Using manual focus for Birds in flight

[Brownbear]

I'm just wondering if anyone uses manual focus for birds in flight, and if so, why.

I tried it once but I found it extraordinarily difficult to do. I always use continuous auto focus for birds in flight...


Thank you.

[chauncey]

I tried it...once!

[Polar01]

Christina I am going to suggest a link that has 3 short videos on sharpness. #2 of the series maybe of most interest to you, they are about 3 to 4 minutes in length. Some may not like him (no it is not Ken), but you can not fault his work and he is every bit a business man comes across as warm and fuzzie but cooler when not in front of a group because it is business. However have a look at the following link:

http://www.moosepeterson.com/blog/

Cheers: Allan

[Brownbear]

Thank you Allan. Very thoughtful of you and truly appreciated.

Christina I am going to suggest a link that has 3 short videos on sharpness. #2 of the series maybe of most interest to you, they are about 3 to 4 minutes in length. Some may not like him (no it is not Ken), but you can not fault his work and he is every bit a business man comes across as warm and fuzzie but cooler when not in front of a group because it is business. However have a look at the following link:

http://www.moosepeterson.com/blog/

Cheers: Allan

[rtbaum]

I shot a lot of warblers last Spring, because of cluttered background and low light, I preferred to use manual focus. Birds in flight would be a challenge. If you try, lead the bird and let it enter the frame. In my opinion, birds in flight are what the gods created autofocus for

[Colin Southern]

Additionally, I take it as read that you're familiar with Arthur Morris and his Birds as Art site? (finer photos of birds you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere, and lots of good info there too)

[Stagecoach]

Hi Christina,

Birds in flight are not one of my attempted areas but the first thing that comes to mind from shooting moving subjects is,

a) You are concentrating on 'following' the subject physically with the camera to maintain it within the frame.
c) How well and steady can you hold/aim the camera and rotate the focus ring at the same time.

Pre focusing is another option of course if you have a subject at equivalent distance within you DoF limitations to set focus on. Not generally the situation I would suspect.

I would suspect the valid advice is going to come from those who can produce regularly good examples of their results and not just the lucky shot.

Grahame

[Polar01]

Christina: just watched the 1st of the advanced series this maybe more for you as it is on the AF system I found it interesting and he is a very big bird shooter.

Cheers again: Allan

[Brownbear]

Thank you Colin. The first I've heard of Arthur Morris, and just a quick peak at his eagles is WoW! Truly appreciated. )

PS Randy you have to find that owl again... Chauncey, it is good to know it is not just me.

Additionally, I take it as read that you're familiar with Arthur Morris and his Birds as Art site? (finer photos of birds you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere, and lots of good info there too)

[Colin Southern]

Thank you Colin. The first I've heard of Arthur Morris, and just a quick peak at his eagles is WoW! Truly appreciated. )

PS Randy you have to find that owl again... Chauncey, it is good to know it is not just me.

Art Morris is (or was?) pretty much the standard by which all other bird photographers are judged against

[FrankMi]

However have a look at the following link:

http://www.moosepeterson.com/blog/

Cheers: Allan

This guy has a number of great techniques in these videos. Thank you for sharing the link Allan!

[jprzybyla]

Reading the title of this thread my first thought was... why would you want to? I cut my teeth in photography when there was only manual focus. One had to pick a spot focus on it and hope that whatever happened moved to that spot and time your shutter release perfectly. Today is so much easier with continuous focus, the software tracking the subject and predicting the focus as the subject moves. Nikon has AF-A which selects single focus if the subject is static and continuous focus if the subject is moving. Cannon shooters I think use back button focus set to continuous, push it once and focus for static subjects and hold it while tracking for continuous focus for moving subjects.

I smiled when reading Colin mention Arthur Morris, almost a neighbor who lives about an hour away. He wrote the book on bird photography. I may be wrong but I think he runs this website... www.birdphotographers.net . He posts and comments in the Avian Forum. I have joined that forum and learned greatly. I encourage anyone interested in nature/bird photography to take a peek at that website.

[Brownbear]

Hi Joe,

It was suggested to me that manual focus might be an option for obtaining sharper focus.

Thank you for your informative and helpful reply and for the link. Tons of great sources in this thread.

Reading the title of this thread my first thought was... why would you want to? I cut my teeth in photography when there was only manual focus. One had to pick a spot focus on it and hope that whatever happened moved to that spot and time your shutter release perfectly. Today is so much easier with continuous focus, the software tracking the subject and predicting the focus as the subject moves. Nikon has AF-A which selects single focus if the subject is static and continuous focus if the subject is moving. Cannon shooters I think use back button focus set to continuous, push it once and focus for static subjects and hold it while tracking for continuous focus for moving subjects.

I smiled when reading Colin mention Arthur Morris, almost a neighbor who lives about an hour away. He wrote the book on bird photography. I may be wrong but I think he runs this website... www.birdphotographers.net . He posts and comments in the Avian Forum. I have joined that forum and learned greatly. I encourage anyone interested in nature/bird photography to take a peek at that website.

[jprzybyla]

Thinking again about this thread I would can see two things that may hinder shooting birds in flight with continuous focus on modern cameras. First, I would suggest not to initiate focus until the focus square is aligned with the bird, otherwise the focus grabs the sky and all goes haywire. Second is pay attention to panning techniques, left hand underneath the lens supporting it, shutter released with just a little more pressure than needed for focusing ( not jabbed ), and turn from the waist while following the subject in the view finder.

[Mike Buckley]

Reading the title of this thread my first thought was... why would you want to?

To fulfill your innermost masochistic desires

[jprzybyla]

Just smiles...

[ajohnw]

It takes some practice to manually focus on moving objects. I don't think it is feasible on some AF lenses but now electronic focus is used even manually the focusing rate can be more sensible again. The basic technique is to track focus and shoot when happy and framed. The other one has been mentioned - get ahead and shoot when in focus. I have done this on rally cars using manual focus cameras on film. I would say an honest description is really that either method might just "happen" in practice. The cars might be travelling at 100mph or more so there was bound to be some wasted film. On the other hand I wouldn't have been using 450mm full frame lens for that sort of thing. 100mm would be a handful.

Tracking is interesting and used to be an advantage of one touch zooms. Here both the focus and the size of the subject was maintained allowing slower shutter speeds. Believe it or not some people could do it. Especially people employed to take photo's to sell lenses I suspect. I shudder to think how many rolls of film would be needed to even become semi proficient. The backgrounds on some were rather interesting.

John
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[Shadowman]

I think it would work if you are focusing on a nest and you want to get the bird directly after takeoff. Also, if the bird is in the water and either parallel to your position or flying directly towards you, manual focus might work.

[chauncey]

I cannot figure out why one would even want manual focus on BIF...especially as modern AF works so well. Where's the payoff?

[NorthernFocus]

Let's see, why don't I use manual focus for BIF? Oh, yeah, because I want them to be in focus

I can't even operate zoom fast enough to keep up with them much less focus...