speedformula 0 #1 June 1, 2003 several times the camera did not fire whenever i had swoopers fly by me , and i think it's because it wasnt focusing fast enough. this sucks, because i missed some good shots. is there anything i should try next time i go to the dz ? im shooting with the d60, 17-35mm wide angle I also heard the shutter lags a bit on this camera. i was thinking about going on full manual mode , but then again , i dont know squat about photography. Keeping it real 22x7 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragon2 0 #2 June 1, 2003 Quoteseveral times the camera did not fire whenever i had swoopers fly by me , and i think it's because it wasnt focusing fast enough. this sucks, because i missed some good shots. is there anything i should try next time i go to the dz ? im shooting with the d60, 17-35mm wide angle I also heard the shutter lags a bit on this camera. i was thinking about going on full manual mode , but then again , i dont know squat about photography. Not sure about the 17-35 mm lens, but my D30 is really really slow on autofocus if I use my 19-35 mm Voigtländer lens (which, admittedly, is a crappy lens but hey it's cheap). So I set that one on manual, usually. You don't have to go full manual, just focus the lens on infinity or a bit closer and hit the switch that's on the lens for manual/autofocus. Then don't zoom anymore. I do use autofocus with my 35-105 (Canon) lens but that one has a much faster motor in it. If you get an USM lens the speed is even better. ciel bleu, Saskia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #3 June 1, 2003 I also shoot swoopers with a D60. Part of the issue is with the camera and part of the issue is what I'm trying to do; sunset plus flash plus auto-focus plus swoopers = very hit & miss photography. If I were to remove the flash part of the equation, then I could have a shutter speed faster than 1/200th of a second, but then I'd also need to shoot considerably before sunset and miss all that really beautiful honey-colored side lighting. On the up-side, I probably would have less of an issue with focus since the depth of field could be larger. A couple of things about the auto-focus you might want to experiment with is; the servo mode and the focus segment. Put the auto-focus in servo mode and it will continously attempt to focus whatever segment you've selected. For swoopers, I usually try to take vertical shots and I select the bottom focus segment. As they start their hook, I place the focus segment on their body and keep it there. It works reasonably well as long as there is time for the camera to figure things out. If it's dark and the swooper is a long way away, then the auto-focus might lose the object and will still be hunting for focus as the swooper is flying by you. That sucks pretty hard. The alternative is to set a fixed focus and hope the swooper hits his mark. That can also be pretty tough. Good freekin' luck!quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #4 June 1, 2003 Are you using a zoom? I'm using my 28-200 and I find the swooper as they set up in full zoom. I keep the autofocus in servo, just like you suggest. I keep the body filling most of the frame and manually back out the zoom as they approach. As soon as I've got dirt under thier feet, I start taking pictures. If I don't give it enough to focus on, it does tend to hunt a little. There's some new stuff in my galleries from an Ash Dive my DZ did on Friday at sunset. Unfortunately, it was an emotional event and I didn't reset my flash for the sunset swoopers. There are swoop shots from a little earlier,though. Without the zoom, it's much more difficult. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bmcd308 0 #5 June 2, 2003 I believe that on Rebel series bodies, AI Servo picks up the subject on the center focus point regardless of which point is selected, then tracks it with the selected focus point. For portrait orietation shots, I have gotten good results by giving the camera lots of time to track the subject, acquiring it with the center focus point at a distance then zooming out as they approach and letting the bottom center focus point (remember the camera is rotated 90 degrees) cover the eyes. Then track the eyes with that focus point and start choosing your moments. I have ruined some great shots by leaving the lens on too long of a setting - now I am a believer in erring on the short side and cropping out excess background in an enlargement. Admittedly, this is only a crutch for poor camera operation, but swoopers are a very challenging thing to shoot. BMcD... ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #6 June 2, 2003 QuoteI believe that on Rebel series bodies, AI Servo picks up the subject on the center focus point regardless of which point is selected, then tracks it with the selected focus point. This may be the case for the Rebel series. It is definately NOT the case for the digital series of cameras. Obviously, more and better features cost more money. Quote . . . but swoopers are a very challenging thing to shoot. Word.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bmcd308 0 #7 June 2, 2003 >>Obviously, more and better features cost more money<< Word. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
metallica 0 #8 June 11, 2003 You did not mention what brand of lens you are using. Canon or Sigma 17-35mm? With Canon L-lens, the focusing should be quite fast. Alternatively you can try pre-focusing. Set the lens on manual and focus on an object the same distance which you will be triggering the shutter when the swoopers approach. Set to a small aperture f/11 or smaller. If shooting on a bright sunny day, you can go up to f/16. This will ensure you get good depth of field. Check after each swoop and adjust accordingly as D60 allows preview for each shot. Sure you might hit and miss on the first few, but you should get decent pics on the subsequent ones. Speed kills! So does everything else... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
