Topic: Focus lock in low light (Read 3322 times)

scubarob639 · « **on:** January 10, 2009, 11:16:17 pm »

Just shot my first wedding and all went well, until the lights were dimmed and the dancing started. I am shooting with a 1Dmk2, EF85mm F1.8, and a 580EX flash. I had a very difficult time getting the autofocus to lock on a subject and even more difficulty trying manual focus. Have their been any advancments in low light autofocus lock since my camera? Are there any other tips to help me in this situation?

Thanks, Rob

petermacc · « **Reply #1 on:** January 12, 2009, 04:05:31 pm »

Quote from: scubarob639

Just shot my first wedding and all went well, until the lights were dimmed and the dancing started. I am shooting with a 1Dmk2, EF85mm F1.8, and a 580EX flash. I had a very difficult time getting the autofocus to lock on a subject and even more difficulty trying manual focus. Have their been any advancments in low light autofocus lock since my camera? Are there any other tips to help me in this situation?

Thanks, Rob

You could get a replacement screen from Canon that is designed for fast aperature lenses in low light. And yes, Low light performance has improved in the cameras with their screens and higher iso performance. I would also consider a katzeye screen. Those will improve your manual focus times drastically I noticed over most stock screens.

jani · « **Reply #2 on:** January 14, 2009, 02:45:02 pm »

Quote from: petermacc

You could get a replacement screen from Canon that is designed for fast aperature lenses in low light. And yes, Low light performance has improved in the cameras with their screens and higher iso performance. I would also consider a katzeye screen. Those will improve your manual focus times drastically I noticed over most stock screens.

It's a 1D MkII. There is no Katz' Eye model for that, since Canon make their own replacement screens.

Whether low light focus performance has improved is something at least I've seen too few reports on, although there have been suggestions either way during the 1D MkIII autofocus debacle.

However, the newer cameras have better viewfinders.

From my own experiences with a friend's 1D MkII, though, the autofocus performance in low light is fast and reasonably precise, at least with the 24-70mm f/2.8L.

maxima302 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 14, 2009, 06:32:34 pm »

Did you have the focus assist beam turned "on" on your 580EX

Ken Bennett · « **Reply #4 on:** January 14, 2009, 08:43:42 pm »

I use 1D2 bodies. I don't think there's anything a whole lot better out there for low light focus.

When the light drops, I use the center focusing spot and put it on something contrasty -- a man's shirt and necktie, or a white nametag on a dark suit. Also, in my experience One Shot AF takes a long time to lock on, while continuous focus used in conjunction with the thumb button (* button for focus) is quicker and can be more accurate. Or maybe accurate enough. If it's pitch black, then you need the focus assist beam on the flash, which works with One Shot AF.

I usually end up shooting at 800 or 1600 ISO, at about f/2.8 or f/4. I try to keep the shutter around 1/60, but I'll drag it as low as 1/15 to get the background to open up a bit. That said, my best photos come from using a second flash to light the background and rim light the subject. Not always possible, of course, but it works well.

scubarob639 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 14, 2009, 10:00:09 pm »

Quote from: maxima302

Did you have the focus assist beam turned "on" on your 580EX

Yes, the focus assist is the red stripe light and it is operating. It works well for static objects, not so well with moving ones i.e dancing in a poorly lighted reception hall. I use the center point only for focus, and the camera is in program mode. This is the only mode which keeps the shutter between 1/60 and 1/250 second. I normally shoot in AV mode however in this shoot, the shutter speed is way to slow for hand held even at ISO 800. My main question this: If I go to a Nikon D3, I get great shots at high ISO, but will that camera actually focus lock on a poorly lit subject any better then what I have? When people rave about the high ISO performance, are they generally using manual focus, or does it auto focus much better too?

Ken Bennett · « **Reply #6 on:** January 15, 2009, 08:17:22 pm »

The only suggestion I would have is to shoot in Manual mode. The overall lighting in the room is unlikely to change dramatically, and this gives you control over the base exposure as well as the flash. It's easy enough to change the shutter speed if different areas of the room vary in brightness.

I'd be interested in what aperture/shutter combination the camera is choosing in Program mode. My experience (a while back) is that the camera chose much smaller apertures than I found usable when in P mode, and then just blasted the flash, totally overpowering the background light. That behavior might have changed, though.

petermacc · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2009, 07:47:11 pm »

Quote from: jani

It's a 1D MkII. There is no Katz' Eye model for that, since Canon make their own replacement screens.

Whether low light focus performance has improved is something at least I've seen too few reports on, although there have been suggestions either way during the 1D MkIII autofocus debacle.

However, the newer cameras have better viewfinders.

From my own experiences with a friend's 1D MkII, though, the autofocus performance in low light is fast and reasonably precise, at least with the 24-70mm f/2.8L.

That's right. I was mistaking Katz with Brightscreen. Brightscreen does offer screens for "CANON: all 35mm and digital" so that is an option.

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