Weird focus on my hockey pictures

Hi, all. First time poster here... I'm hoping to get some advice on taking pictures with my D7000 at hockey games. I'm just not getting the correct focus in a lot of my pictures. For example, the autofocus is set dead center of this picture, with the lower part of the Caps logo on his jersey, but as you can see it looks like the camera actually focused on the Greene Turtle logo in the background. (I loaded this picture into Aperture then exported it as a JPG - I didn't do any correction/cropping/etc. to it.)



I'm using the AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED lens. The camera is mostly on manual - ISO 1600, focal length 160 mm, f/5.3, 1/250, no flash. I have it on AF-C with a single spot, and spot metering.

I've tried playing with a couple settings, such as:
Focus tracking with lock-on - set to off
Center-weighted area - 6mm

There was no difference in the pictures that I could spot.

It doesn't look to me like the lack of focus on the player is the result of his movement, but maybe I'm wrong. I would really appreciate any suggestions you have to improve the focus issue. Thanks in advance!

Just curious, why spot metering?

And with my amateur eye it looks like maybe there is motion blur on the player and a little too much DOF? Just a guess.

You may want to try using the Fine Tune Autofocus function.

See this video: Nikon D7000: Fine Tune Auto Focus - YouTube

Looks like the focus is on the boards behind the player. I think you just missed the focus. It takes a lot of practice and spot metering will work, maybe bump it to 8. Take or upload a few more pictures if you can.

Also, what I found that helps is using the back focus option. It allows me to prefocus on a spot. You could take spray and pray approach, but you won't learn anything with that.

Try shooting in bursts...

I think you just missed the focus. Because the whole board is in focus behind the player. Shooting at 5.6 if you would have been on the player he would have been in focus. I could be wrong but I think you just missed it.

Here is my settings with the D7000.

AF-C priority selection - release
AF-S priority selection - focus
Focus Tracking A3- Off
AF Point illumination : On
Focus point wrap around: Off

I shoot a lot of sports and I would set my camera to shoot anything moving to these settings.
Servo mode AF-C.
39 pt dynamic area setting (I've tried the single, 9 and 21 pt. But the 39 gave me the sharpest pics.).
Also set your AE-L/AF-L button to AF-ON.
You set your AE-L/AF-L button this way to work with the AF-C.
When set up like this, you use your thumb to press and hold the AE-L/AF-L button and your index finger on the shutter(not pressed half down).
By pressing and holding the AE-L/AF-L button it will make the lens continually focus on your subject, all you have to do is push the shutter when
you want to take a picture. It's the same as holding the shutter half way down but sometimes its hard to do that for a long period of time.


Read more: http://nikonites.com/d7000/14152-help-indoor-action-shots-2.html#ixzz2p6JdzYPc

Thanks for the responses, everyone - I'll try to address them here.

Horoscope Fish said:

You may want to try using the Fine Tune Autofocus function.

See this video: Nikon D7000: Fine Tune Auto Focus - YouTube

Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll check that out.

Mike d90 said:

Just curious, why spot metering?

And with my amateur eye it looks like maybe there is motion blur on the player and a little too much DOF? Just a guess.

Click to expand...

The spot metering was because I wondered if it would help (no). I don't think it's motion blur - wouldn't motion blur be all in one direction?

Krs_2007 said:

Also, what I found that helps is using the back focus option. It allows me to prefocus on a spot. You could take spray and pray approach, but you won't learn anything with that.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure what back focus is - I'll look into that. Spray and pray is kind of what I've been doing...

pedroj said:

Try shooting in bursts...

Click to expand...

...and usually all three or four pictures are out of focus.

Krs_2007 said:

Looks like the focus is on the boards behind the player. I think you just missed the focus. It takes a lot of practice and spot metering will work, maybe bump it to 8. Take or upload a few more pictures if you can.

Click to expand...

aced19 said:

I think you just missed the focus. Because the whole board is in focus behind the player. Shooting at 5.6 if you would have been on the player he would have been in focus. I could be wrong but I think you just missed it.

Click to expand...

That's what I thought originally, too, but Aperture indicates the focus is right on the player's jersey, the lower part of the Caps logo. I'm not sure how I could hit it much better than that. That's why I'm here asking about it. I can post a few more examples. For example, the first one has the focus dead center on the "ita" in the Caps logo. The second one is focused just under his right glove.




It's my understanding that the AF-C setting should keep it in focus while he's in motion, right? I.e., what I often do is focus on the player, keep the shutter button halfway pressed, then fire it off, usually in the continuous-slow mode to get a burst of two or three pictures. Maybe I'm hitting the board initially, then centering on the player, and the camera isn't refocusing on the player.

It'd be easier to zoom in more so the player is larger in the viewfinder and thus easier to hit for focus, but that starts to push the limits of lighting with that lens... But maybe I'll try that next time as a test - even if the pictures are too dark, all I need to see is whether they're in focus.

Our next game is January 10, so that's when I'll find out what I've learned.

Here is my settings with the D7000.

AF-C priority selection - release
AF-S priority selection - focus
Focus Tracking A3- Off
AF Point illumination : On
Focus point wrap around: Off

I shoot a lot of sports and I would set my camera to shoot anything moving to these settings.
Servo mode AF-C.
39 pt dynamic area setting (I've tried the single, 9 and 21 pt. But the 39 gave me the sharpest pics.).
Also set your AE-L/AF-L button to AF-ON.
You set your AE-L/AF-L button this way to work with the AF-C.
When set up like this, you use your thumb to press and hold the AE-L/AF-L button and your index finger on the shutter(not pressed half down).
By pressing and holding the AE-L/AF-L button it will make the lens continually focus on your subject, all you have to do is push the shutter when
you want to take a picture. It's the same as holding the shutter half way down but sometimes its hard to do that for a long period of time.


Read more: http://nikonites.com/d7000/14152-help-indoor-action-shots-2.html#ixzz2p6JdzYPc

Click to expand...

Thanks. I'll look at these settings and that thread.

skater said:

It's my understanding that the AF-C setting should keep it in focus while he's in motion, right? I.e., what I often do is focus on the player, keep the shutter button halfway pressed, then fire it off, usually in the continuous-slow mode to get a burst of two or three pictures. Maybe I'm hitting the board initially, then centering on the player, and the camera isn't refocusing on the player.

Click to expand...

You are correct on AF-C setting and the way it works. But what I have found out with my own experience, you think your holding the shutter button halfway pressed but it's just to unpredictable. My keeper rate was terrible by doing that method. When I learned how to press and hold the AE-L/AF-L button my keeper rate went way up. Now I keep more than I miss.

Set your AE-L/AF-L button to AF-ON.
You set your AE-L/AF-L button this way to work with the AF-C.
When set up like this, you use your thumb to press and hold the AE-L/AF-L button and your index finger on the shutter(not pressed half down).
By pressing and holding the AE-L/AF-L button it will make the lens continually focus on your subject, all you have to do is push the shutter when
you want to take a picture.

I could be wrong and you could have a back focus issue.
But if normal pictures you take are not doing this then it's not a back focus issue.
Sports is a total different beast when taking pictures.

I agree with the above. Sports is similar to birds in flight shooting. I have had a terrible time getting focus sharp with my bird photography. Part of that was also my aperture too wide and my DOF was off at distance not getting all of the subject in focus. I don't think that is part of your issue though.

The best thing I did, and it includes all other type of shots, was to assign my AF-L/AE-L button as the focus button. That is called Back Button Focus. That setting is in "Controls" menu.

Definitely keep AF-C for continuous. I use Single Point focus area mode, Normal Area for the Center Focus point and I personally lock my AF point selection to center point so it cannot move or be moved.

I am not assuming that you are a total newb with a camera but I did also want to suggest to support your camera lens, with your support hand, as far out to the end of the lens as possible so that your support hand doesn't become a fulcrum point and allow shake.

aced19 said:

You are correct on AF-C setting and the way it works. But what I have found out with my own experience, you think your holding the shutter button halfway pressed but it's just to unpredictable. My keeper rate was terrible by doing that method. When I learned how to press and hold the AE-L/AF-L button my keeper rate went way up. Now I keep more than I miss.

Set your AE-L/AF-L button to AF-ON.
You set your AE-L/AF-L button this way to work with the AF-C.
When set up like this, you use your thumb to press and hold the AE-L/AF-L button and your index finger on the shutter(not pressed half down).
By pressing and holding the AE-L/AF-L button it will make the lens continually focus on your subject, all you have to do is push the shutter when
you want to take a picture.

I could be wrong and you could have a back focus issue.
But if normal pictures you take are not doing this then it's not a back focus issue.
Sports is a total different beast when taking pictures.

Click to expand...

The settings mentioned above are how you setup back focus. It decouples the shutter release button and gives it just function. So to lock focus or refocus you use your thumb to hit AE-L/AF-L button, then when you are ready to snap the picture you use the shutter button to complete the capture. So instead of one button doing two task you know have two buttons doing different task.

I set my 7000 up that way and my 600 is setup the same. It will make a difference in the amount of keepers you will have.

aced19 said:

You are correct on AF-C setting and the way it works. But what I have found out with my own experience, you think your holding the shutter button halfway pressed but it's just to unpredictable. My keeper rate was terrible by doing that method. When I learned how to press and hold the AE-L/AF-L button my keeper rate went way up. Now I keep more than I miss.

Set your AE-L/AF-L button to AF-ON.
You set your AE-L/AF-L button this way to work with the AF-C.
When set up like this, you use your thumb to press and hold the AE-L/AF-L button and your index finger on the shutter(not pressed half down).
By pressing and holding the AE-L/AF-L button it will make the lens continually focus on your subject, all you have to do is push the shutter when
you want to take a picture.

I could be wrong and you could have a back focus issue.
But if normal pictures you take are not doing this then it's not a back focus issue.
Sports is a total different beast when taking pictures.

Click to expand...

Thanks. I was just playing with that setting in the house - I see how that could help. I haven't had any other focusing issues/complaints; it's usually razor sharp.

Mike d90 said:

I am not assuming that you are a total newb with a camera but I did also want to suggest to support your camera lens, with your support hand, as far out to the end of the lens as possible so that your support hand doesn't become a fulcrum point and allow shake.

Click to expand...

No worries. I already hold the camera that way. However if that were the problem here, nothing would be in focus.

Nothing is more frustrating than focus issues. I hope you get it worked out.

skater said:

I haven't had any other focusing issues/complaints; it's usually razor sharp.

Click to expand...

Then you just missed focus.

Once you set your camera up with back button focus and get use to it, you'll never change the setting.

Also just to show you we all miss focus and here's a example. Looks similar to yours.

aced19 said:

Then you just missed focus.

Once you set your camera up with back button focus and get use to it, you'll never change the setting.

Also just to show you we all miss focus and here's a example. Looks similar to yours.

View attachment 64933

Click to expand...

Thanks. It sounds like the back button focus option will help a lot. I would get perhaps two or three good shots out of dozens. Last night, I was aiming the camera at our nearby kitten, then at a far wall, holding that button down the entire time and watching it refocus.

I figured it was something I was doing wrong, or some setting I wasn't understanding, especially since the camera works so well the rest of the time. I've taken pictures of trains going by at 100 mph without an issue with focusing, but they're much larger than people (and moving mostly across rather than toward the camera, so they're easier to keep in focus). After playing with the settings awhile with no improvement, I figured it was time to ask for some advice.

Thanks for the help, everyone. I'll report back after our next hockey game!

It has been my experience to use Shutter Priority when shooting anything that moves, and Aperture Priority when shooting anything static. I shoot motorcycle races and hockey games in Shutter Priority.

fotojack said:

It has been my experience to use Shutter Priority when shooting anything that moves, and Aperture Priority when shooting anything static. I shoot motorcycle races and hockey games in Shutter Priority.

Click to expand...

I tried that with birds, because of their tendency to suddenly move, but I had to change to A priority to assure enough DOF to keep the bird sharp. I am not arguing the point I am just saying I wasn't able to make that work.

We were at another game last night. Still not always getting it, but I got some good ones, too. Definitely seems to be me, rather than a systemic problem with the camera. Here is a bad-focus shot (as before, these are entirely unedited other than converting them to jpegs using Aperture):


On the other hand, I did get some good ones:



And, sometimes, the focus isn't perfect but the shot is too cool to give up (#25 Jason Chimera lost an edge and took out #52 Mike Green...no injuries, and I have another shot of them laughing about it):


Also, the Caps won, 3-2, over Toronto.

New question: Would the VR have any effect on focusing?

Next game, Tuesday.

Those are excellent!

As to VR it can induce shake in itself if incorrectly used. VR is designed for use above 1/350th sec or so I think. Also, there is one version that has Active and Normal modes that are used for different types of camera movement. There is a thread here somewhere that explains VR in detail.

That's a big improvement over the last pictures. Way to go.
Now just keep practicing and your keeper rate will go up.

Picture 2 shows 1/400 ss and iso 3200
Picture 4 shows 1/1000 ss and iso 3200

The EXIF data also shows you shooting in manual mode.
If your going to shoot in Manual mode then set shutter on 1/500 or 1/640, apt set to 5.6 then have iso on auto set 200 for low and 6400 for high. If pictures are a little dark then turn down your shutter to 1/400. The reason I say keep it at f5.6 is because your lens is open at f5.6 at 200. That way the camera has one less adjustment to figure on taking a picture.
Also turn off your VR when shooting sports.

But I think your lens is holding you back in the low light shooting sports. Shooting in a low light arena you need a 2.8 lens.
The best buy for the money is a Nikon 80-200mm 2.8 two ring lens. You can pick one up $600-$800.