AF S v AF C

[BoltSnap]

Thanks boltsnap, there is age appropriate diving near me, it's called the swimming pool!!!!!!

Another issue is that I don't like hanging around with old people, and anything that has 'age appropriate' written on it I avoid like the plague..

If you can make it to the Red Sea, I'll meet you there. There are nice places with very easy shore diving and staff that is very eager to help. You have Aqaba in Jordan and Egypt's Red Sea.

I pray to Allah to give you good health to enjoy diving for decades to come.

 

[Ardy]

Thanks Boltsnap, I am just hoping to enjoy the last 40-50 dives next year. I am hoping to have a party at LDR, to farewell all the staff and dive guides who have made the last years in Tulamben so rewarding.
Thanks for the request to Allah, but the inevitable is called that for a reason! I would be happy if he can provide me with a comfortable farewell to the wonders of this world.

 

[Wobbegong_th]

@Ardy I'm wishing you good health. I wish I would be able to continue travel & dive at your age...

 

[Ardy]

@Ardy I'm wishing you good health. I wish I would be able to continue travel & dive at your age...

Guys, thanks for the kind words b,ut my main interest is whether AF-C is better than AF-S and if any of you are using AF-C ?

 

[Wobbegong_th]

Guys, thanks for the kind words b,ut my main interest is whether AF-C is better than AF-S and if any of you are using AF-C ?

So far, I'd use AF-C only for Video. Result so far kind of depending on several factor, e.g. Water clarity, focus distraction, lens mechanism, etc. Sometimes particles in the water was quite large and it distract the focus from the main subject - and cause focus-hunting afterward.. However, for Supermacro subjects like in tulamben, and mostly clear water there, I think it should work.
Another factor would be the ability to hold the housing and rig relatively still so that focus hunting wasn't caused by camera movement itself. I'd seen some friends add a short stub of a ball arm under the tray to assist as tripod for muck dive sites like tulamben.

 

[d^2b]

I don't know if this helps, but almost all of the macro photos in this collection are done with AF-C

Sogod Bay, May 2025

With same camera, but different subjects, mainly AF-S

Turks and Caicos, April 2025

It is probably true that the AF-C collection in Sogod bay benefits from more interesting subjects, some coaching, and some practice, so it's not really a fair comparison. None of these have any support (muck stick / tripod / monopod), although I'm thinking of adding something for my next muck centric trip.

 

[grantmac]

For muck I'd be looking at a quadrapod of some sort. There is a good thread on waterpixels.

The subjects when I was in Tulamben offered more than enough contrast for AF-C to be effective.

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

With my EM5 iii I use back-button AF-C focus with tracking ('C-AF TR') spread over a small box (9 focus points) or cross (5 points):

• Keep the focus button down and focus stays locked on the subject, despite both its movements, and my own cameras movements as I recompose the shot (and/or am moved by the surge).
• Take my thumb off the focus button and focus stays locked on what ever distance it was focused at.

I used to use AF-S but I find the above provides the best of both worlds - tracking of a moving subject, even as I move and recompose, and the control to lock focus at one fixed distance/point.

This set up also allows me to take the shot regardless of if focus lock has been achieved: such as when recomposing the shot after focus but before pressing the shutter, or just shooting wide angle with a small aperture where I'm more concerned about getting the composition right than waiting for precise focus lock at wherever the focus points so happen to be...

Cheers
Rohan.

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Another issue is that I don't like hanging around with old people, and anything that has 'age appropriate' written on it I avoid like the plague..

Folks don't stop diving because they get 'old'.
They get 'old' because they stop diving.


Cheers
Rohan

 

[d^2b]

For muck I'd be looking at a quadrapod of some sort. There is a good thread on waterpixels.

Do you have a link? I couldn't find the thread in a quick search.