Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

FM Forum Rules
Wedding Resource List
  

FM Forums | Wedding Photographer | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2012 · Focus Techniques?

  
 
derbarrett
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Focus Techniques?


I’m just curious about what techniques you guys use for focusing during ceremonies/receptions. I’ve have always used center spot focusing (focus and recompose) or a local focusing point because they allow me to tell the camera exactly what to focus on. They also allow me to compose the shot correctly in camera. Unfortunately these techniques cause me to miss shots at times because either A) the subject is moving too quickly to grab with the selected focusing point or B) the shot is soft due to focus and recomposing. Do any of you guys use AF wide and let the camera pick the focus point? If so how often does it focus on the correct subject ie: if the bride is walking down the aisle how likely is it to focus on her as opposed to uncle Bob in the corner. Also how do you handle composition…. do you just crop in post?


Sep 11, 2012 at 02:20 PM
hardlyboring
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Focus Techniques?


are you shooting canon or nikon?
I am in C mode all day every day no matter what.
That is servo for Nikon. I pick my point put it on my subject and use the back button focus to track them and then use the shutter button to shoot them.

My Nikon D3's work 99% of the time and if it does not it is mostly my fault... the servo mode is pretty perfect.

During receptions I still use servo. I not quite sure how the camera can focus when there is almost no light but if you are shooting with flashes and are at like f4-f4.5 you should be good to do even if you are a slightly off.

I rarely use the 3d focus on the nikon... it works but is kind of unpredictable in certain situations.



Sep 11, 2012 at 02:29 PM
StephenAndrew
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Focus Techniques?


I shoot with a 5D Mark III - I mostly use single point with AF point expansion, choose whichever AF point necessary to frame the subject the way I want, and use back button focusing. I usually use one-shot mode, but for moving subjects (aisle walks, dancing, etc), I use AI Servo. And I have the DoF preview button programmed to be the quick One-Shot->AI Servo switch.

When I used a 5D Mark II, I usually used just the center AF point and one-shot mode - focused on the subject, recomposed the shot, and shoot. I found the outer AF points and Servo mode to be unreliable on the Mark II.



Sep 11, 2012 at 03:01 PM
derbarrett
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Focus Techniques?


hardlyboring wrote:
are you shooting canon or nikon?

Neither . I actually use a sony a850 and a sony a77.



Sep 11, 2012 at 03:56 PM
ricardovaste
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Focus Techniques?


Oi, you're not allowed to use those cameras here


Sep 11, 2012 at 04:02 PM
derbarrett
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Focus Techniques?


ricardovaste wrote:
Oi, you're not allowed to use those cameras here


Hello my fellow Sony user

Do you have any suggestions? What do you use?



Sep 11, 2012 at 04:05 PM
Kittyk
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Focus Techniques?


i focus manually during all day, in church i help my self by prefocus and travel with the couple.
dancing i usually do at fixed focus distance and then move my self or use AF-C to follow if there is at least some light



Sep 11, 2012 at 04:06 PM





FM Forums | Wedding Photographer | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.