Auto focus

[vesko]

Thanks to the good advice I got here, I bought Canon 400D.

I started experimenting with the camera and am very happy with it.

Here are my first photos:

One leg bird (f5.6; 1/100; ISO 200)

Rural (f14; 1/400; ISO 400)

A-a-a! (f10; 1/200; ISO 200)

Lonely beach (f11; 1/250; ISO 200)

I’ll ask for advise what could I have done better to improve the images. I didn’t touch them with Photoshop, except to reduce their size for internet.

I’ll also ask about the auto focus. I find focusing manually much better, especially in telephoto end. It seems to me the auto focus then is useless. It wiggles forth and back and if I’m patient enough and wait longer, it stops unfocused. Is this normal? Or my lens is faulty? Or my eye?

When I focus manually, its’ great!

I’ll appreciate any comments.

 

[vesko]

What's wrong? I would really want to know about the autofocus.

Thanks.

 

[spiffybeth]

i dont have any advice, but i love the colors in the lonely beach picture!

 

[sweet_a]

i dont have that problem with my 400d, autofocus works great. but i didnt get the stock lens though

 

[vesko]

Thanks spiffybeth and sweet a!
I'll simly use the manual focus.

 

[rob91]

I don't know anything about PS so can't help you there. On #1, I like the background better, lose everything from the foreground that's in focus and you've got a great shot. #4 is sweet, sharp colors, sleek composition....very nice to look at.

 

[391615]

2nd shot is the best for me I like the lead in from the fence, leads well into the mountains and the colour in the sky.

3 is good I like 3. I'm not sure if you intended always to put the sign in the shot, but I'd prefer a vertical shot with the islands the main point of interest.

with 1 I don't like all the space in the shot, I think you would get way more out of the shot if you only had the magpie and the fence post in the shot, the rest of the shot does nothing to help the attraction.

The last photo is shot ok I guess, but I see no interest in it, maybe you need people to add to the photo, but to me, I find it uninspiring.

 

[vesko]

Hi Rob. Blurry background and blurry foreground, m-m-m, sounds familiar. Then I wouldn’t need the autofocus at all. By the way I know what you mean with “Picture of a guy”. Thanks and cheers!

391615 thank you for the suggestions. I also wanted the bird closer in 1, but with a bit of the blurred ocean as well (got to get better lens), I also like 2, maybe with a little manipulation for “rustic look”? In 3 I wanted the warning sign, I liked the contrast of the yellow on the blue, cliff, danger and some anxiety in the skies. In 4 I thought the lack of people to the end is interesting, but maybe I’m wrong.

Thanks again, it was very helpful!