Will I get the correct focus?

Tomorrow the New Years day & family wants to have a photo of ourselves[Me,
my-wife,son age:11, & Daughter age: 9]
I will take this indoor with an external flash all attached to a tripod and self-timer exposure.

I will be running to stand in front of the camera once I have clicked the clicker set on the 10-sec self-timer. Well that is the plan.

I am not sure if the auto-focus function on my Canon 40D 17-85 IS lens will get fooled into focus something when I run for my position to stand next to my family members. Will camera continue to get the correct focus while about to fire on self-timer?

OR should I manually focus the three members and ensure all four of us stand in a same plane ie:line?

I hope you understand what I mean.

Regards

Just focus on your family and set your aperture such that you'll have sufficient depth of field, then run over and stand with them. The camera won't change focus after the timer has been set.

That is very quick answer.
Thank you so much. Really appreciated
Regards

You're welcome Have a happy and safe new year!

The situation is also providing justification for removal of AF from shutter button actuation, using instead the * button on the back (or the AF-on button on the newer models), so the camera only focuses when you want (and press the button on the back)

Wilt wrote in post #9298212
The situation is also providing justification for removal of AF from shutter button actuation, using instead the * button on the back (or the AF-on button on the newer models), so the camera only focuses when you want (and press the button on the back)

Sorry to trouble you but I do not understand what you ment.
Now mine is newer model. I understand AF button on my lens .
Do you mean to suggest to put the AF button to off. Then position the members of my family and I manually focus,put on the self-timer and get to my position[keep the depth of focus adequate,of course]
Regards

There will be a custom function setting allowing you to assign the AF function to another button.

Which model camera do you have?

k_wakasugi wrote in post #9298297
There will be a custom function setting allowing you to assign the AF function to another button.

Which model camera do you have?

Canon 40D
I have the * button on the back. I have tried that in the past to lock a particular exposure prior to focus on a subject.Is that what I should use to lock my focus?
Regards

Set your Custom Function IV to 1. Should look like this: C.Fn IV-1

EDIT: Actually ^^ that's wrong. Set C.Fn IV-1 to either 2 or 3 to move AF to back button.

Here's a great article about how and why one would want to do this:

http://www.usa.canon.c​om …ArticleAct&arti​cleID=2286

Or, as discussed in this thread where the Op had the same problem, get yourself a cheap remote control. The shutter release button on the one mentioned at the end of the thread has the same functionality as the one on camera.

k_wakasugi wrote in post #9298328
Set your Custom Function IV to 1. Should look like this: C.Fn IV-1

Here's a great article about how and why one would want to do this:

http://www.usa.canon.c​om …ArticleAct&arti​cleID=2286

On my 40D, CFn IV-1 is set to option 2, which results in...
Metering start (on shutter button)/Meter+AF start (on AF-ON button)

...and the AF function is not activated by the shutter button as a result.

Wilt wrote in post #9298355
On my 40D, CFn IV-1 is set to option 2, which results in...
Metering start (on shutter button)/Meter+AF start (on AF-ON button)

...and the AF function is not activated by the shutter button as a result.

Oh woops. I must have read through that page too quickly.

OP: Sorry about that, I don't have a 40D myself, so listen to Wilt! I edited my above post

Thank you all.

I wish you A very happy new year to you all.
Regards

snowshine wrote in post #9298432
Thank you all.

I wish you A very happy new year to you all.
Regards

Please post a sample of the final image. I have been talking about doing this with my family for over a month now.

Thanks

I could not get the pose I was planning[Home needs a lot of organising after the X'Mas!!]
Any how, I put it on M and set the Aperture to 7 and shutterspeed 0.300sec. We stood very still.
I did use an external flash but the flash is not canon. It is Pentax one & I am not certain if the flash had done any good!!
My next purchase would be a dedicated Flash-Canon.

Regards