Do you guys normally use center focus point during events?

No, because my choice of AF point system depends on so many variables. Such as..
- Composition
- Subjects position and speed of movement
- Type of event
- Lightsituation
- Lens used
- Camera used
- Type of subject, human, vehicle, bike, airplane and more..
and more...

I'm used to switch constantly to match the specific subject and conditions i'm shooting in, there is no 'ultimate' setting for everything.

/ Magnus

Only center focus point for me. If they came out with a camera that only had one center focus point I would still buy it hahah.

CincyTriGuy wrote in post #14440231
Well I'm constantly moving around through all of my points, but I'm usually in One Shot for portraits / glamour. So using back button focus, how would you use AI Servo for portrats? Focus on an eye, keep AF-ON depressed, and shoot?

I use the shutter button half way thing, but yes. That is what I do. I'm by no means an acclaimed portrait photographer though.

I use whatever point I need to compose the shot the way I want.

It depends on the camera, and the response you are getting are from people who have all different types. On all Canon, the center point is superior to all the others... but on various models, the performance of all or some of the outer points varies quite a bit from model to model, making them more or less usable. Plus the 7D and 5DII (and soon the 1DX) have additional focus modes that the other cameras don't. The 45-point 1D series AF systems also have some specialized AF setups available, different from the newer models. 5D and 5DII have "assist points", invisible and only functional when enabled and in AI Servo mode. You have to take these differences, model to model, if using more than one yourself or when considering anyone's response to the original question.

Generally speaking, yes... Just the center point is my default mode. Especially for AI Servo shooting (action/movement), but also usually for One Shot (stationary stuff).

Now, I don't want everything centered all the time so I handle that in several ways...

1. In One Shot, it's easy to focus and recompose when time and subject allow. Because I also use Back Button Focusing, I can focus and recompose just as easily in AI Servo, too. (Someone not using BBF cannot focus & recompose in AI Servo when using a single AF point, or they will cause the camera to focus somewhere other than where they wanted.)

2. When time and subject and circumstances allow, I'll manually select something other than the center point to put the subject off center. But this depends upon a lot of variables, the main consideration being the particular camera's outer AF point capabilities.... for example my 7Ds' peripheral AF points are fast and accurate, but the AF points other than the center one on my 5DII are pokey and less reliable.

3. Go ahead and center the subject, but frame them slightly loosely to allow for some cropping later to change the composition. This is more easily done with the later, higher resolution cameras, where some reasonable cropping still leaves plenty of image quality to work with. It's also more easily done if using a zoom, of course. I use this technique a lot with AI Servo shooting, moving subjects being shot quickly and I just don't have time to worry about composition.

Using Back Button Focus, AI Servo, and a single/center point to focus & recompose with a stationary subject such as a portrait... Simply put the AF point where you want to focus, then press the button to achieve focus, then release the button to stop focus from following. You then can recompose to your heart's content, so long as the distances from you to subject don't change. (If you are using a zoom and change the focal length you should refocus, though. Most zooms today with AF are vari-focal... meaning they don't maintain focus when you change the focal length.) No, do not maintain pressure on the back button, or when you recompose and move the AF point off the subject the focus will change to whatever is now under the AF point.

If instead it's a moving subject, you have to work to maintain the AF point right on subject and maintain pressure on the back button for as long as you want the AF system to keep tracking and updating focus. If the subject passes behind an obstruction, you can momentarily lift pressure off the button to stop focus, then reacquire it after the subject is past the obstruction.

One Shot is probably a little more accurate than AI Servo... But of course it's not usable with moving subjects (though I've seen people try... with pretty limited success). You have to do the opposite with AI Servo. It focuses, then locks on and stops trying to focus as long as you keep the back button pressed (or the shutter release half-pressed if you aren't using BBF). If there's any change, you have to release pressure, then reapply it in order to refocus. Of course, One Shot gives you the reassurances of Focus Confirmation (the LED and, if you have it enabled, the "beep"... I leave it enabled because it alerts me that I have the camera in One Shot). AI Servo doesn't... it can't because it never locks, it just keeps updating focus continuously. So you have to get to know and learn to trust the camera, and yourself, with AI Servo.

I do sometimes use other AF setups... other than just the center point... but that's my default and probably what I use 90% of the time.

5W0L3 wrote in post #14435967
or do you use more than 1 AF point?

It would make more sense to me to use only centre point as it gives you way more control at thin apertures to get only what you want in focus.

How about when people are dancing / moving around? Would it be better to use more focus points then...

I've upgraded from a T3i to 5D3 so its a giant leap for me in terms of AF points... from 1 cross type to 43 (i think) cross type lol.. with my T3i i used to use center point for everything because i had no other choice.. but should i be using more points on 5D3 during EVENTS only... i mean obviously during sports you would use more..

Why did you not have a choice 600d has multible focus options.

With the 7D, I'll use whatever focus point suits my composition, I've been shooting a few corporate events and after alot of trial and error, my favorite method is ai servo, choose my focus point, blip the back AF button for a quick lock and shoot 2-3 exposures. Hasn't let me down yet, I would have never shot this way with my rebel, it was single shot, center point all the time....

I use a single focus point, but do move it around.

The 7D makes it easy to flip between the centre point and a second point anyway, so you lose nothing...

mkfs9 wrote in post #14441667
Why did you not have a choice 600d has multible focus options.

it has only one cross type, which is the centre (i think)

snake0ape wrote in post #14436132
Spot center focus for thin DOF.
Expanded Center focus for fast moving objects.
Normal center for rest of shots.

+1 This is exactly what I use. Caveat being I'll occasionally stray from the normal center for the rest of shots...very occasionally.

amfoto1 wrote in post #14441581
It depends on the camera, and the response you are getting are from people who have all different types. On all Canon, the center point is superior to all the others... but on various models, the performance of all or some of the outer points varies quite a bit from model to model, making them more or less usable. Plus the 7D and 5DII (and soon the 1DX) have additional focus modes that the other cameras don't. The 45-point 1D series AF systems also have some specialized AF setups available, different from the newer models. 5D and 5DII have "assist points", invisible and only functional when enabled and in AI Servo mode. You have to take these differences, model to model, if using more than one yourself or when considering anyone's response to the original question.

Generally speaking, yes... Just the center point is my default mode. Especially for AI Servo shooting (action/movement), but also usually for One Shot (stationary stuff).

Now, I don't want everything centered all the time so I handle that in several ways...

1. In One Shot, it's easy to focus and recompose when time and subject allow. Because I also use Back Button Focusing, I can focus and recompose just as easily in AI Servo, too. (Someone not using BBF cannot focus & recompose in AI Servo when using a single AF point, or they will cause the camera to focus somewhere other than where they wanted.)

2. When time and subject and circumstances allow, I'll manually select something other than the center point to put the subject off center. But this depends upon a lot of variables, the main consideration being the particular camera's outer AF point capabilities.... for example my 7Ds' peripheral AF points are fast and accurate, but the AF points other than the center one on my 5DII are pokey and less reliable.

3. Go ahead and center the subject, but frame them slightly loosely to allow for some cropping later to change the composition. This is more easily done with the later, higher resolution cameras, where some reasonable cropping still leaves plenty of image quality to work with. It's also more easily done if using a zoom, of course. I use this technique a lot with AI Servo shooting, moving subjects being shot quickly and I just don't have time to worry about composition.

Using Back Button Focus, AI Servo, and a single/center point to focus & recompose with a stationary subject such as a portrait... Simply put the AF point where you want to focus, then press the button to achieve focus, then release the button to stop focus from following. You then can recompose to your heart's content, so long as the distances from you to subject don't change. (If you are using a zoom and change the focal length you should refocus, though. Most zooms today with AF are vari-focal... meaning they don't maintain focus when you change the focal length.) No, do not maintain pressure on the back button, or when you recompose and move the AF point off the subject the focus will change to whatever is now under the AF point.

If instead it's a moving subject, you have to work to maintain the AF point right on subject and maintain pressure on the back button for as long as you want the AF system to keep tracking and updating focus. If the subject passes behind an obstruction, you can momentarily lift pressure off the button to stop focus, then reacquire it after the subject is past the obstruction.

One Shot is probably a little more accurate than AI Servo... But of course it's not usable with moving subjects (though I've seen people try... with pretty limited success). You have to do the opposite with AI Servo. It focuses, then locks on and stops trying to focus as long as you keep the back button pressed (or the shutter release half-pressed if you aren't using BBF). If there's any change, you have to release pressure, then reapply it in order to refocus. Of course, One Shot gives you the reassurances of Focus Confirmation (the LED and, if you have it enabled, the "beep"... I leave it enabled because it alerts me that I have the camera in One Shot). AI Servo doesn't... it can't because it never locks, it just keeps updating focus continuously. So you have to get to know and learn to trust the camera, and yourself, with AI Servo.

I do sometimes use other AF setups... other than just the center point... but that's my default and probably what I use 90% of the time.

Thank you Alan! This is by far the best explanation I have read on when to use the center point and when it doesn't make sense to. It is refreshing to read such an informative post rather than those that just ridicule the AF points of certain cameras and how you have to use the center point as a result.