D30 Focus Problems

[tepmap]

Hi

I know this has been gone over before but I need help.


I am a amateur photographer. I have recently taken photos of a model in portrait view using the D30 with a 28-135mm IS lens and 550EX speedlight(used on some of the pics). I noticed that the photos are in focus on only parts of the picture.
I have posted the photos at the link below with all the specs from when the picture was taken. take a look and let me know what you think is the problem.
Thanks
Todd

http://melisaann.com/focus.htm

Melisa Ann is the model in the pictures

[lionken07]

try f/8.0 that's where that lens really shines.

hope that help.

[UK_Terry]

i have also had dissapointing results with the same combination, mine come out underexposed.
i was hoping to see yours but i Cannot link to the page

[tepmap]

Terry

Are you having problems with the focusing also?

Here is the link again

http://melisaann.com/focus.htm

[UK_Terry]

hi
i still cannot link, keeps coming up Page Unavailable etc etc.

no i have not had focus problems just photos coming out dark.

then have to adjust levels in photoshop.

[UK_Terry]

UK_Terry wrote:

no i have not had focus problems
.

look at my site from the link below, and go to the Trains page i took these on sunday, focus looks ok.

[miro]

Are you sure she wasn't moving? A lot of those images were taken at low exposure speeds and at least some of those images look like they have motion blur to me. I did notice something strange with D30, though. In low light when I auto-focus on the one particular spot (the face, cheek, for instance, using AF assistant form 550ex), actuall focus is little off, usually little further back. I'm shooting wedding soon and I'm practicing shooting in low-light, and to be honest with you, I'm little scared. Please keep us posted !

Cheers,
-Miro

[Roger_Cavanagh]

http://www.melisaann.com/focus.htm is the correct URL for anyone wishing to check the delightful and muscular Melissa Ann. :)

I cannot say for certain what is wrong (not easy with small images and old eyes :) ), but these are my thoughts:

- At these apertures you won't get huge DOF this close. The EXIF data doesn't say, but you must be quite close for a full-length portrait to fill the frame at 44m.

- I agree with Miro some of the blur could be motion or camera shake at low shutter speeds. Shooting with flash, I'm not sure why you want to go that slow, e.g., image 4.

- You should take care to get the eyes in focus. This seems a problem with image 2. I guess not too many people will be looking at MA's eyes, but... :D

BTW, I noticed that at least one of the images has WB set to flash and flash was not used. You can get away this, if you shoot raw, but not so easily with JPG.

Regards,

[UK_Terry]

Roger_Cavanagh wrote:

- I agree with Miro some of the blur could be motion or camera shake at low shutter speeds. Shooting with flash, I'm not sure why you want to go that slow, e.g., image 4.




i also agrree but it would be camera shake if was taking photos, IS would do no good with a model like Melissa in my viewfinder.

[David Miller]

I bet if you shot the same sitting at ASA 400 you would have enjoyed the results. The model could have moved or the photographer could have moved during the exposure. There is noting wrong with your camera or lens! The combination of shutter speed and f-stop was simply too slow. Try using ASA 400 or use a larger opening(F-stop) and you would have been ok. The one bad thing about digital cameras is too much information! It took me a long time just to read thru all the extraneous information at the side of the pictures. One thing is for certain, you sure can pick your models! Its almost certain that if part of the picture is sharp and part soft that you need to speed up your exposure.
Respectfully,
David Miller

[tepmap]

Thanks to all of you for the information. It will help me for future shoots. I am still learning!!
Any more advice would be greatly appreciated.
Todd

You are right I have very beautiful model to work with!!
Her web address is http://www.melisaann.com

[oops]

David Miller wrote:
Its almost certain that if part of the picture is sharp and part soft that you need to speed up your exposure.
Respectfully,
David Miller


David makes sense. A professional model will usually be 'on the move' during the whole shoot and it is the photographer's job to get them right the first time. I have never done the model thing for real but have worked it through my mind a couple of times. The net result is:

A. The brain needs blood to function properly and make perfect decisions about exposure.

B. Male photographers cannot properly photograph female models. The elevated carbon dioxide levels created by even brief periods of hypo_ventilation/hyper_ventilation creates too much stress on the carbolated jerk_back spring doo_hickey common to all males in a similar situation so that.....my, This ain't Kansas anymore..../...Is THAT what I think it is?.....:D

C. See what I mean? It's biological. They know us better than we know ourselves. It's a power thing. Get over it. Switch to landscapes or sports or something. Take a stand and give them up for good!:)


Unless you work on the "IceMan" profile for a while, you are doomed with the rest of us.


Loved the post. I'll work the numbers, later.

[Rudi]

LOL

Chris, Chris, Chris, ... we are so much alike, it's scary! :D

BTW, I've checked out the photos, and what I see is motion blur in some and shallow DOF in others (sometimes a combination of the two).

... and *I* am still shaking, too! :D

[jonsimpson]

I have had the same problem...and have had better results since following the below.

Remember the rule that the shutter speed should be higher than the focal length.
So if you are shooting at 100 (which is 160 in D30ville) your shutter speed should be faster than
that.

Some of the shots you posted....the info said......

Focal length 50 (which is really 80ish) Shutter 30.
Focal length 60 (which is really 90ish) Shutter 60.

Following this rule has produced better results for moi.
I also try to do the F8 on the full body shots......because at higher focal lengths (200 or so) its hard to see the fine detail necessary to make 5.6 or 4 fly. And then do 4 or 5.6 on the tighter shots.......where you can see the detail of the eyes to focus better.

My two cents.

Jon
http://www.jonsimpson.com/summer2002/crw_5182_std.jpg

[jmamer]

For flash I now (thanks to advice from this forum) shoot on manual setting flash to auto, wb to flash, speed to 125 aperture to f8. Cleared up all focus problems with the 28-135 like magic. If it's underexposed, drop the speed or open it up. The 28-135 really needs the smaller aperture. You might also want to try a non-zoom lens. I havea 85mm fixed focal length lens that's pretty good all the way down to about F2. For photographing a model, it would seem that zoom is not so important because you can move easily relative to the model (in sharp distinction to taking candid photos at a wedding, or wildlife, or a sporting event where you have much less control over your distance to the subject of the photograph).


A tripod helps too.

My US$1.0e-02