topic Re: sx70hs blurry bat photos in Point & Shoot Digital Cameras

sx70hs blurry bat photos

jmesar — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 20:05:57 GMT

Hello,
Using a cheap sr501 IR proximity sensor triggering the camera, I try to take bats photos (sx70hs and tripode), with and without IS, alwaly the photos are blurry. Also flash auto or manual / maximun/ medium / minumun same result.

Have anyone taken bats photos with SX70HS? What seting?gs?

Re: sx70hs blurry bat photos

jrhoffman75 — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 20:58:47 GMT

IS helps reduce image degradation from camera shake. Does not address subject motion. Some lenses/cameras recommend shutting off IS when on a tripod; check your camera manual.

If possible (I don’t know your camera) focus on the feeder and then switch to manual focus. That way camera won’t try and focus when shutter is triggered.

You probably want a minimum hitter speed of 1/1000, maybe higher.

Re: sx70hs blurry bat photos

jmesar — Sat, 30 Jul 2022 14:19:53 GMT

@jrhoffman75 Thanks, The focusing were made at daylight Manual, the camera was pluged all night long (dummy battery).
As far I have digged, the flash sparc last about 1/10.000 sec (It should freeze the movement) while the sensor is open 1/60 or 1/125, anyway the exposition also was manually at 1/1600 ISO 800 f 7.0 , I gues the flash up overide the manual speed seting by 1/60 or 1/125 (dont know), anyway the camera shoot 500 photos all nightlong with no other light than flash (i gues no moon light)....
I am seriously thinking switch to a new camera, SX70HS is just a sunny day tool.....

Re: sx70hs blurry bat photos

Waddizzle — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 19:04:36 GMT

@jmesar wrote:
@jrhoffman75 Thanks, The focusing were made at daylight Manual, the camera was pluged all night long (dummy battery).

Why [not] focus manually in daylight? Why not use the AF?

If you focused manually, then that means you own the quality of the focusing, IMHO.

Re: sx70hs blurry bat photos

FloridaDrafter — Sun, 31 Jul 2022 02:40:09 GMT

I have never tried bats with a PowerShot, but I did become obsessed with taking shots of them on the wing several years ago, but I used an EOS 7D mark II, hand held at dusk, but it was pretty dark. My obsession didn't last long, though. I got some shots just to see if I could, and lost interest.

Looking at the two images you posted, it looks like the camera has been moved to another vantage point and neither seem to be in focus, although shot two does look a little sharper.

I'm thinking, if you were in focus to begin with, the flash is going to "freeze" motion and the bat should be sharp or at least some portion of the shot should be. I'm concerned that everything is "soft", so there may be something else going on. It very well could be that you are so close that aperture isn't giving you enough depth of field (DoF), but that is just a guess. You may need to visit your rig through the night and use a flashlight to get focus as the night progresses. Not being familiar with your rig, I don't know how hard it is to use AF to catch focus then switch to MF to lock it in.

In my situation, I pre focused manually and caught the bats coming into my zone. I tried lots of settings but ended up letting the camera figure things out by putting it in "Program AE" and locking in ISO 400. You are correct that shutter will be overridden by the flash, so SS is moot on your rig when using flash.

EOS 7D mark II, EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM, hand held, flash ETT-L flash metering, 1/60th, f/4, ISO 400. I'm guessing shot from 20 feet at 70mm. Post using DPP 4.

Mexican Free-tail (Tadarida brasiliensis).Mexican Free-tail (Tadarida brasiliensis).

Newton

Re: sx70hs blurry bat photos

jmesar — Sun, 31 Jul 2022 20:52:21 GMT

Bat use to come at night, so no light to autofocus..... the camera beam assistant is a joke!!!

I focus at 6pm while is still light to focus manually, and since the hummingbird feeder is in a fixed place, it shall be always focused... that is my guess

But perhaps... this could be the mistake, the bats move the feeder, and so the focusing point will be missed... the nex weekend i will try to engineer something to guarantee the feeder were sure static. As a mater of facts i have many "false" bats triggers, they are feeder triger, the pendulum movement of the feeder trigger the proximity sensor

Re: sx70hs blurry bat photos

jmesar — Sun, 31 Jul 2022 21:03:25 GMT

Thanks Newton, I guess you are right, right now I guess the bats move the feeder so the focus point is missed, I have to engineer something to guarantee the position and try again.

In case you re gain interest on bats, my set up is very simple and very cheap: a battery (4x1.5AAA or usb 5V), a sensor sr501, a optocoupler 4N33 to triguer the camera, Wire (two leads), a plug..... i guess you can get it in les than $20...... something more expensive is a way to have the camera all night on (dummy battery pluged to 110Vac)

Re: sx70hs blurry bat photos

Waddizzle — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 10:39:06 GMT

If there is sufficient light to use AF at 6pm, why not use the AF?

How tightly cropped are your posted photos? I am reading 999 x 666.

Re: sx70hs blurry bat photos

jmesar — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 18:25:04 GMT

Docking the feeder help a little; not much, camera on manual, 1/500, ISO 3200, f8.0, flash on manual maximun, fl 62.2mm

Re: sx70hs blurry bat photos

Waddizzle — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 19:06:33 GMT

Your images seem fine. The severe cropping is not.

Re: sx70hs blurry bat photos

jmesar — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 20:51:51 GMT

The photos have NO cropping!!!
Manual
Exif say: zoom at 62.2 mm (SX70HS 3.8-247mm f/0),
ISO 3200, f8.0, 1/500,
Flash On Fired

Re: sx70hs blurry bat photos

Waddizzle — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 22:15:44 GMT

Strange. Your file sizes and resolution are on the small side. Your most recent photo has a resolution of 999x 749 at 121 kBytes. Your files can be as large as 4.5 MBytes.

Re: sx70hs blurry bat photos

jmesar — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 13:15:49 GMT

Re: sx70hs blurry bat photos

Waddizzle — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 15:54:50 GMT

I suggest that you try to save the image that is posted in the forum. Not only does it have a different size, it also has a different file name.

Re: sx70hs blurry bat photos

jmesar — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 16:23:28 GMT

Perhaps the forum interface somehow modify the photo, the photo have no crop and no photoshop..... my sx70hs only take sharp photos at full sun or midday, look at this other photo..... by now, i made my mind and I will upgrade to EOS R7 (and resurect my old FD lenses).... When Body only will be avalialble, do you by any chase know when R7 be back?

Re: sx70hs blurry bat photos

Waddizzle — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 07:09:47 GMT

@jmesar wrote:
Perhaps the forum interface somehow modify the photo, the photo have no crop and no photoshop..... my sx70hs only take sharp photos at full sun or midday, look at this other photo..... by now, i made my mind and I will upgrade to EOS R7 (and resurect my old FD lenses).... When Body only will be avalialble, do you by any chase know when R7 be back?

While the forum may resize images that exceed 5MB, it does not RENAME the files during this process. If the specs you posted are for the RAW file, then I suggest you re-examine your work flow for creating JPG files.

Are you transferring images to another device, like a smart phone where they get renamed, after creating the JPG files before you upload them to the forum?