EOS 90D Trouble focusing on birds in flight when panning

[Ramsden]

Hi folks

Not long after getting my EOS90D a couple of years ago, I bought a few books to learn how to use my camera properly. One of these was Understanding Exposure, by Bryan Peterson, which influenced me into being an 'M Raw' type of photographer. For those who have read my posts over the last couple of years will recognise that I haven't used many of the many additional features that this camera offers!

Till last week I set up C1 and C2 for the first time, and its been great. And I continue to see what this camera can do.  My C2 settings are geared up for relatively fast multi shot photos. I have tried to take loads of pictures of birds in my small village in Yorkshire. Point and shoot - it works great, apart from highlighting the limitations of my enses! 

This made me wonder if the Panning Setting would be more efficient. So I gave it a try last week.

In my short experiment, I would suggest its not as my C2 settings.

When Panning birds in flight, the camera failed to focus and wouldn't let me take a picture. This was probably 60% of the time. Not a big experiment. BUT I'm curious why the Panning operation was so sluggish, while my C2 was great.

To take this further, and building on my last post, I intend to use some of these features, so I can learn how the camera thinks, and improve my ability to take good pictures. I take a lot of train photos, where the Panning would be useful.

Techie stuff:

My C2 settings:

Aperture priority

F14, IS0 200, AI Servo, Spot AF (for birds), Partial metering and High speed continuous. 70-300 lens

The Panning app  only seems to allow me to change Brightness and the level of background blurr, and sets the camera up accordingly. So am I missing something with the Panning set up?

Not a big deal, but any useful comments will be, as ever, gratefully received.

Ramsden

[stevet1]

Ramsden,

You wrote, "When Panning birds in flight, the camera failed to focus and wouldn't let me take a picture."

Are you sure your camera is in Servo Mode when using the panning feature? The behavior you describe is typical of One Shot. In Servo, your camera will take a picture whether you are in focus or not.

Steve Thomas

[kvbarkley]

Are you sure that this panning mode is not for taking panoramas?

[Ramsden]

Hi Steve

When I put it on panning, it shows a small car graphic. Apart from the 2 options of brightness and amount of background blurr, I dont seem to have any control. But they are valid questions. How or can you tweek the panning settings?

Ramsden

[stevet1]

Ramsden,

It sounds like this Panning Mode is one of your Special Scene Modes, and yes, if that is the case your options for changing settings are going to be very limited. Your Special Scenes are part of the Basic Zone package like Portrait or Sports. The camera is going to make most of your choices for you.

Better to learn how to do panning by hand I think. Start out with a shutter speed of about 1/60th and an aperture of f/8. Take some test shots and tweak as you go along until you are happy with the results.

Steve Thomas

[Ramsden]

Thanks Steve, I'll give that a go. I haven't set out to do much panning as a strategy, but when I think of the number of trains and other vehicles in my library I need to work on this as an improvement plan. It's an area for much improvement.

Thanks

Ramsden

[Ramsden]

In addition, I really need to think more about the whole process. Tripod? where I stand point and move - entry and exit points. 

A lot to work on...

[stevet1]

Ramsden,

Yes, a tripod is a good idea. You want side to side movement, but not up and down. (unless that is the look you are going for). Follow your subject, and fire off a burst of 6 or 7 shots. It will increase your chances that at least one of them is bound to be in focus.

Steve Thomas

[Ramsden]

Thanks Steve

My panning to date has been quite erratic practicing in my back garden with what's left of the seasons birds. We live near an old church with a graveyard. This attracts Rooks and Crows which are very difficult to catch on camera, so its been quite hit and miss, with me pointing my camera in the direction of the trees, hoping for an emerging bird. All good fun, at the end of the day. 

But I've realised that my approach to panning has been completely random, so I intend to work on this asap.

But I also realised that my approach to photographing trains has a lot to improve, and at least more predictable than birds!

Thanks for your support.

R

[p4pictures]

I have been doing panning photos for many years, I learnt to pan with a film EOS 600 and EOS 5 (A2e). Panning takes a lot of practice and the use of a shutter speed that is appropriate to the subject speed. A person casually cycling past on a city street needs different, slower, shutter speeds than a motorcycle racing on a track. Also the distance between you and the subject has an impact on how fast you have to move the camera to pan with the subject. 

Given that the most important part is shutter speed, it's best to use a mode that allows the direct control of the shutter speed, Tv or M for example. I have used both, but often these days I simply use Tv mode with auto ISO or the custom faction for safety shift enabled with ISO.

If possible I try to determine where I will actually take the photo, and aim my camera and body at that point. Then I twist my body at the waist to move the camera to where the subject is currently - or will be. Once the subject is in the frame I move the camera following the subject until it reaches the point where I planned to take the shot. I usually have the camera set to servo AF and continuous shooting - low speed sometimes. The key is to keep the panning movement going while taking the photos as it is the movement of the camera in relation to the background that creates the sharp subject and blurred background. 

Here's some examples. First is the quad bike rider, this was taken with the lens at 200mm and the shutter speed is 1/100th. I used Tv mode. 

This second photo of the girl riding a bicycle in London was captured at 1/20th of a second with a 40mm lens. This means I am closer and she's riding slower.  

When I first started to try my hand at panning I found that I had more success panning from left to right, but with practice I was equally capable panning right to left.

I don't use a tripod for panning, it's too restricting for my subjects. With longer lenses, like a 500mm or 600mm then I will often use a monopod as that helps to take the weight of the lens, yet still give me the freedom to pan.