Focus ONE spot or multiple?
Apr 16, 2019 05:49:34 #
Resqu2
Loc: SW Va
When I shot with a canon 6D all I ever used was the center point and never had an issues. Now that I’m using a 5D4 I find myself using the different blocks for different shots. Still like the center point though.
Apr 16, 2019 06:32:41 #
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
elliott937 wrote:
For years, in using my Canon DSLRs, I've always turned off the gazillion focusing squares and elected for just one in the center. I suppose if photographing a moving subject, moving either toward or away from the camera would be a perfect time to have the gazillion squares turned on. For me, I prefer to have just one focusing square and have total control. Am I missing something? Or, do many of you turn off all but one of the focusing squares?
For birds in flight, using one spot is sometimes hard to use because of the erratic flight. I use GROUP AUTO FOCUS, which show 4 spots in the middle of the viewfinder, but actually there are a tight group of 16 within that. So I use this for birds in flight.
I do use single spot focusing for a bird in branches, I simply push my back button focus, which I have assigned to a single spot focus, put that one spot on the bird, and it is in focus.
Apr 16, 2019 06:36:55 #
Apr 16, 2019 06:41:42 #
elliott937 wrote:
For years, in using my Canon DSLRs, I've always turned off the gazillion focusing squares and elected for just one in the center. I suppose if photographing a moving subject, moving either toward or away from the camera would be a perfect time to have the gazillion squares turned on. For me, I prefer to have just one focusing square and have total control. Am I missing something? Or, do many of you turn off all but one of the focusing squares?
I use centered single point focus most often in single shot mode. For slow moving objects I use continuous mode and move the square to fit the composition. For fast moving sports I use multi-point continuous since it’s too hard to hold a single square on a moving face or body. It will miss focus maybe 20% of the time but still yields the best results for me.
Apr 16, 2019 06:46:54 #
elliott937 wrote:
For years, in using my Canon DSLRs, I've always turned off the gazillion focusing squares and elected for just one in the center. I suppose if photographing a moving subject, moving either toward or away from the camera would be a perfect time to have the gazillion squares turned on. For me, I prefer to have just one focusing square and have total control. Am I missing something? Or, do many of you turn off all but one of the focusing squares?
One view point I have read, is when shooting a Portrait, focus on the Eye. Other than that, as a beginner, I am still learning from other well seasoned and Experienced Photographers.
Apr 16, 2019 06:54:36 #
Apr 16, 2019 06:59:21 #
Apr 16, 2019 07:05:29 #
Delderby wrote:
Single point for me every time - plus focus lock - and/or it's so easy to move the point round the touch screen with my M43 - either for auto or manual focus. After all, the camera can only focus on one point - why trust to luck? especially with up-market lenses. I don't use BBF, but is there any point (ouch)! when using multiple focus areas?
Only if you want to re-compose after focusing.
My "points" are usually never where I need/want them, so I only use the one.
Apr 16, 2019 07:06:24 #
Apr 16, 2019 07:12:14 #
elliott937 wrote:
For years, in using my Canon DSLRs, I've always turned off the gazillion focusing squares and elected for just one in the center. I suppose if photographing a moving subject, moving either toward or away from the camera would be a perfect time to have the gazillion squares turned on. For me, I prefer to have just one focusing square and have total control. Am I missing something? Or, do many of you turn off all but one of the focusing squares?
On my Canon 5D Mark IV I use the single point and the point expansion (single point with additional points immediately around the single point and the Automatic Selection (AF points are selected throughout the entire area, (for large groups))
Apr 16, 2019 07:18:13 #
Doing landscapes and using the rule of thirds makes one-point, centered focusing problematic.
Apr 16, 2019 07:25:55 #
tommclaughlin wrote:
Doing landscapes and using the rule of thirds makes one-point, centered focusing problematic.
Depends on your system - with M43 you can move your single point to wherever you want it within the frame. However, with DSLRs you can still lock focus and re-compose?
Apr 16, 2019 07:27:14 #
tommclaughlin wrote:
Doing landscapes and using the rule of thirds makes one-point, centered focusing problematic.
To clarify, you're comment applies to shooting with the camera on a tripod, right? Otherwise you can just move the camera to put the center point on the focus target, focus/lock focus and recompose to get your rule of thirds....
Apr 16, 2019 07:30:51 #
srt101fan wrote:
To clarify, you're comment applies to shooting with the camera on a tripod, right? Otherwise you can just move the camera to put the center point on the focus target, focus/lock focus and recompose to get your rule of thirds....
I'm not sure that there should be a problem doing as you suggest with the camera on a tripod?
Apr 16, 2019 07:46:40 #
Delderby wrote:
I'm not sure that there should be a problem doing as you suggest with the camera on a tripod?
I don't shoot with a tripod very often, but I assume that it would impair your ability to move the camera to get the center point on target and then move the camera again to recompose. So I assume that tripod shooters set up the camera to compose, and then move the focus point, not the camera, to allow focusing on the target, wherever that might be....
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