I think this is one of those topics that's been discussed to death over and over again if you're talking about the focusing technique. Here's one of the pages that might get you re-think what you firmly believe if you haven't came across it yet:
Why Focus-Recompose Sucks
I'm not entirely buying the article, but I can see how re-composing can mess up a shot under certain circumstances especially when you shoot wide open. I use a combination of re-composing, moving the focus spot, and also rely on the Nikon 3D tracking at times. I shoot weddings and engagements, and things can happen fast. Sometimes you don't get the luxury of focusing on the eyes and recompose 'cause the subject might have already moved by the time you recompose. But then again, let's back to the original topic:
I'm a firm believer of "nothing is the best" in photography. I think you'll find plenty of articles that tell you to go with F8 and a longer lens, or at least a F/5.6, and then again you might hear another professional say he/she only shoots wide open. At the end of the day, it really depends on what you are trying to achieve with whatever gear you have in your hands. If you think that F/2.8 is getting only the eyes in focus but the ears look soft and you don't like it, then try a smaller aperture; if you're shooting F/5.6 and you want to be a little creative and try a narrow DoF, then shoot wider. Go out there, experiment, have fun and enjoy the learning process.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kencaleno
Wrong-it is better to only use the centre focus point; here's why:
In your camera’s viewfinder, depending on camera-flagship models generally have many focusing spots, and lesser, entry-level dslr’s will have around 5 focusing spots. With lens wide open, any of these spots can be used for selecting where to auto focus-But, depending on maximum aperture of lens in use, the ones you are able to use get fewer. Top-of-the-line cameras will only have the centre spot usable at F8,and entry level cameras at F5.6, and less than that, even these single spots aren’t reliable.]
Actually it is more beneficial to set auto focus by the centre spot, then re-compose, rather than use the peripheral spots-The reason being that only the centre spot has vertical and horizontal pixel rows. This means that if you use the peripheral spots (top and bottom spots have horizontal pixels only and right and left spots have vertical pixels only) To focus, you must have a part of the scene crossing a line of pixels at 90 degrees, and the centre spot gives you a more accurate reading ,having both vertical and horizontal pixels)
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