Is it just me that only ever uses center point focus?!

personally I never let the camera choose....... more than often I will use centre point - focus on what i want to focus on, lock it and them compose.............

However with portrait stuff, I tend to use the focal point, 1 to the right of centre (only 11 on my camera) as when camera is in portrait, the focal point is nearer the top of the frame.

For things such as landscapes normally f8 or above so the focal point is fairly irrelevent considering the distances to horizon etc, though obviously there are exceptions to the "rules"
 
I choose the focus point every single time I take a shot - seems I am in a minority and doubted myself for about five seconds, but then it works for me so I won't change!
 
Sorry to appear to be a div - and categorically not being argumentative, but Slimbert fried my brain today, and i've been herding cats (again)

What's the issue with shooting wide open, centre point focus and recompose? Why is it so wrong?
 
Lynton said:
Sorry to appear to be a div - and categorically not being argumentative, but Slimbert fried my brain today, and i've been herding cats (again)

What's the issue with shooting wide open, centre point focus and recompose? Why is it so wrong?
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I can't tell you why it is so wrong for other people but for me my maiin subjects are a 9 month old and a 2 year old. Neither of then stay still. I have to track focus constantly because my point of focus is changing every second. Their eye is never compositionally in the centre so therefore if I were doing focus decompose I'd be jerking back and fourth every second and wouldn't be able to track focus at all tomes, at 1.4 when my dof is less than 10cm i'd be getting more misses than hits
 
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j37r said:
Mine's been on centre point focus since I bought the camera 5 years ago.

Like Ed stated, that is all we have on film SLR's which I still use.


John:)
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Yes...but on the split screen prism we had a larger area for central focussing rather than the single small AF points we have now - so that would almost be like the AF assist or the grouping these days? Canon call it AF area mode.
 
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Back focus button is used a lot by sports photographers, often for fast moving sports. A good article on it's use is here:
http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2011/backbutton_af_article.shtml

But - photography has such a wide range of applications that settings, focus points etc change for everything you do, plus there's always the opportunity to be creative/different. It's also about using what you feel comfortable with and shooting within those constraints of your kit (and possibly talent/experience). If you're comfortable and at one with your camera you'll concentrate more on the shot rather than what your camera is doing.

You see these threads on 'what's the best settings for' like a camera has a holy grail mode for any occasion. (Having said that my Canon D10 point and shoot seems to have an auto mode for ever possible situation - I suppose that might be where it's coming from as people step up?)

For me, photography is about the final image, it doesn't matter what I used or how I got it.
 
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On a kind-of-related point, whatever happened to eye-controlled focus point selection? IIRC, the Canon EOS3 was released with this feature and it seemed to work pretty well when I tried it in a camera shop but it seems to have died with that camera.

Did anyone use it and what were the issues? I can imagine it'd be rather annoying if you're looking around the frame to check what's in shot and the camera keeps re-focusing as your eye moves.
 
I choose my AF point every time. I only have a spread of five so I'll choose one dead on, or nearest to my focal plane, and then if necessary I'll lock AF and recompose with the planes new set distance in mind. If that doesn't work for me I'll go manual. …. then nearly always forget to go back to AF on the next shot..
 
Sorry if I am being thick but could someone explain back button focus and "locking" focus for me please?

I have had a look at the link posted above re back button focus and I still don't really understand what you would gain by doing this?

I have a Nikon D60 if that makes any difference...

I will dig out the manual too and look into the locking of focus points as I am sure that is somehing I should have been using for a long time!! Obviously missed that when I read the manual :bonk:
 
Daysleeper40 said:
Sorry if I am being thick but could someone explain back button focus and "locking" focus for me please?

I have had a look at the link posted above re back button focus and I still don't really understand what you would gain by doing this?

I have a Nikon D60 if that makes any difference...

I will dig out the manual too and look into the locking of focus points as I am sure that is somehing I should have been using for a long time!! Obviously missed that when I read the manual :bonk:
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Basically it locks the focus in IA servo mode (not sure what its called on a Nikon)so if something come between you and the subject it wont try to focus on it, IE your focused on a goalie and a player runs between you and the goalie it wont try to focus on the player
 
Byker28i said:
You see these threads on 'what's the best settings for' like a camera has a holy grail mode for any occasion. (Having said that my Canon D10 point and shoot seems to have an auto mode for ever possible situation - I suppose that might be where it's coming from as people step up?)
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Combine that lot with auto ISO and the debate is now won ... Point and shoot technology can near guarantee every shot is well exposed and in focus. Its all good I think, when I were a lad, my first camera you’d set the distance by placing one foot in front of the other and count out the distance… Nowadays I’m like, oh praise the god of segmented auto focus points and back focus buttons, long live the high speed AF and multi AF lock buttons, the power and the glory to evaluative metering.
 
i try to pick my af point for each shot, there are nine there to be used and they are pretty much pointless if you never use them. for portraits i'll use the point closest to the nearest eye when the shot is composed, for kids running about i'll use centre point and stop down a bit for a bit more dof. i loved having the ability to change the af point on my 30d without taking it from my eye and use that feature as an integral part of my phototaking process, it's so much easier when it comes to framing a shot.

i switch between 'one shot' and 'ai servo' as well but always use back button focussing.

just like joe i'm a product of the features my camera offers me, and why shouldn't i be? a camera is just another tool to be used, and if one person finds a way to use that tool which works for them then i'm not going to patronise him/her by saying "but my way is better!". it's only better for YOU not everyone
 
edit ... miss read and removed.

Fi. The AF lock is usually the little button just to the right of the viewfinder above where your thumb would be. Marked AE/AF lock (auto exposure. auto focus. lock) You'll need to go into the menu and set the lock buttons preference, default is locking both I think, which is how I usually have mine set as it aids control of the exposure also. .
 
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I use my focus points, mainly its centre but then again not everything can be shot using centre so I change it to suit my needs,

spike
 
Just Dave said:
Basically it locks the focus in IA servo mode (not sure what its called on a Nikon)so if something come between you and the subject it wont try to focus on it, IE your focused on a goalie and a player runs between you and the goalie it wont try to focus on the player
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Thanks Dave - that makes sense now. I guess I will give it a try and see how I get on.

I should probably answer the original question too - I use the centre point 95% of the time and as my D60 only has 3 focus points I have no experience of the more complicated offerings.
 
Just Dave said:
Basically it locks the focus in IA servo mode (not sure what its called on a Nikon)
Click to expand...

On Nikons it's usually labelled AF(c) ('c' for continuous with the '()' signifying subscript text), on the Focus selector along with AF(s) ('s' for 'single', 'single shot', 'simple', or 'shutter release' whatever you think fits best - I don't think the terminology is spelt out in the manual) and M (for manual).

Annoyingly the AF-l is a hold-to-lock with no other option (when it's used for AE lock, you can toggle it between hold-to-lock and 'lock / release' presses in the menus, it would have been nice for a lock/release option for AF too). Thankfully using the back-button AF and disabling the shutter release focusing gets it pretty much to where you'd have it with a lock/release setup.

(Having anything a requirement to hold a (another) button down just introduces more camera shake, IMO, somewhat negating the point of an auto-focus lock)
 
Lynton said:
Sorry to appear to be a div - and categorically not being argumentative, but Slimbert fried my brain today, and i've been herding cats (again)

What's the issue with shooting wide open, centre point focus and recompose? Why is it so wrong?
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beacuse shooting a wide apature like f2.8 and bigger focus and recompose can give errors, as said by joe when you only
have 10cm it doesnt take alot to have the focus off.http://visual-vacations.com/Photography/focus-recompose_sucks.htm
 
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Forbiddenbiker said:
Fi. You'll need to go into the menu and set the lock buttons preference, default is locking both I think, which is how I usually have mine set as it aids control of the exposure also. .
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Yeah sorry forgot to mention that Adam :thumbs:

Daysleeper40 said:
Thanks Dave - that makes sense now. I guess I will give it a try and see how I get on.
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Pleased it helps Fi :thumbs:

NikkiA said:
On Nikons it's usually labelled AF(c) ('c' for continuous with the '()' signifying subscript text), on the Focus selector along with AF(s) ('s' for 'single', 'single shot', 'simple', or 'shutter release' whatever you think fits best - I don't think the terminology is spelt out in the manual) and M (for manual).
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Thanks Nikki, not as I'll ever need it as I'll never get a Nikon unless I won one in a competition or something, but good foe Nikki and other nikon users to know :thumbs:
 
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