Critique Hobby in Flight

Compuwight

Compuwight

Messages
961
Name
Steve France
Edit My Images
Yes
I have been experimenting with pre-focus. Watching a birds flight path to identify a likely pattern, pick a good location, pre-focus and wait. Pan with the bird until it flies into focus then fire of a few shots in the hope of getting some good ones. Nikon D500 + 500mm PF HH set to 1/1250 @ f8 with iso set to auto.

02-06-2022 Hobby -1.jpg02-06-2022 Hobby 2-1.jpg02-06-2022 Hobby 3-1.jpg02-06-2022 Hobby 4-1.jpg
 
These all look good on my screen. All lovely pictures of a bird in flight and all look detailed and sharp so what can I say? Well Done :D
 
The technique is certainly working well (y)
 
Just a PS and I hope you don't mind me saying this Steve...

In that last pictures there's something just up from the bottom left corner, I'd clone it out :D
 
The best of the series is the 4th image. The other three I would have binned TBH. The first two have motion blur, the first/third are lacking details (originally soft) and are oversharpened (halos).

With most Nikons there is a *much better technique than **Zone-focus... usually called Trap-focus.
  1. Set the camera for back button focus (a6)... when setting it to "AF-On Only" toggle over and also disable "out-of-focus release."
  2. Next, set your desired focus mode's release priority to "focus" (I would use a1 AF-C).
  3. Finally, use the AF-On button to prefocus at said distance; release the AF-On button, recompose the shot to where you expect the subject, and fully press the shutter release button.
  4. When a subject passes in that location, at the right distance to be in-focus, the camera shutter will release automatically.

*The only time Zone-focus may be better is if the subject is too small, too fast, or your tracking can't keep up, to where the AF system doesn't even see the subject.
**Pre-focus is more aptly called "Zone-focus" because you should also set the aperture to maximize the DoF/optimize the zone of focus as possible; to increase your chances of getting an acceptably sharp image... you should also do that with Trap-focus as well.
 
Last edited:
sk66 said:
The best of the series is the 4th image. The other three I would have binned TBH. The first two have motion blur, the first/third are lacking details (originally soft) and are oversharpened (halos).

With most Nikons there is a *much better technique than **Zone-focus... usually called Trap-focus.
  1. Set the camera for back button focus (a6)... when setting it to "AF-On Only" toggle over and also disable "out-of-focus release."
  2. Next, set your desired focus mode's release priority to "focus" (I would use a1 AF-C).
  3. Finally, use the AF-On button to prefocus at said distance; release the AF-On button, recompose the shot to where you expect the subject, and fully press the shutter release button.
  4. When a subject passes in that location at the right distance to be in focus the camera shutter will release automatically.

*The only time Zone-focus may be better is if the subject is too small, too fast, or your tracking can't keep up, to where the AF system doesn't even see the subject.
**Pre-focus is more aptly called "Zone-focus" because you should also set the aperture to maximize the DoF/optimize the zone of focus as possible; to increase your chances of getting an acceptably sharp image... you should also do that with Trap-focus as well.
Click to expand...
Thanks for such a detailed critique, it will take me a while to digest and understand your suggestions. I purposely post a selection of pictures in order to get good feedback so binning pictures would not have helped me in my constant quest to improve. I did not to my knowledge use 'sharpening', workflow is to import into LR10, crop to suit and in this case use Topaz Denoise, then adjust shadows/highlights/exposure. I avoid Clarity and Vibrancy. I will go back and reset, then re-apply PP to see and understand were the Halo's appeared. That being said #3 already had a degree of halo out of the camera, I think it was the sun that was behind me shining directly onto the Hobby.

Thanks again !
 
mav said:
just wondering why you chose that method of focus , as far as i was aware the d500 is a great Wikdlife camera, still good shots though Hobbys are very Fast
Click to expand...
Thankyou, I am always keen to try new and different techniques to improve my keeper rate. The D500 is good (and new to me) but with the wind this Hobby was moving at Mach 5 and I was struggling to get a focus 'lock' and kept getting passing trees, grass and over the sea, a huge container ship and not the Hobby. Having seen a wildlife photographer on youtube describe this technique I decided to give it a go. I personally think it gave the best results I could achieve on the Day. Tomorrow is another day and with less wind the Hobby might just co-operate so that I can use my preferred BBF method. Thanks for taking the time to enquire.
 
Compuwight said:
Thankyou, I am always keen to try new and different techniques to improve my keeper rate. The D500 is good (and new to me) but with the wind this Hobby was moving at Mach 5 and I was struggling to get a focus 'lock' and kept getting passing trees, grass and over the sea, a huge container ship and not the Hobby. Having seen a wildlife photographer on youtube describe this technique I decided to give it a go. I personally think it gave the best results I could achieve on the Day. Tomorrow is another day and with less wind the Hobby might just co-operate so that I can use my preferred BBF method. Thanks for taking the time to enquire.
Click to expand...

One good thing with digital is you can keep pressing the button and trying different things all day and the costs are minimal and if you only get one keeper out of 100, at least you've got the one :D I'm not saying that's what you've done but it's maybe one way of getting keepers.
 
woof woof said:
One good thing with digital is you can keep pressing the button and trying different things all day and the costs are minimal and if you only get one keeper out of 100, at least you've got the one :D I'm not saying that's what you've done but it's maybe one way of getting keepers.
Click to expand...
Hi, I started my journey in photography many many years ago with Zenit-e 35mm film camera, when the cost of film and developing a 24 B&W roll was a weeks wages as an apprentice engineer. Even as my kit and salary increased I never got over the idea of planning every shot and perfecting the shot in camera. Move on 40 years of kids and career and by chance I get back into photography with my first digital camera - still can't seem to let myself hold that button for rapid fire - something in my feeble brain stops me. Even when I hear fellow photographers hitting the rapid fire with gusto. Each to there own !
PS I took about 20 pictures in total, these were the 4 I choose to keep
 
Compuwight said:
... and in this case use Topaz Denoise, then adjust shadows/highlights/exposure. I avoid Clarity and Vibrancy. I will go back and reset, then re-apply PP to see and understand were the Halo's appeared. That being said #3 already had a degree of halo out of the camera, I think it was the sun that was behind me shining directly onto the Hobby.

Thanks again !
Click to expand...
Depending on the AI model chosen, and the Model Preferences settings, DeNoise can add quite a bit of sharpening... even the low light model with enhance sharpness set to 0 adds some.
Also, if you are working with raw images it is best to do all of the edits in LR before sending it to any secondary program... especially if you are not sending it back/forth in 16bit. Sending it out and then adjusting shadows/highlights/etc after it comes back into LR is a bit of a mistake.

The method I suggested is essentially the same as Zone-focus; except that it also uses the camera's AF system as a trigger trap.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top