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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
AF vs MF in a position when you cannot control either.
Natalia McKittrick, Photographer
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Cambridge | MA | USA | Posted: 11:45 AM on 09.18.09 |
->> I realize that the title may have sounded confusing (or enigmatic), so let me explain.
I love the unusual angles.
This time I was shooting from down up, but the problem is/was that I could not look in the viewfinder (or use LV for that matter), having extended my hands fully underneath the athletes in the midst of their jump. There is no opportunity to lock the focus other than when they actually are right above the camera.
Here are the samples:
http://www.pedalpowerphotography.com/velo/cx/2009/QuadRace/color
For reference: I shot that with D700 and Nikon 24mm f/2.8, at 9 point dynamic, some AF, some MF, but found it easier to deal with AF because of unpredictability of how low/high or how far away from me the racers would jump.
Any advice on getting those to be more in focus?
Thanks!! |
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George Bridges, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Washington | DC | USA | Posted: 12:06 PM on 09.18.09 |
->> Was this a remote or were you hand-holding?
If it's a remote you are going to be better off selecting a focus point and manually setting it. Since you are shooting a wide angle you may want to kick the ISO up a bit and shoot at an f-stop that gives you more depth of field.
If you are hand-holding -- and if so you are very close to the action there! -- you can try a right-angle finder to allow you to put the AF point where you want it while panning with the athletes or go for something like the Zigview to allow you to see what is in the viewfinder while holding the camera away from you. |
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Wesley R. Bush, Photographer
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Nashville | TN | U.S. | Posted: 12:07 PM on 09.18.09 |
| ->> I take it you are shooting them on the approach and don't have time to preset the focus. The only thing that comes to mind is to mark your lens or tape both the focus ring and lens so you can line up the marks or tape to whatever point you previously focused at and have a reasonable chance of getting close. Just a thought. I've never done it. At 2.8, there's not a lot of room for wiggle. |
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Karsten Moran, Photographer, Photo Editor
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New York | NY | United States of America | Posted: 12:07 PM on 09.18.09 |
->> 1. prefocus
2. use a larger DOF
3. if you have extra cash laying around, you could buy a right angle finder or zigview |
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Natalia McKittrick, Photographer
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Cambridge | MA | USA | Posted: 12:20 PM on 09.18.09 |
->> To everyone:
thank you for your contribution so far!!
sorry I confused you about the aperture. I gave you the specs of the lens I had, not the actual aperture I used. The aperture was f/5.6 most of the times.
ISO was high enough (to my standards) already - 500-640.
To George Bridges:
hand-holding that time. For the upcoming one I am planning to use remote and a radio control toy car(t) to move the camera quickly along the barrier - we'll see how that works out. But! This doesn't solve the focus problem.
To Karsten Moran and Wesley R. Bush:
prefocusing, as I tried to explain in the original post, is difficult in that particular situation and often doesn't justify itself because different racers appear at very different positions when they are in the frame: individuals jump higher or lower, farther away or closer, and at a different speed, too. I tried prefocusing (described in my post with MF). It didn't work as well for me in that particular situation.
right angle finder wouldn't be of much help, I don't think, since my hands were extended as far as I could extend them (and I am planning to take it even farther away from me :) )
I know one of the other photogs took a picture of me taking a picture of the athletes, so I'll post a link when I find it - it should illustrate what I am trying to explain better (and you hopefully will see that I am not trying to be obnoxious by saying that prefocusing didn't cut it for me or that right angle viewfinder won't work) |
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Jeff Mills, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Columbus | OH | USA | Posted: 12:57 PM on 09.18.09 |
->> Could be a good excuse to pick up a Nikon D5000 with its flip out articulating screen. The IQ is very high on that camera despite its very low price point and somewhat minimal feature set.
Having a D700 and D3 the option of a 3rd really lightweight body appeals to me for some grab shots, mounting an inexpensive DX 10-XXmm lens choice. I do love my 14-24 but its rather overkill for a lot of applications such as grab shots. A Tokina 10-17mm zoom could be a great choice for such needs as well as it can go from 180 degree fisheye to 17mm wide angle which would cover all your wide angle grab shots. |
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Natalia McKittrick, Photographer
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Cambridge | MA | USA | Posted: 11:03 PM on 09.18.09 |
->> To Jeff Mills:
Ha! Exactly my thought for the next try (you can imagine how many mini heart-seizures I've had during a single approach of the barrier by a herd of racers, having my newly acquired D700 exactly in the spot where any of them could have tripped and smashed it). Perhaps that's one of the reasons for blurry images - nervous hand shake.
That's the new meaning of a handshake ;)
Thanks all. |
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Mark Loundy, Photo Editor
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San Jose | CA | USA | Posted: 12:47 PM on 09.19.09 |
->> Naatalia,
These images aren't out of focus, they're blurry because of subject movement. You can see in several images that portions of the subject that are moving slower are tack sharp. You need to set your shutter speed higher.
--Mark |
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Natalia McKittrick, Photographer
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Cambridge | MA | USA | Posted: 7:49 PM on 09.19.09 |
->> To Mark Loundy:
you are correct, but only partially. At 100% zoom the "tack sharp" was obviously blurry. I was able to weasel my way out on the webpage because the smaller size of the original image made it look sharper. Wouldn't fly as well on paper.
But! As I said, you are correct in that slow(er) [640] shutter speed is adding to the blurry result but is certainly not the only reason. Who would think that cyclists burdened by their bicycles jumping over the barriers would move _that_ fast?!
Cannot wait to adjust all that we have talked about here and see the results of the next try.
Thank you everybody! |
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