Lenses for Airshows??

I just got the chance to shoot my first airshow this past Saturday at Andrews Airforce Base (Joint Base Andrews now). I was somewhat happy and somewhat disappointed at the same time. I got some decent shots, but they all seem a bit soft. I was shooting with my Sigma 120-400 on my Canon 50D. Would the softness be strictly a result of the lens' reputation for being a little soft at 400mm, or are there things I could do to help make them sharper? I am wondering if there are better lenses out there for reasonable money, or if I should just keep using what I have and try to make them as good as I can. I am wondering if the new Sigma 50-500 with OS would be a better choice? I could sell the 120-400 and put that money towards the new lens. Here is a link to some of the better pictures I got this past weekend. Any input would be greatly appreciated! https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=874629

Curious, what focus setting were you using?

aviator.4.life wrote in post #10198489
Curious, what focus setting were you using?

I was mostly just in regular auto focus on the 50D. I tried servo mode, but that actually seemed worse with the Sigma. One other thing I thought about is wether or not I should have tried the second stabilization setting on the lens. It is for panning, which is mostly what I was doing. I didn't think about that until I got home and looked at the pictures.

I find that AI Servo works better for me with aircraft. My 100-400 has a panning stabilization mode as well but I find I get better results with the normal mode.

aviator.4.life wrote in post #10198787
I find that AI Servo works better for me with aircraft. My 100-400 has a panning stabilization mode as well but I find I get better results with the normal mode.

hhmm.. guess I need to do some more experimenting. I wish there were more airshows close to me this summer. Looks like the closest two are coming in a few weeks to Suffolk VA, and Virginia Beach VA. I'm in Maryland. AI Servo seemed to take too long to pick up the plane and focus for me with the Sigma.

Have you tested for any front or back focus?

aviator.4.life wrote in post #10198841
Have you tested for any front or back focus?

To tell you the truth, I have no clue what that is.. I'm a newbie...

Did the OP have a UV filter on the 100-400?

That lens is notorious for having softenss issues when one is used. Don't know why exactly but we've seen many instances of same here.

Take a look here...http://focustestchart.​com/chart.html ...and test your lens to the chart and see if it is front or back focusing. Then use the micro adjust setting in your camera to make the camera focus slightly forward or back for the specific lens. Other than that I don't know, maybe someone else can chime in.

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #10198918
Did the OP have a UV filter on the 100-400?

That lens is notorious for having softenss issues when one is used. Don't know why exactly but we've seen many instances of same here.

I'm the OP, and there was no filter. Did you mean 100-400 or what I was using which was the Sigma 120-400?

golfingguy27 wrote in post #10198940
I'm the OP, and there was no filter. Did you mean 100-400 or what I was using which was the Sigma 120-400?

Disregard then. Thought I saw the 100-400 mentioned. Sorry...

Just got back from a very long weekend at Chino, CA shooting the Planes of Fame Air Show and my brain is as fried as the rest of me.

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #10198945
Disregard then. Thought I saw the 100-400 mentioned. Sorry...

Just got back from a very long weekend at Chino, CA shooting the Planes of Fame Air Show and my brain is as fried as the rest of me.

No problem at all.. any other suggestions? I have read some things about people sharpening images in pp. Am I missing something there? I have a lot of learning to do... I know another thing that would have probably helped on the jet shots would have been to speed up my shutter. I left it where I was shooting the prop planes which was between 1/160 and 1/250, and judging by the almost stopped propellors, should have been even slower.

Every shot, even if it's a .jpg shot in the camera, needs to be RE-sharpened when it's resized, even if it hasn't been cropped. I don't like in-camera .jpgs, because there's no good way to fix an image that has areas that have been oversharpened by the geek at Canon who programmed the in-camera PP.
There are several ways to sharpen, but generally, I only sharpen the part of the image that will benefit the most.
Selection for sharpening illustration.

Sticky: PS Tutorial - Resizing Images Using Save For Web

Sticky: Sharpening Tips & Tricks, Tutorials, and FAQ

So much to remember, right?
There's a note on how I handle props vs. jets at the bottom of post #1 in this: Need an exposure crutch?

I've gotten some very nice airshow images with the 120-400OS/50D combo.

Stop it down to f8 amd use Servo (not AI Servo) AF. Start tracking airplanes at a distance, with the center AF point. Use Mode 2 OS.

District_History_Fan wrote in post #10230648
I've gotten some very nice airshow images with the 120-400OS/50D combo.

Stop it down to f8 amd use Servo (not AI Servo) AF. Start tracking airplanes at a distance, with the center AF point. Use Mode 2 OS.

Thanks for your input.. I will give it a try. One question though.. Servo, but not AI Servo? I don't see that as an option. Would that happen to be the "One Shot" setting?