How do I get the 300d to constantly autofocus in Tv mode?

[BikerFox]

How do I get the 300d to constantly autofocus in Tv mode, similar to the way it does in the "sports mode" that's available? Currently, if I put it in Tv mode and I focus on something, and that something moves, I have to focus again. This is unacceptable for sports. Thanks

[elbirth]

I think what you're experiencing is exactly the reason a lot of people find the Drebel unacceptable for fast action sports shots. It doesn't have AI Servo funcationality outside of the sports mode, so you can't use it in any other mode.

So basically, if you want to have that functionality, go back to sports mode... otherwise just try to focus on something at a similar distance or use some manual focusing.

[robertwgross]

Let me ask the obvious rhetorical question.

What is wrong with sports mode for a sports subject?

---Bob Gross---

[lensmen]

Sports mode.... so that is what I should have used....

ok, will try it next time on a sports even.... or just point my camera on the highway, taking shots of fast moving cagers....

[tommykjensen]

Let me ask the obvious rhetorical question.

What is wrong with sports mode for a sports subject?

---Bob Gross---

Nothing, except if BikerFox wants raw instead of jpg files or wants a higher ISO than 400.

[morpheus]

Let me ask the obvious rhetorical question.

What is wrong with sports mode for a sports subject?

---Bob Gross---

Nothing, except if BikerFox wants raw instead of jpg files or wants a higher ISO than 400.

the AI Servo which is in 10D can be enabled for 300D series, what you have to do is just upgrade your firmware (unofficial one) and it'll activate lots of hidden features.
I can't give you the link but you can find it easily by entering Canon 300D firmware on Google.
Enjoy.

[Sherpa]

The problem with sports mode on the 300D is it tends to choose very fast shutter speeds. It's no good for if you are panning and want to show some movement in a car's wheels for example. I use Tv mode for motorsport but have to put up with the auto focussing limitations. My friend shoots with a 10D using the same settings but using AI servo and I think we end up with the same amount of badly focussed rejects.

[The_Dutchman]

the AI Servo which is in 10D can be enabled for 300D series, what you have to do is just upgrade your firmware (unofficial one) and it'll activate lots of hidden features.
I can't give you the link but you can find it easily by entering Canon 300D firmware on Google.
Enjoy.

I have the firmware hack for the 300D , but i can't actually make the photo when shooting in A1 Servo mode. He does focus , but does'nt make the photo .....

[lensmen]

Here you go.

Do so at your own risk.

http://satinfo.narod.ru/en/index.html

I have not upgraded mine yet....

[BikerFox]

OH MY! I had no idea. that really SUCKS! :evil:

The reason I don't use sports mode is it's too "automatic." I'll be shooting a boxing match this weekend which requires a VERY fast shutter speed (at least 1250) and iso of 800 or so. I just bought the 50mm 1.4 for this purpose. I can't believe there's no way to continually autofocus on the 300d. I plan on upgrading to the 20d soon, does it have that feature?

I'll check into the firmware, thanks.

[elbirth]

OH MY! I had no idea. that really SUCKS! :evil:

The reason I don't use sports mode is it's too "automatic." I'll be shooting a boxing match this weekend which requires a VERY fast shutter speed (at least 1250) and iso of 800 or so. I just bought the 50mm 1.4 for this purpose. I can't believe there's no way to continually autofocus on the 300d. I plan on upgrading to the 20d soon, does it have that feature?

I'll check into the firmware, thanks.

Yes, the 20D has this feature. It also has a feature called AI Focus that I usually keep mine in for general purposes- basically what this does it uses the standard focus for still subjects, but once it notices the subject start moving, it starts automatically refocusing like in AI Servo.
For your purpose, I'd probably stay in AI Servo since things are moving fairly constantly.
The 20D also has a faster frame rate than the 300D, so you can get more shots in when you're shooting. It's a great camera, and I've really seen the 300D's limitations when comparing my friend's Drebel with my 20D

[timmyquest]

Let me ask the obvious rhetorical question.

What is wrong with sports mode for a sports subject?

---Bob Gross---

Nothing, except if BikerFox wants raw instead of jpg files or wants a higher ISO than 400.

"Obvious rhetorical question" = sarcastic

[BikerFox]

Yes, the 20D has this feature. It also has a feature called AI Focus that I usually keep mine in for general purposes- basically what this does it uses the standard focus for still subjects, but once it notices the subject start moving, it starts automatically refocusing like in AI Servo.
For your purpose, I'd probably stay in AI Servo since things are moving fairly constantly.
The 20D also has a faster frame rate than the 300D, so you can get more shots in when you're shooting. It's a great camera, and I've really seen the 300D's limitations when comparing my friend's Drebel with my 20D

The problem I have with sports mode is the shutter speeds are way too slow for boxing/martial arts. They come out blurry almost every time. I have to use Tv mode with high shutter and ISO. Also, flash is NOT allowed.

So, WHICH hack do I need? I saw one upgrade that required getting some part at Radio shack. It said the ai servo hack was "hard to turn on."

Thanks

[elbirth]

Yes, the 20D has this feature. It also has a feature called AI Focus that I usually keep mine in for general purposes- basically what this does it uses the standard focus for still subjects, but once it notices the subject start moving, it starts automatically refocusing like in AI Servo.
For your purpose, I'd probably stay in AI Servo since things are moving fairly constantly.
The 20D also has a faster frame rate than the 300D, so you can get more shots in when you're shooting. It's a great camera, and I've really seen the 300D's limitations when comparing my friend's Drebel with my 20D

The problem I have with sports mode is the shutter speeds are way too slow for boxing/martial arts. They come out blurry almost every time. I have to use Tv mode with high shutter and ISO. Also, flash is NOT allowed. Thanks

Yeah, I totally understand- I don't use sports mode on my 20D very much myself for similar reasons. With the 20D you can use AI Servo in any of the Creative Modes, I think... I don't have my 20D with me at the moment to verify that, though.

No problem, good luck getting some good shots with the 300D, though.. I'd be interested to see what you get.

Edit:
I'll leave it to the 300D owners to answer your edited in question.... I don't own one so I don't know about the hacks available for it or how they work.

[BikerFox]

Is this the hack I need? It mentions one of the feature is "Selects the autofocus mode: AIfocusAF, ONEShot"

Is "AIfocusAF" the AI servo mode I'm looking for? I wonder if there are instructions on how to use the feature. Thanks

[elbirth]

Is this the hack I need? It mentions one of the feature is "Selects the autofocus mode: AIfocusAF, ONEShot"

Is "AIfocusAF" the AI servo mode I'm looking for? I wonder if there are instructions on how to use the feature. Thanks

That sounds like the "AI Focus" mode on the 20D, perhaps.. which is like I mentioned earlier, where it will start to refocus itself automatically when it sees the subject start moving... so basically it has AI Servo built into it, in a way. I'm not positive it's the same thing, though, someone with this hack know for sure?

[cc10d]

In cannon software AIFocus is not the same as AIServo I believe you are looking for AIServo. Who knows what the hacks actually produce. Often there are unusual side effects. Both the 10D and the 20D have AIServo, I enjoy the feature a lot in following action.

[BikerFox]

Hmm.. from what I can tell by researching hacks, AIServo doesn't work "yet"

[robertwgross]

Nothing, except if BikerFox wants raw instead of jpg files or wants a higher ISO than 400.

Those were not requirements in his message.

---Bob Gross---

[robertwgross]

"Obvious rhetorical question" = sarcastic

Nope.

---Bob Gross---

[tommykjensen]

Let me ask the obvious rhetorical question.

What is wrong with sports mode for a sports subject?

---Bob Gross---

Nothing, except if BikerFox wants raw instead of jpg files or wants a higher ISO than 400.

"Obvious rhetorical question" = sarcastic

So what, what if other users did not know this? Should they just guess?

[tommykjensen]

Nothing, except if BikerFox wants raw instead of jpg files or wants a higher ISO than 400.

Those were not requirements in his message.


True but sometimes users does not provide all information either because they forget or don't think it is relevant.

[OviV]

In your scenario, I would not use AI Servo. I shoot a lot of sports and I do not use AI Servo much eventhough it is available on my 20D. AI Servo, in my humble opinion, is better suited for continual fast moving action such as tracking a moving race car. Having AI Servo on when trying to track eratically moving objects (boxers) may result in focus being acquired in the wrong place. I have had this happen to me when I tried to use AI Servo with a baseball batter. Since the camera is constantly forcusing, if my focus point move off the batter momentarily I may end up shooting an out of focus shot. I find it easier to focus on the player and hold down the shutter half way until I get the action that I want and release the shutter.

Again, this is my preference but you may want to consider just using one shot focus mode (available with the hack) and not AI Servo (which does not work well with the hack).

Ovi

[tofuboy]

As Oviv mentioned, AI Servo may not perform too well for the eradic movements of a boxer. If you do want to use AI Servo, you can install the 300D (unofficial) firmware which adds a bit of support. However, it doesn't work as it should.

1) It requires you to hold the shutter down half way so it will continually focus (normal)
2) When you want to take a picture, you have to completely release the shutter then press it all the way to release the shutter. (no normal for a working AI Servo)

It works, you just have to be fast on step 2. And I'm not sure how well it would work. Another option would be to use manual focus, and use an f/stop so that the majority of the area of the boxing ring is in focus. Of course, lighting and distance from subject may not allow this...

Good luck, and I'm interested in seeing how your shots turn out :)

[BikerFox]

Again, this is my preference but you may want to consider just using one shot focus mode (available with the hack) and not AI Servo (which does not work well with the hack).

Ovi

Interesting. I figured the continuous focusing would be the way to go; I've heard other sports shooters say they use that a lot.

So what's the diff between "one shot focus" and whatever the camera takes in Tv mode by default? Honestly I'd rather not do the hack unless I have to, due to possible side-effects. Thanks

[tofuboy]

Interesting. I figured the continuous focusing would be the way to go; I've heard other sports shooters say they use that a lot.

So what's the diff between "one shot focus" and whatever the camera takes in Tv mode by default? Honestly I'd rather not do the hack unless I have to, due to possible side-effects. Thanks

A rundown on the different focusing modes
AI Focus: Obtains focus, but if it senses movement it will refocus on the moving subjuct
AI OneShot: Obtains focus and keeps that focus until you refocus
AI Servo: Continuously refocuses on moving object

I don't remember off of the top of my head, but in TV mode, it is either AI Focus or AI OneShot. It will tell you in the manual. AI Focus sounds good, but it's behavior is often erradic (doesn't always refocus on moving object, sometimes refocuses when you recompose the scene).

[OviV]

300D / Digital Rebel (without hack) always uses AI Focus in creative zone modes (M, P, TV, AV). The problem that I found with AI Focus is that if you focus and recompose your shot the camera will sometimes refocus eventhough this is not what you may want. With AI One Shot you can focus, recompose while half holding shutter and not have the camera refocus. This is what I use most of the time.

Regards,
Ovi