Frustrated: 77mm dog photos blurry

SashasMom · 04-29-2013, 01:02 PM

I traveled to the arboretum with my dog for some great shots of her amongst beautiful flowers using my K-5 and my FA 77mm 1.8 lens. I always use center point focus, and focus on her eyes. I also mostly shoot around 2.5 - 3.2 aperature. I got home and anxiously uploaded my photos and about 80% of them were out of focus. Zoomed in at 100% her eyes are just too soft. Its so frustration.
When shooting my dog close up the focus is spot on, but from a distance seems off a lot of the time.

Is this due to the large focus points of the K-5?
Also I have not calibrated my lenses, would calibarating be a good idea? The thing is, if the focus is dead on when my dog is close to the camera and off when she is far from the camera is it still possible there is a front/back focus issue? Would I still need to calibrate?

Thanks in advance.

Debbie

**TomB_tx** · 04-29-2013, 01:22 PM

When focus is critical there is no substitute for manual focus. The 77 should be quite easy to focus manually - especially with a change to a matte focusing screen in the K-5, which helped on mine.
But then I've been focusing manually since 1960... I've tried autofocus just enough to say "why bother."

Adam · 04-29-2013, 01:26 PM

Originally posted by SashasMom

I traveled to the arboretum with my dog for some great shots of her amongst beautiful flowers using my K-5 and my FA 77mm 1.8 lens. I always use center point focus, and focus on her eyes. I also mostly shoot around 2.5 - 3.2 aperature. I got home and anxiously uploaded my photos and about 80% of them were out of focus. Zoomed in at 100% her eyes are just too soft. Its so frustration.
When shooting my dog close up the focus is spot on, but from a distance seems off a lot of the time.

Is this due to the large focus points of the K-5?
Also I have not calibrated my lenses, would calibarating be a good idea? The thing is, if the focus is dead on when my dog is close to the camera and off when she is far from the camera is it still possible there is a front/back focus issue? Would I still need to calibrate?

Thanks in advance.

Debbie

An easily solution would be to stop down to F5.6 or F8, as the DOF isn't to wide at F2.5.

**Deimos** · 04-29-2013, 01:33 PM

You may need AF Adjust, my 77 needs -10 to be spot on, worth doing a few tests to rule that out.

tuco · 04-29-2013, 01:38 PM

And you have the benefit of previewing and zooming in on your freshly taken picture to see how sharp it turned out. Yeah, you may not like chimping your pictures but unless you want to go back and take them over, it is a necessary thing.

SashasMom · 04-29-2013, 01:40 PM

Originally posted by Adam

An easily solution would be to stop down to F5.6 or F8, as the DOF isn't to wide at F2.5.

Yes, that is the obvious solution but I like nice bokeh and isolation my subject. And I should be able to utilize the lens and all its capabilities i.e. shooting at 1.8.

Adam · 04-29-2013, 01:47 PM

Originally posted by SashasMom

Yes, that is the obvious solution but I like nice bokeh and isolation my subject. And I should be able to utilize the lens and all its capabilities i.e. shooting at 1.8.

Right, but the DOF is still going to be very shallow. Unless you're shooting directly at your dog's head and focusing on the eyes, the result probably won't be that good. Can we see some samples?

Adam
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SashasMom · 04-29-2013, 01:56 PM

Originally posted by Adam

Right, but the DOF is still going to be very shallow. Unless you're shooting directly at your dog's head and focusing on the eyes, the result probably won't be that good. Can we see some samples?

Sure I'll post some tonight, at work right now

Dont tell the boss.

Nick Siebers · 04-29-2013, 02:16 PM

If the dog will hold still, might be a good place to use live view, and zoom in to focus on the eyes. It doesn't work with my kids, too mobile, but maybe your dog is better behaved. :-)

SashasMom · 04-29-2013, 02:19 PM

Originally posted by Nick Siebers

If the dog will hold still, might be a good place to use live view, and zoom in to focus on the eyes. It doesn't work with my kids, too mobile, but maybe your dog is better behaved. :-)

haha, I have been photographing her since she was 4 months old, she is 3 year old now. Her sit and stay are definately better than any kids, except I do have to bribe her with good doggie treats.

DSims · 04-29-2013, 02:47 PM

Originally posted by Deimos

You may need AF Adjust, my 77 needs -10 to be spot on, worth doing a few tests to rule that out.

The distance to subject makes a difference when doing AF Adjust, so use a distance that's typical for these shots (and preferably in the recommend range):

LensAlign (click on the Distance Tool tab)

FocusTune

**pearsaab** · 04-29-2013, 03:56 PM

Originally posted by SashasMom

I traveled to the arboretum with my dog for some great shots of her amongst beautiful flowers using my K-5 and my FA 77mm 1.8 lens. I always use center point focus, and focus on her eyes. I also mostly shoot around 2.5 - 3.2 aperature. I got home and anxiously uploaded my photos and about 80% of them were out of focus. Zoomed in at 100% her eyes are just too soft. Its so frustration.
When shooting my dog close up the focus is spot on, but from a distance seems off a lot of the time.

Is this due to the large focus points of the K-5?
Also I have not calibrated my lenses, would calibarating be a good idea? The thing is, if the focus is dead on when my dog is close to the camera and off when she is far from the camera is it still possible there is a front/back focus issue? Would I still need to calibrate?

Thanks in advance.

Debbie

i would check the calibration...this is about the time of season that my cameras both suddenly adjusted...1 went to +7 and the other +5 and they are pretty consistent to all lens...have never had to do each lens differently..good luck!!

loco · 04-29-2013, 04:19 PM

Would be nice to see some examples, but if there's not a lot of difference in color or contrast between your dog's eyes and her fur, the camera just might be having a tough time deciding what to focus on, partly due to large focus points. Are you focusing and recomposing using the center point? That can cause problems, too, especially when using a very large aperture.

In situations like that I always just switch to manual focus if I find the camera's AF is not cooperating.

Na Horuk · 04-29-2013, 04:20 PM

If the eyes aren't in focus, what is? Or is the photo blurry because of motion shake?

mikeSF · 04-29-2013, 04:21 PM

as others have suggested, you need very good focusing technique to use f/2.5. can you describe the technique you used and show some examples?

04-29-2013, 01:02 PM	#1
SashasMom Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Washington Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 133	Frustrated: 77mm dog photos blurry I traveled to the arboretum with my dog for some great shots of her amongst beautiful flowers using my K-5 and my FA 77mm 1.8 lens. I always use center point focus, and focus on her eyes. I also mostly shoot around 2.5 - 3.2 aperature. I got home and anxiously uploaded my photos and about 80% of them were out of focus. Zoomed in at 100% her eyes are just too soft. Its so frustration. When shooting my dog close up the focus is spot on, but from a distance seems off a lot of the time. Is this due to the large focus points of the K-5? Also I have not calibrated my lenses, would calibarating be a good idea? The thing is, if the focus is dead on when my dog is close to the camera and off when she is far from the camera is it still possible there is a front/back focus issue? Would I still need to calibrate? Thanks in advance. Debbie

04-29-2013, 01:26 PM	#3
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,608	Originally posted by SashasMom I traveled to the arboretum with my dog for some great shots of her amongst beautiful flowers using my K-5 and my FA 77mm 1.8 lens. I always use center point focus, and focus on her eyes. I also mostly shoot around 2.5 - 3.2 aperature. I got home and anxiously uploaded my photos and about 80% of them were out of focus. Zoomed in at 100% her eyes are just too soft. Its so frustration. When shooting my dog close up the focus is spot on, but from a distance seems off a lot of the time. Is this due to the large focus points of the K-5? Also I have not calibrated my lenses, would calibarating be a good idea? The thing is, if the focus is dead on when my dog is close to the camera and off when she is far from the camera is it still possible there is a front/back focus issue? Would I still need to calibrate? Thanks in advance. Debbie An easily solution would be to stop down to F5.6 or F8, as the DOF isn't to wide at F2.5. Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

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04-29-2013, 01:22 PM	#2
TomB_tx Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,446	When focus is critical there is no substitute for manual focus. The 77 should be quite easy to focus manually - especially with a change to a matte focusing screen in the K-5, which helped on mine. But then I've been focusing manually since 1960... I've tried autofocus just enough to say "why bother."

04-29-2013, 01:33 PM	#4
Deimos Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Kingdom of Wonder Posts: 1,777	You may need AF Adjust, my 77 needs -10 to be spot on, worth doing a few tests to rule that out.

04-29-2013, 01:38 PM	#5
tuco Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pugetopolis Posts: 11,032	And you have the benefit of previewing and zooming in on your freshly taken picture to see how sharp it turned out. Yeah, you may not like chimping your pictures but unless you want to go back and take them over, it is a necessary thing.

04-29-2013, 01:40 PM	#6
SashasMom Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Washington Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 133 Original Poster	Originally posted by Adam An easily solution would be to stop down to F5.6 or F8, as the DOF isn't to wide at F2.5. Yes, that is the obvious solution but I like nice bokeh and isolation my subject. And I should be able to utilize the lens and all its capabilities i.e. shooting at 1.8.

04-29-2013, 01:47 PM	#7
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,608	Originally posted by SashasMom Yes, that is the obvious solution but I like nice bokeh and isolation my subject. And I should be able to utilize the lens and all its capabilities i.e. shooting at 1.8. Right, but the DOF is still going to be very shallow. Unless you're shooting directly at your dog's head and focusing on the eyes, the result probably won't be that good. Can we see some samples? Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

04-29-2013, 01:56 PM	#8
SashasMom Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Washington Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 133 Original Poster	Originally posted by Adam Right, but the DOF is still going to be very shallow. Unless you're shooting directly at your dog's head and focusing on the eyes, the result probably won't be that good. Can we see some samples? Sure I'll post some tonight, at work right now Dont tell the boss.

04-29-2013, 02:16 PM	#9
Nick Siebers Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Madison, WI Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,165	If the dog will hold still, might be a good place to use live view, and zoom in to focus on the eyes. It doesn't work with my kids, too mobile, but maybe your dog is better behaved. :-)

04-29-2013, 02:19 PM	#10
SashasMom Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Washington Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 133 Original Poster	Originally posted by Nick Siebers If the dog will hold still, might be a good place to use live view, and zoom in to focus on the eyes. It doesn't work with my kids, too mobile, but maybe your dog is better behaved. :-) haha, I have been photographing her since she was 4 months old, she is 3 year old now. Her sit and stay are definately better than any kids, except I do have to bribe her with good doggie treats.

04-29-2013, 02:47 PM	#11
DSims Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Southern California Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,236	Originally posted by Deimos You may need AF Adjust, my 77 needs -10 to be spot on, worth doing a few tests to rule that out. The distance to subject makes a difference when doing AF Adjust, so use a distance that's typical for these shots (and preferably in the recommend range): LensAlign (click on the Distance Tool tab) FocusTune

04-29-2013, 03:56 PM	#12
pearsaab Otis Memorial Pentaxian Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2011 Location: Richmond, Virginia USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,900	Originally posted by SashasMom I traveled to the arboretum with my dog for some great shots of her amongst beautiful flowers using my K-5 and my FA 77mm 1.8 lens. I always use center point focus, and focus on her eyes. I also mostly shoot around 2.5 - 3.2 aperature. I got home and anxiously uploaded my photos and about 80% of them were out of focus. Zoomed in at 100% her eyes are just too soft. Its so frustration. When shooting my dog close up the focus is spot on, but from a distance seems off a lot of the time. Is this due to the large focus points of the K-5? Also I have not calibrated my lenses, would calibarating be a good idea? The thing is, if the focus is dead on when my dog is close to the camera and off when she is far from the camera is it still possible there is a front/back focus issue? Would I still need to calibrate? Thanks in advance. Debbie i would check the calibration...this is about the time of season that my cameras both suddenly adjusted...1 went to +7 and the other +5 and they are pretty consistent to all lens...have never had to do each lens differently..good luck!!

04-29-2013, 04:19 PM	#13
loco Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Virginia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,846	Would be nice to see some examples, but if there's not a lot of difference in color or contrast between your dog's eyes and her fur, the camera just might be having a tough time deciding what to focus on, partly due to large focus points. Are you focusing and recomposing using the center point? That can cause problems, too, especially when using a very large aperture. In situations like that I always just switch to manual focus if I find the camera's AF is not cooperating.

04-29-2013, 04:20 PM	#14
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	If the eyes aren't in focus, what is? Or is the photo blurry because of motion shake?

04-29-2013, 04:21 PM	#15
mikeSF Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: East Bay Area, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,622	as others have suggested, you need very good focusing technique to use f/2.5. can you describe the technique you used and show some examples?