Egrewts for the roasting....help!

[lark]

Some are good, some are better. I seem to have this soft focus thing going on. These are handheld and mostly with a100-400 IS with 1.4x on a strong monopod...I don't know :dunno
Here's a bunch:
http://Den.smugmug.com/gallery/498783/1/20402825


And here's a few......

[lark]

another...

[lark]

but then some are right on..is this just how it goes? I want them ALL to be in focus! oops this one's still soft...see what I mean?

[lark]

soft in some areas, sharp in others...how do I do that on purpose....how do I NOT do that on purpose?

[lark]

I'm hoping this is a common "operator" problem, not a mechanical one.....there are other(better examples of what I'm doing....both good and bad) at the above url or at:
den.smugmug .com
in the Birds file.................I'm confused and think I need help ....again!

Thanks to all!

[lark]

I'm sorry to bump this but I really need some help with this and I seem to have posted it just as the new posts were wiped(put away) AND I put it in the wrong forum.....sheeeesh! :rolleyes

thanks in advance
Den

[ginger_55]

Depth of field, movement,out of focus, or shake, wrong shutter speed.............those will do it. I never think of shake if something is in focus in the picture.Some of those look pretty cool. You have a good group there, and they probably won't leave for awhile.

ginger

[Harryb]

I'm sorry to bump this but I really need some help with this and I seem to have posted it just as the new posts were wiped(put away) AND I put it in the wrong forum.....sheeeesh! http://dgrin.com/images/smilies/rolleyes1.gif

thanks in advance
DenHey Den,

I moved it to the right forum for you. Lets try it this way. Give us the exif data for the first shot and let us know how you were shooting (handheld, tripod. monopod, etc) and we will be better able to say what went wrong. Don't fret too much I've got lots of shots that look like those.

After we do the first one we can move on to the rest if its necessary. http://dgrin.com/images/smilies/deal.gif

[lark]

Hey Den,

I moved it to the right forum for you. Lets try it this way. Give us the exif data for the first shot and let us know how you were shooting (handheld, tripod. monopod, etc) and we will be better able to say what went wrong. Don't fret too much I've got lots of shots that look like those.

After we do the first one we can move on to the rest if its necessary. http://dgrin.com/images/smilies/deal.gif


Harry, Thank You........here's the info:

Exposure/Shutter Speed=1/3200
Shutter Priority
FStop=3.5
ISO100
Focal Length 400mm
Camera mounted on manfroto monopod

[Harryb]

Harry, Thank You........here's the info:

Exposure/Shutter Speed=1/3200
Shutter Priority
FStop=3.5
ISO100
Focal Length 400mm
Camera mounted on manfroto monopod
Hey Den,

Part of the problem is your aperture setting 3.5 is way too shallow for this shot. You should be at 7.1 or 8.0 at least. With a shutter speed of 1/3200 there was lots of leeway to step down the aperture and still keep your shutter speed up. It looks like you had focus on part of the egret but your dof was way too shallow. Try shooting in aperture priority and step down the aperture so that you are not going to shallow with your dof. If your shutter speed slows down too much then up the ISO.

[lark]

Hey Den,

Part of the problem is your aperture setting 3.5 is way too shallow for this shot. You should be at 7.1 or 8.0 at least. With a shutter speed of 1/3200 there was lots of leeway to step down the aperture and still keep your shutter speed up. It looks like you had focus on part of the egret but your dof was way too shallow. Try shooting in aperture priority and step down the aperture so that you are not going to shallow with your dof. If your shutter speed slows down too much then up the ISO.

got it :thumb thank you...that's what I needed!!!! :D

[Steve Cavigliano]

Denny,
I agree with Harry and I believe Ginger also brought up DOF. But, something strange is going on in a few shots (#1,2 and the last one). In that nothing seems to be in focus. It almost looks like you were inside the minimum focusing distance, for these shots :scratch

While DOF is important when you have spread wings, I still don't see why your sitting egrets didn't come out in focus :dunno I looked for front/back focus issues and didn't see any.

Two questions? Does your lens do this without the TC attached? Does this lens have a switch for setting focus distance (IOW, do you need to switch for closer focusing versus distant focusing ala the 500mm F4.0)?

Steve