Try and try again

[QUASIPHOTO]

why do these keep coming out fuzzy? am I using the wrong AF mode? or should I be manual focusing?

[EricKonieczny]

To help out we need a little more info,

What Camera, lens, and list EXIF data?

[QUASIPHOTO]

These were shot with a canon 70-200mm f2.8 L IS USM. Canon 20D. Continuous shooting mode. And I'm not exatcly sure how to get the EXIF data. (sorry) Oh and handheld.

[cecilc]

am I using the wrong AF mode? or should I be manual focusing?

It looks like the focus is about a foot (or more) in front of where it needs to be ....

And maybe it's just the wrong AF point focusing on a point that you don't want it to focus on ....

But Eric's right .... more info would help.

[QUASIPHOTO]

how do I get the EXIF data?

[Curtis N]

how do I get the EXIF data?We can help if we know what software you're using.

[Croasdail]

I looked at it earlier... shots were done wide open at f2.8 and shutter was 1250. I was also wondering what % of the original these are. these were shot at 73mm - so it is likely these are hightly cropped. The issue is probably there just aren't enough pixels to let you crop this much and still have a sharp picture.

Bottom line - you have a zoom.... zooom it! Sure you'll miss a few shots at first but you will get the hang of it. The less you have to crop, the more data is left and the sharper the image can be.

Cheers!

[QUASIPHOTO]

yep your right Cecil......I did crop them quite a bit. I guess I was afraid of losing TOO much of the girls to zoom in too much. And to answer the above question...PS elements 2....just the software that came with the camera. Let me ask you this then, should I use all points AF mode of center point mode focusing for taking action shots like these....OR.......manual focus? How does everyone else do it?

[Curtis N]

should I use all points AF mode of center point mode focusing for taking action shots like these....?Multi-point AF in this situation will likely catch the ground in front of the athletes. Center point AF might be a good option here, though at times it would hit the background between two people. I'm not familiar with the options specific to the 20D.

[QUASIPHOTO]

so everyone is thinking manual focus? I appreciate everyones help. It sure gives me more of a direction to go in. thanks guys.

[TimB]

Let me ask you this then, should I use all points AF mode of center point mode focusing for taking action shots like these....OR.......manual focus? How does everyone else do it?

I've been getting pretty descent shots with auto focus, center point, ai-servo mode. Last week I went to the speedway to practice panning and the ai-servo was the only way to go. I tried ai-servo for indoor roller hockey as well and was very pleased. Switching from one shot to ai-servo definitely increased my keepers.

[Darkside]

I have been doing the same kind of softball/baseball shooting with my 20D/70-200f4 and here is what I have learned to do.

Camera is set AV, using the center AF point in AI servo. I set the AV at wide open most of the time to get ride of the distracting backgounds. I adjust the ISO to keep the shutter speeds up as needed.

Unless the play is happening RIGHT in front of you, the 70-200 lens has PLENTY of room left over in the frame for composition work. I keep the AF point on the most important(to ME), part of the action. If I want to capture my player, the AF point stays on him.

One tip, if I may. Try using a monopod, even if you are in the handholdable(is that a word?) shutter speeds. I have on more then one occasion, got caught-up in the action and punched the shutter button causing the camera to shake and making the camera focus a little in front of the intended target. Just about where your's looks to be. The monopod has lessened the effects of my "punching the shutter"

That said, I didn't use a monopod last Thursday evening at my son's baseball game and lost a perfect shot of my son sliding into 3rd for just this reason. Guess who will not forget their monopod next week.:)

Hope that helps.

Darkside

[Exit]

Just use the center AF point and keep that fixed on the subject you want in focus. Shoot AI servo or AI focus and you'll be all set. Also you can try using the * button for focus. Using * lets you hold that down all the time while tracking the subject then they simply hit the shutter when you want a shot. I find it works better than 1/2 pressing the shutter release ever second to keep stuff in focus.

[sf_1857]

On the shot itself, that girl must have ended up with some major strawberries!

[QUASIPHOTO]

WOW!!!!.........Great help everyone. I feel much better now. So set my camera to the custom function #4-1.....hold down the * and shoot away. I know I really have to get that monopod. I bought a cheapo one (salesman talked me into it), got it home, took it out and thought......OMG my camera and lens will bend this thing in half. I just havent gotten back to exchange the dang thing. Yeah I think that using the Multi-point focusing mode........I started noticing it was picking up the dirt like 2 ft in front of the play, and ppl behind where I wanted to focus (very frustrating).
Anyway.......thanks SOOOOO much for all your help. I'm going to try out the AI servo (?) mode this afternoon. The frustrating thing is I know its going to take a lot of practice. Any other suggestions.......I'm all ears.

Jeff

[kenyc]

Quasi, I'll just say, I'm having the same issues with focus, particularly on plays in the outfield and I've been shooting a lot of softball over the past few weeks (w/70-200 IS f2.8), I can't seem to get to reliable focus correctly autmatically when the play is happening. I don't think I'd have time to manually focus either. I guess I should figure out if I can lock to focus point on the center point (??) and try to use it that way, because what often seems to happen is that the camera will autofocus on something in the foreground or the wrong player or .....

What I've tried a bit (I keep it in AS mode) is to stop the shutter down a bit to widen the depth of field, but that's not really the answer, I don't think....

KAC

[kenyc]

Multi-point AF in this situation will likely catch the ground in front of the athletes. Center point AF might be a good option here, though at times it would hit the background between two people. I'm not familiar with the options specific to the 20D.

I think is the answer to my issue. I'll check it out...

KAC

[QUASIPHOTO]

Yeah kenyc I know what you mean. When I go back and look at the photos, I can see other (objects) in focus that I didnt want in focus (very frusturating). I'm going to give the AI servo thing a shot with the center focusing point.....zoom in more closely and hope i start getting it right.......can't hurt anymore than my earlier attempts.
Hey does your daughter play softball in the denver area?.....or are you shooting for profit?

[kenyc]

Yeah, my daughter is on a 16B team the Colorado Crush in Denver and I've taken on the role of team photographer as a way to learn how to do this with the idea of perhaps at some point in the future doing it for money, but for now it's just about learning and getting some pics for the girls and team. They came in 2nd place in the last two tournaments (the past two weekends).

I'm using the servo mode and have gotten some great sequential pics of pitching and various plays (when they were in focus :) ) but need to try setting it to use _only_ the center focus point if I can and see if that doesn't improve things.

Keep taking the pics and keep posting. I'll put a few more up here in the next week or so.
KAC

[cecilc]

Let me ask you this then, should I use all points AF mode of center point mode focusing for taking action shots like these....OR.......manual focus?

Yes ...

Use the center focus point and AI Servo mode, and start acquiring the "subject" with the center focus point - if you're tracking a moving subject.

You can also pre-focus on 2nd base (or any spot that you anticipate action happening), then when the action does happen, you can just start firing without worrying about having to focus - because you've already done that.

Now, this is all assuming that you've set C.Fn-4 to 3 to allow the back * button to focus instead of the shutter. That way, focus is separate from the half-press of the shutter. Exposure is set when the photo is taken.

[QUASIPHOTO]

Thanks Cecil.......I'll start doing that. Another question though. Can you use option #1 on the custom function #4 option? Is there a difference between 1 and 3?

[cecilc]

Thanks Cecil.......I'll start doing that. Another question though. Can you use option #1 on the custom function #4 option? Is there a difference between 1 and 3?

My understanding of the difference between C.Fn-4-1 and C.Fn-4-3 is that with 1 exposure is set when you half-press the shutter; with 3 exposure is set when you actually take the shot.

1 would be good if you were taking a sequence of shots and wanted to make sure that the exposure was the same for all the shots in that sequence.

3 would be used if you wanted each shot "correctly" exposed when it was taken.

My preference is for 3. But I know of many who prefer 1 ....

Personal call on that one, though .... you might try both and see which gives you the best results.

Also, if you're shooting in manual mode and managing the exposure yourself, it won't make any difference which option (1 or 3) is selected .....

[QUASIPHOTO]

THANKS TONS Cecil!!!!!!!!!!! and thanks also to everyone else. I fill so much better about it. I actually just got back from shooting some of my daughters game this afternoon. After I get home and upload the pics to my computo, I'll post a couple on here for more comment. I did everything ya'll said.....except the monopod (grrrrrrrr). Hopefully tommorrow I'll get that item. WOW I've learned so much from everyone on here. You ppl are awesome!!!!!

[PhotosGuy]

You can also pre-focus on 2nd base (or any spot that you anticipate action happening), then when the action does happen, you can just start firing without worrying about having to focus - because you've already done that. That's the way I shot baseball.
I hope yesterdays shots came out better!