What am I doing wrong???

[robbymack]

I don't think it's the camera, more so your exposure choices. At f1.4 you have so small a dof (especially at near mfd) most kids won't stay still long enough to stay in it. When I shoot my kids the 5diii custom mode is set to f4 1/125 and auto ISO and ai servo. The 5diii files can take a cranking of the ISO and at 1/125 most anything outside of running will be frozen. It also doubles as the default mode for my wife when she picks up the camera so she doesn't have to fiddle.

 

[babiesphotos.ca]

first, third picture is not that sharp to my taste. taking a look at the third picture, it seems like that you focused and re-composed on that image? as if you did, please quit doing that with apeture of 1.4 unless you are standing far away from subject.

Hey, I'm grateful for offer of help, but kinda not liking that you made assumption these are pictures I care about (otherwise, why critique?). I guess my ego is too big, eh? . And I do know that f4 or f5.6 is miles easier to work with than f1.4.

These pics are just a showcase of a problem. Picture 3 HAS a plane of sharp focus, picture 2 doesn't! Where did the focus go? What caused smudginess? Why are they not ALL like attached one? That's what I'm wondering about.

Some of my pictures I like, not necessarily all sharp are at babiesphotos.ca

 

[Viggo]

The 5d3 is capable of shooting thin dof and moving kids. The problem might be that it is on the edge of what's impossible AND you have to struggle with the not-canon's-best AF of the 50mm f1.4.

Try the same settings outside and see if more light helps, I'm sure it will.

What you should try, since you say when the kids stop suddenly and it's "Still" oof, that is my experience to, if your AF is set up to respond to fast erratic action, when the subject stops the AF is still in top gear wanting to hit action.

First off, get your AF-start off the shutterbutton and onto the AF-ON button on the back, that way you can, for example, shoot off a few shots of a sequence, track away and shoot off a few more without the AF having to find your subject every time you push and release the shutter.

Then, and this I'm not 100% sure you can do on the 5d3, but I think you can; Select the AE lock button to recall settings and set those settings to fast action with expansion points, case 6 etc. And the AF-ON button to engage "normal" case 1 AF with single point. That way you can just move your thumb 5mm and change the behaviour of the camera COMPLETELY and get all shots focused, even if your kid runs and jumps or suddenly sits down having a sip of his juicebox. Trust me, I know one set up doesn't work with kids, you need to take advantage of EVERYTHING the 5d3 offers, and again, practice, practice, practice.

 

[ishdakuteb]

first, third picture is not that sharp to my taste. taking a look at the third picture, it seems like that you focused and re-composed on that image? as if you did, please quit doing that with apeture of 1.4 unless you are standing far away from subject.

Hey, I'm grateful for offer of help, but kinda not liking that you made assumption these are pictures I care about (otherwise, why critique?). I guess my ego is too big, eh? . And I do know that f4 or f5.6 is miles easier to work with than f1.4.

These pics are just a showcase of a problem. Picture 3 HAS a plane of sharp focus, picture 2 doesn't! Where did the focus go? What caused smudginess? Why are they not ALL like attached one? That's what I'm wondering about.

Some of my pictures I like, not necessarily all sharp are at babiesphotos.ca

true... your liking image does not need to be sharp. it is about the moment. sorry about mis-understood your question. however, i am going to delete that post so it is not going bother you...

 

[babiesphotos.ca]

The 5d3 is capable of shooting thin dof and moving kids. The problem might be that it is on the edge of what's impossible AND you have to struggle with the not-canon's-best AF of the 50mm f1.4.

Try the same settings outside and see if more light helps, I'm sure it will.

What you should try, since you say when the kids stop suddenly and it's "Still" oof, that is my experience to, if your AF is set up to respond to fast erratic action, when the subject stops the AF is still in top gear wanting to hit action.

First off, get your AF-start off the shutterbutton and onto the AF-ON button on the back, that way you can, for example, shoot off a few shots of a sequence, track away and shoot off a few more without the AF having to find your subject every time you push and release the shutter.

Then, and this I'm not 100% sure you can do on the 5d3, but I think you can; Select the AE lock button to recall settings and set those settings to fast action with expansion points, case 6 etc. And the AF-ON button to engage "normal" case 1 AF with single point. That way you can just move your thumb 5mm and change the behaviour of the camera COMPLETELY and get all shots focused, even if your kid runs and jumps or suddenly sits down having a sip of his juicebox. Trust me, I know one set up doesn't work with kids, you need to take advantage of EVERYTHING the 5d3 offers, and again, practice, practice, practice.

Huge thanks!

 

[Eli]

- I never let camera choose focus points. I mostly use one point, central point most of the time. I use servo when kids are on the move, or if I don't need to recompose at all. MY DOF button is configured to switch mode while being pressed, so I liberally move btw. one shot and servo.

And try get out of the habit of focus & recompose, just move the selected AF point via the joysticky thing, takes same amount of time as focus & recompose and you'll be able to keep it on Servo mode.
Also set it on continuous shooting and fire off multiple shots to increase your hit rate.

 

[Viggo]

The 5d3 is capable of shooting thin dof and moving kids. The problem might be that it is on the edge of what's impossible AND you have to struggle with the not-canon's-best AF of the 50mm f1.4.

Try the same settings outside and see if more light helps, I'm sure it will.

What you should try, since you say when the kids stop suddenly and it's "Still" oof, that is my experience to, if your AF is set up to respond to fast erratic action, when the subject stops the AF is still in top gear wanting to hit action.

First off, get your AF-start off the shutterbutton and onto the AF-ON button on the back, that way you can, for example, shoot off a few shots of a sequence, track away and shoot off a few more without the AF having to find your subject every time you push and release the shutter.

Then, and this I'm not 100% sure you can do on the 5d3, but I think you can; Select the AE lock button to recall settings and set those settings to fast action with expansion points, case 6 etc. And the AF-ON button to engage "normal" case 1 AF with single point. That way you can just move your thumb 5mm and change the behaviour of the camera COMPLETELY and get all shots focused, even if your kid runs and jumps or suddenly sits down having a sip of his juicebox. Trust me, I know one set up doesn't work with kids, you need to take advantage of EVERYTHING the 5d3 offers, and again, practice, practice, practice.

Huge thanks!

No problem, I have struggled with all of this myself and have gotten great tips here at CR and worked out a few solutions of my own, because toddlers are the worst to keep up with, and yes we want shallow DOF! ;D