Very disappointed. Bad shoot yesterday.

I went to shoot Spock's Beard yesterday in Wolverhampton. A good club and a good band. I was looking forward to this.

Show was really good so the following is no disrespect to the band at all.

I exclusively used the 28-105 lens. Lighting conditions were worse than horrible. However - still I could do 800ISO and stick ti 1/100 or 1/125 with f3.5-4.5. I shoot shutterpriority so camera picks aperture and I did notice that every so often the camera went up to 5, 6 or even above that on aperture.

However - every single image is OoF. I can't blaim too much noise. I can't blame motion blur either as shutter speed was good enough to get a clear image. I'm thinking it is the lens.

Attached is probably the best picture out of 100 and it is still not good.

shesgotthepic wrote in post #3193292
Lighting conditions were worse than horrible.

shesgotthepic wrote in post #3193292
However - still I could do 800ISO and stick ti 1/100 or 1/125 with f3.5-4.5.

These two statements are contradictory.

And I can tell you the fault is with your lens. In low light (not even worse than horrible), you need a good, fast focusing lens. f/4.5 doesn't let in much light for the camera and lens to focus well, USM or not. If the camera can't find it, the camera can't focus on it. USM only moves the elements faster. It doesn't perform miracles.

You should have had a fast prime (50mm f/1.4, 85mm f/1.8, etc)

You're also using a 350D. They aren't known for great focus ability, let alone in lower light conditions such as those.

cdifoto wrote in post #3193299
These two statements are contradictory.

Yes adn no. I guess it was when the light hit in to the camera.

Yes, I know that. owever - I have managed to get good shots in low light using a 50-200 3.5-4.5.

Samples here of both good and bad lighting all shot in Mf jpeg.

I do need a prime. I agree. I'm selling the kitlens on ebay today and money was to go towards a better camera bag but instead will go towards a prime.

I've been happy so far. Eventually a 30D or (fingers crossed) a 5D will be in the bag. Or maybe even a used 20D or 30D. I'm not worried about brand new equipment.

Anyway - did a couple of test shots here in the office. compared the two lenses. Same light, same focal length set, same shutter and aperture. There is zero differense so I don't think it was the lens being soft focused. Must blame it on the bad lighting.

ARGH! It does disappoint me but hey - **** happens. Can't get it right every time.

Shame - the Beard rock as well - think they're in Rotherham tonight, I should really go but I can't stretch to it at th moment

Where were they playing in Wolves ?

rab_cilbup wrote in post #3193470
Shame - the Beard rock as well - think they're in Rotherham tonight, I should really go but I can't stretch to it at th moment

Where were they playing in Wolves ?

They played The Robin 2.

First gig on the European tour. Well worth it.

in the image posted, where was the focus point? aside from his face, there is not much contrast at at all in that scene, and that's how the AF sensors work.

btw, i have to agree w/ the other poster about the lighting conditions not being horrible, based on the shutter/aperture/ISO data you listed. that's bloody well blinding compared to the caves i shoot in.

narlus wrote in post #3193587
in the image posted, where was the focus point? aside from his face, there is not much contrast at at all in that scene, and that's how the AF sensors work.

I focused on his face, recomposed and took the shot. I've found a focus-ish spot on the side of his neck by the silver chain.

Well, I get contact lenses next week and will start trying to run in maual and see what happens. Wil be lots of test shots before I go do it live. Until now I've had to rely on AF.

Also got a battery for my old Praktica so will start shooting with that - just for the heck of it.

She

focus, lock, and recompose can cause blurriness...there's a good thread around here somewhere which talks about the geometry involved, but it's dependent on the distance from you to the subject, the distance you are moving after focus lock, the aperture used, and DoF/circle of confusion.

shesgotthepic wrote in post #3193614
Well, I get contact lenses next week and will start trying to run in maual and see what happens. Wil be lots of test shots before I go do it live. Until now I've had to rely on AF.

Are you talking about M exposure or MF? I couldn't imagine using MF for concert shooting. Fwiw, I wear glasses, and they have never really been a problem. Glasses can cause some composition issues, since it is difficult to see the entire frame in the viewfinder, but the eye-piece extender can help with that.

It looks like your AF problems were, as others have mentioned, probably a combination of lack of contrast, small aperture/AF hunting, and focus/recompose. The obvious problem with focus/recompose (besides the geometry thing) is that your subject can move while you're recomposing. If you're in a situation like this and you think you're having problems it's probably best to take several frames with the center point and without recomposing...just crop later.

You will probably experience problems like this less when you get a 20D or better...and I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but in this situation it can be great to have a reliable prime to fall back on...that way if your shots are still messed up, you know it's you and not your gear...at least that's how I see it.

You and me both She, probably the most iv been disappointed with a shoot That i have done

livewire-photography.com wrote in post #3193870
You and me both She, probably the most iv been disappointed with a shoot That i have done

What? Where? PM me.

She

shesgotthepic wrote in post #3193614
I focused on his face, recomposed and took the shot.

Probabely that's (part of) the problem.

Here is afull size jpg out of a 1D with the 28-105. There is motion blur (because f/4,5 was way too slow), but otherwise I think it would have been sharp. (I've had sharp shots off this lens, but don't have them online)
Okay, AF on a 1 series is better then on a 350D, but still...

bacchanal wrote in post #3193756
The obvious problem with focus/recompose (besides the geometry thing) is that your subject can move while you're recomposing. If you're in a situation like this and you think you're having problems it's probably best to take several frames with the center point and without recomposing...just crop later.

Spot on.

I started going through my Styx shots (not the kid's) and found one that is taken with that same lens. Different lighting situation but still.

Hard to tell: The hand is in focus. (I think; no 100% crop shhowing)
Looks like user error (been there, done that).
If you focussed on the face, and it's not user error, then it's serious front focussing.

René Damkot wrote in post #3194926
Hard to tell: The hand is in focus. (I think; no 100% crop shhowing)
Looks like user error (been there, done that).
If you focussed on the face, and it's not user error, then it's serious front focussing.

Dang! Upload hadn't gone through. On it's way up now.

I rack my brain and and can't remember how I shot this. Could have been a face focus and recompose. Very likely it was.