focusing difficulties

hayley.price

hayley.price

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hayley
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Hey guys, just a quick question, I'm out down the lakes at the moment and am having a bit of trouble focusing on one bird in particular it looks in focus on the viewfinder but when I look back over the photo its out of focus any idea why this is happening. It's doing it in both auto and manual focus.
 
Possibly slight movement between when you focus and when you press the shutter.

Try the AF-C mode and/or back button focusing. Also try live view.
 
This happened to me at the weekend - it was a heron and when I looked afterwards the darn thing was out of focus too. I was annoyed .

I'd had confirmation in the camera that it was in focus

IMGP2976.jpg
 
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use a tripod, a cable release or equivalent and mirror lockup if possible.
use live view to zoom in and manual focus if possible.
 
What equipment are you using, camera, lens, etc?

Should have no need to use manual focus and whilst a tripod, cable release, etc. would undoubtably help regarding camera movement, they may not be necessary dependant on your shutter speed and focal length.
 
camerassassin said:
This happened to me at the weekend - it was a heron and when I looked afterwards the darn thing was out of focus too. I was annoyed .

I'd had confirmation in the camera that it was in focus

IMGP2976.jpg
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focused on the tree by the look of it, just...

hayley.price said:
And yea the auto focus point is in the right place
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what is around it? try focusing on the waterline at the bottom of whatever its sitting on to see if that is in focus?
 
hayley.price said:
Am using.the Nikon d5100 with a tamron 70-300mm at 300mm
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Shutter speed?

If less than 1/500 you may have issues, due to the long focal length on a crop sensor body. To play safe you should try to keep a shutter speed of 1.5 x focal length on a crop sensor (1 x on full frame sensor).

Tripod and cable release, in these circumstances, would be a very welcome addition.

Given that you're there now, without these aids, try using your best aperture and raise your iso.
 
Have manual focused in frount of it behind it next.to it have focused on the water next to it locked focus and moved onto the bird and it still does this
 
Try live view, magnify the view if you can, then focus manually.

Close down to F8

Make sure your exposure is perfect, if you have no detail in the highlights then it is blown. Blown highlights can make a subject look poorly focussed if it is already small in the frame.

There is probably not enough contrast in the bird for the AF to lock on correctly, although difficult to tell without an image to look at. What is the bird? If it is all black, that won't help (Cormorant..?)
 
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If it was the colour why doesn't it focus in manual, its a black bird has a hit of white n bit of orange on its face is a carnivor or is diving under the water to get fish at times don't know the species first time I have seen one here
 
With a narrow aperture and zoomed in on live view you should be able to manually focus. Ignore the focus found light it must be getting confused.
 
I can understand either manual or auto-focus being out, but not both of them. However, here's my best guess:

I don't know Nikon kit, but I'm guessing that you have a dioptre adjustment on your eyepiece? Is there a chance that this is 'out' for your own eyesight? This would explain the manual focus issue where it 'looks' perfectly in focus to you but it's not to the camera. Then, if your AF point is in any way off the subject, this would also explain the auto-focus situation.

The next plausible option is not one I'd wish on anyone as it probably means faulty equipment.:|
 
It might be the eye piece but its just this one bird all the other birds focus is fine manual and auto but this one bird I can get even in complete auto mode so it can't be my manual settings
 
I would try
f8 (not the widest aperture available)
lower ISO...400 maybe?
centre focus point (or cluster) make sure you're focusing on the bird, not the trees
pull back from the 300mm edge of your lens as it might be a bit soft
also spot or centre metering if available
 
If another part of the pic is in focus then the camera will be focussing on that instead of the bird.
 
My thoughts exactly! Are you 100% certain that it's you chosing the focus point rather than the camera? It looks very much like you have one of the follow focus modes turned on and the camera's focussing on the closest object, the trees. Check in the manual how to set it so just the central focus point is selected then try again.
 
Does anyone understand this tried the zoom in on live view thing and the bird was too close for my minimal focus even if I zoomed out or moved furthur away does that mean anything to any one???
 
How close were you to the bird?

Don't know what the minimal focus is on the 300 but would have thought far enough not to bother the bird would've been fine for the camera...
 
Nod said:
It looks very much like you have one of the follow focus modes turned on and the camera's focussing on the closest object, the trees.
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The photograph in this thread is nothing to do with the OP or the problem, so it's confusing people.......;)
 
If you can't manual focus and the Af won't work you might have to wait till you get back and post some pictures and have a bit of post mortem.
 
thats what the problem was the fact that nothing was in focus and it was giving confirmation, and in view finder and live view it looked perfectly in focus if you go on the flickr photo the details are all on there

these are the best shot i got of him the whole time i was there and it has been sharpened


Untitled by Hayleyprice photography, on Flickr
 
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