Anyone using Zone AF used during Wedding/events photography?????

I've just come to the attention that some generally shoot zone AF. I'm a Canon and Fuji shooter and I've selected my Canon tools for hired events and my Fujifilm gear is generally used as a secondary system for personal projects, family documentation and casual.

A fuji shooter has made it to my attention that he uses zone AF over selected auto focus points. I've been vocal regarding the slower and sometimes unreliable AF performance of my X-T2 (even with Battery booster) in low light for events documentation. The AF has virtually failed on me on many occasions during spontaneous events or when using bounced flash techniques in low environments/venues. Mirrorless does not take advantage of infrared focus grid on speedlights like Canon or Nikon. I was informed zone AF is more suitable but this leaves the camera to decide my focus points. Such techniques is a big shock to me. I choose my tools specifically for many reasons. This is probably why I still cannot let my Canon gear go.....one the same note I do like fuji render too.

I've never ever used zone AF for events and probably never will.

Just out of curiosity I'm making this poll. I've honestly ever considered Zone AF for birding/fast moving subjects while panning or just quick AF acquisition with longer lenses but not short fast primes or mid telezooms for human subjects in social gatherings.

I think a poll is quite cut and dry. Please note this poll does not apply to Sony A9 users LOL!!! The eye tracking on that sony body is absolutely insane. However for multiple people in the frame eye detection can be risky in my opinion.

Nope. I can't think of when I ever have. 99% of the time I'm jamming on the joystick to get the AF point over to the target.

Even for speed/sports, I select and keep the af spot over the subject, crop later if I have to. JMHO/YMMV.

Hi Alan, IMHO, your poll is flawed from the get go, but only based on your accompanying post.

- You've led with your own conclusion before the poll was posted. Never a good idea to post your conclusion when asking for data.

- You tell us too much. Your views are clear,. This will spark reactions rather than provoke honest poll results.

- You go off on tangents with subjects like birding. You've posted this in the event forum and the poll title appears to be very specifically about events. Zone AF for birding is IMHO a very different subject from events. (note first response is now talking about sports, you've opened that door here, and it's not on topic for the poll.)

- I feel that excluding the camera system that does eye tracking best makes zero sense. Excluding the best set of tools for one of the two options of shooting you are polling about = unbalanced data for results. That same system happens to be one that is being adopted for events quickly.


You might want to consider an edit to your post, (leave the poll as is) and remove as much distracting or influential commentary from the post.

Just a suggestion.

Argh, I thought I was clicking to see who voted what and accidentally clicked to vote, and I have no business voting in this thread. I can't cancel the vote,. so please disregard one "NO" vote.