Choice of AF point setting

[kram]

When I started out with my Drebel, I used to use the default setting - all 7 AF points and the camera decides based on its understanding of the subject.

After I tried out the center AF point setting, I figured out its a lot more convenient and less prone to errors of being out of focus.

I know there isnt a right or wrong answer, but wanted to get a feel of which settings most of you use and why?

[WyzMan]

Centre AF point for me - never seen the point of using all 7 of them at the same time.

[tim]

This has been discussed a few times, and you'll find that most people use centre focus point most of the time. I don't like letting the camera decide what to focus on, it doesn't know what i'm trying to do, I do. I often use non-centre focus points, as focus-recompose with a narrow DOF throws the focus off what you're aiming for.

[Pontio]

Definitely center AF for me. I've tried both and have ruined some good shots using the multipoint AF.

[IanD]

Center AF most of the time. However I've recently started using the "Ring of Fire" on the MKII for flight shots, providing the background is realitively uncluttered.

[tacos3]

I use the center focusing point about 2/3 of the time. The rest of the time I use the others to select my preferred focusing point based on the composition of the shot. I seem to be moving between center and the other quite often and it's probably my most common setting adjustment I make on any given shoot.

[soupdragon]

Depends what I am doing, sometimes the focus point is just outside the centre so I use manual focus particularly for head and shoulder portraits. I find the eyes of the model tend to be not as well in focus as the nose or eyebrows using auto.

[Rob612]

99% center point here.

[griff2]

Depends on composition. As has been stated earlier using centre point only, then re-composing can throw the focus, so I use the nearest point to what I want to be in focus, allowing for composition.

[blue_max]

having found it latching onto things that should not have been in focus, I prefer centre focus to 'tell' the camera what I want to focus on.

There is a train of though that the centre focus point is the most sensitive also.

I don't find that re-composing has any significant impact on focus.

Graham

[Medic1]

I use center point AF most of the time, unless there is a reason to need more

[PacAce]

In AIServo mode, by default, it's Auto AF point selection (I use the "*" button for focusing). However, if I need to manually select the center AF point, then I press the "X" button which is set up for center AF point selection.

In OneShot mode, I usually use the center AF point which I select by pressing the "X" button, but I will use the other AF points, too, if necessary, by manually selecting them.

[deedas]

Center point for me too. :)

[ed2day]

Usually the center point. What is not commonly known is that the center point of the 300D focuses more accurately than the others.

[Anders Östberg]

I use one focus point 99% of the time, most often the center point but if I have time I sometimes select one of the side points for composition rather than do the focuse-recompose thing.