Why I love the spot focus of 7d

and 2 more

Very nice shots, I get good results shooting DF's in-flight using centre point + expansion.

Well done, Kevindar!

Isn't it nice when you "accidentally" encounter such subjects?

It reminds me of a time I went to an area wetlands to photograph the "usual suspects" -- ducks and geese and such.

I was sitting on a little dock, when I noticed that below me was a bunch of vegetation in the water and it was swarming with damselflies, it was mating season, and they were, most of them at least, "doing the deed"! I had my 100-400 on my 1D3 so could get pretty fair shots!

If anyone wants to see, check it out:

http://www.pbase.com …08_portland_wil​dlife_pond

So what was your actual batting average on these. How many shots did you actually take versus number of keepers.

Great thin about digital, no film to waste.

Did you shoot continuous? Use back-button AF?

Unregistered.Coward wrote in post #13103836
So what was your actual batting average on these. How many shots did you actually take versus number of keepers.

Great thin about digital, no film to waste.

Did you shoot continuous? Use back-button AF?

I would say about 80% were in good focus. of course perfect focus could be on mid body or head, so I picked the ones where eyes seemed the sharpest. yeah, having digital really helps.
I did use AI servo, with the focus assigned to the back button. I had the lens in IS mode 2, just b/c I was shooting birds at the time.

Were you at 400mm when you took these shots?

all are shot at 400mm.

Excellent results indeed. Mine stayed on spot focus with chasing birds around when I had my 400mm lens.

kevindar wrote in post #13103883
I would say about 80% were in good focus.

That's pretty impressive.

Those last two shots are sick...

Very nice in flight images of the common green darner!

demicent wrote in post #13109078
Very nice in flight images of the common green darner!

Great job with the ID -- it was named the Washington State "official state insect" in '97!

kevindar wrote in post #13101715
Thank you guys. I was watching a special on Barry Sanders, the most electrifying running back that I have ever seen. they were talking to a hall of fame line backer. and he said you dont chase Sanders. if you stand still he will likely come back to your area.
That worked with these little guys last night. Having the long lens really helped. I prefocused to the general area, and they would hover long enough (about 4 seconds or so) for me to lock and take a few shots.
I tried regular focus point and with the busy background, the focus would shift to the background.
Exif on first one is iso 250, 1//250 second, 400, f9. 580 exII, manual power at 1/8th.
second one is 1/2000, f 6.3, iso 1250. ran it through topaz denoise.
Rdmello, which body are you using? spot focus is a characteristic of 7D, and 1d4 I think, and is different from single focus point. what you are doing is perfectly reasonable depending on the body (5d, or 5d2) and the lens you are using, and the amount of light, and also how easy it ease to change focus point on your particular body.

I'm using an XSI, and I guess I'm using "single point". I usually just leave it on the center single point and then recompose. When should I use the other focus points? I think there are 9.

This is fantastic!! I'm not worthy because I have the same combo and don't think I have to skilz to even get those images. :::: sigh ::::

Interesting results, considering Canon's recommendations how to use Spot Focus. They say the smaller sensor is slower than other focus modes, so recommend it for static subjects, rather than moving ones. Just the opposite of how OP is using it.

I've used it to focus on a bird in a tangle of branches, a type of shot that otherwise would have been impossible.

I'd have used a standard single point with the dragon flies. They are quite hard to catch in flight!