Things for which you've kicked yourself.
Discussion
I did a fair bit of ranting and raving at my new 7D on Sunday because I couldn't get any decent shots of my son and his mate at the banger racing in Wimbledon. 
The reason I couldn't get any decent shots was because I couldn't get them in focus.
The reason I couldn't get them in focus was because my 580 EXII's AF assist beam wasn't firing, even though it was working fine on my 450D which my daughter was using.
I just sat down to start writing a snotty email to the supplier demanding that they replace it forthwith.
Fortunately, a thought suddenly occurred to me just in time... Turns out flashes don't fire AF beams when the AF mode is set to servo.
Anyone else managed to monumentally cock up their camera settings and only realised days later what they'd done wrong, or is it just me?
The reason I couldn't get any decent shots was because I couldn't get them in focus.
The reason I couldn't get them in focus was because my 580 EXII's AF assist beam wasn't firing, even though it was working fine on my 450D which my daughter was using.
I just sat down to start writing a snotty email to the supplier demanding that they replace it forthwith.
Fortunately, a thought suddenly occurred to me just in time... Turns out flashes don't fire AF beams when the AF mode is set to servo.
Anyone else managed to monumentally cock up their camera settings and only realised days later what they'd done wrong, or is it just me?
Kermit power said:
I did a fair bit of ranting and raving at my new 7D on Sunday because I couldn't get any decent shots of my son and his mate at the banger racing in Wimbledon.
The reason I couldn't get any decent shots was because I couldn't get them in focus.
The reason I couldn't get them in focus was because my 580 EXII's AF assist beam wasn't firing, even though it was working fine on my 450D which my daughter was using.
I just sat down to start writing a snotty email to the supplier demanding that they replace it forthwith.
Fortunately, a thought suddenly occurred to me just in time... Turns out flashes don't fire AF beams when the AF mode is set to servo.
Anyone else managed to monumentally cock up their camera settings and only realised days later what they'd done wrong, or is it just me?
Yes, lots!The reason I couldn't get any decent shots was because I couldn't get them in focus.
The reason I couldn't get them in focus was because my 580 EXII's AF assist beam wasn't firing, even though it was working fine on my 450D which my daughter was using.
I just sat down to start writing a snotty email to the supplier demanding that they replace it forthwith.
Fortunately, a thought suddenly occurred to me just in time... Turns out flashes don't fire AF beams when the AF mode is set to servo.
Anyone else managed to monumentally cock up their camera settings and only realised days later what they'd done wrong, or is it just me?
In your example though, it sounds like you were doing the right thing in that you're going to need servo focus for action and an AF lamp isn't going to help you much. Or have I read that wrong and your son wasn't competing, you were just taking shots of him watching?
My mistakes, usually revolve around leaving my ISO at some ludicrous setting and it taking an embarrassingly long time to realise. Also had a few VR shots on a tripod that look like an impressionist painting!
And probably the worst mistake I've ever made, shot my one and only wedding a few weeks back. Used a D2X for some shots, didn't realise I'd left it in 'high speed crop mode'. Result: 200 terribly framed tight crop shots boasting a monster 5mp each! Luckily had plenty of other shots to fall back on.
Gad-Westy said:
In your example though, it sounds like you were doing the right thing in that you're going to need servo focus for action and an AF lamp isn't going to help you much. Or have I read that wrong and your son wasn't competing, you were just taking shots of him watching?
He's only 7, so I'd have a whole other set of worries if he'd been out on the track! 
I was happily trying out the high ISO performance and AF capabilities of the new camera when I got a text from my wife saying "make sure you take some pictures of the boys as well, not just the bloody cars"!
Kermit power said:
He's only 7, so I'd have a whole other set of worries if he'd been out on the track!
I was happily trying out the high ISO performance and AF capabilities of the new camera when I got a text from my wife saying "make sure you take some pictures of the boys as well, not just the bloody cars"!
Ahh, that makes sense! Guess it was pretty dark? I was happily trying out the high ISO performance and AF capabilities of the new camera when I got a text from my wife saying "make sure you take some pictures of the boys as well, not just the bloody cars"!
Forgetting I have iso at some four figure number from the last time I used it is a favourite of mine.
Dropping (well the zip on my bad splitting) my D90 with 10-20 attached, 24-70 2.8 and 70-300 on a hard tiled floor and watching them bounce around caused me to turn the air blue.
Cost me 160 notes to fix the 70-300, which I had at that point only really used once.
Dropping (well the zip on my bad splitting) my D90 with 10-20 attached, 24-70 2.8 and 70-300 on a hard tiled floor and watching them bounce around caused me to turn the air blue.
Cost me 160 notes to fix the 70-300, which I had at that point only really used once.
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