help with focus

[mhalweg]

Can anyone help me with a focusing problem. I have two D750s, Nikon 70-200, and a Nikon 200-500mm. I generally do not have problems with sharpness when i use the 70-200. However, the 200-500 is very rarely in focus, regardless of the focal range. Even with the subject standing still at 300-500mm it comes out fuzzier than i would expect. I haven't noticed a difference of the 200-500's performance on one D750 or the other.

Sorry if it isn't allowed, but here is a link to some JPEGs/RAW files that I took. Also included are sample shots from others using the same/similar setup as me and I have never gotten the clarity shown.



https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10fUgH6N0U4NwQEb3fZ8fzCi-pyGwkfiq?usp=sharing



I get the same results, regardless of the aperture. My shutter is usually at 1/4000. In a lot of my shots, there doesn't appear to be anything in actual focus. The shots in the link were shot at F8 because I read that the lens is generally sharper when in that range. I shoot in AF-C (grp, S, D21), but nothing seems to make a difference. I always use this lens with a monopod.



The background of most, if not all, of my shots in maybe the 400-500mm seems to have a weird texture. I would usually expect to see it more bokeh-ish.

I prefer to stand behind a goal and shoot down the length of the field. I do notice significant improvement when shooting from the sideline instead.


I have never dropped the 200-500, have had the sensor cleaned, have messed around with the AF fine-tune, etc.



Thanks ahead of time for any input.

 

[BF Hammer]

Your method of sharing is making it very difficult to help here. All the EXIF data is stripped off, could be Google doing that. So now I cannot see your choices in shooting mode, AF mode, and if you are really using 1/4000 f/8 on all. No ISO data.

What I do see in at least 2 photos is the ball is what was focused on. Your ISO must be high because I see a lot of noise reduction applied and of course that ruins any sharpness you are trying to achieve.

My belief is that you may want to maybe let the camera help a bit more. AF-C mode (continuous auto-focus) with 3D tracking (tracks focus in depth dimension as well as side-side). F/8 is the general rule of thumb for where a lens behaves best, but it is not universally true. Try f/11 or f/5.6. Or just set to Shutter-Priority, Auto-ISO and maybe drop the speed to 1/2000. Remember to verify Vibration Reduction is on. 500mm is going to need that VR more far more than 200mm. Focus motor also might just be too slow to keep up with the action.

 

[Needa]

@BF Hammer

Yes High ISO 1100 and 1800.

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Bits Per Sample : 8 8 8
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Copyright :
Exposure Time : 1/4000
F Number : 8.0
Exposure Program : Aperture-priority AE
ISO : 1800
Sensitivity Type : Recommended Exposure Index
Date/Time Original : 2026:05:15 16:12:16
Create Date : 2026:05:15 16:12:16
Exposure Compensation : 0
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Flash : Off, Did not fire
Focal Length : 340.0 mm
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[Needa]

Exposure Time : 1/4000
F Number : 8.0
Exposure Program : Aperture-priority AE
ISO : 1100
Shooting Mode : Continuous, Auto ISO
AF Area Mode : Dynamic Area (21 points)
Phase Detect AF : On (51-point)
Primary AF Point : C6 (Center)
AF Points Used : C6

Here is complete data.

 

[BF Hammer]

Yeah, for action sports I would get out of Aperture Priority and use Shutter Priority with Auto ISO. ISO 1800 is still very acceptable for a D750 (I used to use one) so maybe you should consider not going to the noise reduction so heavily, if at all. That would mean turning off High ISO NR in the main menu system also. That is the mode that makes stars disappear during astrophotography.

 

[mhalweg]

Yeah, for action sports I would get out of Aperture Priority and use Shutter Priority with Auto ISO. ISO 1800 is still very acceptable for a D750 (I used to use one) so maybe you should consider not going to the noise reduction so heavily, if at all. That would mean turning off High ISO NR in the main menu system also. That is the mode that makes stars disappear during astrophotography.

I wasn't aware of this setting before. Just turned it off.

 

[nikonbill]

I use the Nikon 200/500 lens mostly for nature but often moving targets like your sports examples my body's are different D500 and D850

Have you tried "sport" VR? for fast moving things that's what I use and can tell if it's on normal (if I was doing static) also changing the focus to 6m to infinity (for the down field work) if subjects are beyond 6m makes AF faster

For camera settings in addition to what BF hammer suggested. Try manual mode using a f stop that gives pleasing depth of field maybe 8 to10 (or what you like) and only enough shutter to stop the action maybe start at 1600 and go up one at time. 1/4000 is crazy fast for your subject. Use auto ISO to get exposure correct, this gives the camera less to do.

I think AF-C is good if you are using BBF (so you have control) set you sutter to release if it was me I would shoot your examples with group focus settings - remember to hit the ball or the player desired when tracking focus - if you don't like BBF you can use the half press if that's what works for you.

You will need to experiment with blocked shot settings till you find what you and your camera "like". This setting changes how long the camera takes to refocus on a new target. The best setting largely depends on your style in my opinion.

 

[mhalweg]

Your method of sharing is making it very difficult to help here. All the EXIF data is stripped off, could be Google doing that. So now I cannot see your choices in shooting mode, AF mode, and if you are really using 1/4000 f/8 on all. No ISO data.

What I do see in at least 2 photos is the ball is what was focused on. Your ISO must be high because I see a lot of noise reduction applied and of course that ruins any sharpness you are trying to achieve.

My belief is that you may want to maybe let the camera help a bit more. AF-C mode (continuous auto-focus) with 3D tracking (tracks focus in depth dimension as well as side-side). F/8 is the general rule of thumb for where a lens behaves best, but it is not universally true. Try f/11 or f/5.6. Or just set to Shutter-Priority, Auto-ISO and maybe drop the speed to 1/2000. Remember to verify Vibration Reduction is on. 500mm is going to need that VR more far more than 200mm. Focus motor also might just be too slow to keep up with the action.

I'm guessing it is Google because those files are straight from the camera.

I noticed that the ball was in focus on a couple shots as well. That wasn't intentional and isn't the case in the majority of the pictures. Prior to these pictures being taken, I had been shooting at 5.6.

I don't buy that the focus motor is too slow because of the ability for it to take sharp photos, reading online that it is a good option for shooting sports, and I'm getting the same results of shooting a stationary target as I do a moving one.

I will try shutter-priority.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Clovishound]

First of all, the 200-500 is highly regarded as a very sharp lens, especially considering it's price point. Having said that, it is always possible to have one with either manufacturing issues, or damage/wear that could affect sharpness. I have a 200-500 and have always regarded it as very sharp.

I would recommend checking the sharpness of the lens under controlled conditions. Put the lens on a tripod. Take the camera out of continuous autofocus mode and put it in single autofocus mode. I would do it with direct sunlight, which will give you F 5.6 @ 1/800 sec and ISO 100, give or take. You want a fairly low ISO for max resolution, and a relatively fast shutter speed to minimize any shutter technique issues. Carefully focus on something with some good detail, and check it for sharpness.

If you cannot get sharp images using this procedure, you may have an issue with your lens. If these are sharp, you likely have some issue with how you are shooting in the field. There is a method for fine tuning the autofocus of an individual lens, and the camera will automatically use this calibration every time you mount that particular lens.

 

[mhalweg]

I use the Nikon 200/500 lens mostly for nature but often moving targets like your sports examples my body's are different D500 and D850

Have you tried "sport" VR? for fast moving things that's what I use and can tell if it's on normal (if I was doing static) also changing the focus to 6m to infinity (for the down field work) if subjects are beyond 6m makes AF faster

For camera settings in addition to what BF hammer suggested. Try manual mode using a f stop that gives pleasing depth of field maybe 8 to10 (or what you like) and only enough shutter to stop the action maybe start at 1600 and go up one at time. 1/4000 is crazy fast for your subject. Use auto ISO to get exposure correct, this gives to camera less to do.

I think AF-C is good if you are using BBF (so you have control) set you sutter to release if it was me I would shoot your examples with group focus settings - remember to hit the ball or the player desired when tracking focus - if you don't like BBF you can use the half press if that's what works for you.

You will need to experiment with blocked shot settings till you find what you and your camera "like". This setting changes how long the camera takes to refocus on a new target. The best setting largely depends on your style in my opinion.

I've read that the VR should be left off when not hand-held. Regardless, I have tried it both ways and haven't noticed a difference. I have changed the focus per online articles, with no noticeable difference in results.

Shooting sports in manual where conditions change, I move, etc, seems like an impossible task without missing the action. As long as the action is "frozen" how does a very high speed negatively affect results? I always leave the auto-ISO set to on.

I have used BBF forever. I had used GRP up until this spring after reading online. I haven't noticed a difference between GRP and D21. My intention is to always aim at the player, but even taking a shot of a stationary target results in some of the examples I provided.

I was unaware of the blocked shot setting. I will play with it.

Thank you for the input.

 

[mhalweg]

First of all, the 200-500 is highly regarded as a very sharp lens, especially considering it's price point. Having said that, it is always possible to have one with either manufacturing issues, or damage/wear that could affect sharpness. I have a 200-500 and have always regarded it as very sharp.

I would recommend checking the sharpness of the lens under controlled conditions. Put the lens on a tripod. Take the camera out of continuous autofocus mode and put it in single autofocus mode. I would do it with direct sunlight, which will give you F 5.6 @ 1/800 sec and ISO 100, give or take. You want a fairly low ISO for max resolution, and a relatively fast shutter speed to minimize any shutter technique issues. Carefully focus on something with some good detail, and check it for sharpness.

If you cannot get sharp images using this procedure, you may have an issue with your lens. If these are sharp, you likely have some issue with how you are shooting in the field. There is a method for fine tuning the autofocus of an individual lens, and the camera will automatically use this calibration every time you mount that particular lens.

I tried using youtube and chart to play with the AF fine tune, but was unable to replicate what I was expecting based on the videos.

I am renting a Z8 on Monday for a game to see if it is a body or lens issue.

Thanks for the input.

 

[nikonbill]

The Z8 will certainly perform better, but you should be able to get better results with your D750

I went back to be sure but I'm sure using sport VR when shooting on a monopod is a Nikon recommendation. It will not harm anything to try. Tripod shooting is when it should be off.

 

[mhalweg]

The Z8 will certainly perform better, but you should be able to get better results with your D750

I went back to be sure but I'm sure using sport VR when shooting on a monopod is a Nikon recommendation. It will not harm anything to try. Tripod shooting is when it should be off.

Agreed.

Then I must have misread lol.

Thx.

 

[mhalweg]

Does the background in any of the shots look weird to anyone? I would expect it to look more pleasant. The best way I can describe it is "dizzying". I don't have this problem with my 70-200.

 

[nikonbill]

In looking at image 3146 and addressing focus the players and action are super sharp to me. In this image everything "worked" perfect.

Just my opinion, but the vertical lines in the background and reflections are causing the effect you have noted.

I think getting the background more clear is possible (small aprature) but would sacrifice the players sharpness.

I do not do sporting events so I'm not sure how you want your image (or what is best practice) but an off handed remark would be to crop out some background to bring out the players more.

 

[mhalweg]

In looking at image 3146 and addressing focus the players and action are super sharp to me. In this image everything "worked" perfect.

Just my opinion, but the vertical lines in the background and reflections are causing the effect you have noted.

I think getting the background more clear is possible (small aprature) but would sacrifice the players sharpness.

I do not do sporting events so I'm not sure how you want your image (or what is best practice) but an off handed remark would be to crop out some background to bring out the players more.

Maybe i just expect more than. Zooming in a little bit and you can see the player is not well in focus.

 

[Clovishound]

OK, I downloaded a couple shots so I could look at them and the EXIF data properly. The two I looked at, 3079 and 3094, were both sharp at the soccer ball, and appropriate depth of field surrounding it. I did notice that in the background there was what looked like heat shimmer. That is a product of heated air rising off the ground in hot sunlight, and has nothing to do with your lens. Shooting a long distance makes heat shimmer worse. What I saw in these two was only really evident under heavy magnification, and was only part of the background. I wouldn't worry much about hear shimmer under these circumstances, unless it gets worse, and interferes with the subject.

 

[nikonbill]

Maybe - controlled test as clovishound suggested using the procedure he stated will tell a lot.

Your Z8 test will tell some things, having ibis and advanced subject tracking I suspect you will see results from those things. As well as a much larger megapixal sensor will change a lot.

I looked again at 3146, the player facing the camera's jersey is crisp to me. The facial features look natural, if you want more sharpness in the face it could be done in processing. For me I like it as is, it shows the intensity of the action.

It really is about how you want your image, so keep working till you find it. I'm sure you will, just practice a lot and try things one at a time so you don't get lost

 

[mhalweg]

OK, I downloaded a couple shots so I could look at them and the EXIF data properly. The two I looked at, 3079 and 3094, were both sharp at the soccer ball, and appropriate depth of field surrounding it. I did notice that in the background there was what looked like heat shimmer. That is a product of heated air rising off the ground in hot sunlight, and has nothing to do with your lens. Shooting a long distance makes heat shimmer worse. What I saw in these two was only really evident under heavy magnification, and was only part of the background. I wouldn't worry much about hear shimmer under these circumstances, unless it gets worse, and interferes with the subject.

Gotcha. I read about that as well, but it has happened when I felt it wasn't hot enough to be present. Thanks for looking.

 

[mhalweg]

Maybe - controlled test as clovishound suggested using the procedure he stated will tell a lot.

Your Z8 test will tell some things, having ibis and advanced subject tracking I suspect you will see results from those things. As well as a much larger megapixal sensor will change a lot.

I looked again at 3146, the player facing the camera's jersey is crisp to me. The facial features look natural, if you want more sharpness in the face it could be done in processing. For me I like it as is, it shows the intensity of the action.

It really is about how you want your image, so keep working till you find it. I'm sure you will, just practice a lot and try things one at a time so you don't get lost

Sounds like I'm just expecting too much after cropping some.