Incorrect area in focus on all photos

TerryL · 04-15-2018, 04:25 PM

Originally posted by mikepl

Hi,
I shoot running dogs as very often. Which is why I upgraded from Pentax 60-250 to Sigma 70-200. And also from K-50 to KP. I have already shot thousands photos of running dogs. Your shutter speed with this very fast action is OK, you could go even further to 1/3200s of for superfast dogs (one of our three dogs also belongs to this category) 1/4000s. If the light is OK, you should go to at least f/4, better to f/5.6. K-5 should handle ISO up to 1600 in good light very well (same as my K-50).

Very important thing is that the focus point is MUCH larger than it appears to be in the viewfinder (the red square is just the center that serves as a guideline). You can find out the real size when you draw a black dot on a white paper and focus when approaching the point from many directions. That helped me a lot. In the photos you posted it is clear that the focus point caught something in the background. Which is exactly the effect of having such a large focusing point. You have to compose more tightly. If it was just the slow AF-C of the K-5, it would have focussed on the dog´s tail or somewhere just behind the dog, but definitely not 4+ metres behind. You just have to make sure that the real size of the focusing point does not exceed the size of the subject you want to track.

Once you master the right composition to allow the camera track the dog, you will probably still see that the camera just can´t keep up with the dog and focuses slightly behind. For such a case there is a trick - set the microadjustment so that it frontfocuses (I don´t remember if -10 or +10). With bigger depth of field (f/5.6 or even more) with right tracking technique and right composition this should work OK for dogs running towards you.

But K-5 is an older camera and the AF (I had similar generation of AF module in my K-50) is slow. So if it still doesn´t work for some reason, I believe you will have to prefocus precisely onto some of the fences and then wait until the dog gets into the depth of field and fire a burst. I shot some good photos when shooting dog coursing with K-50 and 50-135.

The KP would help you significantly with this type of action (but you still have to be extremely precise with the KP). And a guy I know just bought the new K-1ii and it seems to track running dogs (towards the camera) VERY well (better than the KP) so I believe that we are now experiencing the dawn of good Pentax autofocusing:-)

mike

Very nice.

jimboombapete · 04-15-2018, 04:38 PM

I am involved in flyball as well and quite often take my camera along. Good to see you supporting Maximum Velocity Flyball Club as well by the way.
I always pre-focus. If I am looking for box turn shots I pre-focus just infront of the box, if I am looking for jump shots, I focus on the jump and wait for the dog to approach. Flyball is easier to shoot that agility as with flyball, you always know exactly where the dog is going to be so can catch it in focus.

As for the dog in the first shot.........I also race a Puli. Pulik are incredibly hard to catch in focus as if you set your shutter speed to freeze the dog, the corded coat is always traveling much faster and then you suffer motion blur.

Just my thoughts.

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04-15-2018, 04:25 PM	#16
TerryL Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Virginia, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 850	Originally posted by mikepl Hi, I shoot running dogs as very often. Which is why I upgraded from Pentax 60-250 to Sigma 70-200. And also from K-50 to KP. I have already shot thousands photos of running dogs. Your shutter speed with this very fast action is OK, you could go even further to 1/3200s of for superfast dogs (one of our three dogs also belongs to this category) 1/4000s. If the light is OK, you should go to at least f/4, better to f/5.6. K-5 should handle ISO up to 1600 in good light very well (same as my K-50). Very important thing is that the focus point is MUCH larger than it appears to be in the viewfinder (the red square is just the center that serves as a guideline). You can find out the real size when you draw a black dot on a white paper and focus when approaching the point from many directions. That helped me a lot. In the photos you posted it is clear that the focus point caught something in the background. Which is exactly the effect of having such a large focusing point. You have to compose more tightly. If it was just the slow AF-C of the K-5, it would have focussed on the dog´s tail or somewhere just behind the dog, but definitely not 4+ metres behind. You just have to make sure that the real size of the focusing point does not exceed the size of the subject you want to track. Once you master the right composition to allow the camera track the dog, you will probably still see that the camera just can´t keep up with the dog and focuses slightly behind. For such a case there is a trick - set the microadjustment so that it frontfocuses (I don´t remember if -10 or +10). With bigger depth of field (f/5.6 or even more) with right tracking technique and right composition this should work OK for dogs running towards you. But K-5 is an older camera and the AF (I had similar generation of AF module in my K-50) is slow. So if it still doesn´t work for some reason, I believe you will have to prefocus precisely onto some of the fences and then wait until the dog gets into the depth of field and fire a burst. I shot some good photos when shooting dog coursing with K-50 and 50-135. The KP would help you significantly with this type of action (but you still have to be extremely precise with the KP). And a guy I know just bought the new K-1ii and it seems to track running dogs (towards the camera) VERY well (better than the KP) so I believe that we are now experiencing the dawn of good Pentax autofocusing:-) mike Very nice.

04-15-2018, 04:38 PM	#17
jimboombapete New Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Jimboomba QLD Posts: 24	I am involved in flyball as well and quite often take my camera along. Good to see you supporting Maximum Velocity Flyball Club as well by the way. I always pre-focus. If I am looking for box turn shots I pre-focus just infront of the box, if I am looking for jump shots, I focus on the jump and wait for the dog to approach. Flyball is easier to shoot that agility as with flyball, you always know exactly where the dog is going to be so can catch it in focus. As for the dog in the first shot.........I also race a Puli. Pulik are incredibly hard to catch in focus as if you set your shutter speed to freeze the dog, the corded coat is always traveling much faster and then you suffer motion blur. Just my thoughts.