Shooting through the windshield

[tzanampeths]

Hi everybody,

I've bought a 40D +400 F5.6 a month ago and I would really appreciate you advice on the following:

Whenever I shoot through the windshield of my car I get non focused pictures, like the one attached. Although when I take the shot the AF sensor lights and the picture in the viewfinder is focused.

Am I missing something, or is this normal?
Through the open window everything is fine!

I' really confused!

Thanks for your time,

All the best

Takis

[Keith Dickinson]

I'd guess that your autofocus is selecting the surface of the windshield to focus on, rather than the subject, as you say it is ok when the window is open.
When you look through the viewfinder, your eye will be adjusting slightly to sharpen up the picture for you so best not to trust that too much.

[tzanampeths]

I'd guess that your autofocus is selecting the surface of the windshield to focus on, rather than the subject, as you say it is ok when the window is open.
When you look through the viewfinder, your eye will be adjusting slightly to sharpen up the picture for you so best not to trust that too much.

Hi Keith,

I don't think the 400mm can focus the windshield at 50cm, min focusing distance is ~ 3.5m.

Takis

[Jos Stratford]

Whenever I shoot through the windshield of my car I get non focused pictures, like the one attached.

The lens is £800 of optically perfect glass to guarantee a near perfect image. The windscreen's value is in its strength and shatterproof qualities, it is convex and not designed to be optically good beyond to the eye at normal magnification.

[Roy C]

I have had good results shooting though double glazed windows with this lens. Tried shooting though the car windscreen a few times but never had good results, like Jos says, I reckon it is to do with the windscreen being convex.

[Barred Wobbler]

It's also likely to be at an acute angle to the plane of the lens, so as well as problems with curvature and glass optical performance, you'll have refraction problems, multiplied by the fact that windshields are laminated and therefore of complex constuction. You have refraction not only at the front and rear glass/ air interface, but also in the internal interfaces between the glass and plastic laminations.

[chewie]

just a thought but....

why dont you shoot out of a side window and get some netting to help conceal yourself?

[GYRob]

not the way to shoot any lens regardless of cost would get what your getting.
Rob

[carracarra13]

I use cammo netting from army surpless (govement surpless) it works fab and also if you use the manual focus it should help over come this problem as allready said hope this helps (also lerning our selfs )

[tzanampeths]

Thank you all very much guys!
This one was so close I didn't dare move. In fact when I tried to place the camera out of the window, he flew away...

I also have a camouflage net anyway, so I'll try to use it more often.

All the best,

Takis

PS. The attached is with the windshield out of the equation...

[Tannin]

Move? Of course you couldn't move! With that little beauty just outside my windscreen, I'd have trouble even breathing. What wonderful little bird.

BTW, I've never had any luck shooting through windscreens either. Out the open window or forget it.

(PS, what is the bird? Nothing like anything on my patch.)

[I4ani]

Hi Takis,
Another possible cause for soft image through wind screen, is the rising heat from the car engine dissipating through the bonnet. I find it difficult to get clear view through bins when looking through the windscreen after having driven the car.
regards I4ani.

[Clive Watson]

I was about to make that point - I can't even use bins through the windscreen, the image is all blurred. I'm with Tannin - I never shoot through glass.

The bird is a Hoopoe. Not a species that's ever made it to Australia I would have thought.

[Chris Galvin]

The bird is a Hoopoe. Not a species that's ever made it to Australia I would have thought.

Errrm! Try Little Owl and you may be closer to the mark.

[RAH]

I was about to make that point - I can't even use bins through the windscreen, the image is all blurred.
Yup, I was also about to make that point - you can even see how awful things are with your binoculars.

I do find that shooting through a side window is less problematic than the windshield (which is absolutely hopeless), but then of course you can usually roll down the side window.

[Tannin]

Little Owl, thankyou. He's a beauty!

[Roy C]

Errrm! Try Little Owl and you may be closer to the mark.
Have a look at the first shot in this thread again Chris ;););)

[Clive Watson]

Sorry, I thought it was the first photo Tannin was referring to.

[Peter Ericsson]

When I am out in the car with the purpose of shooting birds I always have the window down before I approach a bird. Wouldn't think of shooting through the car window.
If I don't have good angle I simply open the door ever so gently and stick the camera between the door and the front window.

[K-Lex]

I can't really add anything new to what everyone else has said - fact is Canon have made the lens as good as it can be to achieve optimum results. If it's then shot through another glass surface, you're reducing the quality of the lens to the quality of the windscreen. Exactly the same story with buying an expensive lens then sticking a £10 UV filter on the front - you've just devalued the optical quality of a £2000 lens to £10.
Put nothing in the way of lens and subject - that way everything will be as good as it can be.