Focus advice please

Big Red

I am looking on some advice on focusing for sports actions shots. I was told that these photos are soft on the faces. I have been shooting AL Siervo with one focus point. I was told that I should not be using one AF point but should be using multiple AF points. What is the best way to focus on athletes to improve my overall sharpness? Thanks in advance.

These photos were done with a Canon 50, 70-200 2.8 non IS.



<a href="http://crumpphotography.smugmug.com/Baseball/Antioch-High-Baseball-2010/Antioch-High-Baseball-2010/11636475_AcECZ#973892634_CyXce-A-LB&quot; title=""><img src="http://crumpphotography.smugmug.com/Baseball/Antioch-High-Baseball-2010/Antioch-High-Baseball-2010/Ronnie-2-1-of-1/973892634_CyXce-L.jpg&quot; title="" alt=""></a>

<a href="http://crumpphotography.smugmug.com/Baseball/Antioch-High-Baseball-2010/Antioch-High-Baseball-2010/11636475_AcECZ#973892168_iQijm-A-LB&quot; title=""><img src="http://crumpphotography.smugmug.com/Baseball/Antioch-High-Baseball-2010/Antioch-High-Baseball-2010/Dev-practice-1-of-1/973892168_iQijm-L.jpg&quot; title="" alt=""></a>

<a href="http://crumpphotography.smugmug.com/Baseball/Antioch-High-Baseball-2010/Antioch-High-Baseball-2010/11636475_AcECZ#973892306_V3mQP-A-LB&quot; title=""><img src="http://crumpphotography.smugmug.com/Baseball/Antioch-High-Baseball-2010/Antioch-High-Baseball-2010/Ronnie-1-of-1/973892306_V3mQP-L.jpg&quot; title="" alt=""></a>

time2smile

your samples look really good

look at a few more in your gallery, im far from a pro,
one thing that always comes up, always focus on the face/eyes
it does look like you are soft on some faces, stay on single and watch your focus point, or just maybe your dof.

thanks for sharing

Big Red

Ted,
Thanks for taking the time to look and to comment. In photos such as these I have been focusing on the upper body area so I don't miss with the focal point. Any suggestions on staying on the face of a moving player?

Thanks

cmason

If you use AI servo, especially with multiple points, the camera will focus on the object moving fastest toward it, which may or may not be what you actually want focus on. I find if I use it in soccer, I will get focus on a player, but often not the one I intended. If you use one focus point, it will focus on the object you have it centered on, and adjust focus if it moves during this process. You can also use AI Focus, one focus point, and get AI servo if the subject moves, but otherwise it is the same as 'normal' most of the time. I use AI Focus, single focus pt in soccer with good success, I find AI Servo results in lots unintended focus changes. Just center the focus point on the face of your subject if you can, or ensure you have a narrow enough aperture to make this a non-issue.

KMCC

I'm not sure that I would agree that the focus is soft on #1; #2 and #3 - yeah, probably.

I almost exclusively use AIServo and back-button focusing with a single focus point (the center one). I find that the great majority of sports photographers that I shoot with use the same technique.

Biffbradford

If you've got a nice clean background like that, then you wouldn't have to shoot at f2.8. Try shooting at f4 or f5.6 to give yourself some breathing room in the depth of field.

Big Red

I am very accustomed to using the halfway press of the shutter button for focusing on players. Which of the back button AF selections do you suggest I use (#1-#4)?

Is anyone aware of some good video training available on how to use the back button AF? I am a visual learner for sure.

KMCC

Big Red wrote: »

I am very accustomed to using the halfway press of the shutter button for focusing on players. Which of the back button AF selections do you suggest I use (#1-#4)?

I set C.Fn 04 to #1.

With practice, most find it superior to the halfway press of the shutter button. Place the focus point on the subject, press the back button and release, any players that move through the scene will not change the focus on the subject as would probably happen when using the shutter button to control focusing.

It's a little awkward at first, but doesn't take long to get used to it.

beetle8

I agree with Kent, for me the only difference is that I've become a slave to my focus point so I always have it toward the top whether verticle or horizontal. When I keep it in the center it throws my composition off because I've trained myself to put the focus point on the face. I shoot Nikon but I have a 7D I use for some video work. I haven't tried it yet but I guess there is a feature where you can program different focus points for when you swap from horizontal to vertical. I'd like to see that show up on a model in my brand soon. Getting the hang of using the AF button on the back of the camera takes a bit but once you do it's hugely superior to the half press, and less tiring. If you want to track focus then you press and hold, if you want to lock focus and wait for the action you press and release.