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05/28/2005 08:08:09 AM · #1 |
| The DSLRs being made today are coming out with multi-point sensors in the viewfinder to help focus on moving subjects. Some have as many as 45 or as few as three. My older Olympus DSLR has just one. Do you use AFPS and do you find it to be helpful? Do they work well, or do you find that the system is focusing on the wrong subject, such as background? Are all those little boxes in the viewfinder annoying to view through? I can see the system being helpful for wildlife shooting but not sure about other subjects. Feel free to post pics of subjects you don't think you could have captured without AFPS. |
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05/28/2005 08:41:56 AM · #2 |
i pretty much have it set only to use the center focus point and rarely change it. the auto select i dont really like, i find its more of a hastle than helpful. on my elan 7e i leave it on the eye control function which rocks, wish they would bring that to a dslr.
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05/28/2005 08:56:46 AM · #3 |
my camera as Custom features, so:
In studio, in Manual mode: Centre afp only
Outsitde in A/v mode for fun: Centre grouping of 7 afp
For fast moving subject: lateral (depending on the way I will tend to pan) gouping of 29 afp
I've never used the full AFP selection but I know many people who do. It's really a lot about what you shoot...when you don't have time to recompose after focus...several AF points are really useful |
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05/28/2005 09:18:22 AM · #4 |
| But how does the camera know what to focus on with all those points enabled? It could be that there are as many misses as there are correctly focused shots due to the camera choosing the wrong focus point. Does this system take out all of the focusing control of the photographer? |
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05/28/2005 10:01:24 AM · #5 |
Originally posted by Olyuzi:
But how does the camera know what to focus on with all those points enabled? It could be that there are as many misses as there are correctly focused shots due to the camera choosing the wrong focus point. Does this system take out all of the focusing control of the photographer? |
I can select which focus point I want to use or use em all, which can be, as Evan says, a bit of a hassle. You can also switch to manual focus if your lense supports this function.
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05/28/2005 10:34:01 AM · #6 |
Originally posted by Gil P:
my camera as Custom features, so:
In studio, in Manual mode: Centre afp only
Outsitde in A/v mode for fun: Centre grouping of 7 afp
For fast moving subject: lateral (depending on the way I will tend to pan) gouping of 29 afp
I've never used the full AFP selection but I know many people who do. It's really a lot about what you shoot...when you don't have time to recompose after focus...several AF points are really useful |
I'm with you on that, anyone who's ever had eye controlled focus on a canon SLR knows how awesome this is. Thats one of the biggest reasons I've decided to pass on the 20D, in hopes that the 30D will offer an "E" version.
Are you listening Canon? |
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05/28/2005 10:34:56 AM · #7 |
Originally posted by longlivenyhc:
i pretty much have it set only to use the center focus point and rarely change it. the auto select i dont really like, i find its more of a hastle than helpful. on my elan 7e i leave it on the eye control function which rocks, wish they would bring that to a dslr. |
Ooops meant to quote this passage, sorry |
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05/28/2005 11:32:58 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by photodude:
Originally posted by Gil P:
my camera as Custom features, so:
In studio, in Manual mode: Centre afp only
Outsitde in A/v mode for fun: Centre grouping of 7 afp
For fast moving subject: lateral (depending on the way I will tend to pan) gouping of 29 afp
I've never used the full AFP selection but I know many people who do. It's really a lot about what you shoot...when you don't have time to recompose after focus...several AF points are really useful |
I'm with you on that, anyone who's ever had eye controlled focus on a canon SLR knows how awesome this is. Thats one of the biggest reasons I've decided to pass on the 20D, in hopes that the 30D will offer an "E" version.
Are you listening Canon? |
This is NOT going to happen for any camera body that has the pro or serious amateur in mind... Eye sensors are cool gadgets, but when you recompose a shot and look at the headroom and side room your screwed...I would never use such a system. |
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05/28/2005 03:16:30 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by Olyuzi:
But how does the camera know what to focus on with all those points enabled? It could be that there are as many misses as there are correctly focused shots due to the camera choosing the wrong focus point. Does this system take out all of the focusing control of the photographer? |
My only DSLR experience is with the 20D. It has 9 afp's arranged in a diamond with one in the center. You can easily select any one of them or enable all and let the camera decide which to use. With all enabled it supposedly picks the closest one to focus on. When using the default one-shot focus mode it focuses accurately almost all of the time. When using the A1 Servo mode of AF, which tracks moving subjects, misses are more common. The tracking works better the more light you have to work with. The faster the subject moves, the more difficult it is to keep the camera pointed correctly so that the focus points fall on the target. Smaller subjects sometimes fit between focus points and it will focus on the bg. With practice you learn what it is not capable of and you don't try to shoot those shots.
The software that came with it, EOS Viewer Utility, has a feature that will show the focus points superimposed on your images, and the one(s) the camera used will be red while the others are black, very sililiar to what you see in the viewfinder. When I started paying more attention to this feature in viewing images my percentage of mis-focused shots went down.
On the whole I am very pleased with 20D's AF system, but I recognize that it has shortcomings and I can see where the 45 afp models should have an advantage.
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05/28/2005 03:59:07 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by Gil P:
Originally posted by photodude:
Originally posted by Gil P:
my camera as Custom features, so:
In studio, in Manual mode: Centre afp only
Outsitde in A/v mode for fun: Centre grouping of 7 afp
For fast moving subject: lateral (depending on the way I will tend to pan) gouping of 29 afp
I've never used the full AFP selection but I know many people who do. It's really a lot about what you shoot...when you don't have time to recompose after focus...several AF points are really useful |
I'm with you on that, anyone who's ever had eye controlled focus on a canon SLR knows how awesome this is. Thats one of the biggest reasons I've decided to pass on the 20D, in hopes that the 30D will offer an "E" version.
Are you listening Canon? |
This is NOT going to happen for any camera body that has the pro or serious amateur in mind... Eye sensors are cool gadgets, but when you recompose a shot and look at the headroom and side room your screwed...I would never use such a system. |
Eye Control might be a gimick in the studio or when you are working on a tripod, but in action and / or handheld situations the technology really does work. Your eye can pick the desired focusing point much faster than your finger can move a dial |
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05/29/2005 09:04:47 AM · #11 |
Originally posted by photodude:
Originally posted by Gil P:
Originally posted by photodude:
Originally posted by Gil P:
my camera as Custom features, so:
In studio, in Manual mode: Centre afp only
Outsitde in A/v mode for fun: Centre grouping of 7 afp
For fast moving subject: lateral (depending on the way I will tend to pan) gouping of 29 afp
I've never used the full AFP selection but I know many people who do. It's really a lot about what you shoot...when you don't have time to recompose after focus...several AF points are really useful |
I'm with you on that, anyone who's ever had eye controlled focus on a canon SLR knows how awesome this is. Thats one of the biggest reasons I've decided to pass on the 20D, in hopes that the 30D will offer an "E" version.
Are you listening Canon? |
This is NOT going to happen for any camera body that has the pro or serious amateur in mind... Eye sensors are cool gadgets, but when you recompose a shot and look at the headroom and side room your screwed...I would never use such a system. |
Eye Control might be a gimick in the studio or when you are working on a tripod, but in action and / or handheld situations the technology really does work. Your eye can pick the desired focusing point much faster than your finger can move a dial |
This is not the position of sports shooters, who much rather have a quality 45+ AF system.... because on a long focal range lens, it would be impractical (if not impossible) for the shooter to mentally choose, then look in the chosen quandrant, then give the time to the AI to correctly focus. |
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