Speed Limit on 1D Mk II AF?

[Nessus]

I read on a Canon site today that the Al Servo AF can handle objects coming directly toward the camera at speeds of up to 31 MPH. I have had some trouble getting water skiers (slalom) to stay in focus when I am in the water and they are moving toward me at 34 to40 MPH, and I always thought it was the display that was confusing the AF sensors. Have any of you noticed such a speed limit? If so, is there a way around it? I usually use the 70-200 2.8 IS oom lens


Thanks

[scottbergerphoto]

It is easier for AI Servo to track an object moving Lt-Rt then moving towards or away from you. Try to position yourself to take advantage of that.
Scott

[slin100]

According to the literature the 1D mounted with a 300/2.8L can track a moving subject moving at 186 mph up to about 66 ft away.

[Nessus]

Sorry, I mistyped in the original posting. I meant to say that I always thought the "spray" (water spray from the skier) was confusing the AF sensors, not the "display."

[defordphoto]

I have shot everything from a D60 to a 10D to a MKII to a 20D, shooting Champcars and ALMS at 200-plus mph coming and going, to USSBA Jet Sprint boats at 100-plus mph coming and going and have never had an issue with head-on or tail-away shots. Always use AI Servo. Live and breathe it.

Wanna see spray?

Go here: http://www.ussbaracing.com/Photos/index.html

[Cadwell]

... the EOS-1D Mark II now has the most powerful AF system of any EOS camera released to date (2004). The EOS-1D Mark II was the first Canon camera to feature two dedicated CPUs for AF: one for detection and calculation, and another to control lens drive. EOS-1 class cameras prior to the 1D Mark II used a single dedicated CPU for all AF operations.

All EOS-1 class digital SLRs feature RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing)
processors so that multiple operations can be performed simultaneously. The extra
speed created through this method has made it possible to increase the power and
sophistication of the algorithms employed for predictive AF. Using an EF 300mm f/2.8L
IS USM lens and a fully charged battery pack, the original EOS-1 with Power Drive
Booster PB-E1 could track a subject moving at 300 kph/186 mph as close as 26
meters/85 ft. Using an EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens and a fully charged battery pack,
an EOS-1D Mark II or EOS-1Ds Mark II can track a subject moving at 300 kph/186 mph
as close as 20 meters/66 ft.

Taken from "GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR EOS-1 CLASS DIGITAL SLR TIPS AND TECHNIQUES: CAMERA HANDLING & MAXIMUM IMAGE QUALITY" by Chuck Westfall, Director/Technical Marketing Dept. Canon USA.

Dunno where you got your 31mph figure from... are you thinking about a 10D perhaps?

[Nessus]

Jim - - VERY nice shots. I was not aware of sprint boat racing.


Adam

[primoz]

You shouldn't have any problems with that. I shot bunch of skiing and ski jumping where speed is 100km/h (hmm... what's that? about 60mph? ) and up and never have any problems at all (before with 1v now with 1d and 1dmk2). As I saw some document 1d should handle speed way above 300km/h without problems, but it is different if object is 10m from camera or 100m from camera.

[defordphoto]

Jim - - VERY nice shots. I was not aware of sprint boat racing.

Adam

It is sooooo much fun. Both the sport itself and shooting them. We really have a lot of fun with this sport.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Slin, Cadwell, Primoz...

I don't think it can track a subject coming directly towards the camera as fast as it can track a "panning" subject moveing perpindicular to the camera....

[PacAce]

Slin, Cadwell, Primoz...

I don't think it can track a subject coming directly towards the camera as fast as it can track a "panning" subject moveing perpindicular to the camera....
But that's exactly what Canon is saying the new 1D series cameras can do, assuming that the lens AF can keep up with the camera. Any decent camera can track an object moving perpendiccular to the camera because the relative speed towards or away from the camera in that case would be so low.

[primoz]

I agree completely. Afterall... if subject is moving from left to right it can be moving 100km/h (at proper distance) and you can use one-shot instead of ai servo :) I'm not sure about that document but if I remember right, those data were for subject moving to or from camera not across.
And those things which I wrote about skiing is from my personal experiences. It's not that I would know exact speed, but in those sports you have speed in range of 80-120km/h. Depends on track, discipline etc. And almost always they are moving almost straight to camera.

[KennyG]

I shoot true head-on shots of racing cars travelling in excess of 150mph and the tracking is faultless. The same is true for tracking them moving away. The MK-II has the edge over the MK-I in this respect, but below 100mph they both perform the same, using my 300 2.8L IS. That lens is always quoted as it is not only Canon's fastest AF lens, it is supposed to be the fastest production lens from any manufacturer.

[mvonditter]

I shoot true head-on shots of racing cars travelling in excess of 150mph and the tracking is faultless. The same is true for tracking them moving away. The MK-II has the edge over the MK-I in this respect, but below 100mph they both perform the same, using my 300 2.8L IS. That lens is always quoted as it is not only Canon's fastest AF lens, it is supposed to be the fastest production lens from any manufacturer.

Ditto:lol: I shot Monza in 2003 and had no problems at all. (other than it was to hot:eek: )