focus question

So while I'm doing engagement shoots and on site shoots or whatever you want to call them... I like to use AV priority obviously so it's more focused on the couple... but I can't get it to focus on anything but in the middle??? Why is that? I usually like to have the couple off to the side but I have to back up even further so I can get them in the middle and then crop it to the side... What am I doing wrong?

Which focus point are you using? Just the center or all of them. If your intention is to keep the couple off centered. Change to just the left or right points.

You can also turn on the custom function for back button focus. Then just focus on them and recompose.

What camera are you using and what lenses? How long have you had this camera?

There are custom functions in most of the xxD and xxxD lines that determine how focus points are selected.

On the xxD and probably the 5D as well, line you can select individual points with the joystiq then select all with the grid button on the back. Or you can set it to cycle through all with the quick control dial.

On the xxxD line you can cycle through them by pushing the grid button on the back and then cycle through them with the main control dial or select them individually with the directional buttons and the set button.

Honestly though, I use the center focus 90% of the time and other single points the other 10% of the time. I never use all points selected. The cameras do a poor job of guessing where I want the focus. And that's all they do guess. They'll focus on the nearest, highest contrast part of the image that is under the focus points whether I want that in focus or not.

I get the feeling everyone is looking for a hard answer..

So long as your using "one shot" and not aiservo for example then all you have to do is point at the couple and half depress the shutter.. then point to the left or right and shoot.

Or am I missing something?

KIPAX wrote in post #5244473
I get the feeling everyone is looking for a hard answer..

So long as your using "one shot" and not aiservo for example then all you have to do is point at the couple and half depress the shutter.. then point to the left or right and shoot.

Or am I missing something?

While I agree in general with focusing and recomposing, I should add that there are cases where it will cause your subject to be out of focus. If your DOF is quite shallow and you are close to the subject it is probably better not to use it.

If you are using a large aperture (small f-stop #) and trying to focus close, focus-recompose is a recipe for disaster (well, maybe not disaster, but at least not keeping focus where you want it )

Agree with the others, just switch from the center AF point to one of the other points!

Me+Gooble=same thought, same time (albeit different time zones!)

I tried doing that. I would point the middle at them and focus on their faces then move it and no matter how fast I pushed the button it would refocus and the picture would be oof.

I have and EOS 30D and right now I'm playing around with my new lens the 50 f/1.8 and it's doing the same thing as my other lens which I think is like a 35-88 or something like that LOL it wasn't anything special just the cheapest I could find at walmart.

If you have it in Single Shot focus (NOT AI Servo) and it locks on focus (ie it "beeps") after half-pressing the shutter, it should NOT refocus unless you take your finger off of the shutter button.

You don't happen to be in AI Servo by any chance? But like I mentioned above, focus->recompose can be problematic, so you might be better served by chosing the focus point over where you want the focus to be (even if it's not exact, you'll at least recompose less, reducing the chances of misfocusing)

Read the manual.
Re-read the manual.

The bits you want to look for are about the differences between One Shot AF, AiFocus AF, and AIServo AF.
(You probably want to use OneSHOT, focus (beep) and keep the shutter button half depressed while recomposing.)

Have a look at the section about selecting an AF point while you are reading the manual.

You might also want to have a look at the (huge) post on POTN about CFn 4. (focus with * button).

Alternatively: Look here. Might be basic, but IMO, this is basic...

Ok I think that's what I was doing wrong! LOL always something simple. I took my finger off when I moved it but now it's working. I guess I was use to it when I was a beginner and used full auto and if you press the shutter half way a few times it would change the center of focus. Thank you!

Now I just have one more question... my lens is making a weird clunking noise when it focuses hard... it doesn't sound good at all I remember when I first got my other lens it did the same thing but I don't remember if it just went away or if I did something to make it stop. Is that bad???

What lens is "clunking"? If it's the 50 1.8, that's not the quietest lens out there. Remember, it's not a USM, even a micro-motor USM, far less the more desirable ring USM.

Yes it's the 50 f/1.8 I guess I didn't really think of it that way.

The 50 1.8 makes clunking sounds.

gooble wrote in post #5248248
The 50 1.8 makes clunking sounds.

I guess that's a good thing to know LOL! thank you.