Best Focus Setup for 1D Mk11

[skiphoto]

Hi Guys and gals,

Curious what focus setup has worked best for you all with the 1D Mk11. I have had varying degrees of success but have yet to find a mode that works consistently well in TV mode 1500ths for fast action watersports. I have tried using center, point, 7 point, auto expand etc but still find that in many shots, part of the boat or skier is sharp and other parts are slightly out. MOst of the issues occur in helicopter shots. I am using a 100-400 L IS lens with IS on.

Has anyone used the full center horizontal line focus setup yet?

Any thoughts?

Cheers
J

[Pekka]

This may be old news to you but I'll tell you my way: For anything moving I choose one focus point (faster to choose if you choose from 9 and not 45) and I prefocus with *, autoexpand is on (at 13). You will need couple of 8fps frames to gain focus (if you do not prefocus). Prefocusing works best. So basically: Choose AF point, place it over subject, start AI (keep pressing *), track subject (keep pressing *, keep AF point over subject), when you see a good shot keep pressing * while pressing shutter release. Mistake I have found I've done often is to lower the pressure on * slightly so that focus lock "resets" and adding pressure again you just get lock on something else. So it's important to really concentrate in keeping the * down all the time. I've also set shutter release half way to lock exposure. This method works well if you have certain subject and you can keep that focus point in it.

45 point focus does not really work if you want to choose the subject, often it chooses fastest and closest one. There is always something in focus but perhaps not the subject you need.

I have not shot watersports but I can imagine the water can become a problem because Mark II tries to focus on predicted direction of movement and it tends to pick closest point in subject, and it is very sensitive to see those "good" closer points (e.g. water particles in splashes). So you may have to lock focus on subject at the time when there are no splashes in front of them and set the AI tracking sensitivity to low. This is just a guess.

[KennyG]

I have a MK-I, but the same rules apply. Unlike Pekka I find the two button method very difficult to cope with for fast action, but I do only use the centre point. I basically don't trust even the 1D's superb AF to make the right decisions. With action shooting there is too much coming in and out of the AF capture area to be certain of the results (unless you shoot planes against the sky).

If you say you have part in and part out of focus, that is more than likely DOF. You can hike up the ISO which, even at higher shutter speeds, will help without adding any appreciable noise.

Another thing that is overlooked by a lot of sports shooters is blur due to movement. You can have one part of a car/boat in focus but another OOF due to it still having vertical (in the main) movement where the other part has settled. Cars are worse because of the suspension or flex in glass fibre body parts, but I would imagine that there is a degree of flex in boats too. It isn't always obvious what the problem is until you have a really close look and then you can often see the movement blur.

Any chance you can post a sample?

[skiphoto]

Thank you for your input makes sense to me..I will try this weekend

J

[Pekka]

Don't forget to search here, too, these guys shoot sports with Mark II daily: http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_index.html

[CyberDyneSystems]

I think Kenny is onto your problem though.. you simply have to shallow a depth of feild to fit the whole image into the "sharp focus zone" ...

Stop down... do you know what apertures you were shooting?

I have my AF on the MkII set-up much like Pekka... so far it has been very good to me. :wink:

[skiphoto]

This is a fairly typical setting that acheives okay results...don't know how to post an example

Thanks for all the help I really appreciate it

2004:06:06 13:03:53
100-400mm @ 400mm
1/800 sec, f/11
Mode: Tv
Metering: Evaluative
ISO: 400
AF mode: AI Servo AF
Drive: Continuous (low): frame 1
White balance: Auto
Color matrix 4: Adobe RGB
Flash: Off
File size: 2,801KB
Image size: 3504 x 2336
Sharpness level: Off
Custom Functions:
CFn 1: Viewfinder display on during exposure
CFn 2: No exposure without CF card
CFn 10: AF point illumination: Brighter
CFn 13: 11 AF points, Spot metering: Center AF point
CFn 16: Safety shift in Av

[Pekka]

One suggestion I'd like to do is higher shutter speed. The chopper is moving, the subject is moving, the camera is shaking .... I would get out all the speed I could. ISO 1600 and 1/3200 would get sharper images. Mark II ISO 1600 noise does not really show much on prints.

Also, the IS usually needs short steady time to "settle", perhaps there are harsh bumps in chopper which makes it essentially useless because it is "searching" all the time. Try few without it, but with very fast shutter speed and high ISO.

Are these the type of shots you take?
http://www.memoriesink.net/ultraboatshots/index.htm

[scottbergerphoto]

My RC Flying pics are all shot:
ISO 400
AI Servo
M/Tv Modes
Spot(linked to Active AF point) or CW metering
Cfn's:
4-1(set to 45AF points)
13-1
17-1
18-2(set to Center AF point)
I find that I start with 45 point AF "*", and if that doesn't work I use the Center AF point with the "X" button.
Regards,
Scott

[skiphoto]

They are some of the tamer shots...those are generally boat regattas rather than races....a little more predictable. I am always concerned about noise in the higher ISO bracket with the larger prints (13x19)

The shots would be more similar to

http://www.memoriesink.net/laughlin%20SS/index.htm

but from the air...I have often thought about switching off the IS...espeacially as the second camera only has a Sigma 50 - 500 and seems to be fine

Thanks again for all your help...you guys rock

J