| Author | Thread |
|
|
07/04/2007 11:57:54 AM · #1 |
Thanks to all who answered earlier
I have one last question:
Since I am a first time SLR user, I'm not used to having multiple autofocus zones. Does the 3-point autofocus in the D40 vs. the 7 points in the XT really matter? Particularly in tracking moving subjects, will I actaully see an advantage in the Canon?
I've had a chance to play with both of these cameras in the store, but not any real world shooting with either... |
|
|
|
07/04/2007 12:05:28 PM · #2 |
| I actually had the chance to use a D40x last week and found the autofocus to be suprisingly adept even with only the three points. If you want finer manual control you'd probably not like it, but it's really not as bad as I expected. |
|
|
|
07/04/2007 12:22:21 PM · #3 |
yes it matters.
You don't want all your subjects centered in the frame, so you need to have focus points where you want the focus to be.
3 points are arranged one left 1/3, one center, one right third when holding the camera in landscape mode. not bad, but I tend to put faces of people in the TOP of the frame - and there is NO focus sensor there, is there?
Now turn the camera to portrait mode - three sensors aligned vertically. NO sensor to the left or right at all...
So focus and recompose, right? Wrong. //visual-vacations.com/Photography/focus-recompose_sucks.htm
the 7 points on the Canon are well positioned for both orientations whether you select a point manually (my preferred method) or let the AF system choose.
I tend to shoot wide open, so accurate placement of the focal point is important as there is little DOF to cover focus errors. More points is also great for action shots. If you shoot still subjects, centered, at F8 then three points is probably sufficient - but then that's the standard description of a snapshot isn't it?
|
|
|
|
07/04/2007 12:40:04 PM · #4 |
damn, yesterday i was shooting at a theater play with my nikkor 85f1.8, most of the shots were taken at the widest aperture and almost half of the shots were slightly out of focus. now i know why!!!
but on the other hand, the off-centered focus points (one centered, 4 off- centered on my d50) really suck, especially in low light situations, so i have no idea, how well those work on the d40x...
Message edited by author 2007-07-04 12:40:53. |
|
|
|
07/04/2007 12:42:37 PM · #5 |
Thanks Prof
That explains things very well for me - your link was excellent. Given this difference (and lens availability, etc...) the Canon it is! |
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 07/20/2025 05:52:04 PM EDT.
