Testing out a 70-200 2.8

[Imperitus]

I rented a 70-200mm 2.8 to take to a charity baseball game, mostly to play with and figure out if it is something I would really be willing to spend the kind of serious money Canon asks for their L lenses. Right now the longest lens I have is 50mm. Time to get some zoom zoom. :)

Unfortunately I had mixed results. Most of the shots are just slightly out of focus. :(

I would attribute this to operator error out of hand, if not for a couple sequence shots such as these two shots. I took them seconds apart with identical settings, both hand held, at 1/2000 I didn’t think hand shake should be an issue. I expected them both to be like the second one.

Anyone with experience with this lens, or zooms in general, have any ideas? Is it possibly an auto focus issue, or just my inexperience? Like I said most of the pics are slightly out of focus, just as the first one is. Fortunately I have the lens for a few more days, so I’ve still a little time to try and fix my technique somewhat and narrow down the cause if possible.

http://www.heidgerken.org/MiscPics/IMG_9987.JPG

http://www.heidgerken.org/MiscPics/IMG_9988.JPG

Any advice is more than welcome.

[defordphoto]

You do not mention what camera is used. My guess your problem is a simple focus point issue....

Well after looking at what's left of the EXIF info I see you were using AI Servo. Using AI servo on subjects that aren't moving can produce the exact results you describe. There isn't a problem with camera or lens here.

[PetKal]

I am a satisfied owner of 70-200 f2.8 non-IS.
My feeling about the OOF problem you have experienced and remedies are as follows. ( I ain't an expert...after all, your lens/camera combo might have been acting up.)
(1) You might have over-sped those shots: for a relatively static scene and seemingly adequate light you are challanging the AF with the minimum available DOF since you were in the Av mode @ 2.8.

The question is if you really needed that much shutter speed (1/1000-2000 @ ISO400) to compensate for a camera shake. I tremble a fair bit (perhaps at lower frequency than you ;) ) and I can usually buck the shake with 1/400-500 shutter speed.

(2) AF on my lens is fast, accurate, and does not hunt. What I did notice is that AI Servo AI can be "overrun", thrown out of focus momentarily, or focusing elsewhere other than on your object, especially so at 2.8 aperture.

I guess I am lucky that most of my shooting can be done in one shot AF mode and partial (center) AF metering, and always try to maximize DOF unless I am after some other effects.

[davidfig]

Assuming 200mm with 2.8 at 120ft. The DOF calculator http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html says that you have about 11 ft of DOF. By looking at the ground,in the second picture, it looks like the focus is just past the players. So either bigger fstop, better focus, or maybe its a backfocus lens. Don't know, I'd have to play with it myself.

But it does beg another question. Where does one go to rent a lens?

[Imperitus]

After review of todays efforts I think the AI focus was a mistake. I'll try normal auto focus tomorrow. I guess I misunderstood the AI focus, I thought it was merely a 'smart' continous adjusting austofucs.

I was using a 20D.

I actualy have a fairly steady hand, but I have never used that long of a lens so I didn't know how much shake would affect the shot.

Oh, and you can rent lenses at helix in chicago.

Thanks for the replies.

[defordphoto]

AI Focus is supposed to "convert" to AI Servo if your subject(s) move. On my two pro-sumer cams I have never used AI Focus. Maybe there is a reason that option is not available on Canon's pro 1-series cameras...

Baseball is so freaking slow anyway there are few times I'd even use AI-Anything when shooting that sport. :lol:

[Imperitus]

Welp I shot a second day wiith the lens and didn't use the ai at al, just standard focus. And I still have a high ratio of shots that are just barely out of focus. :(

It's probably my lack of skill with the lens. But it's disapointing. 1 out of every 10 shots is so spot on sharp it feels like what I expected from a pro lens, but the other 9 are just not there.

Oh well. I can delude myself into thinking it was an abused rental lens, and when I chuck down the cash to buy one it'll be theother way around with 9 out of 10 being spot on beautiful. :)

[MDJAK]

But it does beg another question. Where does one go to rent a lens?

Many places, my friend, including here: http://www.calumetphoto.com/ctl?ac.ui.pn=common.IncSel&ac.ui.if=text/rentaldest.jsp

appears to have three or four places in California, in addition to others. You can download their rental catalogue in adobe.

[rklepper]

Next time, try the lens on a monopod. You might be amazed.

[Imperitus]

Oh I used a mono pod in several shots, didn't seem to make a difference.

[clicky]

Depending on your camera, try using the single spot AF. It does wonders with the in-focus ratio... :-)

[socalibordr]

Assuming 200mm with 2.8 at 120ft. The DOF calculator http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html says that you have about 11 ft of DOF. By looking at the ground,in the second picture, it looks like the focus is just past the players. So either bigger fstop, better focus, or maybe its a backfocus lens. Don't know, I'd have to play with it myself.

But it does beg another question. Where does one go to rent a lens?

check out samys camera www.samys.com (http://www.samys.com) . i'm picking up a 70 - 200 f2.8 L IS with 1.4x extender to try out at the mirmar air show this weekend to see what a "good" lens can do as i have never used anything better than mediocre (i'm a noob). i pick it up tomorrow and return on monday by 11am and it cost about 80 bucks

-blake