Any advice on why this happend?

[jacobovs]

I was shooting a match , at noon of course, and the results are terrible from a focus point of view. I was using my usual set up of a D3 with 400mm. f2.8 and a D3 with my 70-200mm f2.8. I thought that it was my lens(400mm) but the results were the same for both lenses. With out some sharpening the shots came out very fuzzy. here are some un-sharpened examples.

Any thoughts?

[Photo-John]

I don't have an immediate answer for you. This doesn't really make sense to me. You usually don't have focus problems? What auto focus settings were you using? Were you using the middle focus point only?

[jacobovs]

I don't have an immediate answer for you. This doesn't really make sense to me. You usually don't have focus problems? What auto focus settings were you using? Were you using the middle focus point only?

I had it on "C" for continuous and locked in the middle. I am perplexed. I did nothing different this time. I have never had any unusual focus issues. It can't be the lenses, since I had the same problem with both. It can't be an individual camera , since I used 2 D3's. The conditions were tough, midday sun and all, but not the first time.

[NoKnees]

I'm wondering if the heat, visual radiation of it, messed with the contrast detection? Yes, I'm pulling that out of my a$$, but I've heard others have some funky focusing issues in extreme heat and humidity. Still, I would expect that if it's that bad, you'd see it more in the photos...

That's got to be frustrating though... I'm curious what anyone else comes up with for cause...

[jacobovs]

I'm wondering if the heat, visual radiation of it, messed with the contrast detection? Yes, I'm pulling that out of my a$$, but I've heard others have some funky focusing issues in extreme heat and humidity. Still, I would expect that if it's that bad, you'd see it more in the photos...

That's got to be frustrating though... I'm curious what anyone else comes up with for cause...

The heat is possible I suppose. I even searched the the pics to see if the camera focused some where else, as sometimes happens, but that was not the case. you can see the full set on my smugmug page. jacobovitz.smugmug.com the June 7th gallery. Any ideas would be appreciated.

[fidgety]

I have found that when using the center focusing point on my Canon Mark IIN, it can have a difficult time with solid black or white uniforms since there can be a lack of contrast and the lens then has a tendency to hunt.

[jacobovs]

I have found that when using the center focusing point on my Canon Mark IIN, it can have a difficult time with solid black or white uniforms since there can be a lack of contrast and the lens then has a tendency to hunt.

Have you figured out a work around?

[fidgety]

Unfortunately, not really. It doesn't happen often but I seem to notice that it happens more when the subject is in the shade or under cloudy conditions, which looks like is the same situation as the photos you posted. Maybe the shade causing a lack of contrast in the uniforms makes it difficult for the AF to lock on properly.
Try some experimenting with shooting black and white uniforms in full sun and see if it makes a difference.

[mattbikeboy]

I had a similar experience the other day with D700. I was shooting with the 24-70 f/2.8 and had it set to 3D focus tracking and for some reason it wasn't keeping focus on the model when she was running and jumping. It was hunting for focus (probably the lack of contrast on her skin -- even though she was wearing a black bikini top). It only happened on two or three shots -- but one of those was just about the perfect composition I was trying to achieve. It just wasn't focusing at all it seemed like the camera would go dormant for a second or two.

It was very weird.

Here is one of my examples, if you notice, nothing is sharp. (The shoot is for publication -- in a week or two I'll post some of the keepers (once the editors grab the ones they want)).



mbb

[jacobovs]

I had a similar experience the other day with D700. I was shooting with the 24-70 f/2.8 and had it set to 3D focus tracking and for some reason it wasn't keeping focus on the model when she was running and jumping. It was hunting for focus (probably the lack of contrast on her skin -- even though she was wearing a black bikini top). It only happened on two or three shots -- but one of those was just about the perfect composition I was trying to achieve. It just wasn't focusing at all it seemed like the camera would go dormant for a second or two.

It was very weird.

Here is one of my examples, if you notice, nothing is sharp. (The shoot is for publication -- in a week or two I'll post some of the keepers (once the editors grab the ones they want)).





mbb

That looks exactly like the issue I had. Did you try to take it off of the 3D?

[mattbikeboy]

That looks exactly like the issue I had. Did you try to take it off of the 3D?

Yep, I think I was fooling it a little bit with the fairly low contrast setting. It was weird how it just kinda froze though. It was enough that I stopped and looked at it wondering what was wrong -- but it continued to shoot fine with only those few frames messed up.

I was pushing pretty hard with a large expanse of landscape with a model jumping in the far right of the frame. It is pretty annoying that those types of things happen every now and then. I guess it's a testament to how good those bodies are now days -- we start crying when we get a couple of bad frames in a set of several hundred.

Have you had any issues with your SB 900 overheating? Mine shuts down at least once on nearly every shoot. I even updated the firmware with no noticeable improvement.

mbb

mbb

[jacobovs]

Yep, I think I was fooling it a little bit with the fairly low contrast setting. It was weird how it just kinda froze though. It was enough that I stopped and looked at it wondering what was wrong -- but it continued to shoot fine with only those few frames messed up.

I was pushing pretty hard with a large expanse of landscape with a model jumping in the far right of the frame. It is pretty annoying that those types of things happen every now and then. I guess it's a testament to how good those bodies are now days -- we start crying when we get a couple of bad frames in a set of several hundred.

Have you had any issues with your SB 900 overheating? Mine shuts down at least once on nearly every shoot. I even updated the firmware with no noticeable improvement.

mbb

mbb

I guess you are right. I shot some baseball tonight and the 70-200 f2.8 and the 200mm f2 did just fine.

The SB900 overheating, maybe. I did notice that when I use it in "rapid fire" mode it tends to have slower and slower recovery time. A bit annoying.

[sgriggs2006]

Ok, I am trying to view these images on my less-than-ideal laptop....Can you look at the originals on your nice big monitor....In the 2nd and 3rd image....it looks like the turf may be sharper than your subject? The areas that I am seeing are about 2 feet in front of the main subject? Am I imagining this?
Sue.

[jacobovs]

Ok, I am trying to view these images on my less-than-ideal laptop....Can you look at the originals on your nice big monitor....In the 2nd and 3rd image....it looks like the turf may be sharper than your subject? The areas that I am seeing are about 2 feet in front of the main subject? Am I imagining this?
Sue.

I don't see it. It appears that Nothing is in focus.