I Am Just About Tearing My Hair Out!

[Kirislin]

I still have my doubts about this lens because of where I was focused and where it came out focused.....two different places. I did have it on AI Servo but I will take note of what you've all said and try to get back there for a repeat performance.

this forum is invaluable thanks all.

Edited December 11, 2008 by Kirislin

[Kirislin]

OK, I am going back today, I've changed my camera so I can use the * button and I will increase the ISO and try F8 or higher and see what happens. I will report back if I haven't had a hissy fit and jumped on the camera. Of course I would make sure it wasn't wearing it's 50mm 1.4 if I do that.

[Kirislin]

Well, I went back, I sat closer and in the shade this time. I wasn't able to get as many pics because there was a wild eagle flying around, probably one of the pair I photographed a couple of months ago above my place with the ibis chick. It's hard to compare because I think most of these are overexposed, perhaps ISO 400 was too much but I took the advice and tried it. Not complaining, I still want advice. I did get a couple of pretty sharp pics though.

Here's the Black Breasted Buzzard, no sharpening, nothing, just as it is from the camera. I also used the * button and none of them showed the little red centre focus point even though I was pressing it constantly, I might need more practice there.

Oh yeah, these are from photobucket which is never as clear and sharp as my computer or Flickr, so they look better on my computer.

TV 1/500

AV 8.0

ISO 400

F/L 180mm

Wedge tailed eagle looking up watching the wild eagle

TV 1/400

AV 8.0

ISO 400

F/L 130mm

[Luke W]

Plenty sharp enough. Exposure is perfect. Shooting ISO 400 doesn't make it any more likely to get overexposure in TV/AV/Auto mode .

Question - are you shooting RAW?

If so - you must always sharpen your images. Even if you shoot jpg, you must always sharpen your images after you resize them for web display.

Shooting canon in AI Servo mode? ...The little red square won't light up if you are using all the focus points, only if you have a specific one chosen - best to specifally choose the center point.

[rubiton]

There is no need to sharpen every image for the web or anything else unless the image wasnt right to begin with. Sometimes if it is a tiny bit soft (which could just be that tiny bit of camera movement when you take the photo) its worth sharpening but the second photo in particular looks pretty damn sharp to me.

I would take it on 1/1000 - higher shutter speeds freeze the image better and that includes any tiny movement when you press the button. Also hold your breath when taking photos too.

In AI Servo mode the camera may well just use the centre focus point anyway (at least thats what I vauguely remember reading about the 40D) . And as Luke said you wont get the red square light up or the beeps in that mode.

I don't think they are overexposed at all - are you judging from prints or your monitor? They look fine.

[Luke W]

There is no need to sharpen every image for the web or anything else unless the image wasnt right to begin with. Sometimes if it is a tiny bit soft (which could just be that tiny bit of camera movement when you take the photo) its worth sharpening but the second photo in particular looks pretty damn sharp to me.

We'll have to agree to disagree.

It's accepted practice to sharpen nearly all images that are resized and to sharpen RAW files as a matter of course.

Resizing an image softens edges. The anti-aliasing filter on digital cameras softens images.

Unless you are shooting JPG (in which case the camera sharpens anyway) and not resizing, the image will benefit from sharpening.

Yep, the images posted are pretty sharp - they'd look better with a touch of sharpening though.

[Kirislin]

Plenty sharp enough. Exposure is perfect. Shooting ISO 400 doesn't make it any more likely to get overexposure in TV/AV/Auto mode .

Question - are you shooting RAW? No, not yet. I suppose I should give it a go.

If so - you must always sharpen your images. Even if you shoot jpg, you must always sharpen your images after you resize them for web display. I do sharpen sometimes but I wanted to show these ones untouched.

Shooting canon in AI Servo mode? ...The little red square won't light up if you are using all the focus points, only if you have a specific one chosen - best to specifally choose the center point.

I was using the centre focus point, sometimes I changed it to a top or side one but I never had it on all points. It would light up when I was shooting but when I got them home and on the computer it doesn't show when I check it. they're all just black so my timing must've been a bit off. The other day when I went I was shooting in AI Servo but this time I tried One shot.

rubitons quote:I don't think they are overexposed at all - are you judging from prints or your monitor? They look fine.

I posted the two best ones here

[Luke W]

No problem - when shooting JPG, the camera sharpens for you (the amount depends on the setting).

[Luke W]

When in AI Servo Mode (not AI Focus mode, that's different).

If you have automatic focus point selected (all the points light up briefly when you change focus points):

- - The camera will first obtain focus under the center point. Then if the subject moves inside the frame, the camera will pass focus to other focus points as needed. They will not light up.

If you manually select a focus point (so that only the selected focus point lights up when selecting a focus point), the camera will try to keep whatever is under that point in focus. The point will light up briefly when you first press the focus button. It won't continually light as it refocuses and obtains focus.

Edited December 11, 2008 by Luke W

[Kirislin]

When in AI Servo Mode (not AI Focus mode, that's different).

If you have automatic focus point selected (all the points light up briefly when you change focus points):

- - The camera will first obtain focus under the center point. Then if the subject moves inside the frame, the camera will pass focus to other focus points as needed. They will not light up.

If you manually select a focus point (so that only the selected focus point lights up when selecting a focus point), the camera will try to keep whatever is under that point in focus. The point will light up briefly when you first press the focus button. It won't continually light as it refocuses and obtains focus.

Yep, this is what I was trying to do. I've customised my camera so I focus with * button now. I kept touching it and it would light up and I'd try to take the pic but I must've been off a bit because when I got them onto my computer and checked the "show auto focus points" most times they were black. Only a couple of pics showed up in red.

[Luke W]

When in AI Servo Mode (not AI Focus mode, that's different).

If you have automatic focus point selected (all the points light up briefly when you change focus points):

- - The camera will first obtain focus under the center point. Then if the subject moves inside the frame, the camera will pass focus to other focus points as needed. They will not light up.

If you manually select a focus point (so that only the selected focus point lights up when selecting a focus point), the camera will try to keep whatever is under that point in focus. The point will light up briefly when you first press the focus button. It won't continually light as it refocuses and obtains focus.

Yep, this is what I was trying to do. I've customised my camera so I focus with * button now. I kept touching it and it would light up and I'd try to take the pic but I must've been off a bit because when I got them onto my computer and checked the "show auto focus points" most times they were black. Only a couple of pics showed up in red.

I don't think you should take the light to mean anything. When in AI Servo mode all it shows it which focus point was selected - it doesn't say anything about what was in focus or whether it was focused or hunting. AI Servo mode is a bit of a hit and miss affair, not all images will be in focus. The times it shows up on the computer must have been the times when you pressed and shot straight away. This doesn't mean the other shots were wrong or that your timing was out.

[rubiton]

Are the birds generally on the ground or moving?

Just that One shot focus is perfect for a subject that doesn't move too much such as a posed shot or a subject staying relatively still. AI Servo is ok for this but sometimes can 'range'.

AI Servo is perfect if the subject is moving and is incredibly quick to pick up a moving object if something comes in from the left (srry can't tell you about the right here the racehorses come in fromthe left if you pick the wrong on and stay with a horse on the rails). Doing this AI Servo tends to only stuff up if the contrast is wrong or the subject is dark and backlit.

[Luke W]

Are the birds generally on the ground or moving?

Just that One shot focus is perfect for a subject that doesn't move too much such as a posed shot or a subject staying relatively still. AI Servo is ok for this but sometimes can 'range'.

AI Servo is perfect if the subject is moving and is incredibly quick to pick up a moving object if something comes in from the left (srry can't tell you about the right here the racehorses come in fromthe left if you pick the wrong on and stay with a horse on the rails). Doing this AI Servo tends to only stuff up if the contrast is wrong or the subject is dark and backlit.

Agree.

One shot is much more effective most of the time. With practice, you can focus lock and shoot pretty quickly, before the subject has had a chance to move.

[Clicking Mad]

this isn't exactly on topic but from reading this thread I've picked up a very interesting and valuable tip

I've always edited my pics using whatever program before I've resized which of course has included a little (to a lot of) sharpening. It was just easier.

I think I can see the sharpening difference with some recent pics I've sorted through and done the editing after the resizing, it seems to make sense now that I think about it to do it that way, so just wanted to say thanks

In general, I'm really struggling with information overload about taking good pics of late

kirislin I think you are doing great with these bird shots with the kit long lens. I tried the other day much less successfully

[Luke W]

this isn't exactly on topic but from reading this thread I've picked up a very interesting and valuable tip

I've always edited my pics using whatever program before I've resized which of course has included a little (to a lot of) sharpening. It was just easier.

I think I can see the sharpening difference with some recent pics I've sorted through and done the editing after the resizing, it seems to make sense now that I think about it to do it that way, so just wanted to say thanks

In general, I'm really struggling with information overload about taking good pics of late

kirislin I think you are doing great with these bird shots with the kit long lens. I tried the other day much less successfully

Just FYI. IMO.

You should do all your editing at the full size, then resize, then sharpen.

Images tend to hold up better to editing at full size.

Resize, then sharpen last.

If you want to get fancy, you could start using a 3 step sharpening method (this is what I do)

http://www.creativepro.com/article/out-of-...pening-workflow

[chezzyr]

To add to what Luke has said, I would actually save a copy of the full size edited image BEFORE resizing.

The resized image I would give a different name. Might save some time or 'heart ache' if you can't

remember what editing you applied to the original.

[Clicking Mad]

okay, that link looks interesting, have saved it to favourites to read in depth later, gotta go out shortly, hmmm may make my whole process a little more confusing ...

chezzyr - no worries, I never save over originals, and in fact back them up to my external drive