Sport Photography Techniques

Quick Tip #3

Continuous Auto-Focus

What is continuous auto-focus you ask?

Simply put it is a focus mode to help you maintain focus an a moving subject.

As a sports shooter you will use this almost all the time. Now this is just a quick overview and we go into it in more depth in our upcoming Sport Photography Techniques workshop.

Most DSLR`s have 3 different focus modes,

1-AF-A(Nikon)AI Focus(Canon),

2-AF-S(Nikon) One Shot(Canon),

3-AF-C(Nikon) AI Servo(Canon).

We talk about all the modes in the workshop but this is a quick tip so we or going straight to the AI Servo/AF-C mode. Incase your wondering AF-C stands for auto-focus continuous.

Why would we want this as a sports shooter? Why not just focus on a moving subject, press the shutter half way, lock focus and take the picture?

Well because your subject, whatever it may be is moving, so as soon as you lock focus in AF-S/One shot mode chances are it will move out of the focus area from where the initial focus lock was achieved and you will end up with an out of focus(OOF) image. This is where AF-C/ AI Servo focus mode comes into play. When in this mode, when you press the shutter halfway and are focused on your subject and as long as you keep the shutter pressed halfway the camera is constantly focusing on your subject. If you keep pressing and keep your focus point on your subject the camera will continue to adjust focus no matter if it is moving away or toward you. Only when you stop pressing the shutter halfway will the focus stop.

Now pressing the shutter button halfway and keeping it halfway can be a pain from time to time but there is another way to focus without having to do that. It is called Back(rear) button focus and it works awesome. Psst we teach how to set and use that in the workshop.

Another thing that works hand in hand with continuous auto-focus are the focus area modes/ points which you guessed it, we go over it in the workshop as well!

Now I know your itching to get your DSLR into continuous auto-focus to try it out. It varies from camera to camera and I would suggest you look it up in your manual on how to set it or contact us at Omnilargess and we will help you out. Having said that lets at least try and get you started.

For you Canon shooters find your button with af beside it,press it then use the small scroll wheel to cycle through the focus modes.

For you Nikon shooters it is a little different because you actually have a switch/lever. It varies from camera to camera but it is usually on the front lower left side of camera body. ** Newer bodies have an AF/M lever. Switch lever to AF and press the button in the middle of the lever and use the scroll wheel to select AF-C**

Hope that was not to confusing. Have any questions feel free to contact me and I will do my best to help you out. Hope to see some of you in the next workshop.

Thanks

Shawn

HighMark Adventures

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