Hey all, so I just got a great deal on the mk3 and couldnt pass it up. Im coming from a mark 2 and was wondering what af setting would be best for a indoor party/engagement-session before hand. With the mark 2 I was using center point only.
Thanks
Definitely worth reading. It is a fairly complex system with a lot of capability.
One thing that many folks are doing differently than with previous cameras, is abandoning Single Shot mode for static subjects and shooting everything in AI Servo.
You can have the camera quickly switch back to a "default" set of AF points with the push of 1 button. So you can use 51, 9, etc. point, then press a button to go to just 1 point.
You can do that too with a whole set of AI Servo functions.
You can also have it automatically switch AF points going from horizontal to vertical.
There have been a lot of useful posts regarding 5D3 set-up. You should try to check'em out when time permits.
But some quick stuff I like...
-Like Tim mentioned, set the camera to use cross AF points.
-Customize the camera to allow the multi-controller stick to choose AF points.
-The default AF case is a great choice for what you'll be shooting.
It may take you some time to fully trust the outer focus points, but its so nice to be able to compose the shot in the viewfinder as opposed to having to rely on doing it in post by cropping. Enjoy the new camera and post up your impressions when you get a moment.
You may also want to go in and set the DOF preview button to be a toggle between one shot and servo..
I leave the camera in 1 shot and then just hold down that button when I want servo.
I also have my points set to 15 points... I found the cross type to have "too" many points and it was difficult to go from one side of the frame to the other, quickly.
I also have "expand AF area :: surround" turned on... so if the point I choose can't lock focus it activates the surrounding points.
I love moving that joystick around to focus and shoot. Much less focus and recomposing, which can be esp frustrating in low light. Using the dof button for a quick switch to ai servo is also very nice. Not directly related to focus, but I find I am shooting in M mode with auto iso more and more. Make sure to enable live view face detect for when someone less skilled uses your camera to take your picture.
RichardLavigne wrote:
I also have my points set to 15 points... I found the cross type to have "too" many points and it was difficult to go from one side of the frame to the other, quickly.
You can set the AF points to scroll from the left most edge to the right most edge if you keep moving your joystick to the left. But yes, if you have a lot of AF points, it may take you more time than you might like to move around in general.
Set for cross points but I *highly* recommend doing a small test shoot beforehand. My first 5D3 was waaaay off on the side points and I missed some shots that were personally important to me and I cannot retake them. Ever.
I trust my replacement 5D3 completely, though, after thorough (teensy weensy bit paranoid) testing.
After months of tinkering and experimenting with various focusing modes, including chasing bees and butterflies in flight, I find that it's best just to set the AF to all points (default). It works best for all cases, including BIF. For modes, I use AI Servo for action - BIF, one shot for non-action. The only time I do different on is for portrait I'd use single point focus aiming at the eyes.
