AI Servo

[pks1702]

My new toy has some very useful AF settings which can be set dependent on the subject matter, background and speed of movement, all of which is taking quite some experimenting to get to grips with.

I was looking for some relatively fast moving subjects which I could lock on to fire a burst and see the results. In AI Servo mode once you have locked onto your subject matter the camera continually refocuses as a subject comes towards or goes away from you. As SWMBO is still in recovery mode after her latest medical mauling I had to find something nearer home.

Mmmm what could I use....

As you can see the only position I could get somewhere near was largely into the Sun which under normal circumstances we would not consider but as this was a AF tracking exercise only I took this option. I must say I am fairly impressed with the metering in difficult circumstances and have now found another custom function which would allow me a very quick exposure compensation given this situation again.

Usual riders slight softening in compressing to fit the site parameters; click to see maximum size.

[jillR]

hi perry

impressive pickys

jill

[Guest]

Hi Perry

very nice shots lol what was your doing at th airport

Jonny

[pks1702]

very nice shots lol what was your doing at th airport :

Not many Kingfishers Jonny, these were the only flying birds I came across

[Guest]

Very nice work Perry. Superbly focused.

I've missed something - what is the new toy?

Make sure you don't get arrested - or even shot - for pointing long lenses at airliners. There's a certain amount of touchiness about these things

Bruce

[pks1702]

Make sure you don't get arrested - or even shot - for pointing long lenses at airliners. There's a certain amount of touchiness about these things

You are certainly correct Bruce but I was not airside

New Baby is:

[Guest]

Very nice indeed Perry. You'll be ready to shoot the 2012 Olympics with that. And bang in tent pegs if the need should arise.

What lens were you using? 70-200 f2.8 IS by any chance? It somehow has that look.

Bruce

[pks1702]

What lens were you using? 70-200 f2.8 IS by any chance? It somehow has that look.

You never cease to amaze me Bruce.... Yes it is

Despite some of the bad press regarding focusing issues I micro adjusted to kick off with and then Canon recalled and in addition added a firmware update. I think most 'sensible' uses agree the focusing is back where it should be and one of the reasons I took these was to test it. The focusing is so quick it has taken me time to adjust to it. The custom functions give huge flexibility and as I shoot all round subjects this seemed the best all round upgrade for me.

I look forward to continuing to get to grips with it

[Guest]

Superb pics Perry - my only concern, well, how can I put it.... QueasyJet? Somehow I expected more class from you.

EOS1DIII, it has more focus points than I've had hot dinners, doesn't it? Clearly they do their job. The only airliner I ever got was this shot of the very first arrival of an Airbus A380. I should probably crop this pic to frame it better but I'm too lazy. I actually took an entire sequence as the thing passed over my head but this is the only one which is online and therefore postable. I even appeared on the front page of the Guardian the next day as the press photographer was taking a picture of me taking a picture of the aircraft.

[pks1702]

QueasyJet? Somehow I expected more class from you.

Quite Simon but at a provincial airport you have to take what you can get for test purposes and they were appreciated

Yes it has a 'few' focus points which as a custom function you can choose to expand individually or as groups.

RTFM is a major job and really a case of reading, experimenting and reading again.

The A380 is certainly as lump - where was that taken?

Birds next

[mbird]

Hi Perry

I haven't really played with the AI Servo mode too much yet, either on my 350D or my 50D. I tend to stick to one-shot mode, which I think is the undoing of my failed attempt to capture Kingfishers.

Having read the manual to my 50D, the mode dial comes with a couple of customisable settings. I have now set C1 mode so that immediately I select it, the focus goes to AI Serve, centre focus point selected, multi shot drive mode, auto ISO and 1/400th shutter speed. Hopefullt this will give me a little less to adjust next time I go into Kingfisher country!

[pks1702]

I am sure you will see much better results Mark if you are trying to track a moving target.

With the AF set in 'normal' mode it is not dynamic so locks on at a given focal length which is fine for static subjects but not that useful for subjects that are on the move.

http://www.shutterfreaks.com/Tips/CanonAIServo.html

[pks1702]

I omitted to mention in my original post (although I'm sure you will have spotted) images 3 & 4 are the same aircraft and were taken at the start and end of the burst to show that focus was pretty much still there despite around 20 images been shot as I tracked from right to left.

Just spotted I left this fairly fundamental point off the post

[Guest]

I assume AI Servo mode is the equivalent of AF-A on my camera? The other options being AF-S and AF-C for single or tracking AF. AF-A the camera attempts to determine for itself. Good luck trying to track something as iddy biddy as a kingfisher Mark. My experience is that if you are off even slightly and the bird fails to break an AF point the camera then refocusses on the background which can be rather frustrating.

Perry, I was stood just outside the peri-fence at Heathrow when I shot the A380.

[mbird]

I assume AI Servo mode is the equivalent of AF-A on my camera? The other options being AF-S and AF-C for single or tracking AF. AF-A the camera attempts to determine for itself. Good luck trying to track something as iddy biddy as a kingfisher Mark. My experience is that if you are off even slightly and the bird fails to break an AF point the camera then refocusses on the background which can be rather frustrating.

Perry, I was stood just outside the peri-fence at Heathrow when I shot the A380.

Those settings sound the same as the Canon variants with different names Simon. In Canon parlance, the "One-shot" is for static images, "AI Servo" is for tracking a moving object, and "AI focus" starts of as static, but then attempts to track the subject if it starts moving.

With regard to the Kingfishers, I was thinking more if we were approaching one sitting on a branch in the boat. I have had this several times this year already, but because I am son intent on trying to get a shot, I continually have to press the shutter button to refocus each time, by which time the boat is that little bit closer to the bird. I think by using my new found C1 setting, I can just point the camera at the Kingfisher and fire off a burst as we approach.

Thats the theory anyway ........

[Guest]

AH, I'm with you now. So it's you that's moving not the kingfisher! Yes the servo mode should cause the camera to re-focus between each shot, though that will slow your frame rate down if you're shooting with continuous pressure. Obviously if you release the shutter button and then press it again the camera will re-focus in any AF mode.