Struggling with missed focus on fast-moving dogs (with pics and details)

[ahtoxa]

My current big challenge happens when I try to take shots of my dog when he's running straight at me. I do understand that this type of shot is probably very demanding of an entry-level DSLR (D5500) along with a 55-300mm VR II lens, but I'm sure that most of the issues is my technique.

So, I am looking for suggestions on what I can do to make more keeper shots. Currently, I'd be lucky if I think that 1/20 looks decent. Most of the time my focus point ends up near the dog's butt somewhere as he moves towards me (quite quckly, I must say).

So here's what I'm doing now.

Auto Focus set to AF-C
dynamic focus area - 21 or 39 point
Nikon D5500 camera
Nikkor 55-300 VRII lens.


- Should I have VR on or off when I shoot at shutter speeds of 1000th or more? I have read some conflicting information on this
- What focus settings might be best for my setup?
- What are some techniques I can use to be more successful?


Here are some shots for evaluation purposes. Any and all other C&C is very welcome.

 

[tirediron]

There are two issues at play. First is your choice focusing configurations. AF-C is the best choice, BUT... you should be in single-point AF rather than multi-point. Track Fido with that single point on his forehead to ensure that the face is sharply focused. There will still be some missed focus, but your ratio should go. The second issue is depth of field. When you're shooting with longer focal lengths, DoF becomes very important, and with a 300mm lens at f8 & a subject distance of 20' your total DoF is less than 6", so it becomes VERY difficult to nail focus.

I'm a firm believer in turning VR off when it's not needed; at 1/1000 of a second, you don't need it.

So, in summary: Stay with AF-C, select single point AF (and use that point in the center for simplicity), use a smaller aperture (larger f#), and shoot at longer distances with a shorter focal length to maximize DoF. Your keeper rate (for technical issues) should go up dramatically.

 

[KmH]

Understanding Depth of Field in Photography

VR is an opto/mechanical system, and at shutter speeds of 1/500 and faster VR cannot move fast enough to be effective.
Nikon VR explained

Subjects moving straight at the camera require less shutter speed to 'stop' than subjects moving across the plane of the image sensor from side to side.
Subjects moving on a diagonal to the plane of the image sensor require a shutter speed somewhere between the 2 extremes.

+1 on using AF-C and single point focus.
Note Custom Settings Menu a1: AF-C Priority Selection, on page 248 of the D5500 Reference Manual.

 

[ahtoxa]

Awesome, thank you all!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[chuasam]

It's a difficult shot.
It's not so much your technique but gear.
That's why pros have those fancy big lens and cameras.
If only 1/20 look decent, take 60 images, you'll have 3 decent shots.

 

[Derrel]

It's a difficult shot.
It's not so much your technique but gear.
That's why pros have those fancy big lens and cameras.
If only 1/20 look decent, take 60 images, you'll have 3 decent shots.

Yeah...the 55-300mm is a known "slow focuser" of action work; accurate focus is its forte, not speed of acquisition nor focus tracking. Trying to keep up with a black dog at close range is trickier than something that has huge focus targets on it, like a decal-covered racing car at 40 to 80 meters distance. At the longer zoom settings, the 55-300 has a small maximum aperture value; a 70-200 f/2.8 AFS-II (2nd generation model, now surpassed by the very newest 70-200/2.8) has a BIG, fast, wide maximum f/stop; the difference is that at f/5.6, the difference between in-focus and out-of-focus data sent to the camera's AF system is much smaller for the 55-300 than for a 70200 or a 300/2.8.

Secondarily, the AF system in a D5500 is not on the same level as on the higher-end cameras; the combination of consumer camera and consumer lens is likely the sticking point that is hurting you the most; I suspect a 70-200/2.8 Nikor lens would help quite a bit for your situation.

As chasm mentions...this is in a way, a GEAR issue...you do not have a big, fancy camera nor a big, fancy lens...you have more-modest, consumer-level equipment.

 

[ahtoxa]

Thank you all for the feedback! I forgot about Adorama. I've purchased from them before. It looks like they've got a pretty good sale on a D5300 with 2 lenses. I will definitely sleep on that.

Thanks for the other pointers, too. I definitely appreciate it! I'm semi-clueless. I've wanted a DSLR for years and couldn't justify the expense. It is my got out of credit card debt present to myself!

It's a difficult shot.
It's not so much your technique but gear.
That's why pros have those fancy big lens and cameras.
If only 1/20 look decent, take 60 images, you'll have 3 decent shots.

Yeah...the 55-300mm is a known "slow focuser" of action work; accurate focus is its forte, not speed of acquisition nor focus tracking. Trying to keep up with a black dog at close range is trickier than something that has huge focus targets on it, like a decal-covered racing car at 40 to 80 meters distance. At the longer zoom settings, the 55-300 has a small maximum aperture value; a 70-200 f/2.8 AFS-II (2nd generation model, now surpassed by the very newest 70-200/2.8) has a BIG, fast, wide maximum f/stop; the difference is that at f/5.6, the difference between in-focus and out-of-focus data sent to the camera's AF system is much smaller for the 55-300 than for a 70200 or a 300/2.8.

Secondarily, the AF system in a D5500 is not on the same level as on the higher-end cameras; the combination of consumer camera and consumer lens is likely the sticking point that is hurting you the most; I suspect a 70-200/2.8 Nikor lens would help quite a bit for your situation.

As chasm mentions...this is in a way, a GEAR issue...you do not have a big, fancy camera nor a big, fancy lens...you have more-modest, consumer-level equipment.

Man, wish I could justify that 70-200 2.8 Nikkor...

Given that I just started out a month ago, I'll likely keep using the 55-300 for now along with the 35mm 1.8, which are the two lenses I use the most now. In fact, I don't think I've used the kit lens more than once.

 

[ahtoxa]

It's a difficult shot.
It's not so much your technique but gear.
That's why pros have those fancy big lens and cameras.
If only 1/20 look decent, take 60 images, you'll have 3 decent shots.

Trying to keep up with a black dog at close range is trickier than something that has huge focus targets on it, like a decal-covered racing car at 40 to 80 meters distance.

Funny you say that. I'm heading out to the Texas Motor Speedway this weekend for some NASCAR action and will bring the 55-300 with me. I'll see if it can do that or not. Haha.

 

[KmH]

If you had a Nikon DSLR that has the AF motor and focus screw-drive in the camera body (any other than a D3x00 or D5x00, D40, D40x, D60.) you could use a less expensive Nikon AF 80-200 mm 2.8D ED lens. (ED= Extra-low Dispersion lens elements)
Good deals on used ones come up all the time:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...kon AF FX NIKKOR 80-200mm f/2.8D ED Zoom Lens
https://www.keh.com/shop/catalogsea...q=nikon+Nikkor+AF+200+mm+f/2.8D+ED&multi=true

What I linked to is the most recent version of the AF 80-200 mm f/2.8D Nikon has made.
There are 2 older, even less expensive, non ED older versions. I have the next oldest which is a push-pull to zoom version that focus fast enough to use for shooting action sports.

 

[Advanced Photo]

The faster the subject is, the farther you need to be away to get good images of it.

 

[chuasam]

Still very slow. Get something like a 70-200 VR II (used) or the new 300PF f/4E (drooool)
a D5xx class camera is still somewhat slow at focussing.