What am i doing wrong?

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princeclan

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Name
Matt
Edit My Images
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Hi,

What am i doing wrong?

Went to an airfield today and took loads of photos of aircraft. SOme stationary , some taking off. Got back and all but 1 or 2 are very soft and slightly out of focus. Noticed my af was set to AF-S. Is that why?
 
Can you post a pic with Exif data so we can have a look? I'm no expert but its the first thing one would ask so i'll save you a bit of time!
 
Can you post a couple of examples, as they say a picture paints a thousand words. and if possible post the exif data aswell.
 
Just uploading them and then will post in the transport section. Will put the link on when its done (prob 10 mins as my pc is soo slow at the moment.
 
In fact will post here as i have a pic of my son too. (not transsport)

I have sharpened them a tad and upped tha saturation is cs4 but what do you think honestly?

Also included is the exif

Aircraft : Exif

Program : Aperture Priority
ISO : 100
Shutter Speed : 1/180
Optical Stabilization : ON
Aperture : F9.5
Focal Length : 160mm
Metering : Centre Weighted
White Balance : Auto

SG101348.jpg



My Son : Exif

Program : Aperture Priority
ISO : 100
Shutter Speed : 1/250
Optical Stabilization : ON
Aperture : F5.6
Focal Length : 300mm
Metering : Centre Weighted
White Balance : Auto

SG101396.jpg


Honest opinions please
 
princeclan said:
Honest opinions please
Click to expand...

Well the jet isn't soft IMO and it looks like you caught the focus on yer lads cap rather than his eyes like :shrug:

EDIT > In terms of composition and the like, just a little flat, the shot of yer lad has some extraneous space above his head, which tells me, that you should get in closer and try to create a little more dynamics. (y)
 
Well the plane shot is too over-sharpened. Looking at your EXIF data, i'd say that your shutter speeds are still reasonably low - even with in body stablisation, taking into account the crop factor of your body, you'd still have the risk of shake at those sort of focal lengths.

Have you done any tests on the lens in question to asses its sharpness otherwise?

As for the shot of the little chap, it's sharp enough but the focus point is on his t-shirt on the upper arm, not the face - at f5.6 there's just not enough DOF to keep his face in focus as well.
 
So you would say something like f8ish would have been better for my sons shot?
 
princeclan said:
So do you just use the centre point af and aim for the eye then recompose?
Click to expand...

That's one way mate and I have been quite successful with it but sometimes if you move your angle too much the result may not be so sharp. I still use it alot in AF-S though.

Alternatively you can move the AF point over to a more appropriate position if camera allows it. (y)
 
Moos3h said:
Well the plane shot is too over-sharpened. Looking at your EXIF data, i'd say that your shutter speeds are still reasonably low - even with in body stablisation, taking into account the crop factor of your body, you'd still have the risk of shake at those sort of focal lengths.

Have you done any tests on the lens in question to asses its sharpness otherwise?

As for the shot of the little chap, it's sharp enough but the focus point is on his t-shirt on the upper arm, not the face - at f5.6 there's just not enough DOF to keep his face in focus as well.
Click to expand...

So if i was say on 300mm thats equivalent to 450mm. I would need 675 minimum shutter speed wouldnt i? Then go back 2 stops cause of the stabilization?

Matt
 
princeclan said:
So if i was say on 300mm thats equivalent to 450mm. I would need 675 minimum shutter speed wouldnt i? Then go back 2 stops cause of the stabilization?

Matt
Click to expand...

but if you can get the desired shutter speed why go back 2 stops? As others have said may be shutter speed v focal length or it maybe a poor technique of taking the picture, what I mean by that is that you are snatching the shutter release causing camera shake. What I would say is that it is a gentle squeeze so that the camera doesn't move. Seems simple but you would be supprised how many people do it without realizing as the viewfinder going black hides it
 
I do try and gently squeeze. Ive just gone outside and tried to take a pic of a rose and the max shutter speed i could get was 60. That was in F4.5

How can i even try and get no shake on say 300mm like that?

Thats on auto iso 100-400

Matt
 
It doesn't look like it's this, but I'll let you into one of my total !£$%-ups. I changed the AF point to be just above centre then completely forgot about. Spent a couple of hours in the garden trying to get the robins etc. With the pictures on the PC could not work out why they were all so soft. I'd just read all this stuff about back\ front focussing and spent an age trying to work out what was wrong -what a plum! Always check the basics as they say...
 
This camera lark is harder than it seems lol

Here is the pic of the rose. Does it look ok exposure wise?

Exif:


Program : Program Mode
ISO : 400
Shutter Speed : 1/45
Optical Stabilization : ON
Aperture : F4.5
Focal Length : 45mm
Metering : Centre Weighted
White Balance : Auto

rose.jpg
 
have you tried cleaning the AF sensor in your camera?
my 40D had a real problem focusing on things as I change lenses a lot
if you're near an airfield there will be a lot of muck in the air
otherwise try using a single focus point for your aircraft shots
 
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