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Am I the only one
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Jan 28, 2016 11:13:17   #
boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander
 
All the various makers brag about the number and configuration of their focus points. I find the both distracting and not at all helpful. As a result I use center spot focus as well as spot metering in my 7d. Am I the only and what,if anything , am I missing. I come from 4 or 5 decades of film with split image film focus screens, and spot metering both in camera and with light meters. Am I alone? (Please pardon the bad syntax- I'm to lazy to go back and correct them)

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Jan 28, 2016 11:25:00   #
bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.
 
I change the focus point all the time, sometimes I want the whole scene but I want the focus on something to a side or top etc . Sometimes I just cant center what Im shooting....

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Jan 28, 2016 11:28:45   #
rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
 
Interesting question. For me the answer depends on the camera and what I'm doing at the time. Shooting birds in flight I usually use the center group of focus points. Shooting stationary birds I tend to use either the center point or manually select a point.

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Jan 28, 2016 11:29:03   #
mjmjam Loc: Michigan
 
I pretty much do the thing except I am shooting with Fuji X-e2 I like the old adage. KISS

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Jan 28, 2016 11:30:23   #
ecrocker1
 
you are not the only one. Maybe I'm missing something, but after many years of portrait and wedding photography, I like you don't see any need.

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Jan 28, 2016 11:38:54   #
boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander
 
rmorrison1116 wrote:
Interesting question. For me the answer depends on the camera and what I'm doing at the time. Shooting birds in flight I usually use the center group of focus points. Shooting stationary birds I tend to use either the center point or manually select a point.


I don't shoot BIF for several reasons. But mostly I stink at it. I shoot mostly landscapes(they don't move)

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Jan 28, 2016 11:41:03   #
mallen1330 Loc: Chicago western suburbs
 
IMO, it depends on your subject and the purpose of your photograph. Architectural & real estate photos in general must be in total focus - wide range DOF. So multiple point focusing (and metering) usually works best. For "arty" shots, narrow DOF and out-of-focus backgrounds, single point spot focus probably works better.

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Jan 28, 2016 11:41:12   #
jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ
 
I change mine all the time too. Center is probably used the most, but I use 5 spots and up as well.

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Jan 28, 2016 11:42:23   #
mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey
 
boberic wrote:
All the various makers brag about the number and configuration of their focus points. I find the both distracting and not at all helpful. As a result I use center spot focus as well as spot metering in my 7d. Am I the only and what,if anything , am I missing. I come from 4 or 5 decades of film with split image film focus screens, and spot metering both in camera and with light meters. Am I alone? (Please pardon the bad syntax- I'm to lazy to go back and correct them)

It really depends on what you're shooting, how you're composing and whether or not your subject is moving.

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Jan 28, 2016 11:51:16   #
OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR
 
boberic wrote:
I shoot mostly landscapes(they don't move)

But you're not in California. :-D
I use AF-C nine-point for moving targets but it works equally well on stationary targets. There was an interesting article this morning on Digital Photography School about focus and recompose, but that's nothing new to older shooters anyway.
http://digital-photography-school.com/understanding-focus-recompose-technique/

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Jan 28, 2016 11:55:55   #
speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho
 
boberic wrote:
All the various makers brag about the number and configuration of their focus points. I find the both distracting and not at all helpful. As a result I use center spot focus as well as spot metering in my 7d. Am I the only and what,if anything , am I missing. I come from 4 or 5 decades of film with split image film focus screens, and spot metering both in camera and with light meters. Am I alone? (Please pardon the bad syntax- I'm to lazy to go back and correct them)
I love multiple points, when I'm shooting BIF for example, I have my finger on my joystick while following the bird in the VF, and with the joystick, I can always keep one focus point over the eye/eyes of that bird. That would be a lot harder to do, with using only the central point!

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Jan 28, 2016 12:15:12   #
SharpShooter Loc: NorCal
 
bdk wrote:
I change the focus point all the time, sometimes I want the whole scene but I want the focus on something to a side or top etc . Sometimes I just cant center what Im shooting....


You guys sound like old fashion boring shooters. What do you do, shoot everything at f8 in the center of the frame??
I shoot a ton of portraits and often change my point for every shot and framing. If you are shooting very shallow dof, what do you do, recompose to get your subject out of the center? Recomposing is NOT even close to accurate enough with a fast lens shot up close.
And with birds, what, they are always in the center? Do you compose purely by cropping?!
Say a tight shot of three race cars at speed(pick any subject here), not moving left to right but coming at a diagonal at you. With center focus you have to have the lead car in the center then crop it tight in post thus losing all your pixels. Using a point on the edge you can make that shot tight in-camera. It's what gives a shot that WOW look!! Tight and sharp!
These kinds of statements just illustrate the un-versatility of the shooter and their lack of knowledge of using their gear, and I fear too many are going to agree with you!!
If you think you are a good photographer, at least talk like you are!!! That's my 2 cent perspective!!! :lol:
SS

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Jan 28, 2016 12:44:02   #
BebuLamar
 
You certainly are not alone. I only use AF when focusing isn't critical. I hate using the center focus point just like in the film days I never used the center split image. I manually focus anywhere on the screen. Back in the film days the first thing I bought after I bought the camera is a plain focusing screen without the split image.

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Jan 28, 2016 12:51:29   #
mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)
 
I learned to focus and recompose many years ago and I haven't found any good reason to unlearn it. I usually don't have or don't want to take the time to move the focus point around. I also find that focusing on the point I want in focus and then moving it to the place in the composition where I want it located makes me think about composition more clearly. Back button focus is one of the greatest innovations in DSLR development for shooters like me - don't have to worry about easing up on the half-pressed shutter button while recomposing. Now with birds in flight its a different matter and I use multiple focus points.

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Jan 28, 2016 13:31:18   #
boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander
 
SharpShooter wrote:
You guys sound like old fashion boring shooters. What do you do, shoot everything at f8 in the center of the frame??
I shoot a ton of portraits and often change my point for every shot and framing. If you are shooting very shallow dof, what do you do, recompose to get your subject out of the center? Recomposing is NOT even close to accurate enough with a fast lens shot up close.
And with birds, what, they are always in the center? Do you compose purely by cropping?!
Say a tight shot of three race cars at speed(pick any subject here), not moving left to right but coming at a diagonal at you. With center focus you have to have the lead car in the center then crop it tight in post thus losing all your pixels. Using a point on the edge you can make that shot tight in-camera. It's what gives a shot that WOW look!! Tight and sharp!
These kinds of statements just illustrate the un-versatility of the shooter and their lack of knowledge of using their gear, and I fear too many are going to agree with you!!
If you think you are a good photographer, at least talk like you are!!! That's my 2 cent perspective!!! :lol:
SS
You guys sound like old fashion boring shooters. W... (show quote)


No reason to get hostile. If you use all the focus spots wht happens if the highlighted spots are not where you want the main focus to be- you must recompose anyway. Thats why I like bbf. Focus and recompose. Thats just me. Different strokes---. if the makers thought that multifocus points was the only way to go, why do they allow center focus in the first place- different strokes----

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