Having trouble getting sharp focus on a moving subject

[ilzho]

Ok, I have been taking pictures of horse racing, some good, some not so much.

I am using Rebel Xsi, usually in a creative mode, AV or TV or just starting manual mode as well.

I am in AI servo, using center af point, continuous shooting mode.

I have not tried Back button focusing (yet).

These pictures where taken in later afternoon, early evening, (6-7 pm) so the ISO is a little higher, just trying a few different things.

One thing that is common is that I am getting more pictures out of focus than in sharp focus, so clearly I am doing something wrong.

Either I'm not getting the center af point on my subject, or camera shake, or too slow of a shutter speed. Or I need more practice 🙂

My post processing is pretty bad as well as I am only using what Iphoto has to offer.

I am panning my shots, either to freeze the motion or to try a little motion blur.

I realize it will be very hard for you all to give me any concrete advice as you are not with me, but as always, you have giving me sound advice.

This one is in focus.

This one, not so much.

Some others......

[TTMartin]

---

@ilzho wrote:

Thanks!

Good advice.

I did try auto af point one time at the track and I learned not to do it when it's a group of horses together, because it grabbed focus of a subject that was in the background and the front horses were out of focus.

Now, I probably did some things to create that, but I guess if the horse is clearly by itself, auto af point would probably work better.

From that day, I just figured I better learn how to use the center af point, haha.

This rebel only has 9 points, so I try to use the center one.

---

When you are in AIServo and Auto AF point selection mode, it starts with the center AF point. Just like if you had the center AF point alone selected. The difference is that if the center AF point loses focus, then the other 8 AF points will try to continue tracking.

When you tried it, did you pay attention to where the center point was when you started, or did you assume that it would just pick up on the front or closest horse?

[ilzho]

Honestly I don't remember.

I assume I started shooting the pics too early as they are coming closer to me and after taking a few series of shots I would take my finger off of the button and try to reset the focus to get the center point on a horse that I see is separating and take a few more shots before they all pass by....

Hard to explain.....

[Waddizzle]

"My post processing is pretty bad as well as I am only using what Iphoto has to offer."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Try visiting this link ... 

https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/support?tab=drivers 

... and download the latest Canon DPP software for the computer.  You will need the serial number on the camera to download some software applications.  DPP4 is not the best package, but it is free, and it is a start.  Canon's DPP is a good introduction to many of the concepts and strategies behind processing your camera's images.

DPPis most flexible when you process images saved as RAW format.  It also allows for lens correction, distortion and vignetting, but only for Canon lenses it seems.

[ilzho]

Well, I'm using my brother's camera/lens so he has the software on his machine, but I'm getting my set-up in the next week or so.

Until then, I'll keep playing around and start shooting in raw.

[jrhoffman75]

Definitely shoot in raw unless there is some reason you want immediate images for sharing, and in that case shoot raw+JPEG. 

DPP can take advantage of all the settings you set on the camera, including Picture Style, but like Waddizzle said its UI is a little tough. 

If you are currently comfortable using iPhoto/Photos on the Mac switching to shooting in RAW will be seamless. It will open the RAW image and you won't notice any difference other than better image adjustment capability. 

[ilzho]

Awesome. Thanks.

I thought there would be visual change upfront in shooting in Raw.

Guess I need to do it.

Would shooting in Raw slow down the burst mode?

I can shoot 3 fps and get about 9 bursts before the camera buffer needs to clear itself.

[Waddizzle]

---

@ilzho wrote:

Awesome. Thanks.

I thought there would be visual change upfront in shooting in Raw.

Guess I need to do it.

Would shooting in Raw slow down the burst mode?

I can shoot 3 fps and get about 9 bursts before the camera buffer needs to clear itself.

---

Shooting RAW may slow down burst mode.  Would you rather have a burst of 9 out-of-focus shots, or a burst 3-6 shots that were in focus? 

I use Back Button Focus for action shots with my T5.  When using One Shot mode, and the center AF point, I have found separating AF from the shutter switch to be very useful.  I can press the shutter, and the camera immediately takes the shot.  the subject is in my "focus zone", and I don't have to wait for the camera to re-acquire focus. 

I have also found that if I put the camera into AI Servo mode when using BBF, that I can briefly press BBF and lock focus just as if I were in One Shot mode.  As John Hoffman has pointed out, it is not as fast to acquire and lock focus as One Shot.  It is as if I have the camera in AI Focus mode, except I decide when it tracks and when it doesn't, instead of the camera.

[Waddizzle]

I am not familiar with Iphoto, but the images you posted seem to have had the metadata cleared out of them.  I cannot determine your focus points, nor see how far away the subject may have been from the camera.

[ilzho]

hmmmm. I think the dirt track is about 85 feet wide and I'm along the railing.

I use the center af point, just not getting it on the right place.

[Waddizzle]

---

@ilzho wrote:

hmmmm. I think the dirt track is about 85 feet wide and I'm along the railing.

I use the center af point, just not getting it on the right place.

---

From about 85 feet away from the opposite rail, with a 100mm lens you should have a depth of field between 10 feet and 30 feet, or more, depending upon your aperture setting.

http://www.dofmaster.com/doftable.html

What lens are you using again?  Does it have Image Stabilization?