composition good in camera , not by heavy cropping. Or zoom less . Maybe even try zooming out more to crop , AND a zoomed in version and see what you get out of both.

When I have to teach non-photogs how to take descent pictures at events , I always hammer down on ‘do not try to zoom everything. The camera you use isn’t top end, and zooming in at less than ideal light conditions is very, very for cameras like this’.

For a compact smaller sensor camera I would rather have a faster, better lens without large reach. But that’s me.

The fringing hints that the lens has issues, or a hard time . A filter (good or cheap, or smudged) can make it harder. But it might just be the limits of the lens . Or a slight focus issue (can do a lot on those ranges).

Trying to fix the fringes and lens issues and sharpening with something a big larger radius , and sizing the result down in you can. I think these are the only things to do with this image now.

But for next time , realizing that your camera is at its limits is the best thing . It makes you make a few attempts with different approaches (for me at least ).
Bit lagere aperture, and wide open to get the lowest iso possible. Zoom out a bit more, and one more a bit more zoomed out .
Remember the reciprocal rule. If your effective focal length is 400, you require 1/400th for shutter speed . But that’s an old rule. Modern pixel precise results require more . Your smaller sensor might even more.

Motion blur and lens issues are harder to fix than noise, specially these days. But you always get better pictures with more light in the lens, simple as that.