Focusing in the wrong spot!

bandgeekndb

Hello all! I've already posted a couple of times regarding football photography, and thanks to the tips I got in my last post, I got some AMAZING shots. I'm working on PP, but they'll be up soon and I"ll share some of the best.

What I'm fighting now is shots like below! Also, the original of this file is here. Obviously, I'm not trying to focus on my blocker in the front of the frame, I want the runner in the middle! I can't see why, since I had single-point AF turned on and I had continuous-servo AF turned on as well. 99% of the time, I left the focus on center point (out of Left, Center, Right on my D40). The only time I moved it was for staged shots if necessary and I always moved it back when done.

I've been trying to track the players more before taking a shot, but I don't understand why it focused on my closest player here! Please someone help me, I'm going nuts trying to understand! Thanks!

~Nick

donek

There are three focus settings on the D40. Closest subject, dynamic area, and single area. It looks like you are on closest subject. Read you manual starting on page 24. All will be explained.

davidweaver

Reading the manual is fine and a good thing to do. Learn how to set focus at the center of the lens, then compose the subject, then click the shutter. I've been using that technique for 30 + years and it serves me very well every day.


Basically. Be able to set your focus to the center of the image. Pressing down the shutter button partially will cause the AF to focus on the center of the image. While you have the button half-depressed quickly recompose your shot and fully-depress the shutter button.

I hope that helps!
David

bandgeekndb

The funny thing is, I went back and checked my settings (heck, I wrote them down from here to make sure I remembered them!) and it was set to single-area AF (obviously on the center bracket). I can't understand why it would have moved if I specifically told the camera to use that 1 point?

Does another AF setting override my choice of focus points? Thanks!

rockcanyonphotos

bandgeekndb wrote:

The funny thing is, I went back and checked my settings (heck, I wrote them down from here to make sure I remembered them!) and it was set to single-area AF (obviously on the center bracket). I can't understand why it would have moved if I specifically told the camera to use that 1 point?

Does another AF setting override my choice of focus points? Thanks!

No answer but a couple of possibilities:

1) were subsequent shots in this sequence in focus? The reason I ask is it looks like the RB was just coming into the frame from the right and the blocker on the right (subect AF is locked on) appears to have moved from center to right. If this is the case, your AF would have locked onto the nearest subject and the AF may have been trying to keep track on the original subject.

2) I could not access your EXIF data on your website.. what lens were you using? Your signature says an 18-55mm kit lens. I am guessing you used something else. If you are not using a higher-end lens with the USM (canon term) function then the speed at which your camera can acquire initial AF is going to be dramaticly slower.

regards, kevin

bandgeekndb

Working with a 55-200 VR lens (VR off though since it was good light). I have to check, I don't know why EXIF data wasn't available. Thanks for the heads-up.

Also, why would the camera ignore the center point setting and just for that shot, get the closest subject? My main reason for setting it that way, besides reading that it was advised, was so I could track a player with that center focus point and keep them in focus, regardless of who was around them!

Could it be that as it was trying to focus on my center point, I just happened to snap the shutter while it was moving focus through that point? I'll go back and see if I kept much of that series, I was unimpressed with the results so I know I tossed a bunch. Far better than my previous outings, so I was pleased overall!

OhEddie

My guess is that just before you clicked the shutter, the blocker was in the center, and in an instant, things changed and the D40 could not reacquire focus fast enough.

BTW - He fumbled the ball, didn't he?

bandgeekndb

NO, oddly enough, he held on to that...don't ask me how, that's why I'm not on the team! I would have dropped that on the handoff...heck, I would have made the QB drop it, I'm that bad at sports. Thank god my hand at technology and cameras is better!

As for your comment, that sounds about right. I believe I was tracking the runner and blocker cut in front of my shot, causing the camera to lose focus for a sec. Normally, if the subject and the non-subject are close to, or in the same plane, it is only a small distance to refocus. Now, I am understanding why people call the f2.8 lenses "fast" and lenses like the 18-200 VR "slow".

Thanks for all the help! Now I need to get better field positioning to alleviate this problem. Can't I just tell them not to run in front of me? To heck with the game, the photos are more important :-D

~Nick

South Shore Snapshots

I have had similar things happen with my AF system (Pentax) whereby the centre point is enabled, locked, and ready, but that in the instant during which it takes for the shutter to actually release, someone else skates by (hockey) and the AF unlocks to track the newly acquired target thus losing the intended target in the process. That's why I shoot many many frames and why I often lay on the trigger button for multiple bursts.

rockcanyonphotos

Final note, you mention "tossing a bunch". You may be being a bit hard on yourself. If you are keeping 25% of what you are shooting then IMO you are doing well. When I get into low-light situations it is not uncommon for me to only keep 10% of what I shoot... that is the challenge of shooting action. Those other players on the team just don't pay attention to the camera and seem to want to run in front of it when they please, change directions, run to the far side of the field, etc and then whoever designs the lighting for these fields and gyms never bothered to consult with a photographer to make sure there was sufficient light so that my equipment can function at its best!! :-)

regards, Kevin

Tee Why

Looks to me that the guy ran in front of the center AF and the AF changed and didn't have enough time to refocus on the player with the football.

torags

bandgeekndb wrote:

The funny thing is, I went back and checked my settings (heck, I wrote them down from here to make sure I remembered them!) and it was set to single-area AF (obviously on the center bracket). I can't understand why it would have moved if I specifically told the camera to use that 1 point?

Does another AF setting override my choice of focus points? Thanks!

I'm not familiar with the D40. Do you have three focus area sizes on the top of the cam?

You should be on the dot, not the dot within parenthesis or the box with circle inside.

BTW you may be unhappy with the result. Out of focus surrounding players that may support the subject; which may be the fight & not the individual

mercphoto

Tee Why wrote:

Looks to me that the guy ran in front of the center AF and the AF changed and didn't have enough time to refocus on the player with the football.

I agree as well.

My old 1D Mark II had a setting to deal with situations exactly like this (its one of many things you pay for in a camera in that league) called "focus speed". Its name is a bit misleading -- the camera always focuses fast, but the "speed" means how quickly will it react to a new subject at a new distance. It was not uncommon to hear of football photographers using medium or even slower AF speeds. When that defensive guy briefly gets between you and the QB the camera will not rapidly change its focus distance on you, it will stay on the old distance setting a bit and hopefully the guy leaves the frame quickly, leaving you properly focused on the QB once again.

pacdzyne

+ 1 for merxphoto & Tee Why

pacdzyne