Do some of the camera settings intimidate you? Do you want to learn how to develop your photography skills and learn how to use your camera effectively without always going back to the “auto” function? These challenges are for you!
Do you end up deleting tons of blurry shots of your moving subject?
This week’s challenge is:AF Mode in AI Servo or AI continuous
I was looking through all of the past challenges and a lot of the challenges I was thinking of setting have already been done. The one I didn't see was playing with the AF Mode. So I thought we would focus Haha on doing shots in AI Servo/AI continuous Mode to get better focus of moving objects. This is a feature I know I don't mess with enough so I thought it might be interesting to play with. I am no expert on this so if any others want to chime in with more information feel free:)
A lot of us probably stay in the one shot zone when shooting which is good if you are shooting something that is staying still. If you are shooting a moving subject such as a child running, a train, a bird in flight, sports etc. you can change the AF Mode on your camera to AI Servo (canon) or AF-C (nikon) to keep focus on the moving subject. To play with this I thought we would focus on moving subjects of your choice. Set your camera to the settings you want in manual mode and then push the AF button to chose AI Servo. AI stands for artificial intelligence. Play with taking multiple pictures of a moving subject of your choice in this mode to see if you can get better focus while the subject is moving. Post your favorite single shot of focused movement or a collage of your subject moving using the AI S or AI C settings in your camera.
Some links on the subject
A Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyMRpJA3204
Experienced photographers who are knowledgeable in this particular setting are encouraged to offer “kind and constructive” suggestions on the posted entries. Those entering this challenge want to learn and improve.
This challenge starts today, and will close on May 11th, 2013 at 10:00pm Pacific Standard Time. All photos must be taken during these dates to be considered. Enter as many as you would like - the idea is to practice & learn.
* TAG YOUR PHOTO CSC-25 AND post your picture or pictures in this thread to receive feedback from other experienced photographers specific to this challenge.
Voting will take place on May 12th (and remain open 24 hours) the winner will be announced on the May 14th or 15th. The winner of the challenge will either host or select an experienced photographer to host a new challenge. It is the winner’s option on who they want to host the next challenge; it may be someone they follow whose work they admire, or someone who is active offering suggestions on previous CSC challenges. The winner may also select an experienced photographer for the list of photographers who have agreed to host future challenges as another option. Here is the link to that list: http://365project.org/myhrhelper/365/2011-12-12
Expect to receive constructive suggests on how to improve your skills.
How to post your photo on this link:
1) Go to your page that has the photo you wish to post.
2) Copy the “share” code in the bottom right section of that page.
3) Return to this thread and paste the code under comments
Stretch your skills and have fun!
A quick example of my 7 year old jumping around this morning
Wow, you are just in time! I have had no idea what AI Focus and AI Servo were and wanted to investigate and I often choose "ONE SHOT" because it is the default in my Canon while I'm in manual-- I'm learning manual mode one feature at a time, but I'm ready to try this--I'm constantly chasing moving subjects!
@chapjohn Thank you for pointing that out John. This is my first time hosting the CSC and I thought it usually ran a week. I changed the date to the 11th. Does that work better?
oh dear.... i DO need to work on this one... blew a wonderful photo op year because i didn't know how to do this, promised myself i would learn, but have yet to give it a proper go... tx for setting up this challenge!
@darylo This is exactly what I wanted to say about my bird photos! I may yet have a chance to capture a shot of one of the Red Kites that hunt around here.
Nikon terminology is AF-C, not AI-C. Not a problem, but Nikonites might get confused not finding it. Press the "info" button (twice) to get the cursor in the info settings, and scroll down about half way to find (probably) AF-S (for single servo), press enter and choose AF-C,or AF-A if you have a subject that might move but currently isn't.
This is a hog on battery and camera processing, so remember to turn it off if not using. It will, also, slow down your burst rate probably at the very time you don't want it to. Also there is no familiar chirp when focus is achieved, just flasing of the focus point being used, and this can be quite disconcerting the next day if you forgot to change it back to your regular AF-S. You will find it worthwhile to experiment with the associated feature "AF-Area Mode" (just below in the info screen) and select something other than Single Point for the whole exercise to work properly. I have no idea what the equivalent Canon function is called.
While this is a great challenge to learn about your camera, I find it is less useful than it sounds, and somewhat convoluted in practice. Unless motion is directly towards you, changing very quickly and you are "quite close" try something else, like Manual Focus (or even Single Point Auto Focus) on the "average" in-focus distance, and set an aperture narrow enough for a wider DoF for a bit of slack, focusing with the 1/3 in front-2/3 behind rule within the DoF, and don't snap until your subject is about to enter the critical region.
This is especially true of telephotos at long distance. Planes in flight, birds high overhead. In these basically "easy" situations, just set manual focus to infinity and forget about it. You also won't have any problems with capturing the initial auto focus, the bane sometimes of low contrast situations.
If you are going to "pan" best to turn off VR (IS or OS or whatever your lens calls it), or if only panning horizontally and not up and down some of the newer lenses have the "active" stabilization mode just to correct up-down motions. If you don't do this, you can find that your background is not motion blurred ( lens corrected for camera motion) and your subject is. Took me forever to work that out.
I absorbed all this the hard trial and error way, so I hope you won't repeat my mistakes and get frustrated with what is a quite complicated process in practice. A number of different but related things interacting, and not just the focus mode. Good shooting!
@darylo that is a hosed off before entering the house moment if I've ever seen one
So say hypothetically I had my carry everywhere camera at work today, which is a Canon Powershot SX50 HS and hunting through the handy manual I downloaded I turned up something called "Tracking AF". Probably the same thing right?
@aponi My friend had a mess on her hands! Hey, I did a quick Google search on AF tracking, and it looks like it's similar or the same to the challenge setting!
I'm playing with a swinging basket today to see if I can show the difference of the one-shot with continuous shutter compared to the AI Servo. That is if I can find the time!
Ok I gave it a shot. I got a little blue box that followed the trolley as it moved down the street, pretty sure that was the point. At least I think it was. Will have to fiddle with this a bit more.
I read @Darylo's postings on this and suddenly, in my hour of need (in the middle of student protestors and police and nobody was being still! and my lens refused to focus) I remembered, "AI Servo" so here's the photo after my camera agreed to cooperate.
@lynnb shared this info on her picture 2 above of the teals flying that I thought I would share.
"I have been trying the AI Servo mode more often as I take pictures of birds. I have found that I have to be in multiple shot mode too so that I can follow and shoot. "
Thank you:) It was hard to come up with something that hasn't been done yet but this is something I know I needed to get more comfortable with so I thought I probably wasn't alone. @nadaa@aponi@northy@pocketmouse@ozziehoffy
oh dear - only just seen this challenge
AF Mode in AI Servo or AI continuous and the week is over - but I'll still give it a try - only ever use one shot....will you be starting a new challenge ? and how do I join it?
@frankhymus@colie
As Frank pointed out for Nikon, I will for Pentax: It's referred to as AF.C or AF.S.
I caught this challenge way to late, so I won't participate, but I want to thank you, Colie, for bringing this to my attention! Next photo walk, and I'm there. ;-)
Hi. Not entering the challenge with this image, but it is an example of "anti AF-C" or "anti AI Servo" - a fast moving large object at "infinity." Just (manually) set my focus at infinity, turned off VR (well, used Optical Stabilization Mode 2 for this Sigma lens, same as Nikon "Active VR Mode"), set the shutter to drive (burst mode) and panned with the forward motion. I talked about the practicality of this in my rather vebose comment above. "Set it and forget it." Sounds like a TV paid program promoting a brand of infrared cooker/oven here in the United States!
This is version 2 with a bubble as it is bursting. Not sure if it "shows off" the AF-C mode better or not. I do like the composition of the above photo better, though.
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This is a hog on battery and camera processing, so remember to turn it off if not using. It will, also, slow down your burst rate probably at the very time you don't want it to. Also there is no familiar chirp when focus is achieved, just flasing of the focus point being used, and this can be quite disconcerting the next day if you forgot to change it back to your regular AF-S. You will find it worthwhile to experiment with the associated feature "AF-Area Mode" (just below in the info screen) and select something other than Single Point for the whole exercise to work properly. I have no idea what the equivalent Canon function is called.
While this is a great challenge to learn about your camera, I find it is less useful than it sounds, and somewhat convoluted in practice. Unless motion is directly towards you, changing very quickly and you are "quite close" try something else, like Manual Focus (or even Single Point Auto Focus) on the "average" in-focus distance, and set an aperture narrow enough for a wider DoF for a bit of slack, focusing with the 1/3 in front-2/3 behind rule within the DoF, and don't snap until your subject is about to enter the critical region.
This is especially true of telephotos at long distance. Planes in flight, birds high overhead. In these basically "easy" situations, just set manual focus to infinity and forget about it. You also won't have any problems with capturing the initial auto focus, the bane sometimes of low contrast situations.
If you are going to "pan" best to turn off VR (IS or OS or whatever your lens calls it), or if only panning horizontally and not up and down some of the newer lenses have the "active" stabilization mode just to correct up-down motions. If you don't do this, you can find that your background is not motion blurred ( lens corrected for camera motion) and your subject is. Took me forever to work that out.
I absorbed all this the hard trial and error way, so I hope you won't repeat my mistakes and get frustrated with what is a quite complicated process in practice. A number of different but related things interacting, and not just the focus mode. Good shooting!
So say hypothetically I had my carry everywhere camera at work today, which is a Canon Powershot SX50 HS and hunting through the handy manual I downloaded I turned up something called "Tracking AF". Probably the same thing right?
I'm playing with a swinging basket today to see if I can show the difference of the one-shot with continuous shutter compared to the AI Servo. That is if I can find the time!
I was going to head out at lunch to see what I could scare up. If all else fails I'll break out the trusty frisbee and dog this weekend.
And here is Monkey on a swing in One Shot Focus:
I think I'm getting it--all thanks to a monkey on a swing!
"I have been trying the AI Servo mode more often as I take pictures of birds. I have found that I have to be in multiple shot mode too so that I can follow and shoot. "
AF Mode in AI Servo or AI continuous and the week is over - but I'll still give it a try - only ever use one shot....will you be starting a new challenge ? and how do I join it?
As Frank pointed out for Nikon, I will for Pentax: It's referred to as AF.C or AF.S.
I caught this challenge way to late, so I won't participate, but I want to thank you, Colie, for bringing this to my attention! Next photo walk, and I'm there. ;-)