How can I get sharp photos with a DSLR that has only a few central AF points?
Asked 3/28/2017
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I use Canon APS-C cameras with 9 or 11 autofocus points, and most of them are clustered near the center of the viewfinder. My usual method is to focus with the nearest AF point, half-press to lock focus, then recompose and take the shot. Sometimes that small delay or subject movement causes me to miss the moment, especially when photographing people at events, weddings, or on the street.
Is focus-and-recompose the best technique with this kind of AF system, or is there a better way to get consistently sharp results?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
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There is nothing wrong with the technique you are currently using, in fact its probably the most logical approach to the problem. I use a very similar methodology, especially when I have to shoot through a fence or barrier at a baseball park or the local zoo.
Being a Nikon user, I can not offer specific instruction on Canon's menus (and lacking the model of your camera I am not sure which APS-C to look up), but look for the option to instruct the camera which AF point to use (probably labeled Single Point AF or along those lines). By forcing the camera to AF against one spot, you wont have the repeated refocus attempts before the desired area is in focus.
If your camera has a cross-type focusing system for one or more AF points, you will find that those point(s) will provide the best performance for this technique, even if that means using the center point and panning more after getting the shot in focus.
While this article does not directly addresses your question, it offers useful information to you, and in fact recommends doing exactly what you have been, Lock Focus, Recompose, Shoot.
If Manual Focus is at all an option for your work, you can focus on an object at a known distance similar to where your subjects WILL BE and then track your subjects until they enter focus before shooting. This requires time to track and quick timing when the subject hits the space focused on, so it may not be a solution for your situation.
Finally, an advanced method... Use a lens with a wider depth of field, as little zoom as you can stand, as high an ISO as shooting conditions allow, a faster shutter, and a slightly lower f-stop can help to create a larger in-focus zone, this will help with the timing too, as the precise moment to open the shutter is longer. A tool like this might also be of help in planning your shots. This technique is finicky and can produce aberrations. It also produces pictures that often have to be post-processed before they are an optimized result.
If none of these methods work well for you, it might be time to consider upgrading to a model with more responsive AF features.
Originally by user60788. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user60788
9y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Focus-and-recompose is a normal and often effective technique on cameras with few AF points, so there’s nothing inherently wrong with what you’re doing. However, for best consistency, use single-point AF and manually choose the AF point closest to your subject instead of letting the camera decide.
If your camera has cross-type AF points, those are usually the most reliable and accurate, so favor them when possible.
A few practical notes:
- Focus-and-recompose works best when subject movement is minimal.
- It can be less reliable at close distances or with shallow depth of field, where recomposing changes the focus plane enough to matter.
- For fast candid work, preselecting one AF point and keeping it on the subject is often quicker than focusing, locking, and reframing repeatedly.
So: your current method is valid, but switching to manually selected single-point AF—ideally using the best cross-type point available—will usually give you more predictable sharpness.
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