Common Photo Problems • Sure Focus Possible?

K

Kodiak

Senior Member
Hi everyone,

I was looking at the "Almost Photos" thread and I thought: "…but there is a simple way!"

I think that most of the "almost" shots would have been cool shots if a single option was
chosen in the Menu of your camera.

If you are shooting in AF-C, go to
> Custom Settings Menu, (the pencil icon)
> a Autofocus
> AF-C priority selection
> select Focus instead of release

If you are shooting in AF-S, go to
> Custom Settings Menu, (the pencil icon)
> a Autofocus
> AF-S priority selection
> select Focus instead of release

…this is the way the menu is laid out in my D3X… I don't know what it may look like on
your camera.

The benefit of this selection is that your camera will not shoot until focus is acquired. Modern
gear is fast and reliable so a fraction of a second delay should not be a great problem…
anyway, a lesser problem than an out of focus take!

Have a good day…

​
 
K

Kodiak

Senior Member
Indeed, the thread IS very funny!

If I give you a tip, it doesn't mean you have to use it all the time… keep some shots
for the "Almost" thread. Of course! =)

Have a good time!
 
G

grandpaw

Senior Member
I always keep my cameras set to only activate the shutter after getting a focus but this only means that it focused on something and not necessarily the location that you wanted. This does help and is a good tip but as always the ultimate results will be determined by the shooter and not the camera.
 
K

Kodiak

Senior Member
•

Good to CU again grandpaw,

A camera is a tool. Just like a hammer! Would you refuse an improvement on your
tool because YOU are taping the nail and not the hammer?

Let's not forget a detail here, the camera takes the shot… you make it!
Your job ends when you press the button… then the camera takes over.

Vbrg,
 
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K

Kodiak

Senior Member
•

Hi Jake,

The tip is for the camera, the way it shall render your vision. The rendition is based
on the work you do before release! A task, among others, to locate the AF point at
the right place…

Vbrg,
 
G

grandpaw

Senior Member
Kodiak said:
•

Good to CU again grandpas,

A camera is a tool. Just like a hammer! Would you refuse an improvement on your
tool because YOU are taping the nail and not the hammer?

Let's not forget a detail here, the camera takes the shot… you make it!
Your job ends when you press the button… then the camera takes over.

Vbrg,
Click to expand...

In my post I agreed with you and said that I have all my cameras set up that way and also stated that it was a good tip. The only point I was trying to make is that it is not a 100% sure thing and the shooter can still make or break the shot. I just didn't want anyone to think it would eliminate all of their focusing problems.

I use focus lock and it helps but I still get subjects that are not in focus.
 
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K

Kodiak

Senior Member
Grandpaw!

Sorry if there was any misunderstanding from my part =\ !

And you are perfectly right, if I understand you right this time, that the faults and the
successes are always on the maker's sheet: the user! …since the gear is only taking orders! Right?

Vbrg,
 
B

Bill16

Senior Member
Thank you for the cool tip my friend! Though I have been mainly using lenses that require using manual mode, when I go to use my kit lens I'll be sure to try that! :)
 
G

grandpaw

Senior Member
Kodiak said:
Grandpaw!

Sorry if there was any misunderstanding from my part =\ !

And you are perfectly right, if I understand you right this time, that the faults and the
successes are always on the maker's sheet: the user! …since the gear is only taking orders! Right?

Vbrg,
Click to expand...

I would say that I think a lot of problems are due to operator error whether it is because they lack the knowledge or experience to pull off the shot they are trying to get or just don't have their mind totally on the operation at hand. I bought my first good camera "Nikon F with a FTN meter" back in 1971 and have taken thousands of pictures and I still find myself making mistakes. It seemed a lot easier with film because there were much less settings that could be changed. With digital you can easily take hours going through the menus to set up your camera and then there are also settings that can be changed for every outing or even each shot individually. The shooter at least in my opinion has a high percentage of responsibility on how the image comes out but sometimes even when I have thought of everything and have all my camera settings set like I think they should be the camera just gets it wrong. If I had to make a guess I would go with 95% of the results are due to the shooter error and that leaves about 5% for camera screw ups. After all the camera is just a tool like you say and nothings perfect.

I would say that most of my mistakes are due to not checking and verifying all my camera settings before shooting.
 
K

Kodiak

Senior Member
Garandpaw's Wisdom!

I would go further as to say it's always the compromises of the users that kills a shot!
A deep understanding of the manual plus a degree of experience and the commitment
to pursue with the same rigour all the steps until the "click"… no way out!

And this is only for the technical part of it…

It's a madness! …a sweet madness and a passion!
 
R

Rick M

Senior Member
grandpaw said:
I would say that I think a lot of problems are due to operator error whether it is because they lack the knowledge or experience to pull off the shot they are trying to get or just don't have their mind totally on the operation at hand. I bought my first good camera "Nikon F with a FTN meter" back in 1971 and have taken thousands of pictures and I still find myself making mistakes. It seemed a lot easier with film because there were much less settings that could be changed. With digital you can easily take hours going through the menus to set up your camera and then there are also settings that can be changed for every outing or even each shot individually. The shooter at least in my opinion has a high percentage of responsibility on how the image comes out but sometimes even when I have thought of everything and have all my camera settings set like I think they should be the camera just gets it wrong. If I had to make a guess I would go with 95% of the results are due to the shooter error and that leaves about 5% for camera screw ups. After all the camera is just a tool like you say and nothings perfect.

I would say that most of my mistakes are due to not checking and verifying all my camera settings before shooting.
Click to expand...

Agree, I'm usually the root cause of my less than good shots!
 
BackdoorArts

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
Kodiak said:
•

Hi Jake,

The tip is for the camera, the way it shall render your vision. The rendition is based
on the work you do before release! A task, among others, to locate the AF point at
the right place…
Click to expand...

No argument from me. But there are certainly times in each of our lives when the image we are hoping to capture is not just fleeting but also moving towards and past us as quickly as (or quicker than) we can raise the camera and shoot, as exhibited by my Bald Eagle photos in the aforementioned thread. If only we all had the time and intuition to be prepared for each and every photo opportunity, there would be no "almosts".
 
ohkphoto

ohkphoto

Snow White
BackdoorHippie said:
No argument from me. But there are certainly times in each of our lives when the image we are hoping to capture is not just fleeting but also moving towards and past us as quickly as (or quicker than) we can raise the camera and shoot, as exhibited by my Bald Eagle photos in the aforementioned thread. If only we all had the time and intuition to be prepared for each and every photo opportunity, there would be no "almosts".
Click to expand...

I agree, Jake. I don't think it's a matter of not knowing how to get a good shot or even being prepared, sometimes it's just being in the moment and savoring what we're witnessing. I think there's a fine line between truly "living something" and "witnessing/documenting." I have several favorite "almost" shots. Do I wish I were better prepared? Sure. But what I experienced just before the capture was so much more important and "travels" with the photo.

Besides that, there are times when a "bad capture" is better than no capture at all. Photojournalism (especially 50 yrs ago ) is a perfect example.
 
W

WeeHector

Senior Member
My problem at the moment is that I'm taking a lot of macro shots of insects and spiders where focus is a real hassle, just centimetres away from the object. Many of my "nearly" shots are quite acceptable at 66.6%; it's only at 100% that the focusing errors become really annoying.

However, I am quite happy with my nearly shots as, when I do get it right, there is a real sense of achievement. If every shot turned out exactly as you wanted it to, you would be a pro photographer with the passion taken away from the hobby that many of us enjoy. It is extremely annoying to find that the 20 or so shots one took of a bug are all out off focus, but when you do get it right, it is just amazing. This is why the DSLR is such a great invention as you can snap away to your heart's content, something almost inconceivable with film cameras.
 
S

Skytalker

Senior Member
@Kodiak
I am afraid what you suggest, very logical although, cannot always be implemented.
I know that entry level Nikons and mid level ones they do not have this feature, and thus cannot be set, their built in feature on AFC/S/A priority is "Focus".
For instance on my D5000 cannot I cannot set AFS/C priority, it is focus by default. The D90 has AFS "focus" and AFC Release, those are the built in ones.

This is a feature that comes starting with D7000 if I am not wrong.
 
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K

Kodiak

Senior Member
@Skytalker

I said somewhere that I made the complete conversion to digital some three years
ago. At that time, the D3S and the D3X were available "in theory" on the market. If
you remember, it was the time of the tsunami in Asia… and my cameras were not
to be found anywhere in Europe. NOWHERE!

I ask by some friends in the US… Nope! Only in Canada, in one single shop, that had
one of each. THE LAST ONES! I bought them both.

To me, that you say that these tip is not available on some Nikon cameras is… I just
don't understand that! … I had no clue! I only know these and the D800E. They all have
the same menu!!!??? I thought… SORRY! SORRY! SORRY!
 
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