Tracking with XT-1

Ever since I got XT-1 I have been trying to use continuous mode to see how well these little mirror less can perform compared to dSLRs. My other main camera is Canon 5dmk3 with now sold 70-200mm f2.8 IS II. Initially I only had some primes for use with my XT-1 and didn't have luck with tracking. I updated to latest firmware on the camera but still not much luck. And I needed some longer glass. So I picked up 55-200mm lens. This helped for my baseball shots but camera would still couldn't track 5-6 yr olds playing baseball. XT1 was grabbing the back fence most of the time. One thing I did learn was that I was using ES+MS shutter which is NO-NO when using AI servo mode. You need to be in MS mode if you want to track your subject.

Recently I picked up 50-140mm f2.8 IS lens and results are much better. Camera still can't be compared to 5dmk3 for action shots but it is working out much better than when I started couple of months ago. Use 9 PDF points, CH mode, Focus Priority. I really wish lens had focus limit switches and camera had AI servo settings like my 5dmk3 has where you can select how you want the camera to behave if it looses focus with AI servo sensitivity etc. XT1 likes to pick things way back behind the subject. Wish there was a way to group all 9 AF points so it can track even better.

For now here is a sequence of shots from this weekend's game. Shot through the fence.

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Thanks for posting your experience with continuous focus.

BTW, the background blur from the 50-140 is just to weird, IMO.

windpig wrote in post #17516305
BTW, the background blur from the 50-140 is just to weird, IMO.

That is just coz of the fence and backlit shot. I remember my 300mm f2.8 IS doing same.

I've seen the lens exhibit that background before. I'll be curious how it works for you in the long run.

" I was using ES+MS shutter which is NO-NO when using AI servo mode. You need to be in MS mode if you want to track your subject. "

Please explain the terms ES and MS. The fuji has no AI Servo feature.

Sorry wasn't clear. Fuji does have AI servo mode. It is called Continuous Focus. On XT1 camera you move the focus switch from S to C (middle). On top left dial you select CH (continuous high frame rate). Make sure you select any of the 9 central AF points. These are phase detect in addition to contrast detect so work much better. Now just track your subject and you will see green AF dot light up in the EVF (like a dSLR). That means camera is tracking. Keep shutter pressed for taking shots.

ES = Electronic shutter
MS = Mechanical shutter

With new firmware XT1 allows 1/32000 shutter speed. Useful when shooting in sun at f1.2 but ES doesn't let camera track focus when in C focus mode. I didn't know that and bunch of my baseball shots were OOF. Camera kept focussing where the subject initially was and never tracked.

I think I posted the settings in another thread that I have used for this AI servo mode which are working for me. Let me find them and post here.

Here are the settings:

Menu Settings

Body FW: 3.00
Lens (55-200) FW: 1.11
Focus Area: 2nd to smallest
Macro: OFF
AF-C Release Setting: Focus seems to work better but do play with both Focus and Release
Instant AF:- AF-S AF Mode:
Area Face Detection: OFF
Pre-AF: OFF but will try ON
Shutter Type: MS <------- MS+ES option doesn't let AI servo mode work. So don't use it.
High Performance Mode: ON

Camera Dials

Focus switch on front to C
Top Left Frame Rate Dial to CH or CL

There might be a way to to back button focussing when in this AI servo mode but I haven't found it. I know one can use back button focussing using AF-L button in single shot mode.

Thank you for the clarification. But we should not mix camera terms from one camera to the next,meaning AI Servo.The reason the X-T1 has a problem with sports action is that it doesn't have AI Servo but Canon does.

mrgooch wrote in post #17516736
Thank you for the clarification. But we should not mix camera terms from one camera to the next,meaning AI Servo.The reason the X-T1 has a problem with sports action is that it doesn't have AI Servo but Canon does.

AF-C = AI-Servo, just different terminology between Canon and pretty much everyone else.

mrgooch wrote in post #17516736
Thank you for the clarification. But we should not mix camera terms from one camera to the next,meaning AI Servo.The reason the X-T1 has a problem with sports action is that it doesn't have AI Servo but Canon does.

Like already mentioned by other poster above, AI servo is Canon's term. On Fuji it is called AF-C, like on Nikon. XT1 can shoot action, that is what I am trying to show here. Mirror less being a contrast detect is not yet as same league as a dSLR when shooting action but they getting better every year.

Here is another sequence of 20 shots, everyone is in focus:

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mrgooch wrote in post #17516736
Thank you for the clarification. But we should not mix camera terms from one camera to the next,meaning AI Servo.The reason the X-T1 has a problem with sports action is that it doesn't have AI Servo but Canon does.

So, just to be clear, the Fuji won't track sports action because their terminology is different?

I didn't say it won't track sports I said it has a problem with it.The reason I am saying we should not mix different camera terms is it''s confusing and wrong.Being a former Canon user I found the Canon AI Servo was superior.