Photo too noisy for ISO and soft focus

SkorriSkorri Registered Users Posts: 110 Major grins
edited April 26, 2012 in Sports
No idea what is going on put I am getting more and more photos with soft focus issues as well as what I would consider too noisy relative to the ISO. Any ideas ? Thanks

IMG1248-X3.jpg

400 ISO, 1/2000, f 2.8, 70-200 2.8, not cropped
http://www.whitewater.photos/

Comments

  • mercphotomercphoto Registered Users Posts: 4,550 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    It looks as if the grass behind them is what is in focus. In other words, your focus plane is not on the players.
    Bill Jurasz - Mercury Photography - Cedar Park, TX
    A former sports shooter
    Follow me at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bjurasz/
    My Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mercphoto?ref=hdr_shop_menu
  • SkorriSkorri Registered Users Posts: 110 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    I see what you mean merc, maybe I was leading them too much. If that is the issue I seem to making it a lot. I hope it's operator error and not the camera headscratch.gif What are your thoughts on the noise relative to the ISO ?
    http://www.whitewater.photos/
  • JSPhotographyJSPhotography Registered Users Posts: 552 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    Ditto on focus being the problem, your focus point may have missed the players? Another thing to think about is your DOF. How far away were you? It looks like you were pretty close. At 30', 150mm and 2.8 you only have about 15" to work with. Just something to think about.
  • johngjohng Registered Users Posts: 1,658 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    Keith - I don't really see a noise issue here. The focus plane looks to be a couple feet behind the players. all the image degradation to me appears related to nothing but a patch of grass being in focus.
  • SkorriSkorri Registered Users Posts: 110 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    I think you guys are right, upon a closer inspection look it appears that the focus point runs the length of the frame about 2-3 feet on the other side of them. And JS, thanks about the DOF angle. I need to get out of that "closer is better" mindset :) I'm glad it's operator error.
    http://www.whitewater.photos/
  • johngjohng Registered Users Posts: 1,658 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    Skorri wrote: »
    I think you guys are right, upon a closer inspection look it appears that the focus point runs the length of the frame about 2-3 feet on the other side of them. And JS, thanks about the DOF angle. I need to get out of that "closer is better" mindset :) I'm glad it's operator error.

    Sorry, but I completely disagree. You are not "too close" - if anything, you've framed the shot too loosely. You want shallow DOF for subject isolation.
    184731041_LtvYe-L.jpg
    Figure out why focus is off - don't substitute bad technique (loose framing, deep dof) to compensate for the problem - then all your photos will suffer.
  • mercphotomercphoto Registered Users Posts: 4,550 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    +1 what John said. Also notice John shot in portrait mode, not in landscape mode. People are taller than wide, after all. Shoot portrait orientation and fill the frame as much as possible with the player.
    Bill Jurasz - Mercury Photography - Cedar Park, TX
    A former sports shooter
    Follow me at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bjurasz/
    My Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mercphoto?ref=hdr_shop_menu
  • JSPhotographyJSPhotography Registered Users Posts: 552 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    johng wrote: »
    Sorry, but I completely disagree. You are not "too close" - if anything, you've framed the shot too loosely. You want shallow DOF for subject isolation.
    184731041_LtvYe-L.jpg
    Figure out why focus is off - don't substitute bad technique (loose framing, deep dof) to compensate for the problem - then all your photos will suffer.

    Obviously John you had enough DOF for this shot. I was just pointing out that you can get your DOF too narrow.
  • SkorriSkorri Registered Users Posts: 110 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    johng, when shooting sports is it a general rule to shoot with a single focus point ? If you use multi points are you asking the camera and lens to focus on too much at any one time and perhaps missing the shot ?
    http://www.whitewater.photos/
  • johngjohng Registered Users Posts: 1,658 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    Skorri wrote: »
    johng, when shooting sports is it a general rule to shoot with a single focus point ? If you use multi points are you asking the camera and lens to focus on too much at any one time and perhaps missing the shot ?

    The answer is: it depends on the camera. With your 60d you should use a single point. There are two major issues with using all focus points:
    1) the camera can switch focus to another subject
    2) it takes more processing power which can slow things down

    Higher end cameras provide more options. I do like the idea of helper points with the Canon 1-series (and 5dIII) cameras though - nikon cameras have different options - but for your camera, the best option is to use a single focus point - and for the 60d that's the center point - confirm this, but I believe it's the only high precision point in the AF point matrix.
  • toragstorags Registered Users Posts: 4,615 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    You were at iso 400 w SS 2000. If it's that bright, try iso 200 or lower ( I don't think you need faster than SS1200)

    You could also under expose the background (low ISO manual) and spot meter on the player.

    If you prefer group shots use f4. You'll get bokeh separation at that f stop because the background is far away

    Good luck
    Rags
  • SkorriSkorri Registered Users Posts: 110 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    Here is the photo taken right before the one I posted above. Closer, but still the focus seems to be behind them and on the grass. #23s elbow is the closest body part to me and the most out of focus.

    IMG1247-X2.jpg
    http://www.whitewater.photos/
  • SkorriSkorri Registered Users Posts: 110 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    Thanks again everybody for taking the time to give me your feedback.
    http://www.whitewater.photos/
  • jheftijhefti Registered Users Posts: 734 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    Skorri wrote: »
    johng, when shooting sports is it a general rule to shoot with a single focus point ? If you use multi points are you asking the camera and lens to focus on too much at any one time and perhaps missing the shot ?

    I have found that using AF point expansion yields a modest reduction in shots that are completely out of focus, but a much larger reduction in the number of shots that are perfectly focused. I never use AF expansion for this reason.

    Regarding DOF, this can be tricky. I almost always shoot sports wide open just to get good isolation. However, for a lens like a 400/2.8 it is possible--I would venture to say common--that a player running towards the camera and leaning forward will not entirely fit within the focal plane. When a player gets close, I bump the AF point to the upper middle area and try to keep it on the face. I have quite a number of shots in which the midpoint of the body is perfectly focused, but the face is in front of the focal plane.

    That's obviously not what's going on here, but it is clear that the focal plane is behind the players by a few feet. This could be due to using AF expansion, the wrong AF point, too many AF points, or just plain blowing the focus. It happens...

    One exercise that really helps me to hone my focusing skills is to shoot birds in flight using just one AF point. I've spent many many hours doing this, just for practice. I will even keep the camera in my lap, then practice putting it to my eye and getting the shot as quickly as possible. This demand often happens in sports, so being able to draw, aim and shoot very quickly is a good skill. And it's a skill anyone can learn with a bit of practice.
    http://johnhefti.com/
  • JimKarczewskiJimKarczewski Registered Users Posts: 969 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    mercphoto wrote: »
    +1 what John said. Also notice John shot in portrait mode, not in landscape mode. People are taller than wide, after all. Shoot portrait orientation and fill the frame as much as possible with the player.

    That's fine except it you're shooting for a tabloid format paper where things have to be horizontal or square to use the optimum space on the page.
    Jim Karczewski - http://www.jimkarczewski.com
  • JeffroJeffro Registered Users Posts: 1,941 Major grins
    edited April 26, 2012
    Another thing to check would be if the lens is back focusing.
    Always lurking, sometimes participating. :D
Sign In or Register to comment.