HS Basketball

[swampler]

Shot these with my 30D and Canon 85 f/1.8 lens. I'm not yet sure if the softness I'm seeing is due to me or my lens. C&C welcome.

Most, if not all, shot at ISO 1600, f/2, 1/500s












Thanks for looking.

[Mr. Pickles]

If the specs you posted (ISO 1600, f/2, 1/500s) are indeed correct, I'd be wondering the same thing about why these look blurred and/or very soft.

There is no EXIF data in the first image at least, but I wouldn't expect these images to look like this. Maybe the 1600 speed goes some aggressive blurring to reduce the noise qualities. Only way to really know is to shoot at 800. The f/2 might be a bit soft, so you could try f/2.8 or f/4 and see.

[swampler]

Thanks for the reply. Could the problem be that the focus point has to be on the jersey and there isn't enough contrast? I'm using the center focus point only. I wonder if I could send the images to Canon and get their opinion? I could make do without the lens for a few weeks if it needs calibration, but I don't have a backup camera.

[Mr. Pickles]

Well really great contrast changes can make focusing lock on quick without hunting, but I thought there was a setting to not allow a shot if there was no focus lock?

Were you using a continuous focusing setting, following the action while the camera tracked? If so, it might be part of the reason since it was "looking" for the subject...

[swampler]

I had the focus assigned to the * button in AI Servo mode, which focuses as long as I'm holding that button in. It's not like the Nikons that focus continuously on its own.

I was right under the goal and used a DOF calculator just now to see at 20 feet I only have 7 inches of DOF. By focusing on the jersey, that could cause a problem, though I'm not really sure how far away I was.

I also had to crop most of those some, so cropping combined with shallow DOF and high ISO is probably the cause. I shot a focus chart and it looked right on.

[Mr. Pickles]

Might be something like that. But some of these are pretty well not in focus anywhere, so maybe a combo of a few things. You'd have to drop the 85 to something like a 50mm, but I've seen a bunch of sports shots that were pretty sharp on the whole subject.

[cyclohexane]

Most of them look out of focus, at least, on the faces. At f/2 and 85mm the DOF is thin so you have to nail your focus. Unless you have the entire player in your frame, you should try place your focus point over the player's face.

The first three look like flat out misses.

The fourth one is sharp because the entire body of the player is in the plane of focus.

The fifth is sharp on the jersey (look at that crisp number 40 and "TIGERS"), but his face is out because it's closer to the camera.

In the last shot, number 40 is sharp and clear, and so is the jersey of the center player in black, but his face is in front of the plane of focus, hence the softness.

[swampler]

Thanks for the comments, Michael. That makes sense. Here's one I took today (not action) at ISO 800, f/1.8, 1/125 with the right most focus point (top focus point in portrait position) over the eyes/glasses. Converted in DPP with sharpness on '5'. Does this look more in line with the 85's capabilities? BTW, this wasn't a posed portrait, just a snapshot to judge the sharpness, so please no C&C on the actual photo / posing.

[cyclohexane]

That looks perfectly fine to me. Of course, you're not trying to focus on a moving target in a high school gym, in which even the finest cameras have trouble.

[swampler]

Originally Posted by cyclohexane

That looks perfectly fine to me. Of course, you're not trying to focus on a moving target in a high school gym, in which even the finest cameras have trouble.

Thanks. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't the lens, as I haven't had it long. Sounds like I need to work on my technique.