sx70hs blurry bat photos

[jmesar]

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?

[jrhoffman75]

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. 

[jmesar]

@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.....

[Waddizzle]

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@jmesar wrote:

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

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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.

[jmesar]

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  

[FloridaDrafter]

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

[jmesar]

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)

[jmesar]

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

[Waddizzle]

Your images seem fine.  The severe cropping is not.

[jmesar]

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