Slow focus in low light - what do you do?

I was asked to take some pictures at a family event. Indoor and moodily lit - so not much light. I am using a 60D and a 35 or 50 mm with an on-camera flash. The goal are candids - mainly memories for the organisers.

However, at low light autofocus is sometimes painfully slow. Is that the camera? How do other people deal with this issue?

Does your flash not have focus assist?

See above, by far the easiest solution. If it hasn't then you can always shine a pen torch to help the camera focus (use one shot).

Make sure your camera is on one shot AF, not continuous focus, so the AF beam of the flash fires. Make sure you're using single centre point focus, and put it over an area of high contrast - black/white ideally, but anything with detail is fine - an eye, not a blank wall.

I'm with Tim, it's most likely your camera settings and finding contrast. I even shot a event with my EOS M the other day with no issues, and the focusing on that is horrendous compared to the 60D.

The flash is a 430 (there is somewhere an EX and a II) - I believe it has a focus assist? At least the camera is focusing correctly. But is slow for candids. I usually use F1.4 to F2.8 depending on the number of people in the picture.

What 50mm are you using? The 1.8 will be slow.

Focus assist is the red pattern that the speedlite shots into the scene.

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drmaxx wrote in post #17247999
The flash is a 430 (there is somewhere an EX and a II) - I believe it has a focus assist? At least the camera is focusing correctly. But is slow for candids. I usually use F1.4 to F2.8 depending on the number of people in the picture.

Not to derail this thread but shooting group shots at f/2.8 is a good way to have some people out of focus.

NewCreation wrote in post #17248004
What 50mm are you using? The 1.8 will be slow.

I have the 50/1.4 and its not so great focusing in low light either. I've used (but don't own) the 35L and 50L and found them to be pretty slow focusers in general. My current favorite for low light AF performance is the 24-70 f/2.8 II. It really seems to take advantage of the dual-cross type AF points on my 5DIII in a way that faster, but older, lenses can't.

You find the 50 1.4 slower then the 24-70 2.8 to lock focus? Gona' have to check one out soon. I'd have thought that, in low light, @1.4 the light getting to the sensor would have made the difference over the 2.8 even though the 50 is slower focus.

Two Hot Shoes wrote in post #17248195
You find the 50 1.4 slower then the 24-70 2.8 to lock focus? Gona' have to check one out soon. I'd have thought that, in low light, @1.4 the light getting to the sensor would have made the difference over the 2.8 even though the 50 is slower focus.

You'd think so, but I found the 24-70 2.8 II superior. I believe a wider aperture only helps up to a certain point and the 24-70 is just a faster focuser in general. Both are Group A lenses for the 5DIII which means they take advantage of the 5 dual-cross type AF points in the center.

mike_d wrote in post #17248125
I have the 50/1.4 and its not so great focusing in low light either. I've used (but don't own) the 35L and 50L and found them to be pretty slow focusers in general. My current favorite for low light AF performance is the 24-70 f/2.8 II. It really seems to take advantage of the dual-cross type AF points on my 5DIII in a way that faster, but older, lenses can't.

I'm confused...are you having trouble with the 5diii, as well as the 60d? I think an af assist beam is your solution. I am shooting with a 60d and 6d for wedding receptions and the af assist beam is what works for me and I am not using anything as stellar as the 24-70ii. I am using a Tamron 28-75 and usually my 85 1.8.

Thanks for the info Mike.

Need to test my set-up and focus on the af assist beam. There might be something wrong or I am not using the flash correctly.
Thanks for all your reply's.