Focusing off center

[Canon10Digital]

Ok, shooting with 10D, trying to focus on a subject off center, i know the basic way of doing it, auto-focus, then keeping the your finger on the button, and re-composing. But when i try and set my focus point with the little red boxes, it almost never focus on anything. i was praticing with it at my house. I think i had a bottle of windex on the table, and i was trying to use the focus squeares, even if i put the box i was focusing from right on top of the windex, it wouldnt focus. Not only would it not focus on the windex, it wouldnt focus on anything. It would try, focus in out in out, then just give up and leave everything out-of focus. Am i doing something wrong? does the subject have to be the closest thing to the camera?

[timmyquest]

What lens, how was the lighting.

In low light it is harder

On slower focusing poorer quality lenses it is harder

A mixture of the two is a headache.

[Canon10Digital]

Lens is 28-90 4.0-5.6 Canon, light not good, so maybe thats the problem, thanx for the quick response.

[eric1]

what Tim said. plus you can have trouble if there isn't alot of contrast in your subject, and the background. i usually don't have a problem using the different focus points. sometimes the camera is fooled, and you have to half press a couple of times.

[roanjohn]

Maybe you're too close to the minimum focusing distance.....step further back and see what happens.

Ro1

[eric1]

the 28-90 isn't real good in low light situations, that was probably your problem.

[Canon10Digital]

thanx for all you help guys, next month i'll be getting my 24-70 2.8, i'm thinking its a little better in low-light :)

[eric1]

going to the 24-70? man are you in for a shock! a very good shock. :lol:

[robertwgross]

You might want to consider which shooting mode you're in. In some modes, autofocus is completely different.

---Bob Gross---

[sGu]

consider using manual focus in low light?

[drisley]

I was wondering about this.
Has anybody noticed if the focus accuracy of the edge AF points is as accurate as the center AF point?

[roanjohn]

I was wondering about this.
Has anybody noticed if the focus accuracy of the edge AF points is as accurate as the center AF point?

I hardly use the furthest right and left focusing points. I think they are not as sensitive as the ones closest to the center.

And now with the hack...........I can shoot and recompose by just using the center focus...................GENIUS!!!

Ro1