# how to get a sharp image in sports



## robvasi (Nov 19, 2018)

Rodeo. 








600mm lens on tripod with gimbal  head
300mm lens on tripod with gimbal head
70-200 hand held

Nikon D5
AF-C

1/2000 t0 1/3200

F/2.8 to 7.1

focus is not sharp.

I strive to keep the focus point on the face or upper body.  Alas, I have a hard time doing this, as I am shooting, the focus point appears where  I want it but when viewed, the focus pt. will be off the subject.  Something is wrong with my technique and I don't know what it is. 

What am I doing wrong?


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## ronlane (Nov 19, 2018)

What camera body are you using? AF-C is Nikon terminology. It could be that the camera body is having trouble tracking subject moving straight at you.

I see that you are using expanded AF focus, try single point auto focus point 1 up from the center. It will be less likely to jump focus on you.


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## robvasi (Nov 19, 2018)

Nikon D5
I edited my post to show this after I received your reply.





ronlane said:


> What camera body are you using? AF-C is Nikon terminology. It could be that the camera body is having trouble tracking subject moving straight at you.
> 
> I see that you are using expanded AF focus, try single point auto focus point 1 up from the center. It will be less likely to jump focus on you.


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## ronlane (Nov 19, 2018)

Nice body. I would just suggest trying a single focus point. When you use the expanded, you have a chance that it will pick the wrong one of the spots. It could also be your focus case too but I am not up to date on those for Nikon, as I shoot Canon bodies.


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## robvasi (Nov 20, 2018)

Thank you for your reply and insight. 

As you suggested, I checked the focus modes, did some research, and also chatted with a photographer friend about this.  

I had focus on both the back button and the shutter release.  My friend and I surmised that this might be the problem, we are not sure. 

I changed to single pt. as you suggested.
Set to back button focus 
Set AF-C to release priority.  I don't understand this, but that's what was recommended in a video on this topic. 
Used a toy that swings and tested the focus.  
Seems to be good.  

Because multiple changes were made this is not a scientific approach to problem resolution.  I'll do that later.  The time now is 0257 and I could not sleep because of this problem.

Your suggestion of using single pt. will turn out to be a pivotal change to my setup.  



ronlane said:


> Nice body. I would just suggest trying a single focus point. When you use the expanded, you have a chance that it will pick the wrong one of the spots. It could also be your focus case too but I am not up to date on those for Nikon, as I shoot Canon bodies.


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## The_Traveler (Nov 20, 2018)

I know you didn't ask but let me throw in that, imo, the larger picture is very nice but suffers from a bright and intrusive cluttered background. That could be 'cured' with a bit of editing.


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## Overread (Nov 20, 2018)

A few thoughts to add:

1) A subject moving toward the camera at speed is one of the hardest things for the camera to focus upon, because the subject to camera distance is always changing, thus it has to resample and move the focus constantly. More modern cameras have a lot of AF systems and setups that can help so do read around how your camera can be best setup for this kind of shot. 
At its most basic AF sensors seek out variations in contrast within the scene and aim to focus upon the point of contrast difference that is the closest to the camera underneath all active AF points. Hence why for spots and action many people use 1 AF point since then you tell teh camera where you want it sharp (many cameras will also use AF points around the selected one to aid the focusing system). 

2) A horse and rider moving toward you is challenging in many ways:
a) You've got a moving subject so you need a fast enough shutterspeed. My own experiments are that 1/640sec is the slowest you can go to get a sharp shot with horse and rider. At 1/500sec hooves and hair is going to start blurring (and likely ropes too). So that gives you at least one bottom end speed. Any faster and its going to improve sharpness. 

b) The subject is coming toward you, as stated above this is hard for the camera. Sometimes an angled or side on photo can be a lot easier because the shift in distance becomes far less marked second to second.

c) A horse and rider is a very deep subject. From the horses eyes to the riders eyes is quite a distance, even at range with a long focal length. This can mean that very wide apertures can make an already tricky situation even harder to land focus. Sometimes f4 or even up to f8 might be preferable for certain shots. OF course events are doubly hard because you often have no control over the background or lighting or positioning (and often even your own position is limited). 
If you wanted cow and rider in focus then you're likely looking for when horse and cow are very close and for a smaller aperture such as f8 or even f10. At least if they are all heading directly toward you. 

d) The horse moves. It's head can be going up and down and the rider too (depending on the nature of the motion). I tend to find that for this reason the horses shoulder is often a better target for the focus point. It's often close enough to the riders face in terms of the plane of focus and the shoulder isn't tossing around quite as much as other parts of the animal and rider. It's also a slightly larger area so its easier to keep the AF point locked onto it, plus most of the area surrounding it should be horses neck,head and riders body - so all parts that the focus shouldn't be bad having it on (unless you're very wide open and thus have a very thin depth of field).


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## The_Traveler (Nov 20, 2018)

What an excellent analysis.
Something like this for all the major sports would be incredibly useful. I think.


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## robvasi (Nov 20, 2018)

I agree, there is so much clutter that the horse and rider get lost.  I'll show some rodeo photos that have a nice background in another post.  If a photo meets the guidelines for focus and composition, then I'll make an attempt to darken the background with the Radial Filter tool in Lightroom.  

I was supposed to publish this Breakaway series on my webpage, alas, not enough photos meet the focus criteria.  So, I have one more opportunity to get a few hundred breakaway photos.  




The_Traveler said:


> I know you didn't ask but let me throw in that, imo, the larger picture is very nice but suffers from a bright and intrusive cluttered background. That could be 'cured' with a bit of editing.


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## Solarflare (Nov 20, 2018)

robvasi said:


> Set AF-C to release priority.  I don't understand this, but that's what was recommended in a video on this topic.


Release priority means the camera will always take the image, even if it thinks the picture wont be in focus.

Thats used because sometimes the photo is in focus anyway, even if the camera doesnt think it is.

It is only useful if you shoot series of images, which is the norm for sports. Then you will have some images not in focus, which is okay because the next images should be in focus again.

If you use release priority it is crucial that you engage the autofocus for a moment before you start shooting images, otherwise the first images you take will always be out of focus.




Overread said:


> A few thoughts to add:
> 
> 1) A subject moving toward the camera at speed is one of the hardest things for the camera to focus upon,


Not even remotely. A subject that moves irratically up close is the toughest challenge. Something that moves in a straight line is childs play in comparison.


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## The_Traveler (Nov 20, 2018)

I did a bit of editing on one to look at potential and will post if you allow.


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## SquarePeg (Nov 20, 2018)

Good point Solarflare - OP, are you shooting in continuous high burst mode so that you get multiple attempts at each shot?


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## robvasi (Nov 20, 2018)

Indeed!  As I read your reply, I began to realize that I am working to achieve a goal that is a challenge and one that seems beyond my skill level.  In addition to the horse and rider moving toward my camera lens, there is a rope that swings in front of the cowboy, girl in this event, and everyone wears a wide brimmed cowboy hat which shades their face.  The D5 is notorious for making a mess when trying to render skin tone and color on its sensor of shaded skin, or shaded anything.  As if that was not enough, this event is backlit at this arena.  Thus, an EV of +.7 or more is needed.  

I could be in the arena, which would enable me to use a 70-200 f/2.8, however, I am reluctant.  I don't want to interfere with the event, put the horse and rider in jeopardy, or put myself at risk of injury.  

However, I could be in the alley beside the arena, between the arena fence and the outboard alley fence.  Calf's are run in the alley, but my presence is acceptable, as long as I wear the proper, and required, cowboy hat.  This position will enable me to compose a side shot, which will consist of the horse and rider and the calf.  I can use a wider angle lens, 28-70 f/2.8, which will give me a greater depth of focus, than the 600mm which I had been using.  (is that right?)  In addition, the lens won't be pointed at the sun, and the background will consist of sponsor's banners on the fence.  The benefit is that I won't interfere with the event and I will be safe.  I'll need to climb the fence when the calf's are moved through the alley.  

The downside is that I have not attempted Breakaway from this position and this weekend is the last chance I'll have. If I don't get superb photos, it won't be a good thing.  Even so, in light of my failure last weekend, an attempt to produce quality photos from a different position, with a different composition, is preferable to another failure. I will go to the arena this week and see what lens I need to use. 

Thank you. 



Overread said:


> A few thoughts to add:
> 
> 1) A subject moving toward the camera at speed is one of the hardest things for the camera to focus upon, because the subject to camera distance is always changing, thus it has to resample and move the focus constantly. More modern cameras have a lot of AF systems and setups that can help so do read around how your camera can be best setup for this kind of shot.
> At its most basic AF sensors seek out variations in contrast within the scene and aim to focus upon the point of contrast difference that is the closest to the camera underneath all active AF points. Hence why for spots and action many people use 1 AF point since then you tell teh camera where you want it sharp (many cameras will also use AF points around the selected one to aid the focusing system).
> ...


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## robvasi (Nov 20, 2018)

Yes, please post.  I set my preference to allow editing.  



The_Traveler said:


> What an excellent analysis.
> Something like this for all the major sports would be incredibly useful. I think.


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## robvasi (Nov 20, 2018)

yes, 10 or 12 per second.  If I see the focus is off, I release the AF-ON and then press it again. 




SquarePeg said:


> Good point Solarflare - OP, are you shooting in continuous high burst mode so that you get multiple attempts at each shot?


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## Overread (Nov 20, 2018)

A few thoughts:
1) With horses you've a lot of depth to them at most angles to their body, this means that if you are shooting closer to them then a wider angle only works down to around 100mm. Once you start doing portraits and filling most of the frame with horse and rider at shorter focal lengths you can encounter greater and greater perspective distortion (where parts of the subject closer to the camera are enlarged over those further away). 
Of course if you are shooting further back from the subject where the horse might only be a corner or much less of the frame, then because the distance to subject is greater, you are fine to compose with a wider angle lens.

Remember perspective distortion is a property of distance to subject not focal length, even if standard advice is based on focal length (100mm or longer)

2) Position is everything at events and can be hard to juggle your desires with the events requirements. One bonus is that many horse events run almost non stop from start to finish. So you've no worries about a subject being there, they will be, all day (and if you ever cover an event you'll find it hard to even find time for lunch). So use this to your advantage and instead of camping out, move around. Move to different positions and angles and see what you can get, sometimes you might take a few shots and discount a spot, but its not time wasted to go have a look and try anyway. 
Other times you might find you can move between two spots on the same horse. Eg showjumping sometimes there might be only one or two jumps with a good angle anyway and if they are at opposite ends of the run you've more than enough time to move along the rail between them. 

3) Never be afraid to ask. This can vary on event size and organisation. big national events are often more closed down to easy access because they've often already got professionals covering the event; and because safety considerations are often a bit more of a hot topic (esp since they tend to also be managing a much larger crowd of spectators). Smaller events are sometimes easier to ask for different spots you can move into to shoot from. 
Be confident but also honest and accept if they say no (just be sure to talk to the right person and ideally talk to them well in advance of the day - on the day they'll not really have time to chatter - so cover your groundwork in chatting before you attend). 
In general you can sometimes get access to arena areas or sides not normally covered. Of course some of this might depend on your own confidence around horses; if you're inexperienced it might not do to accept a ring side position if offered. 
Also if you're shooting free or paid it never hurts to chip in a bit and help out if needed ,again esp at smaller events in the setup or takedown there might be odd times when another hand can help out (though don't get pushy and avoid getting in the way). 

4) 70-200mm is a bread and butter workhorse (yes there's a pun there) for many equine photographers. 600mm can certainly have its uses too, though depends on the setup and the kind of shot you're after. If you can 2 bodies can be ideal  to have access too, even if one isn't as good a camera. It lets you swap over fast (I have swapped lenses on the same camera during showjumping but you've got to be fast with it and half the time you end up too rushed to focus on taking the shot), which can be great both when shooting normally and when testing out the place to see what might and might not work. 

5) If you build up a rapport with the event location you might even ask about practice nights/days. It's another time you might be able to attend to get a bit of extra practice in the environment.


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## robvasi (Nov 20, 2018)

I have access, that is not a problem.  I can be in the area, or adjacent to it.  The judges know me.  I am comfortable around horses, in fact they seem to like me.  I like your idea of paying the event director, can't hurt.  

Because I need to get a photo of every participant, I can't move once in position because I might miss someone.  I don't eat or drink water all day.  By the days end, I am, needless to say, not well.


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## Overread (Nov 20, 2018)

robvasi said:


> Because I need to get a photo of every participant, I can't move once in position because I might miss someone.  I don't eat or drink water all day.  By the days end, I am, needless to say, not well.



Whilst I fully understand the pressure, you DO need to eat and drink during the day. Even if that means you have to miss one 30min event. A break is important. Fatigue will hurt your photography and you won't get good shots if you're hungry, tired and thirsty all at once. 

Like I said I know many equine events just run one event right into the next and whilst rider and horse are only in the arena for a few moments and judges are seated and can grab a drink/bite whenever they want (mostly); you in the arena need your break too. IF there isn't a lull in the day to let you have one then you've got to make one for yourself. One way is to have a second shooter on the day so that whilst you might cover the same event from two angles or cover different events or one shoots and the other sells photos - you do have a moment to swap over so that one can have a break.

Like I said fatigue will hurt you and your photography. You might worry that missing out 10-20 or even 30 mins might cut down your profits and potential, but if you get heavily fatigued then you might be throwing away as many or more photos later in teh day when your arms are aching, your mind is totally occupied thinking about food and drink and your muscles are getting a bit of a shake.

You might find away to sneak multiple small breaks instead of a big one so can pace it out, but however you do it DO eat, drink and rest at some point. 


As for paying the event organisers that's your own call, as you are there commercially and thus earning off your photography. But at the same time if they are happy for you to shoot and you've already paid for your own insurance cover for the event then it might be that you don't "need" to pay. You could call it a donation toward the event to show your support; which means that you'd be able to vary the amount in keeping with how much you earn without obligation


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## robvasi (Nov 21, 2018)

Thank you.  So, for action should it be set to Release, or Focus  + Release, or what?



Solarflare said:


> robvasi said:
> 
> 
> > Set AF-C to release priority.  I don't understand this, but that's what was recommended in a video on this topic.
> ...


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## SquarePeg (Nov 21, 2018)

robvasi said:


> Thank you.  So, for action should it be set to Release, or Focus  + Release, or what?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I use release for sports.  I just weed out any oof shots on the first cull.


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## robvasi (Nov 21, 2018)

another example

I have the shutter release set for single pt focus and the AF-ON set to horizontal.  So if I press the AF-ON, and then the shutter release, might this cause some confusion and result in an out of focused image?  I


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## D7K (Nov 21, 2018)

AF-C to release priority, AF-ON / Back-button focus and single point focus is my preferred, occasionally will use Dynamic or group.

I'm not a big sport / action shooter, but has worked for me in skateboarding shoots etc - but yeah, there's always those throw aways..


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## Derrel (Nov 21, 2018)

With a huge, heavy lens like the 600mm f/4, stop using back button focus, and put the focusing where it BELONGS on continuous action subjects: on the shutter release button! Back button focusing is fine for STATIC situations, like baseball, where you want to PRE-focus, like on say, second base, and then LEAVE the focus SET to that exact,precise spot, and then wait for a play at second base.

On something like rodeo calf roping, or barrel racing, using BBF with a massive lens like a 600/4 or even a 300/2.8 is just...stupid. Sorry, but it is.

You have a camera with one of THE most-capable, fastest-responding AF systems ever developed.

Back Button Focus is one of the biggest bits of nonsense ever foisted off on the general photographic public. The fact that you had problems with a TOP-level Nikon sports and action camera, using top-level optics  whiles using BBF is a pretty good example of an issue I've seen countless times. BBF is NOT for continuous action!!!! BBF is, in fact, the absolute wrong thing to use when what you REALLy want is for the camera to always,always,always acquire a new focus AS you frame and follow action and shoot.  BBF leads to more screw-ups (to put it politely) than fix-ups.


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## Derrel (Nov 21, 2018)

With a huge, heavy lens like the 600mm f/4, stop using back button focus, and put the focusing where it BELONGS on continuous action subjects: on the shutter release button! Back button focusing is fine for STATIC situations, like baseball, where you want to PRE-focus, like on say, second base, and then LEAVE the focus SET to that exact,precise spot, and then wait for a play at second base.

On something like rodeo calf roping, or barrel racing, using BBF with a massive lens like a 600/4 or even a 300/2.8 is just...stupid. Sorry, but it is.

You have a camera with one of THE most-capable, fastest-responding AF systems ever developed.

Back Button Focus is one of the biggest bits of nonsense ever foisted off on the general photographic public. The fact that you had problems with a TOP-level Nikon sports and action camera, using top-level optics  whiles using BBF is a pretty good example of an issue I've seen countless times. BBF is NOT for continuous action!!!! BBF is, in fact, the absolute wrong thing to use when what you REALLy want is for the camera to always,always,always acquire a new focus AS you frame and follow action and shoot.  BBF leads to more screw-ups (to put it politely) than fix-ups.


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## Derrel (Nov 21, 2018)

Using BBF as action comes toward you, and you end up Back-focused. A consistent problem, and expected too, especially with a VERY long lens focal length.

Put the focus on the shutter release button, in AF-C mode...and watch as the keeper rate skyrockets.


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## D7K (Nov 22, 2018)

Interesting view Derrel; I've never shot with a 600 but I've always setup BBF on my systems for a number of years,  As I mentioned, granted, I'm not a sports / action shooter, but maybe interesting next time I'm shooting skating I might give your setup a try!  If so I'll be sure to report back..


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## Overread (Nov 22, 2018)

Derrel so long as your finger knows where to push backbutton will work just the same as a halfshutter press, its purely moving the button that tells it to get started. I agree if you're new to backbutton or if your camera has it in a very odd position then it can be detrimental*. I can also agree that in some cases the handholding might be harder to hold stable if your thumb moves up to the backbutton position rather than the half shutter position. 

However if you're using a big 600mm lens all day shooting a spot chances are you are going to use a tripod or a monopod - even more so if you're in  one single spot the whole time (or for the majority of the time). Or you're going to lean on a post/rail or wall or other surface. Again this is all to preserve as much energy as you've got and to stave off fatigue for as long as possible. Sure with practice and fitness you can wield that lens handheld all day, but you'll suffer for it come the end and your last hours might be full of more missed focus shots as your steady hand gets far more tired (remembering that the way a camera is built its one arm taking the weight all the time). 

Of course many things come down to the individual, I tend to never have an issue and I've used backbutton for so long that my thumb just sits there now ready for it. I also find with sports, esp equine, it means you can shift from doing focus tracking on a moving horse and rider to pre-focusing on a jump without any flicking of switches or such (which can be important as you might be tracking a rider and prefocusing all in the same run)


With my 7D with a battery grip the backbutton is never an issue, what is an issue for me is going portrait and not having a little widget to move the focus point on the battery grip


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## D7K (Nov 22, 2018)

I guess that maybe why I've never had an issue, as I had BBF for years, it's automatic for my thumb to be there when I am shooting and it rests naturally; It does cause a problem when the better half tries some shots though haha


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## Overread (Nov 22, 2018)

D7K said:


> I guess that maybe why I've never had an issue, as I had BBF for years, it's automatic for my thumb to be there when I am shooting and it rests naturally; It does cause a problem when the better half tries some shots though haha



Rare for someone else to grab my camera, but yeah they can never work it out! Worst thing is I can never remember where to change it in the settings (its one of those buy camera - set back button - never touch again)


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## D7K (Nov 22, 2018)

Overread said:


> Rare for someone else to grab my camera, but yeah they can never work it out! Worst thing is I can never remember where to change it in the settings (its one of those buy camera - set back button - never touch again)



Rare for me too! But I still know who the boss is  and to be fair she has a keen interest and loves to come shooting with me so I am always happy to encourage.


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## robvasi (Nov 22, 2018)

AF-C is ON
Continuous shooting mode. 
moving subject

1.  Will holding the AF-ON (BBF) engage the autofocus and keep it engaged so as to track a moving target?
2. Will pressing the shutter release past half way, engage the AF and keep it engaged so as to track a moving target?
3.  While holding the BBF which is set to a different mode than the shutter release, and full press on the shutter release, what impact does this have on the AF system? Will it continue to Auto-focus? (I wonder about AF confusion with two AF modes set, one on the shutter release and the other on the BBF)

Today I will return to the Trap Shooting venue and test both methods.  I will use a 600mm with a 1.4 TC

I hope to have enough time to experiment with all the focus modes.  Rain is forecast.


the attached files are not sharp.  I need to figure this out today.


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## Designer (Nov 22, 2018)

robvasi said:


> focus is not sharp.


May I assume you have already checked all your lenses?  If not, perhaps you should do that, just to eliminate a mechanical issue.


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## Designer (Nov 22, 2018)

robvasi said:


> I will use a 600mm with a 1.4 TC
> 
> the attached files are not sharp.


I don't believe you have mentioned which exact lenses you are using.  (make and model, please)


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## Derrel (Nov 22, 2018)

robvasi said:


> AF-C is ON
> Continuous shooting mode.
> moving subject
> 
> ...




If you want to understand how to use the focus, buy Thom Hogan's Complete Guide, and read it. And stop taking advice from people who do not understand what role the thumb plays (4-way controller, AKA the thumb button); and who do not understand 3-D color-aware and distance-aware focusing (new to Canon's high end, invented by Nikon almost two decades ago). You are getting some advice that treats the D5 like it is a 15 year-old Canon consumer body.

As overread mentioned, you can get used to anything, even a bad way of working. You have a camera that has a complex AF system. Don't fall pray to the old, dumb idea of using ONE, single focus square, right in the middle. You have the ability to have the camera focus exceptionally well, but your working methods have been acquired from somebody who is NOT familiar, at all, with the Nikon 3-D color-aware, two-button, AF-ON/AF/Lock concept, nor the 4-way controller, nor the idea of identifying the actual target at the start of a sequence.

That's all I have to offer you. Read the fine manual, or buy The Complete Guide to The Nikon D5, and see what you are missing. Nikon D5 Guide | DSLRBodies | Thom Hogan


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## greybeard (Nov 22, 2018)

Derrel said:


> Using BBF as action comes toward you, and you end up Back-focused. A consistent problem, and expected too, especially with a VERY long lens focal length.
> 
> Put the focus on the shutter release button, in AF-C mode...and watch as the keeper rate skyrockets.


Back Button work fine for me.  I set it to AF-C, Group or Single point, leave my thumb on the back button as long as things are moving and snap away.  Back Button allows me to effectively have AF-S and AF-C at the same time.


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## robvasi (Nov 22, 2018)

Nikon D5

Nikkor 300mm 1:2.8 G II ED
Nikkor  600mm 1:4G ED




Designer said:


> robvasi said:
> 
> 
> > I will use a 600mm with a 1.4 TC
> ...


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## greybeard (Nov 22, 2018)

robvasi said:


> AF-C is ON
> Continuous shooting mode.
> moving subject
> 
> ...


So you have the AF-ON button engage the autofocus and have the shutter release engaging AF too?  My BBF setup has the autofocus disengaged at the shutter release.  I have been able to track birds in flight well with this setup.  I have never used a D5 so I am speaking from the use of my D750 ad D7500 but,  having both the AF-ON and shutter release activating the AF might be the problem.




birds fighting by TOM STRAIGHT, on Flickr




Robins fighting-4 by TOM STRAIGHT, on Flickr




Robins fighting by TOM STRAIGHT, on Flickr


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## robvasi (Nov 22, 2018)

View attachment 166263 View attachment 166263 View attachment 166263 View attachment 166258 View attachment 166260 Trap Shoot from November 22

Nikon F5
Nikon 300mm + 1.4TC

I used shutter button alone, and BBF.  I will conduct  more tests of this.  so far, I can't see the difference.  However, that is not to say there is not a difference.  I need to conduct a better analysis.
I tried every focus mode, except for horizontal and vertical.  For tomorrow, the event I am preparing to shoot, I'll use Group or maybe something else, I dunno.
The attached images were made at shutter speeds from 1/2500 to 1/4000 with F/5
ISO varied from 2500 to 11400

The attached photos seem sharp.  There seems to be some softness at 1:1 in Lightroom, with more grain than I want.  More noise reduction resulted in over-smooth surface.


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## robvasi (Nov 22, 2018)

I have not checked the lenses in a side by side specific analysis.  This needs to be done. I have checked them on cars on a road, but that is not an accurate test.  The 600 seems to be the one that causes the problems.  




Designer said:


> robvasi said:
> 
> 
> > focus is not sharp.
> ...


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## Designer (Nov 22, 2018)

robvasi said:


> I have not checked the lenses in a side by side specific analysis.  This needs to be done. I have checked them on cars on a road, but that is not an accurate test.  The 600 seems to be the one that causes the problems.


I was referring to checking the focus in a controlled manner.  For that test, you mount your camera on a tripod and shoot a focus target (find them on the internet) and make any focusing adjustments as required.  Until you check them and verify they are focusing correctly, anything else is just guesswork.  I have some lenses that focus behind, some in front, and maybe one that didn't need any adjustment at all.


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## robvasi (Nov 22, 2018)

ah, I understand.  sorry, I am a bit overwhelmed.  I made that check and all were good.  No front or back focus.  It seems that AF-C is what is causing the problems.  I used the 300 today with better results.


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## greybeard (Nov 22, 2018)

robvasi said:


> View attachment 166263 View attachment 166263 View attachment 166263 View attachment 166258 View attachment 166260 Trap Shoot from November 22
> 
> Nikon F5
> Nikon 300mm + 1.4TC
> ...


Those look sharp to me.  For grain reduction try a program called "Neat Image".    It reduces the noise but doesn't add that glossy smoothness you mentioned.


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## robvasi (Nov 22, 2018)

For tomorrow I plan to use the shutter release only.  I will set the AF-ON button to something that won't impact focus.


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## Derrel (Nov 22, 2018)

*First frame* of the guy in camo with the Remington autoloading shotgun: DOF is shallow...focus is on the gun, but the arm and shoulder are closer than the focus zone...the focus is good on the gun, but the depth of field is insufficient to capture the shooter sharply. This is your fault, not the focus system's fault. If you want everything in-focus, you need the right f/stop to do that, and your f/stop is not sufficiently small to pull adequate DOF with such a long focal length, from that camera to subject distance, at that angle.

Second frame of the man in blue shooting the Winchester Model 12  (? I think it's a Model 12, but perhaps an older Model 1912) pump-action: the angle of the camera in relation to the shooter and the shotgun is such that you have more of him in-focus than in frame one, but yet he is just a little bit OOF...not bad, but just slightly...again pretty typical with such a long focal length from such a close camera to subject distance. Again, if you want it ALL in-focus, you need to stop down the lens diaphragm more, to a smaller aperture...

Third frame, of the guy shooting the Beretta autoloader...I can see the high ISO softening of the image, yet still, it's "okay"...DOF is a bit shallow, but the gun's good and sharp and so is his forestock hand. As-expected with such a long lens at such an f/stop.

The last frame, of the *shooter with the green earplugs: *the DOF is such that only his body and head are in the sharply-focused zone,. and the depth of field slides out to the de-focused zone by the time we get to the shotgun's forestock. Again--utterly As-Expected with such a long lens, at that camera angle, from such a close distance, at such an f/stop.

I do not even need to pull EXIF data to see that these are pretty much as-expected shots. Your camera is focusing pretty well, but the depth of field is not deep enough to render these subjects 100% all within the focused zone.

Based on what I see here, and the earlier rodeo example, I think you're confusing focusing problems with inadequate depth of field from long telephoto lenses. As overread mentioned, a horse and rider is a "long" subject, and with a 600mm lens, the DOF is _shallow_. A 420mm lens is also a long lens, and DOF is critically shallow.

A 300mm + 1.4x TC is a 420mm focal length. That's a long focal length, and these are fairly tightly-framed shots, so the camera-to-subject angle will be critical. These pictures look as expected to me. Shutter speed is actually "too fast"...if you want more In-Focus, you need to slow the shutter down, and stop the lens down to get something more like f/8, if you want to always have the entire shooter and the gun in-focus, from such a close camera position, with such a long lens length. 1/2500 to 1/4000 shutter speeds on this type of mostly-static shooting is driving the ISO levels high.


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## robvasi (Nov 23, 2018)

Where should  the focus point be?  Cheek of the shooter, his hand, trigger finder, or somewhere on the gun?  
By reducing the shutter speed to 1/1000, the f/stop will be f/8.  The motion is not fast, so 1/1000 should be adequate.  (Do you agree, or should it be slower?)
Using f/8 the DOF will increase from 2.28 inches to 3.72 inches, an increase of 1.44 inches. 
The ISO will remain the same.
Is this in line with what you suggest?
I can't repeat the event tomorrow.  I need to get it right.

thank you for  your help.  
I am sure it is obvious that I am not an expert.
Being well past middle-age makes it harder to learn and adapt.


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## Derrel (Nov 23, 2018)

Where to focus? I would favor the gun's barrel or the action. See, the thing is, you have VERY LITTLE that is actually in sharp focus at close distances, and with a long telephoto lens, you need to make the focus decision very rapidly, based on the shot. As you can see, you have mere inches that falls within the depth of field band! Inches! If the gun is at an angle to the camera's back (sensor, back side of camera, film plane, focal plane, however you want to think about it), the focus WILL "slide out"...

If the shooter's face is a big part of the image, I'd likely favor the face rather than the shotgun.

If the shot is about the shell being ejected out of the port on a pump or autoloader, then focus on the ejection port...

If you stabilize the camera, and try to capture the shooter of a pump-action shotgun racking the slide backward to eject the a just-fired shell, perhaps focus on the fore-stock of the shotgun...and maybe shoot "slow", like at 1/250 or 1/350, and hope to gt a cool timing shot....same with perhaps trying to capture an autoloader spitting out that spent low-base hull....but be prepared for some rejects.

I agree, that 1/1000 second ought to be fine. F/8 at 1/1000 ought to be fine for trap or skeet shooting, of the shooters at the line, like these shots. The issue is long focal length, and being close to the subject, with a pretty highly-magnified view...you will not have a lot of depth of field with those long focal lengths, unless you shoot way, way "looser", from either farther back, or with a shorter lens, and show a wider picture angle...

You're in a situation where a tightly-framed shot of a trap or skeet shooter, made with a long lens, from such a close camera-to-subject distance, gives you around a 4-inch deep depth of field band to work with...this is TIGHTLY-framed action...there will be almost zero room for error if you keep shooting so tightly-framed, with a 420 to 600mm lens. If you want more in-focus, you could shoot at f/16 at high ISO and still maintain a 1/500 to 1/640 shutter, shooting from a monopod, and probably get a bit of a focusing "cushion"...but still, this long lens length and tight framing means minimal depth of field.

You have to decide what the best approach to the shot is, and then try to nail it. You have what? 1/10 of a second or so? Plenty of time. (LOL)


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## robvasi (Nov 23, 2018)

The reason I like to shoot tight is so the resultant image file is large, and thus more conducive to printing. Like many of my ideas, this may be erroneous.  If I shoot from further back, or take off the TC, then a crop is needed to produce the tight composition that I prefer.  My understanding, and again, perhaps erroneous, is that cropping reduces image quality.  In this situation the compromise is crop or depth of focus.  

The shooters today are high school students.  They are experienced, precise, and disciplined.  So, I won't have much time to compose and make a picture.  They will ignore me, some will know who I am, some might not.  After the event they will all want photos.  I expect some of them will wear cowboy boots and spurs.


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## Solarflare (Nov 23, 2018)

Derrel said:


> With a huge, heavy lens like the 600mm f/4, stop using back button focus, and put the focusing where it BELONGS on continuous action subjects: on the shutter release button! Back button focusing is fine for STATIC situations, like baseball, where you want to PRE-focus, like on say, second base, and then LEAVE the focus SET to that exact,precise spot, and then wait for a play at second base.


Err, the back button simply is easier to use than the shutter half press. You can press the back button with any force, while with the half press you have to apply a very specific amount of pressure.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with back button focus in sports. All you have to do is to of course keep pressing the button at all times, otherwise the camera would stop focusing and all following images would be out of focus.


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## Overread (Nov 23, 2018)

robvasi said:


> The reason I like to shoot tight is so the resultant image file is large, and thus more conducive to printing. Like many of my ideas, this may be erroneous.  If I shoot from further back, or take off the TC, then a crop is needed to produce the tight composition that I prefer.  My understanding, and again, perhaps erroneous, is that cropping reduces image quality.  In this situation the compromise is crop or depth of focus.



Cropping does reduce the image size which can affect image quality, however many sensors today in modern cameras are giving you very large photos to work with. So its actually far more viable to shoot a little wide and then crop. I'm not talking extremes here, but you do have some cropping room before it will impact image quality; esp if the prints are fairly standard sizes (ergo you're not making posters).
Sometimes shooting a little wide is better because it means you can have a little room to play with a photo. Plus sometimes its easier AF wise as you can keep using the same AF point (eg middle) and then recompose in editing to suit your situations. It's far more useful with fast moving situations and subjects where you might not have the time to shift the AF point around or recompose at the time (of course experience makes this quicker and easier and gives you more chance to predict a shot before it happens and be ready for it).


I would say losing some resolution from cropping would be preferable to losing depth of field which is giving you soft shots that you are having trouble with. Of course when shooting sports sometimes you're still going to have to use that longer lens because you are not allowed any closer. Still in those instances a slower shutter speed and wider aperture can be important.



Eg I know with horses that 2.8 is doable with a 200mm lens when doing showjumping, that f3.2 and f4 also generally work well.
Also play around. Try slower and slower shutter speeds and smaller apertures and see how they affect your photos. I found that 1/640sec as the ideal slowest shutterspeed for showjumping because the day got dark and my camera started hitting its aperture and ISO limits; so the speed had to slow down too. I could then compare those shots to 1/500sec and slower and see where the blur was; what was and wasn't blurring etc... From there I learned that 1/500sec was going to blur extremities of motion (hooves, hair) and 1/640sec was going to be "sharp enough"

That's how I learned where my lower limit was, by going there and beyond there and seeing the actual results for myself. Sometimes different styles and aims can result in you having a different standard. Eg you might feel that areas of really fine crisp sharpness are critical and that 1/1000sec is the slowest you are comfortable with for what you want. Or you might find you like blurring some areas of motion and that 1/420 is actually your sweetspot.


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## Derrel (Nov 23, 2018)

"All you have to do is to of course keep pressing the button at all times"...

So, you need TWO button presses to shoot a photo and to focus.

Lol.

Only twice the mental and physical effort. Great idea.

You can either trigger off a shot and get focus automatically...OR decide to impose yet another requirement, that of pressing a second button, in addition to triggering off the shot. So, instead of using your thumb to help hold, maniupulate,and stabilize a camera/lens/monopod rig that wights up to 20 pounds (400mm f/2.8 at 15 pounds + big black camera+monopod), you decide to make your right hand a 3-finger hand instead to handle the weight of the body/lens/monopod: middle finger, ring finger, little finger, index on trigger...

*Great idea! Twice the needed steps to accomplish making a focused shot*. Sure. Makes sense (in a YouTube fanboy video sense). 

Require that TWO digits be needed to make every shot, all day long! Welcome to back Button Focus! Where once one finger could do it all, you now need two digits to accomplish what is basically automatic and instinctive.

Again...BBF is more of an internet-famous thing than it is a serious shooter's thing. BBF is one of those _YouTube solutions in search of a real problem_. 

BBF was designed for _specific_ types of shooting situations, in which focusing the camera should be limited, reduced, made more-rare, when the focus needs to be _locked down_ to one, specific location, like when you "camp on" a spot with a long lens, and want to be SURE that the focus will STAY PUT, and that the focusing will NOT be instantly,effortlessly,naturally, and rapidly UPDATED with every single press of the trigger. The entire problem is that an entire generation of inexperienced shooters has been spoon fed a series of videos that treat BBF as some God-given gift that magically improves every shooting scenario... which is utter BS. Let me send you to the link for driving everywhere in 3rd gear, at all times. Driving everywhere, at all times, in 3rd gear is awesome! It's a great solution. More power! Higher torque! Faster acceleration!


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## ronlane (Nov 23, 2018)

@Derrel are you against BBF? For sports I find it to be a must. Actually it's the way my cameras are set up now. Did I have to train my thumb to work in connection with the index finger? Yes, but after a while it becomes second nature.

Most sports photographers that you will find use BBF for shooting.


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## Derrel (Nov 23, 2018)

ronlane said:


> @Derrel are you against BBF? For sports I find it to be a must. Actually it's the way my cameras are set up now. Did I have to train my thumb to work in connection with the index finger? Yes, but after a while it becomes second nature.
> 
> Most sports photographers that you will find use BBF for shooting.



I am against BBF for MOST continuous-action sports. For some scenarios, it makes sense.

The pro Nikons I am familiar with have a focus HOLD button right next to the Focus ON button.

Smoking cigarettes right after a meal has become second nature to millions of people.

Driving everywhere in 3rd gear is a great idea too. More power, Faster acceleration. Better torque.

MILLIONS of newbies love to shoot "at f/1.8", because *with the lens wide-open, you get that awesome bokeh*. The internet is filled with stupid ideas that have become popularized by people on forums and YouTube. I think of the habit of automatic, habitual, constant, all-situation use of BBF as being just as dumb as advocating *"shooting wide-open all the time". Shooting "wide-open" is yet another internet-era practice followed by millions of people*. Just because many people advocate something, does not make it the best course of action.

McDonald's would be America's best restaurant to eat at, and drinking soda pop at every meal, why both of those things would be the healthiest course of action if sheer numbers and popularity are what determine "the best course of action". I do not let internet-era and YouTube opinion determine what is actually the best operating procedure in a blanket way. At _some times_ BBF makes sense. As a matter of constant, standard operating procedure, it is a highly-flawed concept to people using high-level Nikon bodies, like the OP's D5.

Do you remember the somewhat famous Canadian sports shooter that used to post here a few years back. You know, the guy who had been sent to photograph two decades' worth of Olympic Games? His father was perhaps the most-famous Canadian sports shooter ever. He thought BBF was a dumb idea, for the same reasons I outline above. he wants the focusing to be initiated by the trigger. Every shot, every time, the trigger does the focusing. If you want to override, and lock, or hold, or retard acquisition of an new target, use the thumb button as an AF HOLD button.

I liken BBF to adding a second button to a rifle or pistol: you have the trigger, the sights, and then around 2003, you add a third button, the FIRE button...requiring yet another step. Aim (frame up the shot), hold the FIRE button (BBF), and then, pull the trigger.

I'm done arguing with people who do not understand the nuance of autofocusing on high-level, Nikon bodies. To anybody who wishes to ADD yet another step to getting a focused picture, go right ahead... add that addition un-needed step to every shot you want to shoot.


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## Overread (Nov 23, 2018)

But I like 3rd gear for 30mph! It's also, I find, sometimes more practical on country lanes where there's so many tighter corners or sudden slowdowns needed for passing things; where 4th just feels far too fast a gear without the grip on the road (plus its a pain having to shift in and out all the time). 
Also I thought you US folks all drove automatics anyway?! 


As for Backbutton I think one aspect your argument is missing is the NATURE of how one shoots. Many of the pros you are referring to also hate image stabilization systems as well as backbutton; because their method of shooting is quite literally "point and shoot". Ergo they are seeing a moment coming; aiming the camera and firing the shot VERY fast. They are thus wanting AF there instantly; they don't want IS or VR or any other anti shake because the anti shake has to spend time speeding up before it actually counters shake (and in that speeding up phase it causes more blur than it resolves). 
It has honestly far less to do with modern AF systems and far more to do with the style of shooting in those events. 

Meanwhile many others who use IS/VR and backbutton are often, like myself, more likely to be following the action with the camera, so the buttons are already pressed/half pressed - the AF and IS are already running in advance of the shot being taken. 

Neither method is superior and there are pros and cons for each and experience also plays a huge part in this (both of using a single method and also in general of shooting the sport and event). Often as not most photographers evolve to a method that works for them and once they have a method that works they more rarely branch out of it, which in time can come to mean that they only have one line of thinking when it comes ot those subjects (and more often most jsut pose one angle because its easier for a new person asking to get one set of directions rather than two or three which can leave them confused early on)


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## greybeard (Nov 23, 2018)

BBF?  This thing is becoming rather tribal.  I switched over to BBF last year after reading an article about it somewhere.  It felt rather natural to me from the start and now when I pickup a camera with shutter release button focus, it feels odd to me.  I do think that a beginner might be ahead to leave everything on the shutter release until they master all the other controls on the camera and then play around with BBF to see if they like it.  I also think that the OP's having AF activation on both the shutter release and AF-ON button and pushing the AF-ON while also pushing the shutter release (of course) might be confusing the AF system on his camera.  But it's a D5 and it may be designed to work well that way?


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## robvasi (Nov 24, 2018)

Here are my photos from Friday's Trap Shoot.  I did not use BBF

They shot fast and with precision.  Their bodies functioned as if it was a machine: same routine every time with no hesitation. 

They were accurate.  One got 25 out of 25, twice.

There were polite and respectful to each other.


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## robvasi (Nov 25, 2018)

What happened to our brisk and informative discussion?  With suggestions from participants in this thread I leaned some important details and methods.  I applied this new knowledge and photographed the Trap Shoot.  I posted some photos from the event.  

And now silence.

I hope I did not wear out my welcome.  

I appreciate the replies and interest in this topic.  Thank you!

Of note:  I want to thank the person who suggested that the angle I was shooting from caused some issues with depth of focus.  I was able to secure a position that allowed for less of an angle.  

I also reduced the shutter speed, based on a suggestion.   I have been so accustomed to a fast shutter speed that I neglected to consider that a fast shutter speed was not needed.  This seems so obvious now.  I don't know why I was not thinking. 

I removed the TC and shot with a 300mm without a TC.


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## vintagesnaps (Nov 25, 2018)

Well, it is Thanksgiving weekend... I was going to offer suggestions because I've done sports and events (hockey in particular) but didn't get back to it. I'll try to get on tomorrow and post a link to a sports photographer I took a workshop with some years ago (he's done the Olympics etc.) that might be worth a look. These are an improvement and yes, the better vantage point helped. And you were getting close-ups of one participant at a time, different than needing to get a number of people all in focus. Maybe check back, people might still be affected by that ingredient in turkey that makes you sleepy or in a pumpkin pie stuffed daze.


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## jcdeboever (Nov 25, 2018)

I've never BBF'd. I could never get the feel for it. I pump the shutter. If I track in C, I will use  AF lock button. I manual focus mostly anyway. This year's soccer, I even shot a game in manual zone focus. I just picked about 10 areas to stand at, pre focused, and waited for subject to enter in that area. Strangely, that was my best soccer images and best hit rate this year. I missed a lot when I tried BBF, its not my thing. Pumping the shutter is what my late mentor taught me and current one as well. I seen immediate improvement in keeper rate, once I reasonably understood what was going on with the AF system and DOF ranges of glass.  He introduced me to zone focusing as well because in his prime, there were no AF cameras. He never got into BBF with me, he mentioned it but wanted me to focus on the others first. He did say BBF was very specific to a type of shot but I can't recall the scenario.  

For me, the camera is a tool. You can use a crescent wrench to take a nut off, or a 6pt box end wrench, or a 12pt socket...they all are capable of taking the nut off. In the end, the goal is to get the nut off. If you use the crecent wrench all the time, you will get good with it, maybe damage a couple nuts along the way, in the beginning. This is how my late mentor described it. He literally put out a bolt and nut scenario, with all 3 tools. It was a 3/4" nut. The crecent was the easiest to use because it had the longest handle and provided more leverage than the other two. He used the analogy to see what tool I would choose for the job, I crabbed the 12pt socket thinking it was a no brainer. I was wrong.


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## SquarePeg (Nov 25, 2018)

I realize you weren't using a zoom so didn't have a lot of wiggle room with the composition but these last photos seem too close to me.  You've cut off the end of the gun in several and the shooters seem to be way too crowded in.  Backing off a bit would give you greater dof which still seems a bit too shallow to me.  In some, the shoulder seems sharpest and not the face and/or gun.  So... what was your aperture on these and what where was your focus point?  My opinion - when there are people in the photo, especially just the one person, focus on the face and let the rest of the shot be part of the fall off if absolutely unavoidable - unless you're doing something creative where you are purposefully focusing on the ball or stick or puck and are ok with the person being slightly oof.  

Sorry if this has come up already - I read most of the thread but confess to skimming some of the responses but what are you doing in post with these?  Are you shooting in raw and doing some sharpening?  If not, you're cheating yourself out of sharper photos.  Also, I'm curious if you were using a tripod or monopod?  You may need to work on your shooting technique.  At shallow DOF with a long zoom even the slightest lean back or forward will mess up your focus on the subject. 

As to the BBF vs shutter button debate - I had focus issues when I tried BBF.  It was not really for me.  It may have been lack of familiarity but I kept forgetting to press the button!  I much prefer using the shutter button.  I don't pump the shutter like jc though, I use AF-C and choose the appropriate focus mode based on the action and shoot in burst mode.  I do switch back between single point and tracking depending on the sport.  If I'm shooting softball, which has a lot of stops in action, I use single point and focus on my main subject.  For field hockey which is near constant action, I've found that multi point zone focus, even though it allows the camera to choose what to focus on, is still the most successful for tracking moving subjects.


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## robvasi (Nov 25, 2018)

I wish I had more reach.  This is how I want to photograph the shooters.  Or even tighter.  This is a cropped image, thus, the lettering on hearing protection headset is not as sharp as it needs to be.  

I have many images with the entire gun visible.I see your point about showing the entire gun.  I will sort for those.  
There firing line to my back was active so there was not much option to move back.  I got the wider perspective at the beginning when the firing range to my back was not active. 
I used f/9 or f/10
Estimated distance from my position to the shooter closest to me = 20 feet
Calculated DOF = .78 ft.
The focus point in most cases was the script on the gun.
If there is script or a design pattern on the gun, to have that out of focus would be troublesome to me.
I shoot RAW.
I do minimal sharpening in Lightroom.  Images that are over-sharpened in post seem contrived. U will try to sharpen a bit more, however, they seem sharp to me. 
I used a tripod with a gimbal head.  Both are leveled.
What suggestions do you have to improve my shooting technique?

These images seem sharp to me, do they not appear sharp to you?

I don't want to get involved in the BBF debate.


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## ronlane (Nov 25, 2018)

For that image above, I would have focused on his eye. I like the composition that you have here. In sports images, I would venture to say that 99% of the images are cropped, so I wouldn't worry about that, it's the nature of the "business".

Unless you are shooting for the company of the hearing protection, I wouldn't worry about it being a little soft, that is not the subject of the photo.


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## robvasi (Nov 25, 2018)

Thank you for the suggestion to focus on his eyes.  That would make the image more dramatic.  I have a 600mm, however, I can't seem to get sharp images from it. I have sharp images from it, but not recent.


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## ronlane (Nov 25, 2018)

robvasi said:


> This was an example of how I'd like to photograph the shooting event.  Thank you for the suggestion to focus on his eyes.  That would make the image more dramatic.  I have a 600mm, however, I can't seem to get sharp images from it. I have sharp images from it, but not recent.



I realize that was an example. My suggestions were based on how to help you get an image like this.

Have you calibrated the 600mm to your camera? This could make a difference in images being sharp just as much as the f-stop that you are using. You may need to micro adjust the focus either forward or backwards.


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## robvasi (Nov 25, 2018)

I apologize if I seemed anything but grateful.

I checked the 600 and it seemed to be perfect. 

1. didn't check it correctly
2. I'm doing something wrong.







ronlane said:


> robvasi said:
> 
> 
> > This was an example of how I'd like to photograph the shooting event.  Thank you for the suggestion to focus on his eyes.  That would make the image more dramatic.  I have a 600mm, however, I can't seem to get sharp images from it. I have sharp images from it, but not recent.
> ...


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## robvasi (Nov 25, 2018)

I took a closer look at the images I posted.  They are not quite sharp, close, but not quite to where I'd like them to be.  The problem lies within these:

1. equipment not adjusted
2 support system
3. camera setup
4. technique

1. The 300 f/2.8 was calibrated to the D5.  It didn't require any calibration.  I used  the slant ruler method.  
2 Gitzo tripod with promedia gear gimbal head
3. AF-C. 1/1250. f/10
4. pressing the shutter release button.  Not sure what else I need to do.


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## nateliv (Dec 2, 2018)

Practice. And a good tripod.

Stabilization is fairly new and millions of sharp photos were shot on slow film over the years. It's not that hard.


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## chasgroh (Dec 10, 2018)

I primarily shoot a "sporting" activity, marching bands and pageantry, got about 11 years in now, and might shoot 10,000 images in a day.  I use a Nikon 200-400 f4 hooked to a D5 on a monopod, which is close to what you're using, but more versatile IMO.  I've worked my way up from a D3 so know the equipment well, and have tried every permutation of focus you can imagine.  After all the smoke clears, I've settled on 9 point focus (or its equivalent) set to "release" and I have used back button focus for years.  My keeper rate is excellent, but I'm constantly trying to improve my technique.  Keep an ear to the ground through sports-shooting forums/websites, because it's all about speed and being able to get the shot instantaneously!


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## astroNikon (Dec 10, 2018)

I'm a little late.

With the D5 and 600mm you should be all set at least equipment-wise.
Since the action you have headed towards you, you should be able to easily practice the situation.

Find a road, and take pics of oncoming cars, starting from a stop sign.  That should give you the stop/start speed factor.  The car is wider and shorter than a rider on a horse but should give somewhat similar type acceleration/speed situations, although missing the front calf which could interfere from time to time.  Practice getting the grill sharp - track your ISO, Shutter speed and aperture for various shots when you review.  Try starting at a really high Shutter speed and start slowing lowering it.

True you won't have the legs, and hair flowing nor the rider movement, but it should give you a consistent and continuous testing situation as long as the drivers don't object to it.


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## Braineack (Dec 10, 2018)

robvasi said:


> 1. The 300 f/2.8 was calibrated to the D5.  It didn't require any calibration.  I used  the slant ruler method.




when youre shooting sports, are they a rulers length away?


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## kaka (Dec 20, 2018)

As you migrate from basic photography skills to advanced skills, learning how to stop action on your DSLR camera will be one of your biggest challenges. Shooting sharp sports photos and action photos is an important part of advancing your skill as a photographer


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## aspen (Dec 30, 2018)

Set AF-C to release priority


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