How do I get sharper photos of a dog running toward me with a Sony A6000?
Asked 6/9/2016
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2 answers
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I’m photographing a black lab running straight toward me using a Sony A6000 with the 16-50mm kit lens. My current settings are 50mm, 1/500 sec, f/5.6, Auto ISO, Continuous AF, Center focus area, Continuous Hi, and JPEG. I get low to the ground, keep the dog centered, and hold down the shutter as it runs. What settings or focusing approach will improve my chances of getting more in-focus shots?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
1
One thing you can do is to set manual focus and focus at the desired distance e.g. 5 m.
Set the camera in shutter priority, with a time of at least 1/250 and an ISO that suits.
Your next goal is to catch the dog in focus, but you can help that by shooting burst.
Originally by user7984. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user7984
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A dog running straight at the camera is difficult for autofocus, so one useful technique is to pre-focus manually at a spot where you expect the dog to pass, such as about 5 meters away, and shoot when it reaches that point. This removes AF tracking from the equation.
Use burst shooting so you capture several frames as the dog reaches the pre-focused distance. Shutter priority can also help; use at least around 1/250 sec, and increase ISO as needed to maintain that speed. In practice, a faster shutter than that often improves your odds of a crisp action shot.
If you continue using autofocus, keep the dog centered and shoot in continuous bursts, but for a subject charging toward you, pre-focusing is often more reliable than trying to let the camera constantly refocus.
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