Autofocus for Action Photography
Left Image: 35mm SLR, 200mm f-2.8 APO lens, Fujichrome Provia
100, f-2.8, shutter speed not recorded, continuous autofocus mode.
I see autofocus as an extra
feature rather than an essential one. You can certainly take good
photographs by focusing manually. People have been doing this for decades
and continue doing it today. All my 35mm cameras are autofocus, but seventy
percent of my photography is done in manual focus. I prefer to select my own
focus point and check depth-of-field for optimum sharpness. I see no reason
to use autofocus for landscape or architectural photography for example,
when you have time to focus on your subject. For action photography, I
prefer autofocus with tracking. I'll explain how this works and how
you should use autofocus for best results.
All currently made autofocus
cameras have predictive autofocus. Camera can calculate subject's speed and
direction to adjust focus for the exact time the shutter opens to record
exposure. This ensures high percentage of sharply focused images. Older
autofocus cameras did not have predictive autofocus. If you are switching
from an old model to one of the newer cameras, you have to learn how to use
autofocus all over again, especially for fast moving subjects. I'll give you
an example with Minolta Maxxum cameras since I'm more familiar with this
system, but Canon, Nikon, and Pentax autofocus cameras work the same.
My old SLRs lacks predictive autofocus, but includes focus priority
when motor drive is attached. Focus priority locks shutter and readjusts
focus until subject is in sharp focus. Focus priority is included in all
currently made autofocus cameras as well. When I started using autofocus, I
would select focus priority with a fast shutter speed. Camera would focus
and re-focus as long as I kept the subject inside the autofocus point and
kept the shutter release pressed down. This technique did not ensure sharp
focus. Slower autofocus speed and lack of focus tracking resulted in a lot
of unsharp images. Subject had to be inside the autofocus point at the exact
moment you released the shutter and your shutter speed had to be fast enough
in order to take sharp images. Your shutter speed still has to be fast
enough with today's camera, except predictive autofocus solves some of the
focusing problems. It took me a while to get used to predictive autofocus.
My Minolta Maxxum 9 as well as other newer Maxxum, EOS, Nikon AF, and Pentax
AF cameras have continuous autofocus that can predict where the subject will
be the moment you press the shutter. This is an excellent tool for action
photography and does not work like the older models.
First press the shutter release slightly down to activate autofocus. Camera
will continue to adjust focus as long as you keep the pressure on the
shutter release. Press the shutter release all the way down to take the
picture. I have noticed that the subject does not necessarily have to look
sharp in the viewfinder while in continuous autofocus mode. Actually, for
subjects that are coming towards you for instance, an unsharp image in the
viewfinder is a sign of a sharp photograph. With my Maxxum 9000, I had to
wait to see a sharp image just as I did with my Minolta X-700 manual focus
camera before I released the shutter. With current autofocus cameras, I can
just compose the shot and let the camera track and focus on the subject.
Predictive autofocus will select the best focusing point for the moving
subject and readjust focus as needed. I must admit that some of the shots I
have taken of fast moving subjects would have been impossible to take. At
least for me.
Left Image: 35mm SLR, 300mm f-2.8 APO lens, Fuji Provia, Bogen monopod.
Multisegment metering, approx. 1/250 sec at f-2.8 on
aperture priority and continuous autofocus.
What kind of an action photo is this? If you think
this guy was just posing for me, think again. This was one fast active bird
(I don't know the specie) who didn't want to sit still for one-second. I
spent an hour with this bird and couldn't make him cooperate. He would make
fast and strange moves in all directions. While photographing, bird looked
blurry in the viewfinder. Surprisingly, autofocus with tracking recorded
sharp images of about twenty-five out of thirty-six shots I took, including
this one. The bird was moving its head back and forth while turning its body
left and right! I have photographed fighter air crafts flying at 600 mph
easier than this guy.
Recommended Lenses
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for
Canon SLR Cameras
4x Zoom Lens variably extends
from 100mm to 400mm focal length / For use with Canon 35mm SLR Cameras.
A truly professional L-series
telephoto zoom lens with Image Stabilization, making hand-holding practical
even at its 400mm focal length.
Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED Autofocus VR Zoom Nikkor Lens
Nikon's new 80-400mm high-power
zoom lens features an innovative Vibration Reduction (VR) system that allows
handheld super telephoto
shooting. The Lens'
VR system minimizes image blur caused by camera shake, and offers the
equivalent of shooting at a shutter speed three stops (eight times) faster