When centre focussing doesn't quite work

Only you can really answer that, have a look at the original at full size. If the trees are pretty much sharp, that would suggest the camera focused on them. If they're not sharp, then it may well be that the boats had moved towards you enough to throw them out of focus.

Dan

If it is this, then it would be a good application of Quick-Shift on the lenses that have it.

It would take a bit of practice, but turning the focus-ring a fraction during the reframing after the initial lock would allow for such movement.

Would it not be possible to use one of the off centre focus points and zone focussing. Set the focus to the place where you want the boats to be (quite how you do that I am not too sure about as there's nothing much to focus on), set the off centre focus point on and wait until it lights up to confirm focus and shoot?

Mike

In theory yes.

In practice, have you ever actually tried to change the focus point while trying to frame a picture of a moving target?

I suppose if they were going straight for a long time, and you knew that you wanted the boats in a particular part of the frame, then it might be possible.

But both of those are big ifs.

I agree but yes at a motorcycle event I was able to predict the approximate path some bikes at least would take and I used that technique with varying success - but as all the shots were rubbish it didn't make much real difference
Mike

I'd thought about this too - but would be way too fiddly! Easiest thing when I go there next time I think will be to have the lens slightly wider so that I can aim at the centre of the boat and get the shot without having to reframe. Then just crop the bit of extra sky or whatever out in LR.

I've got some sporting events to cover this month.
It's video stuff, car racing on a dirt oval track.
I'll be shooting some stills also.
for my first trial run I'll have my k10's (50mm 1.4 and 100mm 2.8 macro) set up to shoot jpegs, with continous shooting, af-c, and auto select af points. and also some on manual focus.

that last point (letting the camera choose it's af points rather than my usual center af point) is where I think you'll find your solution for "Missing the Boat" so to speak....I'll let you know how I make out!

Since the pic is a crop, couldn't you have just focussed on one boat and then re-centre by cropping afterwards?

I sympathise with you. A month ago I went to a motor race meeting and failed to get a single good shot from panning. I had lots of shots of the middle and back end of the cars <g>. The best shots I got was when a car hit the gravel and I was able to take photos of the tow truck pulling it out!

Richard

It's not the end of the world by any means, the sailing lake is a 5minute walk from where I live, and with the long summer evenings there are plenty of opportunities to improve my technique