First Try w/ 70-200 2.8 C+C please.

OGsPhotography · Aug 30, 2016

This lens is a dumbbell. I can cancel my gym membership.

A snap shot ( Candid?) portrait while my daughter was running around the yard.

I feel like I should shoot at 2.8, 200mm, 1/200 ( or faster) and 20' distance to get best results with similar shots as this, perhaps stopping down if that is more appropriate for head shots. This one could have benefitted from a few more inches of DoF?
OG

jcdeboever · Aug 30, 2016

Cute shot, good light. Maybe portrait mode would have been more dynamic.

astroNikon · Aug 30, 2016

To answer your question about DOF .. let's plug the numbers into a calculator ==> A Flexible Depth of Field Calculator

Answer
Nearest Acceptable Sharpness: 19.84 ft
Furthest Acceptable Sharpness: 20.17 ft
Total Depth of Field: 0.33 ft

So you had 1/3 feet total DOF. Keep in mind the "sharpness" improves are you get close to the point of focus, and then degrades as you move away from it.

If she was just standing there then 1/200 is okay. If she was moving, then a fast shutter speed may benefit the shot.

normally head shots would be good at f/5.6 or more.

My question is where was your focus point on this shot?
ie, what is your Focus Mode and Area.
In "portrait " shots you generally want to be in Single Point focus area and aim for the nearest eye, with a good DOF.
I cannot determine what was focused on - nothing seems to be "crisp" in focus ... maybe the shutter was too slow and she was moving? (though it's early and my eyes haven't awoken yet).

OGsPhotography · Aug 30, 2016

Thanks

I'll have to look at the raw on cpu when I get home to see the exact focus point. Deleted card already

camera is with me.

Area was single point one shot. Might have had servo on not sure about that either.

I could go to 5.6 and 1/300, would bump my ISO.

At 5.6 my calculator says 7.4. I guess twice the field because 2x stops?

Will try again. I want her tacky sharp lol.

OGsPhotography · Aug 30, 2016

Lr doesn't show focus points? I googled how to do it apparently there is a plug in for it, I could get that. Haven't used a plug in yet is it advisable? I do always aim for an eye. Not like I can pose her as she's running around.

Is it ok to zoom in to say 200mm, focus, then zoom out to compose and leave focus? I've heard about some lens being par focal but I'm not entirely grasping the concept. I'll go google it lol.

OGsPhotography · Aug 31, 2016

Learning so much this morning!

Got the focus point plug in to work! Really cool. Have no idea how I got it installed ( terminal, reminds me of dos from 30 years ago, scary lol) but its working.

Also to grab a screenshot Cmd+Shift+4, awesome.

I think I was pretty close with the focus point, probably a bit more speed and stop down the aperture to 5.6 as suggested and she'll be sharp.

Im going to try this morning we have to go for a walk.