Focusing issues on parrot....

Hey Everyone!

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to how I could focus these better, I seem to have good focus around his head but loose it by his legs/tail.
Or do you think this is the best ime going to get and ime just nit-picking?
Ile have to try any suggestions tomorow thogh, I had to bribe him out with a drop of baileys, if i give him any more he'll be drunk!
Does anyone else have a alki parrot!?

Thanks.

[IMG]http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/titchgamer/new%20camera%20shots/IMGP0434.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/titchgamer/new%20camera%20shots/IMGP0441.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/titchgamer/new%20camera%20shots/IMGP0468.jpg[/IMG]

What aperture were you shooting at?.....................Ken

try a higher apeture above f10
the first shot was at 40mm f4.5
the second 55mm f6, and the third 50mm f5.6

The f/number, focus distance and focal length influence the width of the depth of field (DOF). To increase DOF now simply use a higher f/number probable f/11 should do the trick but try f/8 first to not slow down the shutterspeed too much.

To be honest though I don't find it annoying that the tail isn't sharp, you'r looking at his head afterall.

Ken the first one is f/4.5 and the other two f/5.6 I don't know what browser you are using but right click and option most of the time reveals the EXIF data or else you can couple Photome to your browser and you can do right-click and say "open with Photome"

Edit: Scott was faster

Ok guys, Thanks alot. Ile give it a shot tomorow night after the lil fella has sobered up

Hello Andy, here is a good read for you link

Thanks Stefan. Thats very usefull. Ile have a play tonight

To my mind, the author of the article in the link makes an error: he implies that a DSLR/SLR inherently has the capacity to provide a greater DOF than a digicam (because the digicam has a smaller sensor when, in fact, the reverse is true. In fact, it is very difficult to produce shallow DOF in a digicam.

As I understand it, the inherent DOF increases as the "sensor" gets smaller. Hence: moving from Large Format-Medium Format-35mm format-digicam is accompanied by ever increasing DOF.

where do you read that?

I only saw this:
6. Digital cameras

You’ve probably heard many photographers complaining that if they had an SLR camera they could reach much more impressive DOFs. Why is it that a compact digital camera can’t reach the same DOF of a professional camera? The answer lies in the size of the sensor. If regular film cameras are in a 35 mm format and the professional digital cameras come close and sometimes even match them, then in the compact digital cameras the size of the sensor is barely the size of the nail on you pinky. This is the reason compact digital cameras use shorter focus lengths to reach the matching focus length of a 35 mm camera and this is why they can only reach much less impressive DOF and why the lens apertures are different, and an aperture of F/8 usually suffices, while in the SLR camera you need an aperture of F/22 to reach the same size DOF.

He is right though... it just depends on how you read what he means with impressive but in the end it comes clear that he means with impressive a small DOF

Unfortunately the quoted statement is very misleading, contradicts itself and is pretty much wrong.

getting back to the original post, when I first looked at your pictures I was sure I could see subject movement and I checked your exif data, your exposure times are way to long for a moving subject! The only thing you can do is to take your parrot's picture in much, much brighter lighting conditions. You need a shorter shutter speed and a smaller aperture.