OUT OF FOCUS - HELP

Scott UK

Scott UK

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Scott
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Hi

I was at my first motorsport with a dslr Canon 40D and I used a simga 70-300mm APO lens.
I seem to be having problem getting the fcus pin point to ensure I have good pictures.
All seem very grainy and just that tiny bit out.
My settings I put on TV so I set the shutter some at aroung 1/125 for panning and around 1/400 to 1/1000 for stopping the action on the corners.

Any tips would be greatly received as I enjoyed it very much but my results were very so so.

Is it my lens or am I a poor work man blaming his tools.

Many Thanks for any replies
I have attached a couple to show what I mean.

IMG_0754.JPG


IMG_1059.JPG
 
AI FOCUS isn't really the right mode for motorsport. Use AI Servo next time.

For a first go I would have suggested starting panning at a higher speed, then reviewing the images and gradually working down.

For front 3/4 a shot of around 1/250 - 1/400 is usually pretty sharp.

The Sigma is OK for a cheap lens but ultimate sharpness comes at a price.
 
thanks for the advice Andrew, I guess an upgrade in lens in time would be advisable. I think I will get the basics sorted first then make the move.
 
What ISO did you have it on? ( might explain the grain )

you should be able to get fairly decent results with the sigma, but a 55-250mm IS or the 300mm one are probably better.

Make sure to use AI Servo, and it's probably best to only choose 1 focus point.

If you select multiple focus points, then the camera will focus on the closest thing it can achieve focus on, rather than the part of the car you're trying to focus on.

When I do motorsport ( rallying ) I tend to use manual.

I usually set a speed and i always try and keep the ISO as low as possible ( less grain )

Ofcourse, if you need to, up the ISO to prevent having to lower the shutter speed.

So AI Servo, TV ( your choice ), Single point AF .... tends to be a good set-up that has worked for me , ( except i use manual ).

Also, you don't need to always freeze the action. Have an experiment with lower shutter speeds such as 1/60th 1/50th ... this will allow the car to be in focus but the background etc blurred ( kinda cooL! )

I hope that's of some use (y)
 
Cheers for all that info a lot of food for thought there
Roll on next season to start trying again
 
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