When should I select a non-center autofocus point instead of focus-and-recompose?
Asked 5/18/2011
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I usually leave my Canon Rebel XTi on the center AF point, focus on my subject with a half-press, then recompose before taking the shot. Since my subject might be anywhere in the frame from one photo to the next, changing AF points each time feels slower and less intuitive.
In what situations is it actually better to select a different autofocus point rather than using the center point and recomposing? Does it matter more with certain lenses, compositions, or when shooting on a tripod?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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With some lenses (mostly fast wide-angles) there's a possible problem from focusing and then re-composing: as you re-compose, what you originally focused on will no longer be on the plane of focus.
With longer lenses, this is rarely much of a problem, if you're shooting with something like a 30/1.4 on full frame, your subject could be quite a ways out of focus by the time you compose the picture.
This makes the biggest difference when there's a fairly large angle between where you focused and where you shoot. The slower the lens, the more depth of field you have to cover the discrepancy.
Originally by user603. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user603
15y ago
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Selecting a non-center AF point is useful when you already know where your subject will be in the frame and want focus there without recomposing.
Main reasons:
- Avoid focus shift from recomposing. With fast lenses, especially wide-aperture wide angles, focus-and-recompose can move the subject off the original plane of focus. The larger the recompose angle and the shallower the depth of field, the bigger the problem.
- Off-center composition. If you’re intentionally placing the subject away from the center (for example, rule-of-thirds framing), choosing that AF point can be quicker and more precise.
- Tripod shooting. If the camera is locked down and the framing is exactly how you want it, selecting the AF point nearest the subject lets you keep the composition unchanged.
- Speed in repeated framing. If you expect the subject to stay in roughly the same part of the frame, using that AF point can be faster than focus, hold, and recompose each shot.
Center-point focus and recompose works fine in many situations, especially with more depth of field. But at wide apertures or with careful composition, selecting another AF point can give more accurate focus and a smoother workflow.
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