Sigma Dp2: Focus

Focusing with the Sigma Dp2 can be a bit of a trial. The difficulty lies in the tradeoff: Do you want the super thin f/2.8 when closely focused, or do you want to get everything in the foreground in focus while also sharpening the background? Personally, I've always tended to go for the former rather than the latter, but that's because I think the d300 with 60mm lens is a bit more forgiving than the 24mm the dp2 has.

I really like the colors in this one:

Larger Image here.

But the focus is such that certain branches are out of focus, and the whole image is close to what I want, but far enough away that it really bugs me.

I should go to f/4, at least, but then when I'm faced with some fast-moving bees, then it's hard enough to capture them with a slower aperture:

Larger Image Here.

And if I'm careful about putting the focus point on the closest portion of the object in the frame, then the image comes out fine:

larger:
Larger Image Here.

On a side note about battery life: this is in the first five cycles of the camera battery, which are supposed to be the weakest. I took roughly thirty minutes to walk around the block and take these photos, and by the end, the battery went from 3 bars to dead. A second battery is a must.

I also think I've figured out why SPP irritates me so much-- you can't cancel an operation. If the program let me go from one image to the next with more rapidity, I think it would feel like less of a dog. The images it produces really are superb, but the lack of responsiveness seems to be the biggest impediment to me liking it.

Having said all of that! Here's a shot that I particularly like, if only that I could walk up to the nest to take it:

Larger version here.

Yay, birds!