I'm really frustrated-any advice?

[René Damkot]

Originally Posted by trythis

If I shoot in AV then the shutter speed will be too slow for to stop motion.

In that case, you'd be underexposing in Tv mode…
If you set 1/500s and there isn't enough light for f/2.8, the camera will go ahead and take the shot anyway, so you'll have an underexposed shot (unless you have enabled "Safety shift: In that case, the camera will either lower the shutterspeed or up the ISO)

In the shot you posted, the camera didn't focus in the right spot.

[trythis]

Yes I find that I am under exposed quite a bit. But I don't want motion blur and I can lighted them in PP.

[René Damkot]

If your timing s good, you should not get motion blur anyway.

But, as said, the problem you are having is focus.
At distances like this, DoF should be (about) enough to allow you to use OneShot AF / center focus point and recompose. This might be more precise then AiServo.

[trythis]

I will try it this weekend!

[Shockey]

Originally Posted by trythis

Yes I find that I am under exposed quite a bit. But I don't want motion blur and I can lighted them in PP.

Not really, when you do that you increase the noise exponentially which creates an unsharp photo.

You need to take the photo at the proper shutter speed ISO combination to give you a nice acceptably bright exposure for best results.

You can see from the Pro's photo that it is possible.

Do not use focus recompose with moving subjects....really?

[trythis]

Originally Posted by Shockey

Do not use focus recompose with moving subjects....really?

What does this mean? Are you asking me or another commenter?

[Shockey]

Originally Posted by trythis

What does this mean? Are you asking me or another commenter?

Sorry just surprised some one would suggest doing focus recompose with moving subjects...just me being a smart @$$.

[trythis]

Originally Posted by Shockey

Sorry just surprised some one would suggest doing focus recompose with moving subjects...just me being a smart @$$.

Smart a$$es welcome.....what does focus recompose mean?


My questions make me feel like a dumb a$$.

[narlus]

it means locking focus on one part of the image in the frame, and then re-positioning the camera for compositional purposes. i for one can't figure out how this would actually work with a moving subject.

this technique is useful if you don't trust the AF point where you'd prefer the image composition to be...in other words, using the more accurate center AF point, the shifting to comply w/ rule of 3rds or other desired composition. the downfall is when you are using an open aperture/shallow DoF, and you might introduce errors accordingly.

[mckinleypics]

This whole forum makes me feel like one - but I'm learning photography faster than I could reading books. Focus recompose means you put the focus point on the subject, lock the focus, and then put the subject where you want it in the frame, then take the picture. This is instead of selecting a focus point that lines up already with the subject where you want it (which takes longer and there won't always be a focus point in the exact place you want it).

However, if you are shooting moving subjects you can't really, or at least shouldn't, do focus recompose. By the time you recompose, the subject has moved. This is why you need to be using AI servo AF mode. The camera will maintain focus on the subject as it moves. Keep the selected focus point (little square in the camera) on the subject and click away.

Shooting dancers in low light seems like a tough way to learn photography, especially if you are looking to be rewarded with sharp photos. Comparing yourself against a guy using a 1D Mk III is going to be frustrating. The 1D family is known for great low light capabilities. Also, guys that buy 1D cameras typically know what they are doing with them. His camera is 10-20 times more expensive than yours.

[trythis]

And that was why I was using the 9 focal points so that I could compose the photo.

I have learned a lot by posting this question so I really appreciate the responses and the help from everyone.
I am shooting a high school show tomorrow so I can put a lot of this into practice. But the high school show has less professional lighting, so I may not get good results. But I can use the tripod and its a smaller theater.
This show where I got the pictures above was a festival with three days of performances. I didn't take my laptop to the convention with me, if I had and downloaded photos after the first show I might have been able to see they were oof. On the camera screen they didn't look this bad.

[mckinleypics]

You know, if you are shooting a dancer on a stage, assuming the dancer is the closest thing in the frame to you, the 9 point focusing thing might work. But you MUST be in AI Servo. And you wouldn't be able to focus on a dancer that isn't the closest one in the frame.

[mckinleypics]

Yes - or better yet, get out the manual and learn how to set back-button focusing up on your camera. That way you can just hold down the button or your choosing to maintain focus and click the shutter button whenever you want.

[Blurr Cube]

Originally Posted by narlus

it means locking focus on one part of the image in the frame, and then re-positioning the camera for compositional purposes. i for one can't figure out how this would actually work with a moving subject.

this technique is useful if you don't trust the AF point where you'd prefer the image composition to be...in other words, using the more accurate center AF point, the shifting to comply w/ rule of 3rds or other desired composition. the downfall is when you are using an open aperture/shallow DoF, and you might introduce errors accordingly.

Focus recompose is hard enough on still subjects let alone moving ones. Say you have the camera set to one point center focus. You position the camera center point to the dancers face (or whatever area you want in focus), half-press the shutter and you get the red box/beep for focus, MAINTAIN the half-press to maintain the focus, then SLIDE the camera up or down (to maintain the focus plane) for compositional purposes (eg get the whole dancer in frame), then press the shutter. As said, an open aperture/shallow DOF (which you need since it's dark at F2.8) doesn't help, since a slight tilt (that's why it's better to "slide" the camera) can make the shot seem out of focus.

Focus recompose can be a great technique if your subject is holding a pose or at the end of the dance (righ before bowing, for instance) but for capturing movement... quite difficult, I think.

Originally Posted by mckinleypics

Shooting dancers in low light seems like a tough way to learn photography, especially if you are looking to be rewarded with sharp photos. Comparing yourself against a guy using a 1D Mk III is going to be frustrating. The 1D family is known for great low light capabilities. Also, guys that buy 1D cameras typically know what they are doing with them. His camera is 10-20 times more expensive than yours.

Low light photography with movement and distance... lots of handicaps to overcome even with great gear and experience. So be aware that the frustration is understandable and lots of help around here.

[René Damkot]

Originally Posted by Shockey

Sorry just surprised some one would suggest doing focus recompose with moving subjects...just me being a smart @$$.

If the subject to camera distance doesn't change (much) it could work.
In this case, shooting from "30 rows back", I think it might work. If you are close to the subject, or using a longer lens, or the subject is moving towards the camera for instance, it won't work.

Rebels sometimes have a hard time focusing in low light, and one shot might be more accurate then AiServo… YMMV.

If you use all AF points and AiServo, the camera will acquire focus on the center AF point, then try to keep the subject in focus using all AF points.