Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Digital Cameras & Shooting Techniques => Topic started by: ahbnyc on May 01, 2018, 12:12:39 am

Title: AI Servo Focusing
Post by: ahbnyc on May 01, 2018, 12:12:39 am
I'm having trouble figuring out how AI Servo mode works on my Canon 70D from the instruction manual. If I use center point focusing and press the shutter button half way to focus on the subject and the subject moves, does maintaining focus on the subject require that I move the camera so that the subject stays on the center focusing point? Would this work differently and/or better if I let the camera choose the focus point (I've been trying to use AI Servo to photograph birds, so this is probably not an option since the camera could decide to focus on a branch, but could this work on other types of subjects)?
Title: Re: AI Servo Focusing
Post by: NancyP on May 01, 2018, 12:39:11 pm
Keep the shutter button pressed down once you have acquired the bird in the center point, and keep panning the camera, keeping the bird in the center point. I would use center point only for birds in flight. I also use center point only AI Servo as default setting for birds, in flight and stationary. Practice!
Title: Re: AI Servo Focusing
Post by: ahbnyc on May 01, 2018, 03:41:56 pm
Thanks -- your response is much clearer than the write-up in the camera manual or the book that I got. Of course it would be easier just to photograph the stuffed birds in the natural history museum.
Title: Re: AI Servo Focusing
Post by: NancyP on May 01, 2018, 04:52:24 pm
Japanese-made item, and you expect perfectly clear instructions? (Actually, I suspect that the instructions were written by some American business intern who doesn't shoot with Canon dSLRs).
 MUCH better info on camera features and operation from the Canon learning center site: http://learn.usa.canon.com/

Also: fabulous explanations on all topics in bird photography from this man's site: http://www.digitalbirdphotography.com/