please help me-soft images

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Braddersphotography

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51
Name
John
Edit My Images
Yes
please can someone maybe shed light in why my images might be so soft.
shooting on a 1dmkiv with a 70-200 2.8 is mk1

I shoot at 1000-1250-up to 1600 of a second mainly at 2.8 but really struggling, im in Ai servo with continuous focus and surrounding points set.

Help please.carlton cele.jpgtobi sho.jpgliam yeovil.jpgliam.jpg
 
The 70-200 2.8 is mk1 always was a tad soft wide open.
Do you use photoshop or any other editing programme?

As you have edit ticked, all I did was apply a little "Smart Sharpen" in CS5.
Its not brilliant( I don't shoot sports) but its a bit of an improvement I think.
And just one I picked at random

tobi-sho_-not-my-image.jpg
 
I must be missing something here , F2.8 and you want sharp images ?
 
Rig up camera on something sturdy that won't move, on something there you can easily see if the focus is out - such as gravel drive, or a fence running into the distance. Try microadjustment.

Make a note of where its set to start with, and then move it and assess. Keep focus on the same point. Could make a moderate change to start with and see if it makes a difference and then fine tune it - helps to have a good scene which you can assess on the lcd screen or shoot tethered to a laptop.

Alternatively buy something like Reikan Focal or similar.
 
F1.2 said:
I must be missing something here , F2.8 and you want sharp images ?
Click to expand...


haha i get pin sharp on my 70-200 and my 400 ... I get pin sharp at f2 on my 135mm .... all shooting football and other sports :)
 
andrewc said:
Rig up camera on something sturdy that won't move, on something there you can easily see if the focus is out - such as gravel drive, or a fence running into the distance. Try microadjustment.

Make a note of where its set to start with, and then move it and assess. Keep focus on the same point. Could make a moderate change to start with and see if it makes a difference and then fine tune it - helps to have a good scene which you can assess on the lcd screen or shoot tethered to a laptop.

Alternatively buy something like Reikan Focal or similar.
Click to expand...


Just to add use a remote shutter release so as not to jerk the camera
 
Me again , Why is the background so sharp at F2.8 ?
I would have the lens tested , or am I being a numpty here :runaway:
 
Most likely a micro adjust problem ,I even having on a Olympus mirrorless
 
andrewc said:
Rig up camera on something sturdy that won't move, on something there you can easily see if the focus is out - such as gravel drive, or a fence running into the distance. Try microadjustment.

Make a note of where its set to start with, and then move it and assess. Keep focus on the same point. Could make a moderate change to start with and see if it makes a difference and then fine tune it - helps to have a good scene which you can assess on the lcd screen or shoot tethered to a laptop.

Alternatively buy something like Reikan Focal or similar.
Click to expand...

I always give my focus a quick check before a match by taking a photo of a goal post. Can see quite easily if it's front of back focusing.
 
There are some focus charts online to print off, set it at an angle of 45 ish degrees focus on one of the lines then adjust the micro adjustment until the line is sharp.
 
F1.2 said:
Me again , Why is the background so sharp at F2.8 ?
I would have the lens tested , or am I being a numpty here :runaway:
Click to expand...

The plane of focus is already quite a long way from the camera, so the background isn't far enough behind this to be rendered as unrecognisable. If the plane of focus was closer to the camera then the background would be more out of focus.
 
OP - are all your images soft like this, or just these select few? I own the same lens as you and shoot sport with it - your results should be much better.

The reason I ask if it is only these images... it looks like you are relatively close - you haven't got the focus limiter set (switch on the side of the lens) have you? I have done that once or twice and found the resulting images close (i.e. beyond the focus limit) out of focus.

Could you clarify?

If not - then it's lens calibration time :)
 
There are two settings on the limiter. I always have it on 1.2. Should I have it on 2.5?
Never understood that switch to be honest!
 
Braddersphotography said:
There are two settings on the limiter. I always have it on 1.2. Should I have it on 2.5?
Never understood that switch to be honest!
Click to expand...
1.2-∞ allows the lens to focus from MFD to infinity. 2.5-∞ allows the lens to focus between 2.5 meters to infinity; it limits AF travel for faster reaction, but it will also prevent locking on a subject closer than 2.5m.
 
No if its outside the focal range they would be blurred so i doubt it, anything over 1.2 meters to infinity that is on your focal plane is in focus (ie you have focused on.. )anything under 1.2 meters it will not focus on, try pointing it down and taking a photo of your shoes if your legs are under 3 foot long.. and you will see what i mean.
 
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