Quite a few out of focus shots

merv

merv

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Mervyn
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Just had a walk around my local park with my D810 and new 80-400 Nikon Lens. I was only taking static photos of birds and couldn't believe the number of out of focus shots of a heron on a branch. Was shooting at 1/500 sec with VR at 400mm and the camera is set for 'focus priority'. I thought this meant that a photo couldn't be taken withiut focus being achieved. I know if a branch got in the way it would steal focus but this didn't seem to happen. A bit puzzled??
merv
 
merv said:
Just had a walk around my local park with my D810 and new 80-400 Nikon Lens. I was only taking static photos of birds and couldn't believe the number of out of focus shots of a heron on a branch. Was shooting at 1/500 sec with VR at 400mm and the camera is set for 'focus priority'. I thought this meant that a photo couldn't be taken withiut focus being achieved. I know if a branch got in the way it would steal focus but this didn't seem to happen. A bit puzzled??
merv
Click to expand...

Post a couple of shots Merv
 
You mentioned the lens is new so perhaps you are getting used to it and things will improve in time. However, post a few examples up here, Mervyn. Its difficult to give advice/comment/suggestions without seeing the shots.

Dave
 
Try without VR? Can do more harm than good at faster shutter speeds.
 
As above, try without VR (with a faster shutter speed) or try with VR @ a lower speed.
 
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Edit; After posting & viewing them on here, via tinypic, they are way less sharp than on my monitor

Just transferred some pics I took a couple of days ago.

These are straight out of camera jpegs (D800E)

If you zoom into the rowan berries you can just make out a green shield-bug on one of them.

Around 20' away, 400mm, 1/500th sec, F8 vr ON

fxccwg.jpg


This was only taken from about 10-12' away @ 400mm, 1/1000th sec. F7.1 vr OFF.

16i9so3.jpg
 
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KitsuneAndy said:
Try without VR? Can do more harm than good at faster shutter speeds.
Click to expand...

That's a mythical theory, mostly propagated by Thom Hogan in an article many years ago. He also presented zero evidence.
 
HoppyUK said:
That's a mythical theory, mostly propagated by Thom Hogan in an article many years ago. He also presented zero evidence.
Click to expand...

Really? Because I had to turn my OS on my Sigma 70-200 off when I was in Sri Lanka as the images shot at 1/800 were slightly blurred with it on, and sharp when it was off..
 
VR / IS / OS can only help in this situation, not hinder, and on this lens its finely tuned to perform in exactly this situation.

I've never had stabilisation cause any oof images, quite the opposite.
 
KitsuneAndy said:
Really? Because I had to turn my OS on my Sigma 70-200 off when I was in Sri Lanka as the images shot at 1/800 were slightly blurred with it on, and sharp when it was off..
Click to expand...
I'd say you've probably got a faulty OS unit in that lens.
 
Thanks guys that's useful chat. Will try and post a couple.
Don't understand how it can take a shot with the menu setting 'focus priority'
Yes I've heard it said before you don't need VR at shutter speeds faster than the inverse of the focal length ie 1/400.
As someone said these are my first few shots with this lens on mainly static subjects.

Mind you last weekend shot hundreds at the local air show with 1.4TC attached and most of the shots I feel were soft. Nearly everything shot at 400mm at 1250 sec for jets. So I am having a baptism of fire with this lens and. Also my D810' s not too old either. Maybe operator error and it's too easy to blame the kit!! Will get back
Merv
 
You can get motion blur with fast shutter speeds - don't fixate on the inverse focal length stuff as gospel.

A fast shutter speed is not a guarantee you won't get motion blur or associated lack of sharpness.
 
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Right here's a go at uploading a couple. There weren't any stray branches in front of the image that would prevent focusing. Some shots were also perfectly sharp.



Hope these show OK
merv
 
Are you set to `single` focus point? Looks like focus is more on the water.
 
Do you use BBF as on the D7100 when i had it it over ruled focus priority
 
HoppyUK said:
That's a mythical theory, mostly propagated by Thom Hogan in an article many years ago. He also presented zero evidence.
Click to expand...

You have made my day :) supplying the source of that
 
Here's another form same spot but considerable improvement

 
Brazo whats MFA for back/ front focus?

Mikew what's BBF?

Sorry for the silly questions

Yes I'm using single focus point in AF-S mode. Would use 9 points if in AF-C mode
Merv
 
MFA - micro focus adjust (personally I wouldn't touch this on a zoom)

BBF - back button focusing.
 
Thanks Jim. Yes sometimes use BBF but more often in AF-C mode when tracking planes. Do you think I should use it all the time?
Since I got rid of the D4 recently I've noticed more instances of the 810 not locking on positively and hunting sometimes. Maybe not used to the 810 yet. Found last weekend shooting planes quite a few hunting episodes, more than I think the D4 or D3.would have done.
Should maybe use my 300/2.8 more often even with TCs but not as flexible
Merv
 
I'd definitely use AF-C & single point for birds. (9 points for birds in flight, same as you use for planes)
 
I found the high mp 800 needed faster shutter speed than I would generally use for action wildlife shots. Pretty sure Gary Coyle found the same for sports. The 810 may be similar, never had one so don't know for sure. Try upping your shutter speed and see if things improve. Certainly worth trying.

@Gary Coyle
 
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Nawty said:
Basically the blurry ones have focussed on the water, not the Heron, so would suggest focussing technique it to blame.
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^^^ this x2
 
Yes right enough focus has been achieved on the water and that's why the shot was taken as focus priority was achieved. However this was a totally static shot and I can't understand how the focus point was not on the heron?! I must be losing it!
 
How do I view the actual focus point used in a photo?
 
What focus settings do you have on your lens - have you tried all three "distance" settings - sometimes they can "stick"
 
merv said:
How do I view the actual focus point used in a photo?
Click to expand...

you can only do that if you still have the image on the CF card - LR does not show that information, only gives a description
 
Merv, looking at your third image which you say is better is also not at all sharpe, nowhere near sharp

your image re-worked a little so that some detail could be seen

unsharpe.jpg


you have used the following camera settings
f6.3
ISO 100 ………….. why did you use this ISO speed for a shot like that at 400mm??? ……… especially with a D810
1/500th sec ……. why did you use 1/500th sec at 400mm when you had the latitude to use 1/1000th sec or higher?
at 400mm
Exposure mode - pattern - did you expose for the bird, (your subject), or the whole image?

If it is not sharp, (i.e. not in focus), because of camera movement is it because your technique is poor at those settings

you could have used ISO 400 or higher, the "best fvalue" (for sharpness) would have been f8 - your shutter speed would then over 1/1250th sec ….. from your settings it would appear that you have the light, although your image is considerably underexposed

before you dive into any adjustments, MFA, BBF or XYZ in the lens or camera or assume that there is a problem with the lens, look at the basics, (you and your chosen settings) ….. get your camera settings correct and work on your technique

Test the camera/lens set up on a steady tripod with test images

IMHO
 
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Bill when you ask what distance settings the lens has do you mean 6m to infinity or Full. These two only.
My camera was on auto ISO so I didn't actually select ISO 100.
Yes I could have selected a faster shutter speed but I thought as the subject was static, all I had to guard against was camera shake so thought 1/500 was fast enough,
Yes used matrix metering and not spot or centre weighted on the bird, suppose that was wrong.
I have some pretty sharp results too so don't think technique bad although I suppose I could have had some poorly taken ones.
Maybe I should be using the highest practical shutter speed.
Will post some of 'my better ones'
Thanks for comments
Merv
 
merv said:
Bill when you ask what distance settings the lens has do you mean 6m to infinity or Full. These two only.
My camera was on auto ISO so I didn't actually select ISO 100.
Yes I could have selected a faster shutter speed but I thought as the subject was static, all I had to guard against was camera shake so thought 1/500 was fast enough,
Yes used matrix metering and not spot or centre weighted on the bird, suppose that was wrong.
I have some pretty sharp results too so don't think technique bad although I suppose I could have had some poorly taken ones.
Maybe I should be using the highest practical shutter speed.
Will post some of 'my better ones'
Thanks for comments
Merv
Click to expand...

Hi Merv
I can only tell you what I do if that is any use
I would normally:
go for a high shutter speed with birds and bump up the ISO - ISO 1000 would be fine for a shot like that with a D810
double the range for the ss speed - i.e. 400mm would be 1/800th sec minimum, but plus if I can get away with it
meter for the bird and after looking at the histogram adjust the EV
go for a sharp image over everything else - i.e. let the shutter speed dominate the balance - so for me it would be shutter speed, fvalue and then ISO - as I said "normally" as my preferred setting would be f8 for shots like yours.

hope this helps
 
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merv said:
How do I view the actual focus point used in a photo?
Click to expand...
There's a plug in you can get for lightroom that shows you this, as well as all sorts of AF info LR doesn't show in the EXIF.
 
You can load your images into Nikon viewNX2 which is free and a right click on the image gives you an option to show focus point.
 
focus_3.jpg



focus_2.jpg



Black + White = inactive ………….. indicating that you used single cell

Unless the recorded EXIF is wrong
50 mtrs away on image #1 - (my guess would be missed focus point on first and camera movement)
26 mtrs away on image #2 ……. which should be in focus - but DOF gets narrower the nearer you get - my guess is camera movement - (too low a shutter speed on both?)

to add to my comments above
 
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Thanks Bill.
I suose I was too conservative with the shutter speed, thinking that if I used the focal length as shutter speed, ie about 1/500, that would cope with handshake of the long lens.
I normally shoot auto ISO in shutter priority where, as you say, shutter speed is first priority. Then the lens will automatically open to maximum aperture THEN if still not enough light, it will up the ISO. Do you say you select the ISO rather than AUTO? Is that not trial and error? Would you shoot in full manual mode, some say they would?
Would you meter for the bird with spot or centre-weighted?
AF-C with S (single focal point)!or would you always AF-C with d9 point or only this when in flight? I suppose a still bird always has the potential to be moving slightly so full continual servo might be better.
VR on or off? There's obviously controversy about this?
Sorry for so many questions
Merv
 
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