I couldn't come up with a clever title to catch everyone's attention, so I'm just going to try this: PLEASE HELP ME......Please!!!!!!

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sassyfox

sassyfox

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As you might have guessed from the title of this thread I....AM.........FRUSTRATED!!!! I don't know what I'm doing wrong. First off: I'm shooting with a Nikon D500 and the Nikkor 200-500mm 1: 5.6E

I can't get anything in focus. I have read the Secrets to AutoFocus e-book, e-cover to e-cover. These photos were taken today and are very representative of a lot of my photos. Out of 44 photos:

CONDITIONS

Weather: sunny and beautiful. Not hot, 70 degrees (shouldn't be any heat distortion)
Subject: stationary
Camera mounted on Fotopro E6L w gimbal head.
All photos taken using the single auto-focus point.
43 have a confirmed locked AF square on birds face - only 1 was not locked
  • 22 - totally out of focus
    • 14 taken at - 1/400 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 100, 500 mm
    • 8 taken at - 1/3200 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 900, 500 mm
    • examples:
    • 2021-11-09 (4).png
      2021-11-09 (3).png

  • 12 - mostly out of focus:
    • 10 taken at - 1/400 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 100, 500 mm
    • 2 taken at - 1/3200 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 900, 500 mm
    • examples
    • 2021-11-09.png
      2021-11-09 (5).png

  • 8 - kinda sharp but a far cry from tack sharp:
    • all taken at - 1/400 sec @ f/5.6 ISO 100, 500 mm
    • example - this is the sharpest photo out of all 44:
    • 2021-11-09 (8).png

This is very representative of every time I shoot my camera. What am I doing wrong????? 😖😣

Thanks in advance for any guidance........
D.
 
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sassyfox said:
This is the uncropped version of the "sharpest" photo - I never moved from my spot, distance is the same for all photos:

View attachment 27268
Click to expand...
That's what I was wondering. For starters that's a pretty deep crop for a DX sensor camera and cropping always robs sharpness. So as step one I'd work hard on getting closer to your subjects as with a D500 and a 600mm lens you're shooting the equivalent of a 900mm lens from a field of view standpoint which suggests you were a long way from that hawk. I realize that isn't easy and may seem impossible at first but it's the single biggest thing most folks can do to improve wildlife images and it is possible with field time and practice.

But that distance is also a lot of atmosphere to shoot through. Heat shimmer can occur at any temperature as it really just means turbulent air but even if that wasn't happening when you shoot at long distances you shoot through a lot of dust, moisture and other particles in the air and that robs sharpness.

I'd double check your lens by shooting some static subjects (doesn't have to be wildlife, anything including stuffed animals with glass eyes can work great for testing) at near frame filling distances just to make sure you can capture sharp images under good circumstances. It's entirely possible your lens has some front or back focus issues that can be resolved with fine tuning and one great way to check that is to take a few images in good light at moderate to high shutter speeds through the viewfinder and then repeat with a few Live View images. Live View uses the main image sensor for focusing so it removes lens fine tuning issues. IOW, if the Live View images under good controlled circumstances are razor sharp but the viewfinder shots are not then you may want to explore AF Fine Tuning. If both look the same then fine tuning won't help.

There's lots more like good long lens technique and making sure you nail best exposure but I'd start by taking some viewfinder and live view test shots where you're close to a subject in good light and see how those come out to rule out any equipment or fine tuning issues.
 
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some of these crops indicate there's probably some heat haze. Can you try performing some controlled tests inside home, in well lit conditions? If you have a tripod I'd suggest using that and take some test shots of a well lit target using mechanical shutter first and then using the liveview electronic shutter. This will hep you figure out if there are AFFT variances.
 
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I'll add another comment about heat distortion. I've noticed that it is especially evident when the subject is close to the ground. As the ground heats up and warm air rises into cooler air above, you get distortion and soft images. Heat distortion may not be your only problem, but the conditions you're working in - bright sun, not too hot with the subject on the ground and 500mm focal length - would certainly be a factor.
 
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Things to consider:

  • Have you tried a smaller aperture (e.g. F8) to see if the deeper depth of field makes a difference?
  • Have you tried another AF mode like Group?
  • What is the resolution and format of the original images?
  • Did you buy the lens new or used? From a local store that you can get to for advice?
  • Is this your only lens? If you have another lens does it also have trouble focusing?
 
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I second the opinions about atmospheric haze. Nothing seems to be really in focus, so it does not seem to be front/back focusing issue.
I am not an expert on the physics of such haze, however, as far as I understand, the overall temperature really does not have to much say about it and the difference in temperature between the ground and the different layers of air is much more important. I have for example experienced "heat haze" over water at -20°C.
The fact that your subject is close to the ground and that you yourself are shooting quite close to the ground emphasizes the heat distortion even more.
I had a similar experience this summer where I was lying in the grass in my garden trying to photograph some of the garden birds that were hunting for worms in the grass. They got so close that I could fill the frame with them without cropping, but when I got the photos in the computer none of them were sharp. Unfortunately there is nothing really one can do in such a situation.
Btw, Steve has a video about the topic, you might want to check it out :) https://backcountrygallery.com/long-lens-heat-distortion/
 
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As a few already mentioned, atmospheric haze doesn't only happy on hot days.. it happens when there is a difference in temperatures (also down at cold temperatures -> like the sun warming up the cold ground which may be moist due to the long cold night).

I would also try to reduce cropping, particularly on a DX Sensor with low MP count.

I would also ensure that I use backfocus button with AF-C since the slightest movement of the head may result in none-sharp images (irrespective of using a tripod).

I would use speeds of at least 1/500th.. and try to stop down by 1 stop if possible.

I would test my lens and perform fine-tuning in a controlled environment (at the focal distance most used, e.g. 500 mm) since the camera can only save 1 value per lens. I tuned mine at 500 mm cause 90% of my photos are taken at the longest telephoto end.

One last thing, make sure to clean the front and back end of the lens.. and avoid using UV filters..

Hope this helps. Good luck.
 
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You guys are awesome!! Thank-you all for your input. Testing my lens with a cuddly teddy bear 🐻 is on my To Do list TODAY. But, after reading all of the comments I think the most likely cause is: heat distortion and DX frame camera. I did not realize all of the factors that went into heat distortion but after reading all the comments that makes perfect sense now. I also did not realize that the distance I was at is considered quite a ways away. If I get any closer he flies away! 🤦‍♀️ Just one more reason to add to many why I so respect all the great wildlife photos. Guess I'll have to work on my stealth mode.

In answer to some of the comments:
  • yes, photos are screenshots - but honestly, the focus doesn't look any better if they weren't screen shots
  • shooting RAW
  • purchased the lens brand new from B&H Photo
  • I did not try another AF group point, but as my single point AF was spot on, I don't think this would have made a difference
  • I always use BBAF in AF-C
  • I don't use UV filters
 
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I have gone back and watched Steve's heat distortion video and in retrospect I think this was probably the problem. But I'm still going to take test photos of snuggle bear and continue to work on improving my stealth mode. Thank-you all for pointing me in the right direction. I have a lot to learn!
 
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I agree with everyone who mentioned heat waves as the culprit. The impact of the heat differential was also magnified by the bright substrate on which the hawk is standing. With a relatively high sun and light ground, the light that hits the ground scatters about, so in addition to heat waves, I see what is sometimes called blooming. With so many elements in that lens, you may be getting some internal reflections. Stopping down a stop has reduced this for me in the past. I shot both the 200-500 and 200-400VR1 for years, and there were times when my images were softer than they should be. This apparent lack of softness always occurred when I was shooting a relatively dark subject wide open against a snowy or otherwise black background.
I learned to stop down or move my position to reduce the combined impact of heat distortion and internal flare... both together produce "mushy" images.
regards,
bruce
 
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sassyfox said:
You guys are awesome!! Thank-you all for your input. Testing my lens with a cuddly teddy bear 🐻 is on my To Do list TODAY. But, after reading all of the comments I think the most likely cause is: heat distortion and DX frame camera. I did not realize all of the factors that went into heat distortion but after reading all the comments that makes perfect sense now. I also did not realize that the distance I was at is considered quite a ways away. If I get any closer he flies away! 🤦‍♀️ Just one more reason to add to many why I so respect all the great wildlife photos. Guess I'll have to work on my stealth mode.

In answer to some of the comments:
  • yes, photos are screenshots - but honestly, the focus doesn't look any better if they weren't screen shots
  • shooting RAW
  • purchased the lens brand new from B&H Photo
  • I did not try another AF group point, but as my single point AF was spot on, I don't think this would have made a difference
  • I always use BBAF in AF-C
  • I don't use UV filters
Click to expand...
Save your photos with sharpening applied in Lightroom and upload them to the thread, please.
 
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Interestingly totally and most out of focus are 24 with 1/400 vs. 10 with 1/3200 and you are on the tripod. The data rather look like you are not... I personally don't go below 1/640sec. The other quaestion is VR on or off? I would test both variants. And yes, heat waves..!
 
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Another vote for heat haze here; there are some very telling signs:

1. On your first 2 pictures nothing shows in focus - it's not a focusing issue otherwise something would be in focus somewhere
2. You can actually see heavy heat wave distortion behind the bird, in front of the gate - that's not normal bokeh - OOF areas don't swirl like that (not with that lens, and even with lenses that have a swirly bokeh, it doesn't look like that)
3. The pictures that are progressively sharper show less of that swirly bokeh. Heat haze is not a constant - it can change over time, even short periods of time (a cloud coming through, a slight breeze will temporarily change the intensity of the haze).

It's made more pronounced by the heavy crop - the D500 sensor is good but I rarely crop it below 12MP, and even that is asking for serious trouble.

You can also experiment with your tripod shooting technique, shutter speed and VR on/off to see what works best for you but honestly, it won't offset the first 2 issues - it's more about optimizing image quality once you have issues 1 and 2 under control.

And in the end, if you still need to squeeze that last bit of performance, lens calibration - keep in mind that done wrong, calibration will destroy your image quality so that's why I always keep it for last and only when I consistently see focus bias in one direction.
 
sassyfox said:
You guys are awesome!! Thank-you all for your input. Testing my lens with a cuddly teddy bear 🐻 is on my To Do list TODAY. But, after reading all of the comments I think the most likely cause is: heat distortion and DX frame camera. I did not realize all of the factors that went into heat distortion but after reading all the comments that makes perfect sense now. I also did not realize that the distance I was at is considered quite a ways away. If I get any closer he flies away! 🤦‍♀️ Just one more reason to add to many why I so respect all the great wildlife photos. Guess I'll have to work on my stealth mode.

In answer to some of the comments:
  • yes, photos are screenshots - but honestly, the focus doesn't look any better if they weren't screen shots
  • shooting RAW
  • purchased the lens brand new from B&H Photo
  • I did not try another AF group point, but as my single point AF was spot on, I don't think this would have made a difference
  • I always use BBAF in AF-C
  • I don't use UV filters
Click to expand...

I would not blame the DX camera as you mentioned. Your D500 is a quality camera, people are saying you are too far away and cropping too much, not that the DX is to blame. If you had an FX camera you would be cropping even more from the same distance and the heat haze would still be the same if the distance is the same.

Also in addition to the good advice given, one thing I would just confirm if I were you is that you know how af-c and back button focus works in your camera and that the camera is set up for bbf correctly and checking that it is focusing properly on a still test target that is closer. Sometimes when I have an issue I find a back to basics approach is needed. The af-c doesn't lock focus while your thumb is pressed, it keeps on changing the focus. So the focus changes if you move the camera or the subject moves and you don't follow. Releasing the thumb will lock the focus at that distance assuming the subject is not getting closer or farther from the camera.
 
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This is just down to atmospherics over that grass. Go out in better conditions and I'm sure that combo will sing. Cropping that much is not the issue. I do crops like that on the D500 all the time.
 
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As most people commented above this looks to atmospheric issues very much and I can understand your frustration really well and feel with you. l had the same situation a couple of times even after I have become aware of heat distortion and related effects. It simply happened that I thought it would not be there and I was happy with the results from the first glance on the camera display and then got hit by "it" when coming home and looking a the images on a proper display ... :(.

FWIW, what I would recommend, just to get on the safe side as much as cou can is going through an AF fine tuning at the long end of your lens and see what values you get. I do it as a standard procedure for my lenses from 300mm up for all camera/lens combos and I have just one camera/lens combo that delivers a 0 here. When I tested the 200-500 some time ago I managed to get a copy that needed pretty big correction settings on all of the cameras I had at the time (range from +9 to +14). There's nothing wrong with it as long as the required adjustment is withing the range of the camera setting (which is normally betwenn -20 and +20), but it shows that some copies can be a bit furtther out than you would expect.
Having this adjusted doesn't mean you won't have blurry images anymore, but at least you can be sure that this reason can be excluded - and of course you might even be happier with the results without heat distortion as well ;) .

However there's a downside to it, because the Nikon cameras cannot store more than one corection value per lens and this can makethis difficult with zoom lenses. This means that if you do fine tuning at 500mm it doesn't necessarily mean that you have the optimal setting for smaller focal lengths as well. It depends on whether or not this lens has a linear correlation between the focal length and the AF fine tuning offset and the difference between the correction values at the long and short end.

If you do the check for 500 and 200mm and you get the same value or only a small difference (let's say max. 3) I would recommend to go for the value for the longer focal length or got one digit back towards the value for the shorter end. AF fine tuning becomes more critical towards longer focal lengths or - in other words - if you have the right setting for 500 you should be pretty close to right for 200 also, if the differrences are not too big.

If you have bigger differences or even a considerable positive value at the long end and a negative one at the short end the Nikon Service might be able to help, if the time for returning your lens or/and warranty is expired. We with our cameras can just parameterize an offset value, but they can also correct nonlinearities in the lens reaction to the AF control signal coming from the camera.
 
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Ditto what everyone has said here, but one thing I do on my 200-500 is not zooming out to the full 500mm but keeping it a bit less, like 460-480 which seems to sharpen things up more than when fully extended. Might be a peculiarity with my copy of the lens and I lose a bit of zoom capability but worth it to me for the results.
 
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