Page 82 - (DK) Advanced Photography Guide

80 EXPLAINING | AUTOFOCUS

AUTOFOCUS MODES

Modern autofocus (AF) systems are a miraculous blend of sophistication and
convenience. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that you just point your camera and
it will focus exactly where necessary. To get the optimal performance from the AF
system, you need to choose the best focusing mode for your subject. If you select
the wrong mode, you may still be lucky and achieve sharp images, but choosing the
right mode will help you to improve your chances of success every time.

SINGLE-SHOT CONTINUOUS

Single-shot AF (also known as One-shot and AF-S) is the You should use Continuous AF (also known as AI-Servo and
default mode on most cameras. Press halfway down on the AF-C) when shooting subjects moving toward or away from the
shutter button and the camera will focus using one or more camera. Position the selected AF point onto the subject and
of the AF points. Once correct focus has been acquired, it will half-press the shutter button to activate the AF system. The
lock and remain locked at the same distance until you either focus will continually adjust to keep the subject sharp but will
press or release the shutter button. Single-shot is ideal for static not lock focus until the shutter button is fully pressed. If you
subjects or subjects that remain at a constant distance from combine this mode with Zone or Automatic AF Point selection
the camera. It’s also the mode to select if you want to focus (see p.83), it will enable the camera to automatically select the
and recompose, using the focus-lock technique (see right). required AF point to keep a sideways-moving subject in focus.

BEST FOR BEST FOR
◾ ◾ Still-life, food, and product photography in a studio ◾ ◾ Wildlife and moving macro subjects
◾ ◾ Landscape and static macro photography ◾ ◾ Sports and action photography
◾ ◾ Posed portraits of older children and adults ◾ ◾ Younger children, who are difficult to pose or keep still

▲ Single-shot AF is perfect for subjects that are static by ▲ Continuous AF is ideal for subjects that move predictably,
nature, such as still lifes, particularly when you are shooting such as motor vehicles or runners, but prefocusing (see
in controlled studio conditions. pp.88–89) is often more reliable for fast or erratic subjects.

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