How do you auto focus with this camera. Do you use the full 9 point focus system, or just the center spot?
Canon 400D focus.
- Thread starter Kim
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Depends what you want to do. I use all focus points individually depending on my needs. I rarely use all of the points lit up, but that can be helpful.
pakman
Contributor
Really depends on what you are shooting. 1 note, the 400D's center focus pt is a cross type and more sensitive than the other 8, especially with fast lenses (f2.8).
For fast moving objects (hyperactive kids, etcs) , I would either leave all pts on and set the drive to AI Servo (the camera will try to track the subject on screen and keep it in focus).
Landscape - maybe all points.
For portraits and macro where you have more time to setup the shot, select the nearest focus point to where you want it in focus (e.g. eyes, flower, etc...).
Sometimes, I'll just leave the center focus point on, lock focus and recompose (maybe along with center weighted metering). That's kind of the old fashion way. Works sometimes, but can lead to slightly losing focus as you recompose if you're not careful with shallow depth of field shots.
Best to just get a nice big CF card and shoot away and experiment... There is a nice feature in the enclosed Canon DPP software where it will show which AF pt was selected for the shot...
OP
Nice post....thanks.
I think I'm still fairly locked in to the above "old fashioned" method. It's how I always used my Oly C5050. Trying to use the Canon is different somehow and producing exactly the kind of effects you just described above. Maybe it's simply less forgiving (more accurate?) than the Oly.
There are a few examples of the problem over here. At the end of the day though I'm beginning to think that the main problem is me. I think I need to work on getting the camera really still. Shallow DOF isn't that easy!
pakman
Contributor
deleted... oops, double post
pakman
Contributor
Ah, insect macros... Without seeing the exif info, its hard to say. Presuming you are using a wide aperture/ shallow DOF, a slight camera shake can throw it off focus. A lot of times, its not the AF that's the problem but camera shake, especially with slow shutter speeds. If you're not using an IS (image stabilization) lens or tripod, make sure the shutter speed is fast enough. Don't hesitate to up the ISO to even 800 in order to get a fast enough shutter.
OP
Slowest shutter speed was 1/200.