Focusing

Kibii · Jul 4, 2016

Hi everyone!
Whenever I try to take a photo of moving subject my subject is out of focus. Well, I shoot dog sports, at least I try. I can't figure out how to focus properly, what settings to use.. I wait for the dog to jump, and when he jumps I press my shutter button and it takes 5 photos rapidly (I use Canon 700D). None of those photos look good. I shoot in manual mode with shutter speed of 2000 (when it's a really sunny day). I even tried to use Tv mode, but still the same... Ah, on my Canon 700D i can choose focus points, I select one in the middle and aim it at subject. I also tried to select all of them but then it focuses on something else rather than a dog..
I need advice, what am I doing wrong? Can anyone help me with this problem? Any tips would help a lot! Tell me everything you recommend doing when shooting sports...

I couldn't upload any photos, it says that file is too large (photo is 2,83 MB, and I cropped it so it's under 4MB)...

Kibii · Jul 4, 2016

HERE IS THE PHOTO: https://s31.postimg.org/5g6zssogr/IMG_4512.jpg

480sparky · Jul 4, 2016

Prefocus where you expect the subject to be, turn off the AF and fire away.

zombiesniper · Jul 4, 2016

From what I can tell (no exif data) you are focused on the middle of the dogs body which does appear to be in focus. Because the dogs face is closer to you it will be out of focus.
I would suggest trying again with the centre focus point but instead aim it at the dogs face (eye preferably).

Because there is no data I can't tell what your aperture is but stopping down (higher f#) can give a little more room for error and with some lenses will make them sharper.

Info that can help with photo diagnosis is.
Camera - Provided 700D
Lens - ?
Shutter speed - provided 1/2000
Aperture - ?
ISO - ?

Kibii · Jul 4, 2016

I try to use middle focus point and track dog with it, I try to track dog's face but it never focuses on it...

Camera is Canon 700D
Lens 70-200 f4
Shutter speed on this photo is 1/1000
Aperature f4
ISO 1600

I tried everything, I never use that high ISO and I guess for that photo I used one of auto modes, maybe "sports" mode... I can't remember

weepete · Jul 4, 2016

Switch the focus mode to AI servo, metering mode to centre weigeted average, ISO to auto (or spot meter the highlight whites and place them on 1and1/3 over). Shoot at f8, and at least 500th/sec. You will still get oof picks but that should improve your keeper rate.

Kibii · Jul 4, 2016

I'll try that!

Kibii · Jul 7, 2016

update:

I went to take more photos today. I read on internet about back button focusing, I enabled BBF on my 700D and tried it out. It gave a little better results than "half-press" shutter button focusing...
But still I miss focus... ?! It is that I miss focus or image quality is that bad so it looks like it's not focused, I don't know. I really need help :')

IMAGE: https://s5.postimg.org/w0qlms2ef/IMG_4650.jpg

dennybeall · Jul 7, 2016

Bring your f-stop up another notch to get a deeper depth of field. Auto ISO will go up a notch to compensate but with that much light it should be OK. The key to me would be to go to MANUAL FOCUS. Focus on the bar and as the dog gets there, fire off your 5 fast shots.
I think your problem is depth of field(DOF) and you're trying to fix shutter speed. Try going down to 250 and use the higher number f-stop to increase the DOF. Then try 500 and see if that fixes it.

480sparky · Jul 7, 2016

Looks more like motion blur.

Kibii · Jul 7, 2016

I will try to bring my f-stop up tomorrow and I'll compare to see if that is the issue.

Motion blur... On that last photo it really looks like it. But in the first photo definitely not.. My main and biggest problem is when I focus on a dog that's running thowards me in the camera it looks like it's focused of dogs face, but when I look it on bigger, computer screen I can see how blurry his eyes are. Focus is on face, but it's blurry...

beagle100 · Jul 7, 2016

Kibii said:
I will try to bring my f-stop up tomorrow and I'll compare to see if that is the issue.

Motion blur... On that last photo it really looks like it. But in the first photo definitely not.. My main and biggest problem is when I focus on a dog that's running thowards me in the camera it looks like it's focused of dogs face, but when I look it on bigger, computer screen I can see how blurry his eyes are. Focus is on face, but it's blurry...

could be motion blur or too shallow "DOF" depth-of-field. Try taking a pic of you dog resting and using a larger aperture, say f6.3

Kibii · Jul 8, 2016

Okay. I took a few photos just to see if dof was a problem.
I took one closer photo (Image 1) and one photo a bit far away (Photo 2). Now, I did crop a photo and I compared it to a full photo. For both I used a f/6.3 instead of f/4 and on "image 1" it really made a difference. It's better than before. But on "image 2" it's still terrible. Keep in mind that I'm amateur "photographer" and I don't know much but I know something. I usually lay down so I'm on a level of a dog but this is just a quick photo... That is bothering me for a while now. I go out and take photos then when I come back home and open it on my laptop and when I see how eyes are blurred and how terrible photo is (i'm talking about image 2), I would give up...
Can it be that I need to calibrate my lens and body? I did a test and it came pretty good so I think that is not a case.
On a image 2 I used a single (one in the middle) AF point and put it on a dogs face (eye)...
Oh, my dog has black head and dark brown eyes, maybe it's hard for camera to focus on eyes when they are hardly visible..? *I did not edited photos, it's RAW from camera*

Image 1: https://s5.postimg.org/k3h22pnvr/Untitled_1.jpg
Image 2: https://s5.postimg.org/msli3lp2f/Untitled_2.jpg

smoke665 · Jul 8, 2016

weepete said:
Switch the focus mode to AI servo, metering mode to centre weigeted average, ISO to auto (or spot meter the highlight whites and place them on 1and1/3 over). Shoot at f8, and at least 500th/sec. You will still get oof picks but that should improve your keeper rate.

As above and follow the head, the continuous focus mode should adjust. Just curious none of you examples appear to be very sharp. Is there a possibility that hand shake is contributing to this? Also do you have another lens to try?

Kibii · Jul 8, 2016

Yes, I see that none of my photos are very sharp. I don't know what's wrong... I have a 70-200 f/4 and a 50mm f/1.8
All images above are shot with 70-200. I can upload some photos taken with 50mm tomorrow...

Also, my 70-200 is non IS version, maybe that's the problem? I tend to use high shutter speed so there is less hand shake... I really don't know whats wrong :/