Out of focus?? How? Why??

ColinB147

ColinB147

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Colin
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Hi guys,

I have only just worked out how this one (and loads like it :'( ) ended up out of focus.

Exif should still be on it, but just in case: Aperture priority (centre spot) AF, f6.3, 1/1250. 70-200mm 2.8 at about 125mm.

Any ideas?

RT5B0049.jpg


Col
 
same question from me - background looks sharp so either C focus was not being used or just op error. :(
 
Yup...well done! I forgot to check I was using continuous (ie AI servo) focusing. :bang:

Hopefully this will help others too. Here's the first shot of the sequence...

oof.jpg
 
So, would I have been better off manually pre-focusing on the fence, or sticking with AF with more AF points?:thinking:
 
Yep - your centre spot is on the background, not your target so thats what it focussed on. You either need to change your focus point to one on the right side, or track your subject in the centre of the frame.

I shot a football match a few weeks back and had the same issue as I was having to leave room in front of the runner to get the ball in shot - and the focus kept shooting off into the background.
 
For AI Servo, I usually enable all focus points. Some cameras can recognise when the moving object shifts from one focus point to another.

It does look a bit like you've focused on an empty scene before the horse has arrived. Try tracking the horse for a short while, with the shutter button half pressed, before hitting fire.
 
Hi Colin - from my (basic) experience with motor racing shots, I would suggest pre-focussing for something like this, so long as you can reasonably predict where the horse and rider will be. I don't know how many opportunities you had to take shots like this - if there were several horses in the event, then pre-focussing would work well. I think the problem here has already been solved, but your camera's AF had obviously picked out the tree in the background and, with such a shallow d-o-f, has pushed everything else out of focus. I'm not sure in that case that more AF points would have made a great deal of difference, because you'll still have to be very accurate with targetting your subject with such a shallow d-o-f.

Maybe panning with the horse in AF mode and a burst of continuous shots would have worked?
 
Yes the horse and rider will be out of focus whilst the jump bars are in focus.Why because the camera is focused on a fixed object (bars) and the horse/rider are moving.
Two options come to mind, first use a much higher shutter speed to freeze the movement, or second reposition yourself so you can pan on the horse/rider and let the background blur. Don't use centre spot either use a wider focus area to take in the whole scene, centre spot is better on fixed subject matter. Also use continuous focus setting with this type of picture so the camera is constantly adjusting the focus distance.

Anyway thats what I think

Realspeed
 
with the D3 I use 51 point 3D tracking - pick up the horse before the jump and the focus point tracks with the subject - shoot a burst as it goes over - and bingo - you've got a sharp shot! Don't know if your Canon has something similar though.
 
I see you have a 1D,

You need centre point focus on A1 servo and track the horse before the jump. You can adjust the sensitivity or speed of the autofocus on the Canon so the focus will not jump from the horse to the wings and back to the horse. ie, it will stay with the horse.

Dod might come along and verify as he has the same camera and shoots the same subject.
 
admirable said:
I see you have a 1D,

You need centre point focus on A1 servo and track the horse before the jump. You can adjust the sensitivity or speed of the autofocus on the Canon so the focus will not jump from the horse to the wings and back to the horse. ie, it will stay with the horse.

Dod might come along and verify as he has the same camera and shoots the same subject.
Click to expand...

Which qualifies my comment somewhat (I was referring to my 30D). There may well be a difference. I know that some Nikons can pick up the moving object and shift the focus point to suit. I guess this is a case of trying different settings to see what work best - in a non-mission critical shoot
 
woohoo, reading these forums constantly is obviously paying off for me to be able to guess what the problem was :)

I've never tried shooting moving targets, but I haven't been out with my camera as much as I would like! :( Going to pop down to the next motocross event down the road :)
 
Thanks everyone - your advice is much appreciated :thumbs:

Photo Plod said:
I would suggest pre-focussing for something like this, so long as you can reasonably predict where the horse and rider will be. I don't know how many opportunities you had to take shots like this - if there were several horses in the event, then pre-focussing would work well.
Click to expand...

I was thinking this would be the way to go when I try this again. And yes, I was concentrating on this one fence rather than following any particular horse around. BUT....I realised that if I had pre-focused on the fence, the first pic above would still have been soft with such a narrow DoF.

So perhaps "centre point focus on A1 servo and track the horse before the jump." (sorry, don't know how to quote multiple messages!) would work better, but then what if I want the horse off-centre, to be going into space...?

So in that case I'd be better off with the 1D's 45 focus points and adjusting the sensitivity?

More practice needed, obviously. I'll sleep on it!

Ta again!
 
Select a different AF point.
 
If you use multipoint AF, the camera should always focus on the closest point, regardless of how many points are on the background or the foreground. It will always go to the closest one.

Assuming that the closest point is where your subject is, which is usually the case, then it saves you having to guess which one to select with unpredictable subjects.

At least this is how I understand that it works. I very rarely go off centre point AF so can't say that I've used it in anger with an action subject, but I've just tried it with my 40D now and that's what it does.
 
HoppyUK said:
If you use multipoint AF, the camera should always focus on the closest point, regardless of how many points are on the background or the foreground. It will always go to the closest one.

Assuming that the closest point is where your subject is, which is usually the case, then it saves you having to guess which one to select with unpredictable subjects.
Click to expand...

Thanks Hoppy, I guess that settles it. I'll stick to a single point for football though, to prevent the focus switching to a player who wanders in shot closer than the ball or whatever I'm focusing on.
 
With a 1DII, I always use single focus and pick the point for the composition I want. Then track the subject with that focus point over the target. The 1-series is clever but it can't read your mind!
 
grumpybadger said:
With a 1DII, I always use single focus and pick the point for the composition I want. Then track the subject with that focus point over the target. The 1-series is clever but it can't read your mind!
Click to expand...

It can't???? Sheesh!!! I've been done!

Ok, if I had selected a single point slightly to the right of centre for this sequence I guess that would have worked too.
 
Yup, in AI-Servo mode and then try and track the horse towards the jumpto give the camera the best chance to lock on and maintain lock. Try stopping down a bit too to ensure you get critical focus along the full length of the horse (if there is enough light)
 
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