Camera Labs

The autofocus will always focus where you want it to. You just need to know how to do it. Check your manual for instructions on how to do this. And if you haven't read the whole thing before I advise you do this. It can be very helpful at times.

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550D + 18 - 55mm kitlens
50 mm F1.8
I apologize in advance for my poor spelling..

I prefer the old school method of manual focus.

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Canon EOS 500D
Lenses: EFS 18-55mm IS, EF 50mm F/1.8 II

With Live View? Old school

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Ruben

Panasonic DMC-FZ18, Panasonic DMC-FZ28, Canon G5, Canon 350D, Canon 50D + BG-E2N
Tamron 17-50 2.8, Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM,
Canon 18-55 II plus lots of Minolta MD/M42 lenses and bodies

lol.

tbh you can't beat the viewfinder imho. I AM OLD though.


Also canon500D, you said in your ip; `I relied solely on halogen spotlights that the ceiling provided.`
Now obviously if they weren't sufficient, I can fully understand your question, BUT in your 2nd post you said; `I used flash for some of the images.`
Surely the flash would compensate for the lighting, so MAYBE it IS your focussing.
(not having a go mind, just seems strange)

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Nikon D700 & D7100 bodies + Nikkor 300mm F2.8 VR11, 1.7TC, 50mm F1.4G, 16-35mm f/4G VR, 105 F2.8 VR macro, 70-300mm lenses. A couple of filters, Giotto tripod & ballhead. Lowepro Slingshot 302 AW

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldcarlos/

Good point there carlos..

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550D + 18 - 55mm kitlens
50 mm F1.8
I apologize in advance for my poor spelling..

I did start off using ceiling lighting, but when looked through the images, I remembered that I did try a few with flash also.

I thought we agreed that it was down to the slow shutter speeds though?

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Canon EOS 500D
Lenses: EFS 18-55mm IS, EF 50mm F/1.8 II

Test it and find out?

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550D + 18 - 55mm kitlens
50 mm F1.8
I apologize in advance for my poor spelling..

9 times out of 8, the camera will focus better than a human trying to manually focus on an imperceptibly moving subject coupled w/ shallow depth of field.



It really a combination of things: shutter speed too slow and not allowing the camera to adjust the focus (read: autofocus) for imperceptible subject and camera operator movements. The way to combat both is shoot a continuous burst in AI-Servo and hope that one comes out sharp.

I feel that by using auto focus, I am trusting the camera too much, and when used before, I found that I preferred manual.

Why does it take longer in live view? Is it because the screen has to be updated?

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Canon EOS 500D
Lenses: EFS 18-55mm IS, EF 50mm F/1.8 II

You had a similar thought process when you were thinking your kit lens was too soft and went on for more than 8 pages where you didn't seem to want hear the advice people were offering.

You are free to remain steadfast in your feelings, but there are times for auto focus and there are times for manual focus. You are also free to do things the "old school" way but again, you really asking for trouble because if the image that is produced is blurry or sucks, well then what have you accomplished? I guess if you just like taking photos it wont matter, but for some I think, they will pretty soon hit a wall of frustration.

Manual focus is useful for hyperfocal shooting in the street, or for shooting on a tripod.

The scenario you are posing is better suited to allowing the camera do some work where the human will usually not do as well.

Live view auto focusing probably going to really aggravate the problem as it is really slow and usually doesn't continuously refocus. Both these things are bad for when what is needed is continuous AF for when you and the subject are both moving!

Capital,
(putting personal critisism aside)

I have manually focussed on numerous occasions now, and can see that it is in focus, so why would an auto focus system be any better? I have live magnification of the moving image, remember.

I took a few shots last night of my television in different modes and tried to focus on the manafactures badge on the front. Some handled it, but some did not.

Yes, you heard right - the autofocus could not always focus on the badge, despite it being made the prime focus point.

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Canon EOS 500D
Lenses: EFS 18-55mm IS, EF 50mm F/1.8 II

I think `tracking` should be what you're referring too re tv pictures, because if it's not in focus via a tv camera, you could try all day but you/your camera wouldn't be able to better the `focus` that's being broadcast. It's 2 dimensional.

Also interference/lines on your tv wouldn't allow for a crisp image.

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Nikon D700 & D7100 bodies + Nikkor 300mm F2.8 VR11, 1.7TC, 50mm F1.4G, 16-35mm f/4G VR, 105 F2.8 VR macro, 70-300mm lenses. A couple of filters, Giotto tripod & ballhead. Lowepro Slingshot 302 AW

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldcarlos/

Advice has been given by a number of people but you seem to want to dismiss it out of hand?

In my previous post those were observations of your responses, not criticism based upon your responses. You have stated yourself you prefer manual focus, yet when it has been recommended you try different approaches, you state you prefer your own. It seems to be a paradox for anyone trying to help you.



I don't know what modes you are referring to but autofocus does not guarantee focus, instead it improves the reliability of getting an in focus shot if used in a practiced manner. Like I said before, if you are shooting a bunch of images in a row, then some portion will be in focus, and you use those.

One last point regarding live view manual focussing hand held, it is like juggling, trying to hold the camera away from your body is not a very stable platform and will contribute to focus drift and camera blur issues. If you held the camera against your face, looking through the viewfinder, that will provide a stabler shooting platform. Live view focusing is really useful if you have the camera in stable fixed position, like on a tripod where you can really nail the focus. But off the tripod, the camera is subject to swaying back and forth, side to side and becomes a challenge to achieving focus. And even if you think you've nailed the focus in live view hand held, there's a fraction of second delay between engaging the shutter release and the exposure which will provide the opportunity for an offset in the focus.

Hi folks,

This whole thread appears to be badly out of focus.

I see virtually nothing about shallow depth of field - nominally the subject matter of the thread judging by its title.

There seems to be some discussion about using too slow a shutter speed on a photograph we haven't even had the chance to see. IMHO there's no reason we couldn't have been treated to a small 100% crop from the photograph, chosen to illustrate the problem while preserving the anonymity of the individuals.

Then the thread drifted off into a discussion about manual versus auto focussing. I think at some point the OP asked why autofocus using Live View is slow? AF sensors are designed for the job and have structures inappropriate for an imaging sensor. Use of pellicle mirrors allows a (fast) dedicated AF sensor to be active during Live View at the cost of a little loss of light to the imaging sensor.

Running AF tests on a TV badge might be a good topic for another thread but not this one, nominally about shallow DoF. And why a TV badge of all things? Was the TV programming particularly boring that night but the thought of straying too far from the goggle box was too awful to contemplate?

Wading through the thread I'm left with an overwhelming feeling of dread that something really awful is about to happen. Maybe tomorrow's breakfast toast is going to fall butter side down or maybe the Mayan prediction that this is the last full calendar year in our history will come true and this thread will be a lasting testimony to our species. Yikes!

Before I'm accused of drifting as badly off-topic as the content of most of the thread I'd better shut up. Here's to the year 2013.

I've tried to keep a light-hearted tone but, subject to the overriding will of the thread contributors of course, could we drag the thread back on topic or create a new one about the pros and cons of manual versus auto focussing?

Bob.

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OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.

They always do, that's why I tie a cat to the other side

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Nikon D90