XTi Auto Focus

[chinmaya]

<p>Photographing a bird is a big deal. You would need a telelphoto lens, when you lock-in a telelphoto lens in front of your camera body, its going to be heavy and shaky. Which means your images could be blurrier. To get sharper images you need a lens with image stabilizer or a tripod and a body with good auto focus.<br>

I seems to have less luck with XTi autofocus, I get sharper images with less effort in manual focus mode than autofocus. In autofocus mode I capture more blurrier images than manual focus mode.<br>

I was wondering if you any of you experienced the same with XTi?<br>

Would upgrading to a 5D-M2 or 50D body provide a <strong>substantially </strong> better auto-focusing abilities?</p>

<p>Thanks<br>

chinmaya</p>

 

[matthijs]

<p>You could fool around a bit with the AF settings that should help. (For birds in flight I'd guess all focus points and AI focus, for static birds just center point and one shot focus) but if that doesn't help you might want a different body.</p>

<p>If I were you I would borrow or rent before I buy however. Maybe it's more a question of skill/experience than of hardware. You'll want to experiment before spending that amount of cash I'd say.</p>

[richard_martin10]

<p>I had an XTi and found it excellent for fast moving objects. I used the AF in servo mode, center focus point only. This is usually a matter of learning tecnique rather then camera problems, and also lens choide. I have a 70-200 F/4L and 400 F/5.6L which are fast focusing and accurate. I've included a photo of a fast moving race car taken with the XTi/70-200 combo, I've also done many fast moving birds and planes at airshows with no problems but don't have anything available to post.</p><div></div>

[eric merrill]

<p>Both the original 5D and the 40D focus faster substantially faster than the XTi. I can't speak to either the 5D2 or the 50D. 1 series bodies are even faster.</p>

<p>Eric</p>

[neill_farmer2]

<p>It might be that your camera front/back focusses. Long telephotos at middle apertures have thin Depths of Field so small errors might be placing the subject out of focus. The fact that your manual focussed shots are ok seems to support an Autofocus problem. Mine back focusses around 1 to 2%, that's enough to make this type of photography frustrating.<br>

Neill</p>

[paul_russell1]

<p>Nowt wrong with my XTi, centre spot Ai Servo coupled with a 200mm f2.8L USM lens and it seldom lets me down, I've used it on birds, jetskis, racing cars.<br>

Even works well with my bigma for birding. I always use a tripod with big lenses. Maybe the blur is camera shake or motion blur, but I would not say that the XTi focus is generically bad. Not as good as my EOS 3, but pretty good none the less.</p>

[richard_martin10]

<p>"It might be that your camera front/back focusses."<br>

Forgive me if I'm wrong on this but I believe cameras don't front or back focus but lenses might. I can't help but feel this is tecnique on the part of the OP, so many people I talk to at the race tracks, air shows, etc. are not properly setting up the camera and/or have poor tecnique trying to photograph moving objects. <br>

"Both the original 5D and the 40D focus faster substantially faster than the XTi."<br>

I don't know about the 5D focusing faster then the XTi but the 40D certainly does. I sold my XTi for a 40D but not for this reason, so I speak from experience. However, this doesn't mean just switching camera bodies will solve the problem. As I stated in my original response, the XTi is an excellent action camera, it never let me down in any situation trying to photograph fast moving objects.</p><div></div>