SLR focusing

[Dolby]

Did any of you going from compact or bridge to SLR find focusing more difficult?

I don't find my pictures as sharp as some I've seen The lens is supposed to be sharp and the camera is pretty decent too - but either I need to learn a little more or something isn't working?

EDIT : Do you have a favourite AF mode to use?

 

[bwana]

On the 7D I mostly use AF-Servo, single point, with AF point expansion.

The lens is sharp, if your pictures are blurred chances are it's all down to you.

Remember though - at 70mm with f/2.8 you have a total dof of about 19cm at 3m and only 2cm at 200mm - I don't think you had to deal with that so much with your P&S

 

[GreGorGy]

The opposite. If I use a Mik en Druk I get annoyed with the focussing because I used them old film cameras before auto anything existed so I learnt to focus precisely on my subject and then allow the rest of the picture to compliment it. To this day I still use MF quite a bit. Or single zone AF.

 

[Juggy]

Did any of you going from compact or bridge to SLR find focusing more difficult?

I don't find my pictures as sharp as some I've seen The lens is supposed to be sharp and the camera is pretty decent too - but either I need to learn a little more or something isn't working?

EDIT : Do you have a favourite AF mode to use?

This is a question I've been meaning to ask as well. I don't get the "tack" sharp images all the time either. I think with enough practice and learning exactly what F-Stop works best for what will sort this out. You also need to keep quite still even when shooting at a hight shutter speed as the slight blur can happen quite easily.

 

[undesign]

I also struggled initially - the generally large DOF on P&Ss generally hide focus errors better I suppose. And I have a tendency to anticipate pressing the shutter and that movement causes a lot of slightly misfocused shots - especially at large apertures. But you'll get the hang of it with enough practice.

Check out www.photography-on-the.net - a Canon forum - there are many threads about AF and the 7D. The options are more complicated than my 550D.

Edit/ I assume you are using manual point selection?

 

[bwana]

You also need to keep quite still even when shooting at a hight shutter speed as the slight blur can happen quite easily.

Not really

I took this from the back of a fast moving bakkie last week, the bike was going just as fast and we were being bounced all over the place.

 

[Juggy]

Not really

I took this from the back of a fast moving bakkie last week, the bike was going just as fast and we were being bounced all over the place.

Must just be me then, I've been doing this for less than a year. How long have you?

 

[bwana]

Must just be me then, I've been doing this for less than a year. How long have you?

I had a film background from when I was a kid but I gave up photography for 15 years or so. Finally started shooting digital [-]3-4[/-] 4-5 years ago [-](I'd better go check)[/-].

 

[chau]

Did any of you going from compact or bridge to SLR find focusing more difficult?

I don't find my pictures as sharp as some I've seen The lens is supposed to be sharp and the camera is pretty decent too - but either I need to learn a little more or something isn't working?

EDIT : Do you have a favourite AF mode to use?

How about some samples to show us how bad it is? It's probably your multi-points choosing the area to focus on? Or you're using One Shot for a moving subject?

 

[Dolby]

Good to know it's not just me!

Yea - I think its the DOF then. I think because 2.8 is there, I tend to use it more often that I should!

Will try F4 and see how it work!

One other thing I noticed (though I need to double check my other camera on auto) ... It seems to select a higher ISO (200 or 400) where I think my bridge selected 100.

I know there's hardly any difference - but if this is true, why would it do it?

 

[Juggy]

I had a film background from when I was a kid but I gave up photography for 15 years or so. Finally started shooting digital [-]3-4[/-] 4-5 years ago [-](I'd better go check)[/-].

I suppose it really all comes down to technique doesn't it?

 

[bwana]

I suppose it really all comes down to technique doesn't it?

And making a whole lot of mistakes.

 

[chau]

This was done with the mk1 at f2.8 and maybe around 3meters away from me. Living in f2.8 is so much fun. I find that my lens is stuck on that aperture the majority of the time

 

[Juggy]

Sjoe, that is very sharp. Nice shot.

 

[bwana]

This was done with the mk1 at f2.8 and maybe around 3meters away from me. Living in f2.8 is so much fun. I find that my lens is stuck on that aperture the majority of the time

Nice
(Though it kind of reminds me of a sucker I pulled out from behind the car seat the other day )

 

[chau]

Nice
(Though it kind of reminds me of a sucker I pulled out from behind the car seat the other day )

You have a dikkop jammed behind your car seat :wtf: lol

 

[Juggy]

Nice
(Though it kind of reminds me of a sucker I pulled out from behind the car seat the other day )

I must ask, where on earth do you buy your suckers?

 

[bwana]

I must ask, where on earth do you buy your suckers?

They're fine when I buy them for the kids - it's what starts growing on them after they've been secreted behind their seat for who-ever-knows how long.

 

[Juggy]

They're fine when I buy them for the kids - it's what starts growing on them after they've been secreted behind their seat for who-ever-knows how long.

Ah, I'll bare that in mind as I have twin boys arriving in exactly 1 month.

 

[RanzB]

I don't find my pictures as sharp as some I've seen The lens is supposed to be sharp and the camera is pretty decent too - but either I need to learn a little more or something isn't working?

If you're using 2.8, try to use single focus points so you can get your focus exactly where you want it, and try practicing with back-button focus as well.

One other thing I noticed (though I need to double check my other camera on auto) ... It seems to select a higher ISO (200 or 400) where I think my bridge selected 100.

Are you using the DSLR on auto/Av priority and auto-ISO? If so, the camera will probably up the ISO to reduce shutter speed.

Ah, I'll bare that in mind as I have twin boys arriving in exactly 1 month.

Congrats!