AFS or AFC To be or not to be.

[mic]

What is the best setting to use ?
I have a fair bit of trouble Focusing with the D70, usually a bit of hit & miss. What steps can I use to improve my Ratio.

That Damn little green dot that comes on when you are supposed to have the subject in focus is not really accurate I find.
Any better ways to this this guys ?

Cheers,

Mic.

[hedge]

Hi mate,

I use AF-C and use the AE button (?) next to the back command dial as the AF-ON. That way, i can keep focussing until i am ready to shoot. Good for moving subjects. Probably not necessary for stationaries. I also frequently change the focus point to limit recomposing post-focus.

Guess it depends on why your shots are out of focus and what your settings are now. What are you shooting? What settings? Is it focusing behind, infront, on something else etc?

cheers,

adam

[MHD]

Now that very much depends on what you are shooting!!

I mainly use AF-S
As I almost never turn my focus off centre, I tend to focus-recompose-shoot

However if you are shooting a moving target (race car, sports etc...) AF-C is the way to go

[JordanP]

I'm pretty much the same as MHD. I definitely shoot AFS at a wedding.

Thing to remember when recomposing after focusing is to either keep the trigger finger half down so the camera does not refocus as you recompose or as Adam said use the AE button to lock the focus before you recompose.


Cheers,

[mic]

Mainly stationary subjects, well my little daughter does move a fair bit when I'm trying to get a good shot.

So pick AFS say & I have the button/ Switch on the back right of the Camera switched to L. Compose, Half press shutter button to Focus, wait until little green circle is green then shoot.

Just thought others might have some different ways ?

Thanks,

Mic.

[redline]

depends what type of subjects.
i mainly shoot motorsports so i use af-c with dynamic mode
however it didn't work too well for me when i was shooting golf, subject didn't change distance, but the focusing kept changing so i used af-s.
so know the ups and downs and choose the best one for the situation.

[MHD]

Hey! Welcome Hedge

[pippin88]

Is there a quicker way to change between AFS and AFC than going through menu?

I use AFS for all stationary targets, and AFC for moving stuff, and often will want to change between quite quickly.

[redline]

iam afraid not,
hence a down side to the d70,
however i think the d2h has a afc/afs switch near the lenses mount release button. my old f5 has.

[hedge]

Gday Scott, how are ya mate? Thought i'd better join in!

Pippin - if you aren't changing other settings you should be right b/c it will stay on that menu item. I do that for dynamic and normal AF (or whatever its called). As soon as i press menu it just goes to that option and a three clicks later i'm sorted. Not quite as easy as the front toggle but ok.

If you use the AEL button for AF then it works just like AF-S, as soon as you release the button, it locks focus. Great for when you're doing closeups on a persons face when they're moving. Lock the AF point on their eye, hold the AF button down and when you're happy, hit the shutter without letting go the AF. I used to lose heaps of shots from people moving just after i'd focused but before i'd fired. I never take mine off AF-C now unless i'm putting it in idiot (auto) mode for someone else to use.

cheers,

adam

[pippin88]

Gday Scott, how are ya mate? Thought i'd better join in!

Pippin - if you aren't changing other settings you should be right b/c it will stay on that menu item. I do that for dynamic and normal AF (or whatever its called). As soon as i press menu it just goes to that option and a three clicks later i'm sorted. Not quite as easy as the front toggle but ok.

Yeah, that's how I deal with it.

[christiand]

Hi,

my settings are:

AFS for stationary or not FAST moving objects.
I can focus on a particular area of the photo and recompose the picture without having the focus change on me.

AFC for quicker and fast moving stuff where the focus is on the moving stuff.

Manual focus with pre-focus when taking photos of some moving objects.
(I did that for example whilst taking photos on a BMX, skateboard circuit.)

HTH
cheers
CD