Low light fast focus

[m_lee5]

Hi I'm a wedding photographer

 

I have a Canon 1D III which is supposed to be the "fastest" focusing camera. ...and as far as focusing goes.. I'm

very disapointed. I use it with a 24-70 2.8 canon lens together with a 580 canon flash. The fastest focusing is

with single point but.. it lets me down at critical moments. It took ages to focus on the groom putting on the

brides ring at my last wedding. I only managed to get One shot instead of several I usualy get. When I use it in

multi focus points (only the centre ones), to grab two people together, it is slower and I sometimes miss a shot.

Some people use single point and re-focus but it's difficult to do when 1) two people are dancing 2) or when you

need to grab a fast candid. I love the feel and prestige of the 1D III, but I expected more..

 

So I'm still looking for a fast focusing low light wedding camera to work with flash. I don't need to shot 20

frames a second I just need to shoot One picture fast.

 

The new 5D or even the 50D, are the newer ones faster focusing?

 

Any suggestions?

[zml]

CFn settings..? Servo or one shot? Speed over accuracy, AF assist points, tracking method and lens drive (CFn III-

2, 3, 4 and 5)...AF assist beam..? There is a white paper for 1D3 configuration available, BTW.<br><br>FWIW - the

1D3 and 1Ds3 are best focusing cameras I ever used. 5D is a dog in comparison, 50D should be a bit better than 5D

(judging by the AF module in 40D) but 1D3 is in a different universe in terms of AF...

[nhut-nguyen]

You have anyone that you can borrow their 1D III to test? My friend has one and he shoots birds, the focus is amazing!

[elliot1]

Are you certain your flash's focus assist light was coming on?

[chrisjb]

`I only managed to get One shot instead of several I usualy get.`

 

Interesting, what do you normally use?, I agree with Michael the white paper needs to be read as there are many things and settings to adjust to provide the full advantage of this body. The XXd or 5d will not give better AF, my 40d even focusses quicker than my 5d. If you don`t focus, lock focus and recompose then an AF point needs to be picked and placed over a high contrast area. Grooms dark suit and white collar an example. Have you looked through your images to see where the actual focus points were at the time of shooting?

 

Cheers

[m_lee5]

Yes flash focus assist is on

But it takes a few moments to decide if it needs to turn the focus assist on or not.

 

I've tried different settings and I havent noticed a difference.

Perhaps it's fast for tracking things such as birds, motorbikes etc but it's not fast for single shot grab and shoot (and run).

Is the 50 D faster?

 

Thanks

[sarah_fox]

FAIW, I just use the center focusing point (and only that one), grabbing my focus before framing and shooting. I have a 5D (which lacks a focus assist lamp), and I was effortlessly AF'ing last night on medium-dark granite rocks towards the darker end of dusk with an f/4 lens. (I thought the camera might have problems with this but was pleasantly surprised.) The AF only took a tiny fraction of a sec each time. I don't think it's as much a matter of how many AF points you have or how fast your lens is, so much as the "quality of information" you make available to the AF spot. Point the center AF spot at a good edge, and your camera will deliver sharp focus reliably. Even my old 10D manages that. If you try to focus on the middle of a softly lit cheek, you're going to have trouble -- unless the bride has acne.

[picturesque]

You are expecting too much. Cameras still can't read your mind, although some people say the Nikon D700 focusing comes close. Just because a camera is thought to be the best and fastest autofocusing camera around doesn't mean it CAN read your mind, particularly in bad autofocusing conditions like low light.

 

I shoot weddings with a 5D and find it fine. Focus and recompose with center point, and it actually does very well. For action, use AI Servo but in good light. For low light action, either use manual, zone focus or pre focus on a comparably placed target to your subject (using focus on the * button) and wait for your shot. Shutter actuation is much quicker this way too.

 

Nobody knows what the new 5DII does in terms of autofocus, although it is said to be basically the same. And I wouldn't think the 50D is any better than the 40D or present 5D, which, as I said above, is fine, but not stellar.

 

You might rent a D700 and see if the hype is true.

[ralph_jensen]

Nadine, I'm not sure a D700 is the ultimate either. Scroll down to AGeoJO's post in this thread, for example:

 

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/707056

 

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence until we go over there. I'm never sure why different

photographers have different focusing success in similar lighting conditions, but I wonder both about camera (and

lens?) variances and minor differences in the subject's reflectivity under similarly low-lit conditions.

[picturesque]

Ralph--I agree with you. I've never used a D700 so I don't know. I have heard some people say it is the cat's meow and others not. Plus there is always justification for one's purchase. However, I've also heard people complain mightily about Canon autofocus, yet I find my 5D fine, and my 20D not so fine. I don't expect my cameras to read my mind, however, particularly in not so good conditions. I'm sure it is a matter of expectations plus individual usage, as you say.

 

My best success rate, actually, is with my manual focus, zone focus method using my old medium format cameras. I'd get close to 100% in focus with those, and I'm talking about candids and images in light so low you couldn't see to focus in the viewfinder, not posed, bright images where you have all the time to focus. I tried doing the same with my digitals, but the distance scales on these zooms are so tiny, it is near impossible. Zone focus combined with no mirror lag, as in my TLR Mamiya C330, was the fastest shooting of all my cameras.

 

Still, it is worth it for M to rent one and see, regardless of what anyone else says.

[carlos_miami]

Sometimes it is too dark to rely on AF when you need to take a photo quickly. In these situations, I have found that there is no substitute for focusing manually.