Why are some of my photos out of focus? (Page 2): At 600mm you are probably at f/6.3 or higher. I suspect your camera has only one focus point (if any) at that aperture. You need a...

jackpinoh Loc: Kettering, OH 45419

Harry P wrote:

sigma 150-600mm and it was shot at 600mm

At 600mm you are probably at f/6.3 or higher. I suspect your camera has only one focus point (if any) at that aperture. You need a better camera. Before buying another camera check how many focus points you will have available at f/6.3.

Harry P Loc: United Kingdom

larryepage wrote:

Doesn't the Sigma lens have much-ballyhoed image stabilization? If so, I would expect 1/320 to be well within reasonable limits for hand-holding.

Also...the shutter speed guidelines derive from focal length and sensor density, not format. There is no per se reason to multiply by the "crop factor" just because of sensor size. There may be a reason to do so based on high pixel count, which indicates higher density. Don't believe that should be an issue with a D5100.

it does have built in stabilisation (OS 1 and 2 switch) but it does have a few custom settings which you need to buy a programming dock for which I got for the nikon version and programmed a couple different OS settings. The one I chose for custom one is called Moderate View Mode
which in sigmas computer program says "This mode offers an excellent compensation of camera shake, and achieves very smooth transition of the
image in the viewfinder. The composition of the image remains natural even when the angle of view keeps
changing"

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

larryepage wrote:

Doesn't the Sigma lens have much-ballyhoed image stabilization? If so, I would expect 1/320 to be well within reasonable limits for hand-holding.

Also...the shutter speed guidelines derive from focal length and sensor density, not format. There is no per se reason to multiply by the "crop factor" just because of sensor size. There may be a reason to do so based on high pixel count, which indicates higher density. Don't believe that should be an issue with a D5100.

I'm missing something here... How does a higher (or lower) pixel density affect the amount of movement observed?

fredpnm Loc: Corrales, NM

Harry P wrote:

Hi, br br I came back from Fairford a while ago a... (show quote)

Your words show that there is a lack of understanding of how to best take these kinds of shots - the D780, nor any other camera will generally NOT fix your issue.

I shoot hundreds of flying plane photos just about every week, and I've done this for some time now. At 600mm the shutter speed should be at least 1250 or higher, shoot in continuous-servo mode, set for a single focus point - don't worry so much about having more focus points. Shoot with just 9 if you must have more than a single point. A burst rate of 4 is more than good enough. Learn to pan with the plane - this will take practice, but stick with it.

Some of my best photos came from my D3200 and I get equally good photos using either the D750 or D850. If I were to find one feature that helps the most it is how fast the camera/lens (mostly the lens) can set focus. I sometimes use a D5200 and it isn't the fastest focusing camera but it isn't bad either, the 5100 is about the same...I shoot with a Nikon 70-300 lens.

Check my webpage for examples of plane shoots if you like.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Harry P wrote:

if you shot it at that speed, how you going to get prop/rotor blur, it will just be frozen

Good point.

Motion blur is two things subject moment and camera moment. You want some motion blur of the rotors but not from the camera or the helicopter. Ok back to 1/320 then you need a tripod or monopod to steady the camera. You want to also minimize the horizontal motion of the helicopter so you want a more direct angle, coming at you, or maybe a 45 degree angle to minimize the subject motion.

So this aviation stuff is not so easy as it seems but we try and see what we get and we try again.

Grahame Loc: Fiji

jackpinoh wrote:

At 600mm you are probably at f/6.3 or higher. I suspect your camera has only one focus point (if any) at that aperture. You need a better camera. Before buying another camera check how many focus points you will have available at f/6.3.

Sorry, but there is no reason why the image shown could not have been captured 'sharp' whether his camera had 11 or 473 focus points.

Bill_de Loc: US

fredpnm wrote:

Your words show that there is a lack of understand... (show quote)

At what shutter speed would the blades look frozen in place?

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ELNikkor

I also have a D5100 and could have easily gotten this shot. I would have even gone down to 1/250 sec, shot on high speed continuous, and had the camera on a tripod, panning with the helicopter.

Grahame Loc: Fiji

Harry P wrote:

Hi, br br I came back from Fairford a while ago a... (show quote)

Harry, diagnosis of your results and the reason for it will be greatly assisted by knowing, a) what AF focus mode with respect to either single point or auto was used?, and b) did the camera actually focus on the subject?

Your camera came with Nikon software, or the latest Nikon software can be downloaded for free that will show you this information.

Harry P Loc: United Kingdom

Grahame wrote:

Harry, diagnosis of your results and the reason for it will be greatly assisted by knowing, a) what AF focus mode with respect to either single point or auto was used?, and b) did the camera actually focus on the subject?

Your camera came with Nikon software, or the latest Nikon software can be downloaded for free that will show you this information.

Dynamic-area AF, from what I recall when I was bursting it was focused continously, but of course the screen is small and I wouldnt be able to see the proper results until I got home to view it on my PC. From what I am reading by others, it seems like the problem is me hand holding this lens.

fredpnm Loc: Corrales, NM

Bill_de wrote:

At what shutter speed would the blades look frozen in place?

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Pretty high...I've experimented with that and to my surprise I found that I got better prop/blade movement (blur) at 1250 versus 800 and lower, at least until I got to 350. Since I was shooting at 300mm I didn't go lower than a 350 shutter speed. Some helo blades were frozen around 1600.

fredpnm Loc: Corrales, NM

ELNikkor wrote:

I also have a D5100 and could have easily gotten this shot. I would have even gone down to 1/250 sec, shot on high speed continuously, and had the camera on a tripod, panning with the helicopter.

Learning to pan effectively, even hand-held, is a huge help, but it takes practice which, of course, must factor in just how fast the subject is moving across your field of vision. Helicopters aren't so fast, but the jets can really tax your panning skill. Practice, practice, practice...lol.

All of my plane photos are taken hand-held.

fredpnm Loc: Corrales, NM

Grahame wrote:

Sorry, but there is no reason why the image shown could not have been captured 'sharp' whether his camera had 11 or 473 focus points.

I agree, but oftentimes having a group focus point, (I use 9 points) helps if you are panning a fast mover and you can't always keep a single focus point on point.

Some Nikon cameras have a delay feature that keeps the last focus settings for whatever period of time you set (in milliseconds) if the subject moves off the center focus point. This helps keep the camera from trying to find a new focus point when it thinks focus was lost.

profbowman Loc: Harrisonburg, VA, USA

fredpnm wrote:

Learning to pan effectively, even hand-held, is a huge help, but it takes practice which, of course, must factor in just how fast the subject is moving across your field of vision. Helicopters aren't so fast, but the jets can really tax your panning skill. Practice, practice, practice...lol.

All of my plane photos are taken hand-held.

The out-of-focus blur could have come from a camera held steady with a shutter speed of 1/320 s. Here is a sample calculation.

I am not sure which helicopter this is, but let's call it a Blackhawk. The length of this helicopter is 65 feet with a cruising speed of 147 mi/hr.

v = 147 mi/hr (5280 ft/mi) (1 hr/3600 s)
v = 215.6 ft/s
and v = d/t => d = v*t
d = 215.6 ft/s (1/320) s
d = 0.67375 ft
or as a percentage of the length of the helicopter
d% = 100% (0.67375 ft/65 ft)
or d% = __1.0%__

From looking at the photo, I'm fairly sure that the blur could be on the order of 1% of the helicopter's length. So, regardless of whatever else is aiding and abetting the blur, it appears to me that motion of the helicopter is the primary blur. Panning could help or some form of focusing that clamps on the subject in motion. --Richard

Bill_de Loc: US

fredpnm wrote:

Pretty high...I've experimented with that and to my surprise I found that I got better prop/blade movement (blur) at 1250 versus 800 and lower, at least until I got to 350. Since I was shooting at 300mm I didn't go lower than a 350 shutter speed. Some helo blades were frozen around 1600.

Thanks for the info Fred.

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