Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Frustration Station: low light action in changing light

I shot a performance by the Robinson Ballet last week and it was challenging to say the least. I was at ISO 6400 for most of the performance and at times as slow as 1/60 sec and F2.8.
When the focus hits and the exposure is good, I am blown away by the Mark IV. I know the D3s is the king of low light but the Mark IV is so much better than anything I have used prior.
Here are a couple of shots from the night


Camera Maker: Canon
Camera Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Lens: EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM
Focal Length: 300.0mm
Aperture: f/2.8
Exposure Time: 1/500
ISO equiv: 6400
Metering Mode: Spot
Exposure: aperture priority
White Balance: Auto

click on image to go to flickr and see it bigger
Robinson Ballet   ISO 6400

and another at ISO 6400 1/60
Robinson Ballet

Now with that being said, I missed a lot of images. I could blame the camera but...we all know better. There are two main issues with event shooting in low and constantly changing light that I struggle with:
focus
proper exposure

Focus is tricky even with the top of the line body and high end lens in front of it. What I do to maximize my keeper is:

1. put the focus point control on the joystick on the rear of the camera. Either that or get very good at quickly changing focus points without taking your eye off the viewfinder. This is crucial for number 2

2. If you are shooting with enough DOF this works: While maintaining the composition that you want for the image, move the focal point around to match up with the part of the image that has the highest contrast. It may be a sequined belt or a headband with bright material. If you simply focus on the face because that is what you want in focus, even if it is shadowed or lacking any contrast, the lens will likely start hunting and you will miss shots.

3. If you are shooting really wide apertures and are so close that your DOF is really thin, then number 2 may not work as well and you need to keep your focus point on your desired area. If you are lucky enough to have a high contrast item in the same focal plane of the face, then you can still use number 2. For example if a belt buckle is a great target to acquire focus and the person is relatively upright, then the face will be in nearly the same focal plane.

You really need to figure out how well your camera's focus works. My 1D III was fantastic at locking focus in low light..perhaps a bit better than the mark IV. My 40D was horrible in comparison. Remember that the lens in front of the camera is a big part of the equation. A fast aperture, high end lens has a better motor and bigger aperture to focus through.

Some cameras are also much better with the center point focus in comparison to outer rings. My Mark IV can focus as well with the outer rings if I use a 2.8 or faster lens. Make sure you read your manual to find out how your body lens combo performs.

Exposure:

I still am not sure what the best approach is for rapidly changing and highly focused light. It is either AV or Manual and at times I swear one is better than the other.

Stay tuned...it is late and I will finish up in a couple of days.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Tokina 16-28 2.8 for Canon- part 2

I took the lens out for a bouldering session this past weekend. This is one of the primary motivations for me to get this lens. I don't have any F22 off a tripod landscape shots simply because that is not my thing but this will give you a bit more insight into the lens anyway.
Pros:
-very sharp at 2.8 in the center. I have not evaluated the corners, edges, distortion, yet but I can tell you that it is tack sharp in the center.

-Very well built and feels solid and balances beautifully with my Mark IV

Cons:
The zoom action is opposite of every Canon Zoom. Virtually every time I went to zoom as I was shooting, I went the wrong way then had to correct it. Seems minor but if you are shooting action, it can mean a missed shot. I think with time this will be a non-issue but it bugged me on day one for sure.

The focus is noisy and buzzing. It seems to work fine but it certainly isn't a silent action like Canon.

These are minor nit picks for what I think is going to be a very good lens for me. Other wide angles that I have owned and can compare to are the Canon 17-40L F4 and Tokina 11-16 2.8
I think the sharpness and IQ are on a par with either lens after only a little bit of use. Having another stop of light compared to the 17-40 is a must for me and the 11-16 only fits an APS_C sensor. The only other option out there is the Canon 16-35 2.8 and for the price difference, The Tokina so far is the hands down winner.

Here is a shot from the weekend
Camera Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Exposure 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture f/4.0
Focal Length 24 mm
ISO Speed 400

and another wide open
Camera Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Exposure 0.001 sec (1/800)
Aperture f/2.8
Focal Length 28 mm
ISO Speed 200

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Shooting through the fence....

Today was the first day of Umaine Softball and also the first day that we had a sunny day with temps in the 50's! Not much to say other than I am happy for spring's arrival.
Many photographers struggle with shooting through a fence for field sports or glass if you are shooting hockey. There are a few tips to help:

1. Get the lens on the fence/glass (make sure you have a lens hood on though!). It also helps to keep the lens parallel to it. glass especially will really screw up focus if it is out of parallel.

2. Shoot as wide open as possible. You want to throw everything but the subject out of focus. The images below were shot at F4 because I wanted more of the pitcher in focus. If your camera lens combo is struggling, try shooting wider aperture.

3. If you have a focus limiter on your lens, use it. This will prevent focus hunting due to the camera being fooled by the fence.

4. Sometimes it is necessary to add some contrast back into the image in post production. A fence can sometimes wash out an image a bit depending on the conditions.

Here is what I got today with a 300 2.8 lens shooting through a thick chain link fence.

Click the images to see larger.