Indoor shots

[mercphoto]

Was at my niece's first birthday this weekend, and I brought along my 20D, my 580EX and my 28-135 lens. I was hoping for better results. Most shots seemed a bit soft.

I usually shot on Tv mode at 1/100, which means the camera usually sent the lens wide open. I wasn't worried so much, as that lens is not particularly fast, so I didn't feel the DOF would be too shallow. The flash was on ETTL, often at -2/3 FEC. ISO 400, and AWB. Sometimes I engaged IS. All focus points active and AI focus mode.

The camera obviously had issues choosing a focus point, so I started going to only one focus point. It was a bit of a hassle to choose, especially when I wanted an off-center composition. But too often, with all points active, I'd get something other than the baby in focus. I also started to wonder if I was having depth of field issues, so went to full manual at f/8 and 1/125, again with ETTL. I think the results were a bit better.

When you are photographing on an APS-C sensor camera at f/5.6, at around 80-120mm, and distances from 5-10 feet, how shallow is your DOF? Could that be an issue? Anything else in technique to change?

[mereimage]

It works best in these indoor candid closeups to work with just one off center focus sight active. I have this lens and have used it indoors on a 10D and 1DM11 and found it to hunt and focus slowly in low light though its a great walk around/ travel lens. I have kept to f2.8 or faster lenses for indoors work just to allow better AF even if I'm using flash. I'll look forward to reading others suggestions since I do most of my indoors shots in available light and shoot wide open- though I do use occ. fill flash- but not particularly confident using it. Someone here may be able to point us to flash tutorials. ///Mereimage

[pathfinder]

It works best in these indoor candid closeups to work with just one off center focus sight active. I have this lens and have used it indoors on a 10D and 1DM11 and found it to hunt and focus slowly in low light though its a great walk around/ travel lens. I have kept to f2.8 or faster lenses for indoors work just to allow better AF even if I'm using flash. I'll look forward to reading others suggestions since I do most of my indoors shots in available light and shoot wide open- though I do use occ. fill flash- but not particularly confident using it. Someone here may be able to point us to flash tutorials. ///Mereimage

I agree that indoor candids almost require at least an f2.8 lens for satisfactory AF function. F1.4 is better of course. You don't have to shoot at f1.4, just AF through it.


There is some ETTL info here http://eosdoc.com/manuals.asp?q=ETTLRx

[mereimage]

Typical- ask Pathfinder a simple question --result -you get a text book:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl: rofl:rofl

Mereimage

[David_S85]

When you are photographing on an APS-C sensor camera at f/5.6, at around 80-120mm, and distances from 5-10 feet, how shallow is your DOF? Could that be an issue? Anything else in technique to change?
Not much. An example is at 80mm, f/5.6, focused at 5 feet, the acceptable DOF sharpness range is only from 4.88 feet to 5.12 feet. And that's the deepest DOF. At 100mm and 120mm, it is even shallower!

Here's a site that has a DOF calculator:
http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html