Errant focus

35 posts / 0 new
Last post
Night Parrot
Night Parrot's picture
Errant focus

I bought a camera to photograph the variety of birds that visit my birdbaths but I am a complete dickhead when it comes to using it. I have been using Auto for everything but the problem seems to be that the sharpest focus fixes on something in the foreground or background, rather than the bird itself. The attached photo is a good example, giving a great focus of the tree bark. I have the camera on a tripod and I thought my aim was reasonably good, but maybe the camera (Nikon D3100) is just not good enough. Would it help to take the camera off Auto and try a larger aperture? I realise I need to practice and experiment and am probably a bit impatient to achieve anywhere near the level of quality attained by many on this forum.

rawshorty
rawshorty's picture

At the very least set your focus to Single point AF and that way you tell the camera what to focus on.( Page 58 in your manual )
 

Shorty......Canon gear

Canberra

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawshorty/ 

Rick N
Rick N's picture

Do what Shorty says, f2.8 should get most of a sideways orientated bird in focus,maybe just lose the tail.

D3100 should be fine for still pose type shots especially with a tripod.

Take it off auto as soon as you feel comfortable with the concept of shutter speed v apeture v ISO or go apeture priority as a first step.

Then take LOTS of photos smiley

What lens are you using?

Cheers

Night Parrot
Night Parrot's picture

Thank you Shorty and Rick. It is just a normal lens (18-55). The camera is about 2 metres away from the birdbaths. Should I use a different lens?

Night Parrot
Night Parrot's picture

A bit better, but still some way to go. It will take time and experimentation I guess.

sparrow
sparrow's picture

A longer lens would be better for bird photos even a 55-200 kit lens would be better than the 18-55 which is a fine lens but not really suited for the photos your trying to take ,if you want to take your camera on outings looking for birds then a 70-300 would be a better choise ,these lenses can be found on eBay at a good price as people up grade to higher end lenses thats where the old ones end up the 3100 is the camera I recommend to people starting out who want a Nikon  (I just bought one for the wife on eBay)

Shorty put you on the right track with the focus, and read the manual ,for more imformation you could look up some web sites I would start with Ken Rockwell .com

Lachlan
Lachlan's picture

Also rememer that it is possible for lenses to have inherent focusing problems. If the problem doesn't go away with Single Point AF, you may have to buy one of those AF test charts and dial in the correcion manually. BUT, this is only for either a last resort or the final step to gain pinpoint accuracy. 

Rick N
Rick N's picture

That's a bit strange, from 2m on a tripod that second photo should crisp.

D3100 and 18-55 is a fine entry level kit but as Sparrow says the Nikon 70-300 at about $150.00 has really good optics and would be a great budget starting point. You also get the bonus of the DX cropping factor on the focal length.

AFAIK the D3100 does not have micro focus adjustment capability.

Cheers

sparrow
sparrow's picture

Just a guess but on the last photo I think your shutter speed may have been to slow ,to get a bit more s/s use a higher ISO (or flash) in dull light all these things sound compilcated but there not really once you get the hang of it you'll enjoy your photogoaphy more and more

I have been taking photos for over 40 years and still still listening for new ideas to improve my own photos

Rick N
Rick N's picture

Good point Sparrow.

It helps considerably in analyzing these photographic problems if the camera setting are provided.

Cheers

Night Parrot
Night Parrot's picture

Whew! I have some work to do. Thanks again.

sparrow
sparrow's picture

To find out what the shutter speed was with most photo programs right click on the image and bring up "properties" all the details should be there ,don't think of it as work, its fun ,and its even more fun when it all comes together and you get that killer image that you can't wait to show everyone !

sparrow
sparrow's picture

I think a few of us that have been doing this for a while should put up some of our duds to show that we still get it wrong more times than we would like to admit

---
---'s picture

The only time I have ever seen this bird...

Night Parrot
Night Parrot's picture

LOL Nathan. Are you sure you didn't steal that photo from my collection?

sparrow
sparrow's picture

 A Golden Wistler ,bummer

---
---'s picture

Night Parrot wrote:

LOL Nathan. Are you sure you didn't steal that photo from my collection?

I'm pretty sure, this happens to me quite a lot

Annie W
Annie W's picture

Great to see you posting some of your beautiful locals Night Parrot.  I think the gents above have covered most things, but if no one minds me adding my 2c worth.....  I may be wrong, but I don't know that you can change the Auto Focus Area Mode (AF Area Mode) to single point when you're in shooting Full Auto mode?  Sorry I can't check on my own Nikon to be sure, I don't have it - won't have it for a while actually as the dog took it and my birding lens for walkies angry.

But, if that's the case, perhaps if you don't wish to go straight to A (Aperture) mode, give the Program Auto (P) mode a whirl.  You'll have a bit more control over your focus point in that mode, with the benefit of the camera still choosing pretty much everything else.

Did a software program called "ViewNX 2" come with your camera Night Parrot?  If so, I've quite often found it helpful to see what's "gone wrong" with focus when I view my photo's in that program on my PC by selecting the "Focus Point" icon in the top tool bar - then you can see exactly which focus point you/your camera chose at the time.  Just a couple of ideas/thoughts anyway.

Really good idea sparrow, and I really wouldn't get too disheartened Night Parrot, your "first" photos eclipse my firsts by miles - and I'm sure I'm not the lone ranger there.

My first bird shot, ever - that blue blob, which believe me (cropped) is a hot blue mess of fuzz, is a Wren, apparently.

And this is also a ballsed up Wren - taken a few weeks ago..... pretty sure I still "bin" more shots than I get to keep.laugh

West Coast Tasmania

sparrow
sparrow's picture

Annie, shorty and I were makeing the same point as you, learn one thing at a time when you think you have that down try something else , no one jumps in a car for the first time and says ok lets go get that license

don't worry I have worse photos than the one I put up that one was still on my desk top so I used it

my first bird photo was a winner (by accident ) then I got hooked and things went downhill for a while
 

Annie W
Annie W's picture

Yes, I knew that's what you fellas were saying ....are you trying to say nicely that I've made things more complicated now by being a windbag & rabbiting on?smiley laugh Or have I got the wrong end of the stick, again blush.  So sorry if I did everyone, I just thought if you couldn't change the AF Area whilst in Full Auto, not much point "trying" that out, if you get my drift.

Hey!  I jumped into a car on my 16th and said those exact words - think I got told off by my father for being a smart #*se or something - too long ago to remember now.  I do remember the car though, mint condition Chrysler Valiant, wouldn't mind that car now, be worth a bit to a collector I imagine.  Sorry, completely off topic now laugh.

West Coast Tasmania

sparrow
sparrow's picture

Ha,I've been known to waffle on a bit ,if someone is silly enough to ask about cameras or how to use them my wife rolls her eyes makes a strange noise and walks away !!!??
 

Night Parrot
Night Parrot's picture

Thanks all for the great help. I have changed to single point but am still figuring out what all the gizmos on the camera do. I have the ViewNX2 program and I will look into it.

The driving analogy may be a good one. Considering the number of car write-offs I had as a reckless teenager, I am now a safety conscious driver and so there is hope for me yet on the photography front. I don't want to be an expert, just be happy that I have done justice to the beautiful birds.

I took these photos today using single point and they seem to be sharper.

Rick N
Rick N's picture

Graet shots,much improved. Looks like more depth of field as well as sharper.

Rick N
Rick N's picture

As for putting up out of focus shots, how many hundreds do you wantsmiley

Cheers

---
---'s picture

Those are very nice photos for only a 55mm long lens, Night Parrot.

sparrow
sparrow's picture

Ok thats working for you nice shots ,next tip is on back grounds if its posable move the angle of the shot so the branch is out of the shot or off to one side not behind the bird  that way the camera AF can't pick up on it ,with birds like these with dark heads I try to put the focus point on the birds eye for most shots just makes the eye that little bit sharper so they stand out against the dark feathers, still a great shot anyway

Araminta
Araminta's picture

If I can make a suggestion, like with everything else in life, to start off with you pick an easy target, not a fast moving  tiny bird in a dark tree or the sun behind it. Go to a Park and take your time shooting lots of photos of, what I call non-moving objects., and sneak up as close as you can. I'm talking about "Ducks" .You will have a lot of fun, don't take it too seriously, photography is meant to be enjoyed.(unless you have to earn a living with it)

 Try different things, and don't listen to too many different people giving advice. It's you behind the camera and you will master it in no time. Making lots of mistakes in general is the best way to learn anything.

Have funyes

M-L

Night Parrot
Night Parrot's picture

smileyGee thanks Araminta. Rather than take photos from the comfort of my porch you want me sneak around in a park with a camera (and get arrested?)  Do you mean real ducks or sitting ducks? To take photos of real ducks around here I would have to trudge through some muddy mosquito-infested, leach ridden bayou and probably lose the camera (and myself) in some bottomless bog.

In the comic strip Li'l Abner, he used to have a saying "If'n I had my druthers..."  I think I druther wait for a duck to fly in for a swim in my birdbath. smiley

sparrow
sparrow's picture

Those muddy mosquito-infested leech ridden (you forgot hot and stinking ) bayous are some of the best places to look for birds ,I just can't figure why you would rather sit back in the shade sitting in your comfy chair with a nice cold drink waiting for those pretty little birds come to you, when you could be out in the heat and the smell sliding around in the mud and the ooze trying to avoid the snakes pulling bits of sharp stick from god knows where to get back to the car with a couple of blurry photos and discover your standing on a jack ant nest jump around like a mad thing trying to get them off with a bus full of asian tourists looking at you like your some kind of idiot get in the car covered in stinky mud smelling so bad you have to drive with the window down only to get home and have your wife scream like a banchee because you walked stinky mud through the house get in the shower and find three leeches attached you know where,no I just don't get it,I don't get it at all !

Night Parrot
Night Parrot's picture

laughlaughlaughlaughlaughyes

Night Parrot
Night Parrot's picture

Sparrow watch out that your trouble and strife doesn't find out that you have been likening her to a banchee. laugh

sparrow
sparrow's picture

And I forgot the wife screaming " don't you even think of onening that stubby until those clothes are hosed off and you've had a shower ya stinkin ratbag" she doesn't get it either !

sparrow
sparrow's picture

She told me how to spell it ! she enjoys telling me when I'm rong, I mean wrong.

Araminta
Araminta's picture

Night Parrot wrote:

smileyGee thanks Araminta. Rather than take photos from the comfort of my porch you want me sneak around in a park with a camera (and get arrested?)  Do you mean real ducks or sitting ducks? To take photos of real ducks around here I would have to trudge through some muddy mosquito-infested, leach ridden bayou and probably lose the camera (and myself) in some bottomless bog.

In the comic strip Li'l Abner, he used to have a saying "If'n I had my druthers..."  I think I druther wait for a duck to fly in for a swim in my birdbath. smiley

I didn’t say you should sneak around the toilet blocks in the Park.

Although I have done that. Many years ago, before birds, I used to pick a topic to go on shoots. That time I was after old toilets. There are some gorgeous ones in the inner city of Melbourne. To get a good angle I climbed on the bowl. Everything looked great until the  door opened wide and a voice yelled out: And what are you doing?  A policeman had noticed me , because I had left the door ajar to get better light inside, he had noticed me standing on the toilet bowl. I had a hard time explaining that I wasn’t taking photos of the people in the cubical next door. He took my name and address, but never heard from them. They must have thought (like so many others), that I was just a nuts .

The best thing about this story was, my husband was watching events unfold from a safe distance. When questioned later he just smiled and said, I wasn’t going to interfere, you were doing a good job explaining your actions to the Police.

M-L

Night Parrot
Night Parrot's picture

laugh That's a very funny story Araminta. How embarrassment! Almost like something out of a "Carry On" film.

Old things make great photographic subjects, especially as its often the only means of preservation. Often when I travel around inland Queensland I see old deserted wooden "Queenslanders" in various states of dilapidation but still charming and no doubt interesting inside. There are many of them, hundreds and possibly thousands. One should fill a book with their photos and add a little bit of history such as location, when built, the families that lived in them, etc. Without photos, the houses and their history will be lost forever, to bushfires, termites, weather and general decay.

 and   @birdsinbackyards
                 Subscribe to me on YouTube