A "perfect" MISS
First of all--lacrosse has started and I was inside taking basketball shots! Then, I just had a terrible shooting day. I could not get any focus at all today--and just wondering if anyone had any suggestions. Most of the time I was using a 30D, with a 50 f1.8., ISO 1600, Aperture priority, set to f2.2, AI Servo--and only the center focus spot selected. The gym was pretty dim--and "yellow."
It seemed that all I could get in focus was the distant wall. The following shot was typical of what I was NOT getting!
I know the "thrifty fifty" is not the fastest lens--but usually I can get more keepers than throw-aways--not today. The action was moving pretty quickly in this particular shot--but even on slower moving subjects, the camera still seemed to want to focus on the back wall. I know that the effective focus range on this lens is short --about 10 feet or so, but usually I can wrestle it to do what I want.
Is there something about the regular pattern in the wall that entices the focus mechanism to ignore what I'm aiming at?
I'm really interested in any suggestions (however, ton's of $ for new glass is not an option). ...and getting outside for the Spring is already on my to-do list!
It seemed that all I could get in focus was the distant wall. The following shot was typical of what I was NOT getting!
I know the "thrifty fifty" is not the fastest lens--but usually I can get more keepers than throw-aways--not today. The action was moving pretty quickly in this particular shot--but even on slower moving subjects, the camera still seemed to want to focus on the back wall. I know that the effective focus range on this lens is short --about 10 feet or so, but usually I can wrestle it to do what I want.
Is there something about the regular pattern in the wall that entices the focus mechanism to ignore what I'm aiming at?
I'm really interested in any suggestions (however, ton's of $ for new glass is not an option). ...and getting outside for the Spring is already on my to-do list!
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Comments
Hi, I don't know a lot, but my teacher said that Canon cameras tend to use horizontal lines for focus and Nikon vertical lines (hence my inability to take sunset pictures unless I tilt the camera first). Maybe if you tilted the camera a little bit so there weren't either horizontal or verticals it would have worked? Then you'd have to fix them all, but at least you might have something to fix? Or bigger people to focus on.
Would have been an awesome shot!
Land sports: http://scippix.smugmug.com/
Take a crack at manual focus. One nice thing about basketball is that a lot of action happens down near the post (as in your example shot). Manually focus the camera for the post area and shoot away when there is action right under the basket. You'll probably find some good shots with sharp focus.
Having the sujects fill more of the frame will help the af understand what is supposed to focus on. The other thing already mentioned is the high contrast horizontal or vertical lines. In low light my camera will go to these like a junkie looking for a fix. I have had situations where even with the frame 75% filled with subject it'll latch on to those lines. I've been at a few gyms where they fold up the bleachers for cetain events and they consume an entire wall,if they are in my BG it's almost worthless.
"Cletus, master of craposition," I love it, that's craptastic
Keith Tharp.com - Champion Photo