Advice I wish I had been given about the eclipse
Aug 23, 2017 15:33:17 #
No, I'm not blind, just depressed. My shots are not sharp.
Everyone said to use manual focus, wrong! What is wrong with group focus or another autofocus mode? Turns out my eyes were wrong on that day.
I made test shots days before and looked at them on the computer, fine. But I should have taped the lens down at that point with a roll of tape. No one suggested that.
Everyone said to use manual focus, wrong! What is wrong with group focus or another autofocus mode? Turns out my eyes were wrong on that day.
I made test shots days before and looked at them on the computer, fine. But I should have taped the lens down at that point with a roll of tape. No one suggested that.
Aug 23, 2017 15:38:11 #
Fotoartist wrote:
No, I'm not blind, just depressed. My shots are not sharp.
Everyone said to use manual focus, wrong! What is wrong with group focus or another autofocus mode? Turns out my eyes were wrong on that day.
I made test shots days before and looked at them on the computer, fine. But I should have taped the lens down at that point with a roll of tape. No one suggested that.
Everyone said to use manual focus, wrong! What is wrong with group focus or another autofocus mode? Turns out my eyes were wrong on that day.
I made test shots days before and looked at them on the computer, fine. But I should have taped the lens down at that point with a roll of tape. No one suggested that.
What aperture were you using?? I would think that around f/8 or f/11, everything "far" would be in focus.
Aug 23, 2017 15:43:13 #
Yes, practiced using manual focus for days before the eclipse. My wife was shooting the camera we set up for totality.
She told me after she was done with her series that she used auto focus. Well, I thought "oh crap" this is going to be a disaster.
Shots were sharp. Every thing I read said manual focus. But AF-C worked great.
She told me after she was done with her series that she used auto focus. Well, I thought "oh crap" this is going to be a disaster.
Shots were sharp. Every thing I read said manual focus. But AF-C worked great.
Aug 23, 2017 15:43:53 #
Fotoartist wrote:
No, I'm not blind, just depressed. My shots are not sharp.
Everyone said to use manual focus, wrong! What is wrong with group focus or another autofocus mode? Turns out my eyes were wrong on that day.
I made test shots days before and looked at them on the computer, fine. But I should have taped the lens down at that point with a roll of tape. No one suggested that.
Everyone said to use manual focus, wrong! What is wrong with group focus or another autofocus mode? Turns out my eyes were wrong on that day.
I made test shots days before and looked at them on the computer, fine. But I should have taped the lens down at that point with a roll of tape. No one suggested that.
Foto, never use manual focus unless it's on live view.
You focus on something that's at infinity and turn the AF off, and hope you don't bump it.
Now you know, and the next ones in Argentina, don't flub it!!!! LoL
SS
Aug 23, 2017 15:48:44 #
I was using live view. I was at f 5.6 because I was told diffraction would be an issue if stopped down.
Aug 23, 2017 15:56:15 #
Used f 8 but adjusted ss between 1/1000 and 1/4.
When we were practicing manual focus...actually used a magnifying glass to focus on sunspots in live view.
When we were practicing manual focus...actually used a magnifying glass to focus on sunspots in live view.
Aug 23, 2017 16:03:33 #
It is a shame the manufacturers of DSLRs do not allow for manual focusing with a focusing aide as in the days before autofocus. There used to be interchangeable screens that had split images or scrambled images that helped. I had problem maintaining both focus and the focal length on my zoom length. Getting th sun in the image was also a challenge at 300 mm. It took a while to coordinate focal length and focus and then to alter the exposure by using various apertures and speeds. I did succeed in getting some nice shots.
Aug 23, 2017 16:05:46 #
Why would you mot have used manual mode and set it to infinity? If your pictures would not have been sharp, you would have bigger problems then auto focusing.
WJH
WJH
Aug 23, 2017 16:12:35 #
toxdoc42 wrote:
It is a shame the manufacturers of DSLRs do not al... (show quote)
I don't know about other brands, but Nikon does have an electronic rangefinder to ascertain focus. Katzeye (out of business now) & afocusingscreen.com make screens for using manual focus. I had one I installed in my old Nikon D70s. Nikon said the focus screens were not interchangeable but they are.
Aug 23, 2017 16:16:26 #
Aug 23, 2017 16:26:46 #
toxdoc42 wrote:
Anyone know if they have such for my D3400? Is this camera too "entry level" for that?
They don't list that model (last listed is the D3200) but I would ask them as the screens for the D3200 may fit... Here is a link to their "contact us"
https://www.focusingscreen.com/contact_us.php?osCsid=4aefe4d2807d51fbf30907a3dc41a76c
Aug 23, 2017 17:26:49 #
Fotoartist wrote:
With all the effort people put into shooting this eclipse, I would become a Fotoscientst for the occasion, rather than believing others. Put up a paper target outside and see which f-stop is best for this particular lens, and whether dgredation beyond that is worth the safety gain in DOFI was using live view. I was at f 5.6 because I was told diffraction would be an issue if stopped down.
Aug 23, 2017 17:46:07 #
My lens focuses beyond the infinity mark on the barrel. I knew that from shooting the moon. You have to be more accurate than that. My eyesight is bad to start with, not a good thing for an artist and photographer. I rely on autofocus. I do take advice, however and all the experts said use manual focus at these settings. All I know now is I should have used autofocus and stopped down more. Those were my original instincts which I didn't go with.
williejoha wrote:
Why would you mot have used manual mode and set it to infinity? If your pictures would not have been sharp, you would have bigger problems then auto focusing.
WJH
WJH
Aug 23, 2017 17:52:13 #
Racmanaz
Loc: Sunny Tucson!
Fotoartist wrote:
No, I'm not blind, just depressed. My shots are not sharp.
Everyone said to use manual focus, wrong! What is wrong with group focus or another autofocus mode? Turns out my eyes were wrong on that day.
I made test shots days before and looked at them on the computer, fine. But I should have taped the lens down at that point with a roll of tape. No one suggested that.
Everyone said to use manual focus, wrong! What is wrong with group focus or another autofocus mode? Turns out my eyes were wrong on that day.
I made test shots days before and looked at them on the computer, fine. But I should have taped the lens down at that point with a roll of tape. No one suggested that.
Just out of curiosity, could you include a sample of the photo's that are not in focus?
Aug 23, 2017 18:07:32 #
They looked good on the back of the LCD but on the computer Bailey's Beads are a blur and the edge of the black disk is soft. All rejects. I don't like to show my mistakes. Really embarrassing. I can usually recover from a photographic error with my Photoshop skills but out of focus is near impossible. I will try all my tricks though. I realize that after I do that it will no longer be in the class of a nature photo. Major bummer.
Racmanaz wrote:
Just out of curiosity, could you include a sample of the photo's that are not in focus?
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