what did I do wrong here

wolfdog · 05-31-2015, 05:32 PM

Where did I go wrong here?
Help Please

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Adam · 05-31-2015, 05:36 PM - **1 Like**

Much too slow shutter speed. You want to be in the 1/200s or faster range for hand-held shots at that focal length.

**hjoseph7** · 05-31-2015, 05:40 PM

Could be that the AF focused on the grass instead of the critters.

photolady95 · 05-31-2015, 05:53 PM - **1 Like**

Animals move, a faster shutter speed would have made them in focus. The consensus is, 1.5 times your focal length. So your lens is 320mm, you should have had your shutter speed at, at least, 500. At least that's how I shoot with my 300mm.

I don't think the AF focused on the grass either, because none is in focus.

aleonx3 · 05-31-2015, 05:56 PM

Looks like front focus to me or shutter speed too low with shaky hands

noelpolar · 05-31-2015, 06:07 PM

Shutter speed as a starting point for sure.....I would have traded off some aperture and ISO to get at least to 1/100 or more given the light.....say Iso800 or 1600 even.....and F5.6....even then 1/100 requires good technique at that focal length etc.....maybe a 5 shot burst to get one keeper....or higher shutter speed again.

On a side note.....this could be considered a nice shot........one almost needs to define what success would have looked like given the situation and equipment used......for example......"hey there were 3 strange critters in our back yard a few minutes ago.....I got a shot of them......have a look"...... this shot serves that purpose well. However you need to finish mowing the lawn in that case......my wife reckons.....

stillshot2 · 05-31-2015, 06:47 PM

I am actually impressed with how well it turned out due to the fact you had 1/25 sec shutter at 320mm. Follow the others advice mentioned and use the same camera holding technique you did there and you should get a better shot.

wolfdog · 05-31-2015, 07:26 PM

Thanks for all the help. I think I shot this in AV, I thought the camera picked the shutter speed on that? I am learning,I hope It helps with all the help on this site.

Thanks again
Mike

---------- Post added 05-31-15 at 09:30 PM ----------

Oh I forgot ,picture was taken in the state park near my town. they used to keep everything mowed but now they only mow a little bit,state says they don't have the money to keep it up.
Mike

**paulh** · 05-31-2015, 07:32 PM

Originally posted by wolfdog

I think I shot this in AV, I thought the camera picked the shutter speed on that?

It does, based on the ISO and aperture you chose. To get a faster shutter speed, you'll have to increase ISO or use a wider (larger) aperture, or combination of both. Experiment!

**Bruce Clark** · 05-31-2015, 07:32 PM

I agree with the general opinion the shutter speed is too low. Issues with both camera movement and subject movement probably the major culprits. I like to shoot in TaV mode a lot setting a high shutter speed and middle range aperture (f8 @1/500) and let ISO settle where it wants. Sure it may result in some noise but a) some noise is tolerable if rest of the parameters are good and b) it can be dealt with if excessive.

A multiple burst of shots could also produce a sharper image. I often find the second or third sharper than the first.

Another thing, it may be me or my monitor but it looks a bit over-saturated to me. Perhaps I am not so used to grass so green in this part of the world.

**jpzk** · 05-31-2015, 07:47 PM

Originally posted by hjoseph7

Could be that the AF focused on the grass instead of the critters.

Originally posted by aleonx3

Looks like front focus to me or shutter speed too low with shaky hands

Everything is OOF .... no front/back focus problem here: slow shutter speed is likely the culprit as mentioned by others above.

JP

Billk · 05-31-2015, 08:47 PM

Originally posted by stillshot2

I am actually impressed with how well it turned out due to the fact you had 1/25 sec shutter at 320mm. Follow the others advice mentioned and use the same camera holding technique you did there and you should get a better shot.

I agree with stillshot. Good work in the circumstances.

Even if you were on a tripod or a monopod 1/25s is way to slow for anything but still subjects. Use a minimum of 1/250s on a tripod for that lens and 1/500s for hand-held.

For a critter shot like this I would suggest using centre point auto focus and get it over one of your main critter's eyes. Then crop later to get your main critter away from the centre of the photo. (I usually use a golden ratio or golden spiral template for positioning subjects in the crop.) http://digital-photography-school.com/divine-composition-with-fibonaccis-rat...s-on-steroids/

---------- Post added 05-31-15 at 08:53 PM ----------

Originally posted by wolfdog

Thanks for all the help. I think I shot this in AV, I thought the camera picked the shutter speed on that? I am learning,I hope It helps with all the help on this site.

Thanks again
Mike

---------- Post added 05-31-15 at 09:30 PM ----------

Oh I forgot ,picture was taken in the state park near my town. they used to keep everything mowed but now they only mow a little bit,state says they don't have the money to keep it up.
Mike

TAv mode is the bomb for this kind of photo. You set the shutter speed with the front dial, the aperture with the back dial and the camera sets the ISO.

stillshot2 · 05-31-2015, 08:55 PM

You should use try using manual mode, where you pick your minimum desired shutter speed, your desired aperture, and then if the meter shows underexposed you can set the iso to auto and also set a limit for maximum allowed iso used too. I find this gives the best controlled results if you still want some kind of automation.

Fogel70 · 06-01-2015, 01:57 AM

Originally posted by wolfdog

Thanks for all the help. I think I shot this in AV, I thought the camera picked the shutter speed on that? I am learning,I hope It helps with all the help on this site.

Thanks again
Mike

If you set ISO manually, the camera can only set the shutter speed that get the image correctly exposed based on what you set the aperture and ISO to.
For the camera to set the shutter speed based on focal length used (to avoid blurry images) , it also has to be able to control ISO (auto ISO) if using Av mode.

Rupert · 06-01-2015, 05:45 AM

Originally posted by Billk

TAv mode is the bomb for this kind of photo. You set the shutter speed with the front dial, the aperture with the back dial and the camera sets the ISO.

Absolutely! TAv will let you shoot in most any light and depending on your subject, you set the speed and aperture and the camera sets the ISO.
All of the shots here are TAv.....in varying light at varying speeds.......most are at or near 500mm. I find that 1/200 is a good place to shoot birds and squirrels.....if the light is good you can move ahead to 1/250, which will most often get a decent shot if the movement of the subject is minimal.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129469263@N03/sets/72157651162955781

If you have lazy squirrels, you might get by with 1/15...as I did here!

Regards!

Long live TAv! It is wonderful!

05-31-2015, 05:36 PM - 1 Like	#2
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,609	Much too slow shutter speed. You want to be in the 1/200s or faster range for hand-held shots at that focal length. 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:

05-31-2015, 06:07 PM	#6
noelpolar Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Goolwa, SA Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,310	Shutter speed as a starting point for sure.....I would have traded off some aperture and ISO to get at least to 1/100 or more given the light.....say Iso800 or 1600 even.....and F5.6....even then 1/100 requires good technique at that focal length etc.....maybe a 5 shot burst to get one keeper....or higher shutter speed again. On a side note.....this could be considered a nice shot........one almost needs to define what success would have looked like given the situation and equipment used......for example......"hey there were 3 strange critters in our back yard a few minutes ago.....I got a shot of them......have a look"...... this shot serves that purpose well. However you need to finish mowing the lawn in that case......my wife reckons..... Last edited by noelpolar; 05-31-2015 at 06:18 PM.

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05-31-2015, 05:40 PM	#3
hjoseph7 Site Supporter Join Date: May 2014 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,051	Could be that the AF focused on the grass instead of the critters.

05-31-2015, 05:53 PM - 1 Like	#4
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712	Animals move, a faster shutter speed would have made them in focus. The consensus is, 1.5 times your focal length. So your lens is 320mm, you should have had your shutter speed at, at least, 500. At least that's how I shoot with my 300mm. I don't think the AF focused on the grass either, because none is in focus.

05-31-2015, 05:56 PM	#5
aleonx3 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Brampton, Ontario Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,996	Looks like front focus to me or shutter speed too low with shaky hands

05-31-2015, 06:47 PM	#7
stillshot2 Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Phoenix, AZ Photos: Albums Posts: 1,070	I am actually impressed with how well it turned out due to the fact you had 1/25 sec shutter at 320mm. Follow the others advice mentioned and use the same camera holding technique you did there and you should get a better shot.

05-31-2015, 07:26 PM	#8
wolfdog Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Iowa Posts: 27 Original Poster	Thanks for all the help. I think I shot this in AV, I thought the camera picked the shutter speed on that? I am learning,I hope It helps with all the help on this site. Thanks again Mike ---------- Post added 05-31-15 at 09:30 PM ---------- Oh I forgot ,picture was taken in the state park near my town. they used to keep everything mowed but now they only mow a little bit,state says they don't have the money to keep it up. Mike

05-31-2015, 07:32 PM	#9
paulh Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: DFW Texas/Ventura County, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 33,319	Originally posted by wolfdog I think I shot this in AV, I thought the camera picked the shutter speed on that? It does, based on the ISO and aperture you chose. To get a faster shutter speed, you'll have to increase ISO or use a wider (larger) aperture, or combination of both. Experiment!

05-31-2015, 07:32 PM	#10
Bruce Clark Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Ocean Grove, Victoria Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,458	I agree with the general opinion the shutter speed is too low. Issues with both camera movement and subject movement probably the major culprits. I like to shoot in TaV mode a lot setting a high shutter speed and middle range aperture (f8 @1/500) and let ISO settle where it wants. Sure it may result in some noise but a) some noise is tolerable if rest of the parameters are good and b) it can be dealt with if excessive. A multiple burst of shots could also produce a sharper image. I often find the second or third sharper than the first. Another thing, it may be me or my monitor but it looks a bit over-saturated to me. Perhaps I am not so used to grass so green in this part of the world.

05-31-2015, 07:47 PM	#11
jpzk Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Québec Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,251	Originally posted by hjoseph7 Could be that the AF focused on the grass instead of the critters. Originally posted by aleonx3 Looks like front focus to me or shutter speed too low with shaky hands Everything is OOF .... no front/back focus problem here: slow shutter speed is likely the culprit as mentioned by others above. JP

05-31-2015, 08:47 PM	#12
Billk Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Posts: 349	Originally posted by stillshot2 I am actually impressed with how well it turned out due to the fact you had 1/25 sec shutter at 320mm. Follow the others advice mentioned and use the same camera holding technique you did there and you should get a better shot. I agree with stillshot. Good work in the circumstances. Even if you were on a tripod or a monopod 1/25s is way to slow for anything but still subjects. Use a minimum of 1/250s on a tripod for that lens and 1/500s for hand-held. For a critter shot like this I would suggest using centre point auto focus and get it over one of your main critter's eyes. Then crop later to get your main critter away from the centre of the photo. (I usually use a golden ratio or golden spiral template for positioning subjects in the crop.) http://digital-photography-school.com/divine-composition-with-fibonaccis-rat...s-on-steroids/ ---------- Post added 05-31-15 at 08:53 PM ---------- Originally posted by wolfdog Thanks for all the help. I think I shot this in AV, I thought the camera picked the shutter speed on that? I am learning,I hope It helps with all the help on this site. Thanks again Mike ---------- Post added 05-31-15 at 09:30 PM ---------- Oh I forgot ,picture was taken in the state park near my town. they used to keep everything mowed but now they only mow a little bit,state says they don't have the money to keep it up. Mike TAv mode is the bomb for this kind of photo. You set the shutter speed with the front dial, the aperture with the back dial and the camera sets the ISO.

05-31-2015, 08:55 PM	#13
stillshot2 Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Phoenix, AZ Photos: Albums Posts: 1,070	You should use try using manual mode, where you pick your minimum desired shutter speed, your desired aperture, and then if the meter shows underexposed you can set the iso to auto and also set a limit for maximum allowed iso used too. I find this gives the best controlled results if you still want some kind of automation.

06-01-2015, 01:57 AM	#14
Fogel70 Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Photos: Albums Posts: 3,062	Originally posted by wolfdog Thanks for all the help. I think I shot this in AV, I thought the camera picked the shutter speed on that? I am learning,I hope It helps with all the help on this site. Thanks again Mike If you set ISO manually, the camera can only set the shutter speed that get the image correctly exposed based on what you set the aperture and ISO to. For the camera to set the shutter speed based on focal length used (to avoid blurry images) , it also has to be able to control ISO (auto ISO) if using Av mode.

06-01-2015, 05:45 AM	#15
Rupert Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 25,123	Originally posted by Billk TAv mode is the bomb for this kind of photo. You set the shutter speed with the front dial, the aperture with the back dial and the camera sets the ISO. Absolutely! TAv will let you shoot in most any light and depending on your subject, you set the speed and aperture and the camera sets the ISO. All of the shots here are TAv.....in varying light at varying speeds.......most are at or near 500mm. I find that 1/200 is a good place to shoot birds and squirrels.....if the light is good you can move ahead to 1/250, which will most often get a decent shot if the movement of the subject is minimal. https://www.flickr.com/photos/129469263@N03/sets/72157651162955781 If you have lazy squirrels, you might get by with 1/15...as I did here! Regards! Long live TAv! It is wonderful!