Autofocus

All posts tagged Autofocus

Sometimes New Really Is Better

Posted by scottbourne on August 6, 2012
Posted in: Technique & Tutorials. Tagged: , , .

There are a series of articles on the Web right now about lenses, new camera bodies and autofocus claims. Olympus and Canon for instance have made some pretty bold claims about their newer cameras and the fast AF that you can find on each.

I have tested these claims – not with special testing equipment – but with something that I value much more – an eye trained by 37 years as a serious photographer.

I believe that in the case of both the OMD and the 1DX, Olympus and Canon have respectively been truthful and accurate. Their new AF systems are better and faster than their older systems.

But there’s something else you have to think about…

For years I’ve been mentioning that unless you have the pro glass, most of the high-end cameras simply won’t perform as well as they may if you do. That’s a fact. Period. Can’t be refuted. For instance with the 5D series of cameras came out, their sensors were often able to outperform anything but the best “L” series glass. Why does this matter? Well if you are buying a camera because of new features that you can’t take advantage of because you have second-class glass, there’s no reason to buy the new camera.

This is where is where the rubber really meets the road and why I’ve decided to buy the new Canon 24-70 Series “L” zoom even though Canon didn’t add stabilization to the lens – it and the other new Canon lenses take advantage of new technologies in both the Canon 5D MK III and 1DX that older lenses do not.

I have confirmed this in particular using the new Canon 500 f/4 and the new Canon 40mm pancake lens. I spoke with Canon representatives who prefer to remain unnamed and they admitted that the new AF systems on the 5D MK III and 1DX are optimized to work with the newest, fastest glass.

So the thing to know is this. If you expect a remarkable improvement in AF just because you buy a new 5D MK III or 1DX you may be slightly disappointed. You need that fast, new glass too.

It doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy and take advantage of other new features on these cameras, but the AF isn’t going to be as improved as you might hope. Which leads me to the question what other features might be less successful without new glass and accessories? I am investigating to find out.

And before you go off thinking I am slamming Canon here – nothing could be further from the truth. I am loving the 1DX. It’s the best camera I have ever owned period. But I also have the luxury of owning all the newest, fastest glass too so my experience may be different from yours.

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10 Things You Can Do To Make Sharper Photos & Improve Focus

Posted by scottbourne on January 29, 2011
Posted in: Tips. Tagged: , .

Copyright Scott Bourne 2010 - All Rights Reserved

It’s the biggest problem amateurs and even some pros face. Sharpness/focus issues dog everyone from the rank beginner to the seasoned pro. So once in a while I like to share some tips for making sharper images. These aren’t the only tips I have on the subject, but they are a good starting point.

1. Use a tripod. Camera shake is often the source of blurry, out-of-focus or unsharp photos. Using a sturdy tripod will almost certainly help reduce these problems.

2. Use a faster shutter speed. Fast shutter speeds help freeze the action and reduce blur from both camera and subject movement.

3. Use a higher ISO in order to get a faster shutter speed.

4. Make sure to use the correct autofocus mode on your camera. Not all autofocus modes are created equal. Some modes work better for moving objects while others are more appropriate for stationery objects. Read your camera’s manual to see which autofocus mode you should be using.

5. Use greater depth of field to make sure your camera has sufficient zone of focus for your subject. If you work at very large apertures such as F/1.8, you have a very narrow depth-of-field and this means you also have a very narrow zone of focus. Increase DOF to increase the zone of focus and accordingly, your chances of getting a sharp picture.

6. Subject movement can be a problem when you are shooting at shutter speeds below 1/1000th of a second. Yes even at 1/500th of a second a moving subject will often be partially blurred. Panning with a moving subject reduces the blur caused by motion. When possible, ask your subject to hold still. It can make a difference.

7. Clean your gear. Make sure your lenses and sensors are clean. If they are dirty it can throw off your attempts at perfect focus.

8. Use Image Stabilization. If your camera offers image stabilization – (IS on Canon or VR on Nikon) use it. Some cameras also offer stabilization at the sensor. In MOST cases, turn OFF stabilization if you are using a tripod.

9. If your camera offers the ability to select the autofocus point, start by selecting the center AF point. On most cameras, this is the most accurate AF point. Acquire focus using this point, lock the focus and then recompose.

10. Find better light. Most cameras use autofocus and most autofocus needs light to work. If your camera has an AF assist beam make sure to enable it. And try to get more light into scenes that are tough to focus on. You can remove the light later if you don’t want it there for creative reasons but using the light to acquire focus will help either way.

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This post sponsored by the Digital SLR Store

Careful Focus

Posted by scottbourne on December 22, 2010
Posted in: Technique & Tutorials. Tagged: .

Copyright Scott Bourne 2008 - All Rights Reserved

Your camera comes with auto-focus – of course it does. Well most DSLR cameras and compacts do. But that doesn’t mean you’ll always get shots that are “in focus.”

The auto-focus on your camera is just like everything else on your camera. You have to know how to use it properly to get a good result.

Whether your camera has nine auto-focus points or 51 auto-focus points, you can still end up with an out-of-focus picture if you don’t pay attention to careful focus.

The camera will generally pick what it thinks you want to be in focus by selecting either the most prominent thing in the scene or the closest thing in the scene. And you know what – that may indeed be the right decision. But what if you’re photographing a human being with a large nose and shooting wide-open at f/1.8 on your 50mm lens? The nose is going to be closer to the camera than the eyes and it’s likely the nose will be in focus while the eyes won’t be.

Most modern cameras come with the ability to manually shift the focus point around the viewfinder. This lets you set the individual focus point. In the example above, you’d want to be sure to put your focus point right over the eye. That way the eye would be the focal point of the shot and not the nose.

One thing that can really aid in the pursuit of careful focus is the Focus Lock button on your camera. Acquire focus, press the Focus Lock, recompose if you need to and then press the shutter.

Take your time and don’t just rely on your camera’s general auto-focus capability if you want to improve the number of shots that come out just right.

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Nikon D3100 Announcement

Posted by scottbourne on August 19, 2010
Posted in: News. Tagged: , , , , , .

Yesterday Nikon announced the D3100 and four new lenses. The D3100 is a game changer for those who shoot video and here’s why.

1. Price – The Nikon D3100 will be available in September for $699.95, which includes AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR image stabilized lens. That’s a LOW price for a camera with these features.

2. Nikon FINALLY – FINALLY – FINALLY dumped Motion JPEG. It was a horrible video codec and the primary reason why you hear about major motion picture and television production companies using Canon gear to shoot video and not Nikon. The new AVCHD – H.264 codec is a step up from Motion JPEG. This new codec will propel Nikon video into contender status and will put pressure on Canon to keep developing its video capabilities.

3. Continuous autofocus during video capture is a really big deal. No Canon  DSLR hybrid camera offers this feature – as of this moment anyway. The Nikon D3100 offers a new level of autofocus for video shooters at a very attractive price. If Canon doesn’t match this feature it could start to change the balance of power on the video side.

4. Nikon steps up to 1080p/23.97 frame rates. This is an improvement over past specs on Nikon cameras that also shoot video.

For those who don’t shoot video, the D3100 announcement probably won’t be quite so profound. And we can’t forget that so far, all we have is a news release. I haven’t tested Nikon’s new autofocus and how well it works will have a big impact on how well this camera performs at the sales counter. Likewise, AVCHD codec implantation isn’t always done well. Depending on how Nikon implemented the new codec, it could be anywhere from a slight step up to a reasonably big step up.

One thing is for sure. This is exciting because it means that a major company like Nikon has committed to keeping the video/DSLR hybrid quality race alive and well.

As soon as I can get my hands on one of these cameras, and the new Nikon 85 f/1.4 lens, I’ll provide a review here at Photofocus.com.

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