Focusing quickly-help

[stitchbug]

I really have a hard time focusing QUICKLY! i mostly photography my two small boys (almost 4 and 2.5) and they run like crazy, and never sit still.
ive always had a hard itme focusing quickly, and now, especially with my crazy heavy lens, its even harder!

should i just use a smaller aperature?
or any tips that will help me learn to focus faster?

Some lenses are quicker than others.

[candleman]

Originally Posted by stitchbug

should i just use a smaller aperature?
?

that wont do anything becaue the lens focuses/meters with the blades wide-open anyway.
althought taking the shot with a smaller aperture could help get a shot roughly in focus.. it would mean you'd need to use bounced flash to light things up a bit more.

is the problem the fast movement where the kid leaves the focussed distance before the shot can be taken?,
or low light resulting in the camera not able to find a focus on a moving kidlet?
Tip 1.
the main tip i have for focusing in difficult lighting, is aiming for an area of contrast, like the eye,, or anything else that has sharp edges and tone contrasts.

Tip 2....i think this is what you're after
you could use AF-C
"continuous auto-focus", where you simply hold the half depressed position constantly and it will constantly track the movement until it finds a focus. if a small shift occurs the camera will automatically re-focus.
(i use it all the time to track my kids as they run and ride their bikes) its also often used for aircraft, race cars and.. pretty much anything thats moving constantly.

i got a great shot of my son running like this.
literally.. running towards me. AF-S could never work like this.
and, this was f/1.8.. so its pretty darn quick and accurate.


all the best and happy shooting

[stitchbug]

mostly leavign the focus area before i get the shot.
lighting isnt a huge issue, ive got the flash (which i only use on auto mode, i am scared of manual) and bounce it off the ceiling, or use natural light as we've got lots of windows in our living room.

i guess i might just try the continuous AF, although, i am really trying to go to complete manual....

[candleman]

Originally Posted by stitchbug

i guess i might just try the continuous AF, although, i am really trying to go to complete manual....

why?
manual focus is a bit of a waste on such a great piece of glass.
i doubt many pro's use manual focus.. in situations like this af is invaluable. its literally the make-or-break point of wether you'll get that moment or not.

[Jim Bryant]

Originally Posted by candleman

why?
manual focus is a bit of a waste on such a great piece of glass.
i doubt many pro's use manual focus.. in situations like this af is invaluable. its literally the make-or-break point of wether you'll get that moment or not.

Only time I use manual focus is when it's too dark to auto focus. All my lenses are set on auto focus all the time.

[jprime84]

If your Canon is like mine, the continuous auto focus is called AI Servo mode. You can also use the AI Auto mode which will either single focus or continuously focus depending on the subject's movement.

Set the auto focus point manually to use the preferred one to increase the probability of a sharp shot!

[stitchbug]

Originally Posted by Jim Bryant

Only time I use manual focus is when it's too dark to auto focus. All my lenses are set on auto focus all the time.

Originally Posted by candleman

why?
manual focus is a bit of a waste on such a great piece of glass.
i doubt many pro's use manual focus.. in situations like this af is invaluable. its literally the make-or-break point of wether you'll get that moment or not.

hmmm...very interesting, i guess i never thought of it that way.

[pakyooh]

Sorry to bump am old thread but I'm barely doing my homework after weeks of getting my dslr. I've completely gone manual all the way and focus is my main problem right now.

I've always wondered when is the best time to use auto and manual focus and I think I found the answer.

[dcclark]

I have never understood why anyone would feel compelled to focus manually when they don't have to! Most decent-quality lenses allow you to manually adjust the focus even when in autofocus mode -- let the camera do the hard work for you, and fine tune it if you really want to.