Is One-Shot AF more accurate than AI Servo when using back-button focus?

Asked 5/24/2015

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If I use back-button focus, I can leave my camera in AI Servo and stop focusing whenever I want, even for stationary subjects. But I still feel like One-Shot might be more accurate. Is One-Shot AF actually more accurate than AI Servo when back-button focus is used correctly, or is the only real difference that One-Shot locks focus while AI Servo keeps updating it?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

11y ago

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It depends on what you mean by more accurate. The same algorithms are used in either AI Servo or One Shot to get an initial focus on what is in the viewfinder at the selected areas of AF sensitivity.¹ What happens after that may affect how well your subject is in focus in either mode.

With One Shot the camera stops all AF focus activity once focus lock is achieved until after you either:

  • Press the shutter button all the way to take the photo, then press AF-On again (or half press the shutter if it also enables AF)
  • Release the AF-On button (and the half shutter press at the same time if it is also set to enable AF) and then press it again (or half press the shutter if it also enables AF)

If your subject moves between the time you lock focus and take the photo you are not going to get accurate focus.

On the other hand, AI Servo continuously checks focus and can occasionally "hunt" a little between the time you activate AF and you press the shutter all the way to take the photo. Whether the camera takes the photo immediately or waits until it can confirm focus to fire the shutter depends on your release priority settings. So if the camera is "hunting" when you fire the shutter you can potentially get an inaccurately focused picture.

If the release priority for AI Servo 1st Image Priority and AI Servo 2nd Image Priority under the AF2 menu are set to focus priority there should be no difference in accuracy between AI Servo and One Shot. This assumes you properly told the camera where you wanted it to focus and the subject hasn't moved since focus lock was achieved. If release priority is set to equal priority or release priority then AI Servo can be less accurate since you have told the camera to hurry up and take the picture!

¹Although the same algorithms are used, Chuck Westfall, Canon USA's chief technical advisor for decades, has told us that the sampling period for One Shot AF is longer than the sampling period for AI Servo AF. This means that in bright light AI Servo should be slightly faster, but in low light One Shot will function at dimmer light levels than AI Servo can. The longer sampling period is the rough equivalent of a longer shutter time in terms of how much signal is divided by the constant noise produced by the PDAF sensor. For a more in depth discussion of the low light differences between One Shot and AI Servo, including two detailed quotes from Chuck Westfall, please see: Is there any reason you would use one-shot focus over AI-Servo?

Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user15871

11y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

No—based on the answers provided, One-Shot AF is not inherently more accurate than AI Servo for initial focus acquisition. The same basic autofocus algorithms are used for focusing speed, accuracy, and AF point selection.

The real difference is behavior after focus is achieved:

  • One-Shot AF locks focus once focus is acquired.
  • AI Servo AF keeps updating focus as long as AF is active.

With back-button focus, AI Servo can work fine for stationary subjects because you can simply stop AF once focus is where you want it. In that sense, it can mimic the practical result of One-Shot.

One-Shot is often recommended for stationary subjects because the focus lock behavior is convenient. AI Servo is better when the subject may move, especially toward or away from the camera.

So if you use back-button focus properly, One-Shot is not more accurate; it just handles focus lock differently.

UniqueBot

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11y ago

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