Focus issues with D100

Wireless1 · Mar 18, 2003

My wife shot her first digital wedding last weekend after using her D100 since the first of the year. She loves her new D100, and the instant gratification of knowing that she captured her image. Great stress relief in wedding situations. She was using the Nikor 28-200 lense and had sharpening set to auto. She shoots by setting zoom first, moves to lock focus on one of the subjects and then recomposes for the shot. Some of the images looked to be slightly out of focus. Running them into PS7 and performing an unsharp mask filter didn't seem to help. Has anyone else seen this or can they advise what she might be doing wrong? Hadn't seen this in 2 1/2 months of shooting.

Mal47593 · Mar 18, 2003

What were the lighting conditions and use of flash?

Wireless1 said:
My wife shot her first digital wedding last weekend after using her
D100 since the first of the year. She loves her new D100, and the
instant gratification of knowing that she captured her image.
Great stress relief in wedding situations. She was using the Nikor
28-200 lense and had sharpening set to auto. She shoots by setting
zoom first, moves to lock focus on one of the subjects and then
recomposes for the shot. Some of the images looked to be slightly
out of focus. Running them into PS7 and performing an unsharp mask
filter didn't seem to help. Has anyone else seen this or can they
advise what she might be doing wrong? Hadn't seen this in 2 1/2
months of shooting.

Teodorico Morell · Mar 18, 2003

I have not used that docusing method, but I read on this forum a couple of days ago that some lenses might loose the focus doing what you have described.

Wireless1 said:
My wife shot her first digital wedding last weekend after using her
D100 since the first of the year. She loves her new D100, and the
instant gratification of knowing that she captured her image.
Great stress relief in wedding situations. She was using the Nikor
28-200 lense and had sharpening set to auto. She shoots by setting
zoom first, moves to lock focus on one of the subjects and then
recomposes for the shot. Some of the images looked to be slightly
out of focus. Running them into PS7 and performing an unsharp mask
filter didn't seem to help. Has anyone else seen this or can they
advise what she might be doing wrong? Hadn't seen this in 2 1/2
months of shooting.

Group Idiot · Mar 18, 2003

If that's the same lens at Photodo, it doesn't exactly look like the optimal wedding lens (or for much of anything). Not very sharp at all.

Mind you, I've never used it so this isn't from personal experience, but I'd recommend something in another universe. The 80-200/2.8 AF-S lenses are being dumped by the boatload on eBay due to the arrival of the new 70-200/VR version. You can now get a mint, US model AFS for $1,000 or less.

It's a stellar lens. Once you see what a superb optic is capable of you'll never return to the 28-200. Ever.

Brendan
--
If a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, I'm the world's most dangerous man!
Bunch of new photos at: http://www.pbase.com/bgetchel/root

Duncan C · Mar 18, 2003

Wireless,

It sounds like your wife might have put the camera into continuous servo autofocus. In that mode, the camera continuously adjusts the focus, and it might decide to reacquire focus when she changes the composition. She should use single servo autofocus for that situation. In single servo autofocus, the camera focuses once when you press the shutter halfway, and won't adjust the focus if you recompose.

Duncan C
----

Teodorico Morell said:
Wireless1 said:

My wife shot her first digital wedding last weekend after using her
D100 since the first of the year. She loves her new D100, and the
instant gratification of knowing that she captured her image.
Great stress relief in wedding situations. She was using the Nikor
28-200 lense and had sharpening set to auto. She shoots by setting
zoom first, moves to lock focus on one of the subjects and then
recomposes for the shot. Some of the images looked to be slightly
out of focus. Running them into PS7 and performing an unsharp mask
filter didn't seem to help. Has anyone else seen this or can they
advise what she might be doing wrong? Hadn't seen this in 2 1/2
months of shooting.

Click to expand...

--
PBase supporter.

http://www.pbase.com/duncanc

Philly Wood · Mar 18, 2003

I shoot more fast stuff, so I often shoot continuous AF. However to avoid the pre-focusing/shutter half-down technique, I AF using the thumb button. See CSM setting #14 (I believe it's 14) where you can then select AF, recompose but still have shutter priority capability to catch action that will NOT require focusing lock.

Again not sure if this is needed for weddings but I use it if shooting a boxing match.
BTW GI is right on target, that is clearly not the right lens for a wedding.

Duncan C said:
It sounds like your wife might have put the camera into continuous
servo autofocus. In that mode, the camera continuously adjusts the
focus, and it might decide to reacquire focus when she changes the
composition. She should use single servo autofocus for that
situation. In single servo autofocus, the camera focuses once when
you press the shutter halfway, and won't adjust the focus if you
recompose.

Duncan C said:
Teodorico Morell said:

I have not used that docusing method, but I read on this forum a
couple of days ago that some lenses might loose the focus doing
what you have described.

Click to expand...

Duncan C said:
Duncan C said:

Wireless1 said:

My wife shot her first digital wedding last weekend after using her
D100 since the first of the year. She loves her new D100, and the
instant gratification of knowing that she captured her image.
Great stress relief in wedding situations. She was using the Nikor
28-200 lense and had sharpening set to auto. She shoots by setting
zoom first, moves to lock focus on one of the subjects and then
recomposes for the shot. Some of the images looked to be slightly
out of focus. Running them into PS7 and performing an unsharp mask
filter didn't seem to help. Has anyone else seen this or can they
advise what she might be doing wrong? Hadn't seen this in 2 1/2
months of shooting.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

--
-photoave http://phillywood.com An Amalgam of images.

Romy the Cat · Mar 18, 2003

In the wedding-like journalistic conditions, and particularly in low light scenarios, in case of the dynamic subjects and activated multi-zone focusing, the D100 will pickup the wrong subjects to focus. Analyze the images and detect if it was the case. If yeas, then use one of the Nikon’s contemporary flashes to activate the infracted sensor and utilize only the center focusing zone. Do not use the 28/80 flashes for the lighting: they are incredibly stupid units and DTTL is a faulty model. Set 28/80 from 2 to 5 stops underexposed and use external reliable flash to light the subject.

Neil van Niekerk · Mar 18, 2003

Wireless1 said:
My wife shot her first digital wedding last weekend after using her
D100 since the first of the year. She loves her new D100, and the
instant gratification of knowing that she captured her image.
Great stress relief in wedding situations. She was using the Nikor
28-200 lense and had sharpening set to auto. She shoots by setting
zoom first, moves to lock focus on one of the subjects and then
recomposes for the shot. Some of the images looked to be slightly
out of focus. Running them into PS7 and performing an unsharp mask
filter didn't seem to help. Has anyone else seen this or can they
advise what she might be doing wrong? Hadn't seen this in 2 1/2
months of shooting.

The 'problem' here is that you are assuming the lens is a true zoom that keeps its focus exactly as you zoom in and out .. whereas most zooms are more likely to be vari-focal lenses to some extent .. where the focal point changes as you zoom in and out.

In other words, you can't work the way you have been working .. but zooming in and focusing and zooming out. Simple as that. Focus at the actual zoomed length.

michaeladawson · Mar 18, 2003

I think you misunderstand what Wireless1 wrote. The method used by his wife appears to be:

1. Set the zoom first

2. Move the camera left/right/up/down to put one of the AF points on the subject.
3. Set AF by depressing shutter halfway

4. Recompose by keeping finger on shutter and moving camera left/right/up/down to reframe the picture.

I saw nothing in the workflow that said the lens was "re-zoomed" for composition. If she is re-zooming then your explanation makes sense.

MD

Saxofonix said:
Wireless1 said:

My wife shot her first digital wedding last weekend after using her
D100 since the first of the year. She loves her new D100, and the
instant gratification of knowing that she captured her image.
Great stress relief in wedding situations. She was using the Nikor
28-200 lense and had sharpening set to auto. She shoots by setting
zoom first, moves to lock focus on one of the subjects and then
recomposes for the shot. Some of the images looked to be slightly
out of focus. Running them into PS7 and performing an unsharp mask
filter didn't seem to help. Has anyone else seen this or can they
advise what she might be doing wrong? Hadn't seen this in 2 1/2
months of shooting.

Click to expand...

The 'problem' here is that you are assuming the lens is a true zoom
that keeps its focus exactly as you zoom in and out .. whereas most
zooms are more likely to be vari-focal lenses to some extent ..
where the focal point changes as you zoom in and out.

In other words, you can't work the way you have been working .. but
zooming in and focusing and zooming out. Simple as that. Focus at
the actual zoomed length.

Wireless1 · Mar 18, 2003

michaeladawson said:
I think you misunderstand what Wireless1 wrote. The method used by
his wife appears to be:

1. Set the zoom first
2. Move the camera left/right/up/down to put one of the AF points
on the subject.
3. Set AF by depressing shutter halfway
4. Recompose by keeping finger on shutter and moving camera
left/right/up/down to reframe the picture.

I saw nothing in the workflow that said the lens was "re-zoomed"
for composition. If she is re-zooming then your explanation makes
sense.

MD

Wireless1 wrote:
Thank You Michael for the clarification.

Your interpetation of the workflow was correct, has worked for her many years in the N90 world. Flash was a SB-80 set with an EV+0.3, ISO 400, Aperature Priority, Standard TTL, f8 @ 1/60sec, good ambient light in the church. The problems centered around group shots at taken @ f8 & 1/60. Individual shots, taken @ f5.6 & 1/60 didn't have the "focus" issue.

Neil van Niekerk · Mar 18, 2003

Sorry .. my mistake .. I read and understood that incorrectly.

Wireless1 · Mar 18, 2003

Duncan C said:
Wireless,

It sounds like your wife might have put the camera into continuous
servo autofocus. In that mode, the camera continuously adjusts the
focus, and it might decide to reacquire focus when she changes the
composition. She should use single servo autofocus for that
situation. In single servo autofocus, the camera focuses once when
you press the shutter halfway, and won't adjust the focus if you
recompose.

Thanks Duncan, she was using single servo mode. She has been using N90 & N90s for 10 years and the switch to the D100 has been like a duck to water for her. However, the use of photoshop, file manipulation on the PC and the other aspects of the digital work flow have put new pressures on her, ( I have been able to provide some help), but the biggest help has been all the great advice and tips from this site!

Still trying to figure this one out.

Wireless1 · Mar 18, 2003

Any other perspectives on this issue?

Wireless1 said:
My wife shot her first digital wedding last weekend after using her
D100 since the first of the year. She loves her new D100, and the
instant gratification of knowing that she captured her image.
Great stress relief in wedding situations. She was using the Nikor
28-200 lense and had sharpening set to auto. She shoots by setting
zoom first, moves to lock focus on one of the subjects and then
recomposes for the shot. Some of the images looked to be slightly
out of focus. Running them into PS7 and performing an unsharp mask
filter didn't seem to help. Has anyone else seen this or can they
advise what she might be doing wrong? Hadn't seen this in 2 1/2
months of shooting.

_ing · Mar 18, 2003

Wireless1 said:
Any other perspectives on this issue?

Camera shake? Is any part of these photos in focus, or just completely out of focus for the whole shot?

Wireless1 · Mar 19, 2003

[U] ing said:
Camera shake? Is any part of these photos in focus, or just
completely out of focus for the whole shot?

Individual shots taken in good ambient light @ 5.6 & 1/60 were sharp, group shots taken @ f8 & 1/60 were slightly out of focus.

This might all be related to a new (from the analog world) workflow process in that she is zooming in and looking for editing opportunities (PS) on faces in these group shots and seeing things that were never seen before. We printed 8x10s of the group shots last night and they look fine.[/U]

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Focus issues with D100

Wireless1

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Mal47593

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Teodorico Morell

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