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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
600 F4 Sharpness
Jeffrey Nycz, Photographer
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Warsaw | IN | USA | Posted: 10:04 AM on 04.01.11 |
| ->> For those of you shooting baseball can you comment on the use of a 600mm lens when shooting from the outfield? My lens is sharp up to sround 300' then seems to drop of when shooting from 400'. I always shoot at high shutter speeds, 1/2500 or higher and mounted on a CF tri-pod or at times on a monopod. Does shooting through that much atmosphere affect clarity? |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 12:16 PM on 04.01.11 |
| ->> Jeff, "Does shooting through that much atmosphere affect clarity?" not to be a smart ass but it all depends on what kind of day it is.....as in a previous thread the other day...if it's a sunny day the heat from the ground or playing surface can cause problems...and they are always intensified by the longer lens and compression issues. if it's hazy out, same thing. what our eyes and brain can sort out sometimes a long lens can't...it actually just is made worse through a super telephoto....low humidity levels and a crisp day are when you should test the lens and make sure there isn't an element in the lens that may have been jostled slightly out of alignment...this can also cause sharpness issues. good luck. |
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Paul Alesse, Photographer
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Centereach | NY | USA | Posted: 1:04 PM on 04.01.11 |
| ->> Chuck, are you feeling okay? That was actually a sound, well thought out, succinct answer by you. |
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Jeffrey Nycz, Photographer
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Warsaw | IN | USA | Posted: 1:23 PM on 04.01.11 |
| ->> Thanks Chuck. |
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N. Scott Trimble, Photographer
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Lake Oswego | OR | USA | Posted: 1:48 PM on 04.01.11 |
->> Then again, if it is a Canon f/4, then even shooting in space won't help you...
The 400 2.8, 500 f/4 and 300 2.8 are terrific though... |
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Brad Mangin, Photographer
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Pleasanton | CA | USA | Posted: 1:54 PM on 04.01.11 |
->> Jeff- this is a good question- and like Chuck says it all depends. Every day I shoot has it's own nutty quality about it. There are days I cannot shoot overhead- everything looks mushy and my take sucks ass. Other days everything is crystal clear razor sharp.
Shooting from the outfield has it's own wrinkles as it is always backlit when you shoot batters at the plate. Sometimes you are able to make sharp frames but there is too much haze and everything looks like garbage.
Chuck's answer above really explains it well.
Every day you shoot out there is a crap shoot. Good luck! |
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Jeffrey Nycz, Photographer
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Warsaw | IN | USA | Posted: 2:07 PM on 04.01.11 |
->> Thanks Brad, much appreciated.
Scott:
To your point, I seem to get sharper images when using a 400 2.8 from the outfield and cropping the image 20%+ compared to a slightly/or not at all cropped image from the 600 F4. The 600mm lens was just cleaned and adjusted through CPS. That being said, anything less than around 300 feet and the 600 F4 is very sharp. |
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Mark J. Terrill, Photographer
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Simi Valley | CA | USA | Posted: 3:25 PM on 04.01.11 |
->> Jeff,
I use a Nikon 600mm with a TC-1.4 as a remote from center field at just about every game. It's almost always sharp as a tack. I'm shooting with a D3s at 6400, 1000th 5.6. I will say that things seem a little sharper at night than they do during the day, which is probably due to what Chuck was saying. I also find that the images are sharper if I stay close to wide open on my aperture. |
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Michael McNamara, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Phoenix | AZ | USA | Posted: 3:34 PM on 04.01.11 |
| ->> I've found that if the field you're shooting on has field turf, you tend to get more heat waves interfering with the image than if its a grass field. |
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Jeffrey Nycz, Photographer
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Warsaw | IN | USA | Posted: 6:12 PM on 04.01.11 |
| ->> Great advice guys. Thank you! |
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Jeffrey Nycz, Photographer
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Warsaw | IN | USA | Posted: 6:15 PM on 04.01.11 |
->> Mark:
Do you use additional stabilizers for your tripod? Sand bags, lead shot? Do you have issues with vibration or wind causing lens motion? |
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Mike Anzaldi, Photographer
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Oak Park | IL | USA | Posted: 9:54 PM on 04.01.11 |
->> mr liddy- let me take paul's observation one step further in admitting wholesale disgust. i don't know who you think you are, but let me tell you something right now: i don't pay an honest $25 annual users fee just to be sidetracked by some veteran wise-ass looking to spew thoughtful (and in rare cases, helpful) photography-related knowledge. perhaps you need to reacquaint yourself with SportsShooter procedure in the event a member asks a perfectly reasonable question.
i won't sit idly by as you mock the readership with this fiasco of a response, sir.
i want you to hold this man in contempt for his question, and i want you to articulate those feelings in a weakly composed message-board post that ultimately calls for the accused to surrender his title as "professional photographer". an apology might be a solid second step.
get these things done sooner than later, so we can get back to regular programming. |
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Alan Look, Photographer
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Bloomington/Normal | IL | United States | Posted: 10:58 PM on 04.01.11 |
->> My Canon 600 f4L is pretty sharp. Not as sharp as my 300 2.8L, but it isn't a razor's width off. I've never had cause to complain, but I rarely use it over 300' and mostly for football. I've had a 1.4x TC on it,but rarely the 2x. I have an old non IS version.
Jeffrey, you talk about shutter speed, but what aperture? Are you wide open or stopped down? How about ISO? Just wondering if you are comparing oranges to oranges... |
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Mark J. Terrill, Photographer
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Simi Valley | CA | USA | Posted: 11:14 PM on 04.01.11 |
->> Jeff,
I use a Manfrotto 405 geared head with a super clamp. Nothing else special and VR is turned off.
It's mounted on a scaffolding, so once in a while I get a little vibration from the TV guys moving around out there, but that is rare. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 12:17 AM on 04.02.11 |
| ->> damn mikey, I guess that means I'm not invited to your christmas party this year! bahahahahaha. |
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Jeffrey Nycz, Photographer
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Warsaw | IN | USA | Posted: 4:19 AM on 04.02.11 |
->> Alan:
I generally shhot wide open at F4 with ISO's in the 400 to 800 range using a Canon 1D MKIV during daytime games. When I shoot football, I get very sharp pictures with the same settings at 300 feet with the lens mounted on a monopod. It may just be my technique but I struggle with consistantcy when shooting from the outfield. As mentioned in a previous post, backlighting may be a major contributor. |
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Paul Alesse, Photographer
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Centereach | NY | USA | Posted: 7:56 AM on 04.02.11 |
| ->> Mike... give Liddy a break. You know. He had one of those what alcoholics might call... a moment of clarity. |
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G.J. McCarthy, Photographer
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Dallas | TX | US | Posted: 8:16 AM on 04.02.11 |
->> "i won't sit idly by as you mock the readership with this fiasco of a response, sir."
It's funny -- when I read that, I immediately thought of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yT1GHoFiAw
Also, "fiasco of a response" would be a pretty good band name.
- gerry - |
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Alan Look, Photographer
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Bloomington/Normal | IL | United States | Posted: 8:22 AM on 04.02.11 |
->> Jeffrey, I don't know what settings you normally use for the rest. I noticed some inconsistencies with a different lens. I shut off the motor drive and went to single shot. I did leave the servo on, but just moving to single shot really nailed those inconsistencies. I'm not sure if it was a little shake from the mirror, me shaking a bit, or the camera just not keeping up. The first shot was always a tad bit sharper when using the motor drive. Single shot really gave me a difference.
Switching your metering mode/area may also be something to try. Anything to help the camera think less seems to help me with some of these types of situations. |
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Jeffrey Nycz, Photographer
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Warsaw | IN | USA | Posted: 9:05 AM on 04.02.11 |
| ->> Thanks Alan. |
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Michael Fischer, Photographer
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Spencer | Ia | USA | Posted: 12:33 PM on 04.02.11 |
->> What Michael McNamara said.. the turf on a hot day radiates heat big time.
As for Chuckles Liddy ... can I bear your children? |
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Mike Anzaldi, Photographer
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Oak Park | IL | USA | Posted: 3:36 PM on 04.02.11 |
->> GJ-
it was just after i thought of the willy wonka scene that i typed it!
chuck, you'll still get a christmas card, but no party till you clean it up a bit.
one inappropriate? that's insulting. i should be banned. possibly arrested. |
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