Yeah, I use the center spot for focus too.
I don't know that much about dragonflies or other flying insects, but I have
observed that they sometimes move in patterns. If I watch them long enough they
seem to return to the same spot again and again - either to perch or to hover.
The only success I've had photographing them came from focusing on one before it
darts off, refining focus when it comes back and maybe being able to get the
shot the third time.
Of course, that only works with the ones that do come back again and again. I
don't know get good photos of the other ones
I keep meaning to RTFM for the K-1 and see if it will let you set a pattern
using just the center spot & the 4 spots that form a cross around it. But every
time I try to use all the spots it focuses on something else besides what I'm
trying to photograph.
I really haven't been doing much photography. This covid thing has sapped my
will and I hardly ever go out any more. When I do go out it's only to get an
errand done so I can get back into isolation.
On 9/17/2020 02:33:50, Henk Terhell wrote:
Thanks John, I'll give that a try. For most other subjects I tend to use back
button only with AF-S in spot mode.
The problem with dragonflies/damselfies (as well as butterflies) is their
unpredictectable traject. Some species have the habit to hang sometimes
stationary which makes it a lot easier.
But others like the great emperor move for hours very fast on sunny days (up to
38 km/h).
Fast AF tracking as on some newer model camera's may be helpful but you still
need to get your subject in the centre of your viewer.
Henk
Op 2020-09-16 om 23:46 schreef John:
I use AF-C with back button focus. As soon as it hits focus, I take my thumb
off the back button & it stays there.
Took me a while to learn, but it works a lot better than manual focus works
for me off of a tripod.
Even ON the tripod, Auto-Focus works better for me. Gets me close enough that
focus peaking in live view will work with my tired old worn out eyes.
On 9/14/2020 07:33:32, Henk Terhell wrote:
I mean to say switch to manual focus.
Op 2020-09-14 om 13:31 schreef Henk Terhell:
Larry, as much as I like my K-1, in fact the single-point AF-S is not good
enough for such small fast moving subjects.
I know that I should switch to AF-C with repeat on but most of the time I
impatiently switch to autofocus.
Henk
Op 2020-09-14 om 08:35 schreef Larry Colen:
Great shot. I can barely catch shots of birds when they’re eating seeds in
my yard, and catching a bug on the wing like that is amazing. You must
have a really good camera. :-)
On Sep 13, 2020, at 1:38 PM, Henk Terhell <[email protected]> wrote:
Toine, that also looks like the common darter having no mustache and
striped legs.
I try to catch these dragonflies in flight but it is like fishing:
sometimes you come home with nothing having wasted a few hours.
Here one of my trials of the common darter:
https://flic.kr/p/2jyu8wF
Henk
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Larry Colen
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