Best combo to shoot pics of a toddler

[didier]

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Dear all,

so my daughter turns 15...  months and it gets more and more difficult to get pictures of her moving around using my manual focus M-lenses.

I consider buying a SL lens to get autofocus (I own the 90-280 but no other SL lens) and also explore new possibilities with a different focal length than my 5 50's (M mount)...

I was lucky enough Leica Store Paris rent me a SL 75 to try it out. The results are great regarding sharpness and OOF rendering (much sharper, and though still very pleasing, than my 75 lux), but I had real problems getting consistently sharp pictures on this fast moving subject as I shoot at close range (often less than 3 meters).

I also found the autofocus was not particularly fast, and this is part of the problem.

From you experience, would I get better results with another lens / focal lens or another combo ? I don't want to buy another 50. Will the new SL 35 be faster to autofocus ?

thanks for your input

 

Didier

 

[caissa]

The "problem" with the AF speed lies only partly in the lenses, but to a (maybe greater) part in the AF system of the camera (SL). If you want a clear improvement, head for the newest cameras. SL2 and S1/R are coming soon.
Or switch to an easier focal length, e.g. 28mm. So the Q or Q2 could be a good choice. 
Or, back to lenses, try the SL 16-35 lens. The focal length offers much more depth and is much faster to focus (manually).

Regarding AF speed on SL, the zooms are faster than the primes.

Edited March 17, 2019 by caissa

[sarkis]

None of the lenses mentioned have image stabilitization.  IS might be helpful when hand-holding and trying to follow an active toddler.  I would recommend giving the 24-90 a tryout.  The 24-90 is only f/2.8 at the wide end but if you get 2-3 stops from the IS, it might just do the trick.  If you like the 90-280 (the only other lens with IS), you'll probably appreciate  the 24-90.  Maybe one of the Panasonic offerings with IS might be appealing too.  Good luck.

[LocalHero1953]

Or try the CL and 18-56TL. I use it for grandchildren very effectively. I find the best shots come from close up, and toddlers find the CL less scary than the SL and zooms (I have the 24-90 and 90-280).That said, the hit rate for toddlers (if you see what I mean) is low, since you are aiming for that fleeting special expression or action, as well as exact focus. I much prefer the zooms over the primes because framing a toddler with a prime takes too much physical effort! 

I have never had too much problem with AF (usually face detect, sometimes field) being too slow. The limitations are usually mine: how to interact with a toddler while taking a shot at the decisive moment. It usually ends up with fingerprints on the lens glass. 

[pico]

Bounce flash off the ceiling or wall.

[Mr.Q]

Sony A9 with face recognition and you'll never miss a shot.

[Chuck Albertson]

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Wait for a few weeks, buy the 35SL and blaze away. I use the 90SL for my grand-nieces and have fantastic results, but a wider-angle lens will work better for what I want to achieve. The SL face/eye focus will work for what you want. Don't worry about IS and and all that argy-bargy.

[SiggiGun]

vor 10 Stunden schrieb didier:

Dear all,

so my daughter turns 15...  months and it gets more and more difficult to get pictures of her moving around using my manual focus M-lenses.

I consider buying a SL lens to get autofocus (I own the 90-280 but no other SL lens) and also explore new possibilities with a different focal length than my 5 50's (M mount)...

I was lucky enough Leica Store Paris rent me a SL 75 to try it out. The results are great regarding sharpness and OOF rendering (much sharper, and though still very pleasing, than my 75 lux), but I had real problems getting consistently sharp pictures on this fast moving subject as I shoot at close range (often less than 3 meters).

I also found the autofocus was not particularly fast, and this is part of the problem.

From you experience, would I get better results with another lens / focal lens or another combo ? I don't want to buy another 50. Will the new SL 35 be faster to autofocus ?

thanks for your input

 

Didier

 

What is your AF set up? 

[didier]

Thanks for your inputs !

@ SiggiGun

I tried medium speed (6 pictures/s), field and AF-C

[jaapv]

On 3/18/2019 at 12:17 AM, sarkis said:

None of the lenses mentioned have image stabilitization.  IS might be helpful when hand-holding and trying to follow an active toddler.  I would recommend giving the 24-90 a tryout.  The 24-90 is only f/2.8 at the wide end but if you get 2-3 stops from the IS, it might just do the trick.  If you like the 90-280 (the only other lens with IS), you'll probably appreciate  the 24-90.  Maybe one of the Panasonic offerings with IS might be appealing too.  Good luck.

IS is not very helpful for fast moving subjects. 

[dkmoore]

There is some other technique question at play here. I am not the fastest at manual focus but I dont think auto or manual focus really impedes good photos of fast moving kids.

I can get fast moving, extremely cute family pictures, with my D-lux typ 109 so I surely can get great shots with a SL. My favorite family shots have always come from My M.

[Fedro]

the Q, I just got it and it works really well with my toddler; alternatively and M with a 28 set at f8. I also found the 24-90 on the SL is pretty good - the 75SL unfortunately is not fast enough, not for my toddler anyways ..

 

[scott kirkpatrick]

On 3/18/2019 at 7:38 AM, Chuck Albertson said:

Wait for a few weeks, buy the 35SL and blaze away. I use the 90SL for my grand-nieces and have fantastic results, but a wider-angle lens will work better for what I want to achieve. The SL face/eye focus will work for what you want. Don't worry about IS and and all that argy-bargy.

I agree.  Wide angle since you want to be close enough not to lose the kid in the background environment, and AF should be enough.  Keep the shutter speed high, don't wait for IBIS.  One trick that helps, especially with little kids, is to learn how to shoot with the camera away from your face, so that you don't look like some sort of transformed alien.