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AI Servo - Number of Focus Points

Waddizzle
Legend
Legend

I am basically a still photographer.  Apparently, my renewed interest in photography has created a reputation of me being some sort of photography guru.  HA-HA  Smiley LOL  So, folks with smartphone cameras have begun asking me to come and take pictures for them of this, that, or some other event.  No weddings, just Little League games, and the like.

 

Shooting stills means using One-Shot focusing mode, which may not  be best for moving subjects.  So, I've been exploring and experimenting with AI Servo mode.  Which, brings me to a question that I cannot answer. 

 

Does it matter if I am using just the center focus point, or should I need to turn of manual point selection altogether? 

 

So far, my experiments have been inconclusive.  My shots are in focus, but I am attributing that to pre-focusing.  I get much better results by pre-focusing, than when I don't.  Keeper rate is pretty much the same with manaul AF point selection, no matter if I use One-Shot or AI Servo modes. 

 

IMG_5162.jpg

 

I pre-focus on a player, or where I expect a player will be: i.e.; focusing on the base ahead of the base runner.  I can get good shots, like the above play at third base.  [the shot has been cropped to remove faces and team information]

 

But, forget about refocusing on an outfielder chasing down a ball.  The kid is running, so One Shot doesn't work out very well, but neither has AI Servo with only the center point, manually selected.  Turing on all of the AF points, 9 in a 6D, results in the camera frequently focusing where it wants, not where I want it to.

 

I guess I am saying that it seems that I have not been able to have the camera actuallly track a moving subject.  So, do I need to turn on all AF points, in order to make it track in AI Servo, or not?  For me, I am having bad luck relying on automatic AF point selection to pick out the running kid in the outfield, instead of a background tree, or something.

 

 

 

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"The right mouse button is your friend."
3 ACCEPTED SOLUTIONS

jrhoffman75
Legend
Legend

This is an excerpt from a 1D Mark IV guide by canon, but the concept is the same for all cameras. AI Servo is doing math, and you need to give it a little time to compute.

 

Capture.JPG

John Hoffman
Conway, NH

1D X Mark III, Many lenses, Pixma PRO-100, Pixma TR8620a, LR Classic

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"I hope a 6D mark II ..."

"BTW, I am 6'8" and 220 lbs."

 

If anybody I have ever met should get a 1 series it is you.  Your size is a match.  I can't imagine you are comfortable with a Rebel.  Or even a xD series for that matter.  My size and the total lack of being impressed by a 6D was just another plus sign for a 1 series.  If you can't drop the coin on a 1Dx look for a clean 1D Mk IV.  Once you go 1 series, you will never go back. That's a fact, Jack!  IMHO, of course, as always.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

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I use center point with the surrounding points. 

 

image.png

John Hoffman
Conway, NH

1D X Mark III, Many lenses, Pixma PRO-100, Pixma TR8620a, LR Classic

View solution in original post

30 REPLIES 30


@jrhoffman75 wrote:

At the time Canon was producing APS-H sensor cameras the technology was such that full frame sensors couldn't match the frame rates of the smaller sensors. The 1D series started out as a sports/journalism camera. Shoot JPEGs to the SD card for rapid response to get to press and shoot RAW to the CF card for later processing.  With wifi capability and advances in full frame cameras that is no longer true with the 1D X and 1D X Mk II; no advantage to the smaller sensor and cost of FF have dropped. 1D Mark IV was $5K back when 1Ds was $8K. Now the 1D X Mk II is $6K.

 

But, for equivalent dollars, if you can get a low mileage 1D Mk IV I think you will find it surpasses any equivalent cost camera.


Thanks, for the insight.  My instincts seem to be on the mark.

 

BTW, I sold four more pictures today.  Folks actually frame them and hang them on their walls.!!!  A 6D has been great, for me.

--------------------------------------------------------
"The right mouse button is your friend."

"I just may look into that idea of a clean 1D Mk IV, ..."

 

Oh my, Smiley Frustrated there is no camera that even comes close to the ability of the 1D Mk IV. None!  It is second in line only to the 1Dx series.  It is still the preferred camera by a lot of pro sports photographers. It is also a highly sought after camera for wildlife photographers.  Professionals not wanna be's.

I don't mean to say the the 6D or any of the rest of all the DSLR's out aren't good and capable but none are in the same class as the Mk IV.

I have been toying with the idea of a 1Dx but at this point in my life, I don't see a great deal it has to offer me over my current cameras.

 

With the 1Ds Mk III's 21 mega pixel sensor, it is hard to beat, too.  The only place where it falls short is in high ISO. If you buy a 1 series you will never touch that Rebel again.  Probably not even the 6D. Once you go 1 series you will never be satisfied with a lesser camera.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

"I don't see a correlation between using multiple cameras, and "knowing the sport".  Seems to me that is more about knowing your gear, more than anything."

 

OK you must do as you must do.

But it is 100% knowing the sport.  All the rest falls in place when you know what is going on. All the time!  I am sure this is just your lack of experience but I am glad you are trying and hopefully learning,  You will find after a few dozen games how much better or different you shoot and approach it.  You don't learn this stuff on the inter web.  You learn by doing.

 

"You cannot be in two places at once."

Maybe not physically but, yes, you can be in two places at one time?  One eye is looking through the view finder and the other is watching what else is going on.  I even use the LCD as a mirror to look behind me while I am shooting.

 

"You cannot switch quickly enough between different shooting scenarios ..."

You better learn this.  One way is to use two or three cameras.  I know you have not been in the pit because they are not, well lets say gentle with the gear.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

"You better learn this.  One way is to use two or three cameras.  I know you have not been in the pit because they are not, well lets say gentle with the gear." 

 

Me?  In the pit?  HA-HA.  Smiley LOL   No, I've used to be the guy who the ones in the pit have been photographing.  When I told you, "I know Bo.":  I meant that literally, at least in the past tense.  You're very good at manufacturing false premises.

--------------------------------------------------------
"The right mouse button is your friend."

"You're very good at manufacturing false premises."

 

And you are very good at hiding your persona.  Who or what you are?  Who cares? The inter web allows a lot of anonymity. So anyone can be any thing they can dream up.  I put it all right out there for all to see.  Got nothing to hide.

 

BTW, I knew Bo when he was at Auburn. You may know he played for the Royals.  Smiley Frustrated

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!


@ebiggs1 wrote:

"You're very good at manufacturing false premises."

 

And you are very good at hiding your persona.  Who or what you are?  Who cares? The inter web allows a lot of anonymity. So anyone can be any thing they can dream up.  I put it all right out there for all to see.  Got nothing to hide.

 

BTW, I knew Bo when he was at Auburn. You may know he played for the Royals.  Smiley Frustrated


Who is Bo, and how did he make his way into this conversation? I thought I'd been paying attention, but maybe not.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson.   He played running back for Auburn while my father was at Alabama teaching. Alabama vs Auburn is a state stopping event in Alabama. Nothing is more important than that game.

 

He later came to the KC Royals as an outfielder.  He was a once in a life time athlete. He played football for the Raiders, too. He got hurt which ended a Hall of Fame career for sure.

 

Way, way back before the NFL and American League got to be big business a guy could bring camera gear to the game. No big deal.  Of course now even the photographers pit is a big business deal.  You pay to be there, if you even can. I used to shoot lots of photos at games.  Players even had summer or winter jobs. Regular Joes!  Regular jobs!  Frank White, Hall of Fame 2nd base, for instance worked at Hallmark while I was there.  Cool guy.

 

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

"Who is Bo, and how did he make his way into this conversation? I thought I'd been paying attention, but maybe not." 

 

Multi-sport star, Bo Jackson.  It began with a subtle word pun on my part.  Ernie questioned my sports knowledge.  I responded by saying, "I know Bo", which alludes to the "Bo Knows" advertising campaign that Bo once did.

 

I prefer to remain somewhat anonymous because of past bad experiences with malicious trolls.  They're out there, folks.

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"The right mouse button is your friend."

Sometimes it's good not to be famous.  Just another guy.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

I use center point with the surrounding points. 

 

image.png

John Hoffman
Conway, NH

1D X Mark III, Many lenses, Pixma PRO-100, Pixma TR8620a, LR Classic
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