Thanks for your replies! I had to manually focus. For some reason autofocus didn't work (I'm sure because of the reflective nature of the frogs skin). It was extremely hard to tell what I was focusing on. What looked to be in focus in the viewfinder was slightly off when looking at the photo later. Not to mention the uncomfortable tree I was leaning against to get that shutter speed without IS lol
Originally Posted by alex.krebiehl
If that happens, try using Live View (with magnification) to focus.
Really Alex, for such a close-up with 280mm lens on a crop body, hand-held and manual focus, you did pretty darn good [Y] My true compliments for that[H]
I guess you don't have a special focussing screen installed in your 50D?
It was probably a lot easier with a 100mm macro lens, but then you probably couldn't get this close. For the given circumstances, my respect []
I reallly couldn't use live view given the circumstances. Between the awkward position and the slow shutter speed it would have been near impossible to hold it like that.
And no, I only have the standard screen that comes with the camera. I suppose I could have upped the ISO a bit to raise my keeper-rate (obviously at that focal length and speed, most of the photos blurred), but I was too focused on not falling into the pond or scaring the frog away to notice until after the fact lol. He was pretty close, just touching the MFD of that lens
Perhaps you could have used a higher ISO? ISO400 would have left you with a 1/100 shutterspeed. But pretty good to have a sharp shot at this focal length handheld...
Great shot Alex. I really like it, great colors and composition!
I'm only wondering how you did your focus. Did you use AF? And so, at what point?
It just seems like the focus plane is about right between the eyes and therefor the right-eye is just a tad out of focus. A bit more front-focussing would make this photo perfect in my opinion.
Jan
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