AIServo -- Nothing Wrong with it on the 1DMIIn

I have been thinking about upgrading to the 1DIII, so I was out this past weekend shooting the old school 1DMIIn, trying to finally convince myself that I needed the latest and greatest. Well I am not convinced after reading the label on the tennis ball.

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i don't think that ANYBODY upgraded from the mkIIn to the mkIII for the AF to be honest. i know that i upgraded for the MUCH better IQ, MUCH better operations, MUCH better ergonomics, MUCH better battery performance etc...

I think that maybe this shot (as good as it is) is misleading re AI Servo.

You have good, sharp focus on the face there, but she's standing still. There's nothing for the AI to actually work with. Yes, the ball's in front of her face and is slightly OOF (as you'd expect).

But. I have the same body and I've been very pleased with it. I see no clear reason why I'd want to spend out on an upgrade for marginal IQ increase.

One-shot on a 20D coulda gotten that.

RE: Pete's point. The AIServo stopped the spinning tennis ball, I think that demonstrates the AIServo on the 1DMIIn quite well frankly.

dfindr wrote in post #7192719
RE: Pete's point. The AIServo stopped the spinning tennis ball, I think that demonstrates the AIServo on the 1DMIIn quire well frankly.

AI Servo didn't stop the ball. Your shutter speed did that.

I disagree with blonde on this one. I went from the MKIIN to the MKIII precisely for the AF. I wanted cross type sensors on the outer points, and the MKIII delivered admirably. Both are great cameras though, but the MKIII feels worlds ahead of the MKIIN to me.

cdifoto wrote in post #7192722
AI Servo didn't stop the ball. Your shutter speed did that.

And a fair degree of luck...

Pete wrote in post #7192735
And a fair degree of luck...

Nah it's just being lobbed back and forth. No luck needed for such slow action. That girl ain't exactly pretending to be Martina Hingis.

I guess I am wrong in thinking that before action (the spinning ball) can be stopped, the camera has to establish a sharp focus. Sorry!

dfindr wrote in post #7192754
I guess I am wrong in thinking that before action (the spinning ball) can be stopped, the camera has to establish a sharp focus. Sorry!

Focus has nothing to do with stopping action.

cdifoto wrote in post #7192743
Nah it's just being lobbed back and forth. No luck needed for such slow action. That girl ain't exactly pretending to be Martina Hingis.

Thats true, the ball certainly isn't being blasted back and forth, however, its not a knuckle ball either.

cdifoto wrote in post #7192743
Nah it's just being lobbed back and forth. No luck needed for such slow action. That girl ain't exactly pretending to be Martina Hingis.

I was talking about the sunshine. I'm from the UK, you know..

Seriously though, the ball being caught like that is down to a fast shutter speed and the depth of field including both the girl's face and (to a slightly less extent) the ball.

No AI servo (or lens AF speed) currently exists that will track a tennis ball in flight.

Pete wrote in post #7192770
I was talking about the sunshine. I'm from the UK, you know..

Ah yes. OP is in Arid-zona though where sunshine is the only weather in existence.

Pete wrote in post #7192770
Seriously though, the ball being caught like that is down to a fast shutter speed and the depth of field including both the girl's face and (to a slightly less extent) the ball.

No AI servo (or lens AF speed) currently exists that will track a tennis ball in flight.

Not only that, but it's semi-crossways action in which AI Servo plays a very minor role.