Autofocus for time delay

When shooting with 10s time delay with the 400D/XTi is there a way of making the camera autofocus after the countdown rather than when you hit the shutter release, eg for self portraits when there is nothing at the same distance to lock onto?

You have to use manual focus, there is no way to do it exactly as you would like.

This makes a self portrait kind of tough. One idea (I used once) is to jab a stick in the ground and focus on that. Then press the shutter, walk around and press your face to the stick so that your eyes are perfectly in focus and then pull the stick and cast it aside.

JeffreyG is right. The camera focuses when you press the button, not when it takes the picture, and that can't be changed. You need to adopt one of the workarounds that were suggested.

Is the Canon remote a 2 stage?

Yes, the Canon remote is a two stage.

ggt1_02 wrote in post #4161084
Yes, the Canon remote is a two stage.

Dang, something else to buy...

You want a cheaper hobby, take up collecting Lincoln Memorial pennies . . .

Buy the $20 wireless remote. If you use it on 2 second delay, I think it will AF right before it trips the shutter, and it gives you a chance to drop the remote.

Buy a POTN cable release with the stereo cable extension capability and get a 50 foot extension.

Yes, either pre-focus manually, or use a remote shutter release.

I bought this wireless shutter remote and it will focus when you press the remote's button halfway down--just like the real shutter. Great for self-portraits. Every one of those was taken with a wireless remote shutter release.

.

Jon wrote in post #4161875
You want a cheaper hobby, take up collecting Lincoln Memorial pennies . . .

I get it...humor

I'm sure the phottix timer remote C3 makes the camera autofocus before shutter release, I got one today from HK and during a 30sec play of it (couldn't read the instructions as I can't find my glasses) I'm sure that the camera refocused during timed release mode just prior to shutter release, I'll check it again later just to make sure.

FUBAR247 wrote in post #4179174
I'm sure the phottix timer remote C3 makes the camera autofocus before shutter release, I got one today from HK and during a 30sec play of it (couldn't read the instructions as I can't find my glasses) I'm sure that the camera refocused during timed release mode just prior to shutter release, I'll check it again later just to make sure.

Find your glasses and read the instruction, because that is impossible.
Remote switch – with the timer or without it - is just the extension of the shutter button.
It doesn’t do anything that shutter button doesn’t do, it doesn’t change the internal functions of the camera itself.

exactly!

It does a half press about 1 sec before each of the timers expire this kicks in the autofocus then the shutter is released.

Not found my glasses yet (and no they aint on my head ) but I set-up a 5 sec interval timer to take 5 single shots, after each shot I moved the camera to point at another location and it autofocused each time before every shot.

Unless we are talking about something totally different? I'm confident to say that the Phottix C3 will take in focus shots automatically without the need to pre-focus, great for self portraits.