Continuous shooting w/ 50 1.8

Was taking some pictures at my nephews basketball game tonight and noticed that my 50 1.8 will not shoot high speed continuous shots with my 50D. I was in M mode and shutters were around 1/500. It was shooting at probably 3-4 fps. I put on the 70-200 and it shot full speed. Came home and tried them both again in the house and the 50 1.8 was slow again.

Any ideas how this could be ?

Manual or Auto Focus?

Diver-Down wrote in post #9622975
Was taking some pictures at my nephews basketball game tonight and noticed that my 50 1.8 will not shoot high speed continuous shots with my 50D. I was in M mode and shutters were around 1/500. It was shooting at probably 3-4 fps. I put on the 70-200 and it shot full speed. Came home and tried them both again in the house and the 50 1.8 was slow again.

Any ideas how this could be ?

High ISO noise reduction enabled? That will slow it down, but this doesn't really fit since the 50/1.8 is a faster lens, so should not have needed a faster ISO even on auto ISO.

Do you shoot in focus priority or release priority? Sounds like it's the former. It's one of the custom functions.

Focus priority + slow AF = slower shots.

That's my guess, at least.

AF with both lenses

focus priority or release priority? Don't know where that is in my 50D ??

Was also shooting in AI Servo

Just tried one shot with the 50mm and what do ya know..it shoots high speed. Went back to AI Servo and low speed, even though I kept the camera still and didn't track anything.

I've read an awful lot about the nifty fifty and never heard of this. Anyone else ??

Diver-Down wrote in post #9623264
AF with both lenses

focus priority or release priority? Don't know where that is in my 50D ??

Was also shooting in AI Servo

Just tried one shot with the 50mm and what do ya know..it shoots high speed. Went back to AI Servo and low speed, even though I kept the camera still and didn't track anything.

I've read an awful lot about the nifty fifty and never heard of this. Anyone else ??

no clue as to why...but i can tell you from just testing my 40D and 50mm f1.8...it does the same as your 50D, and fifty...

one shot continuous is much faster than AI SERVO

not sure if there's a way to fix it or not by changing some settings

Nifty fifty has bad and slow autofocus. If the camera doesn't think the shot is focused, it won't shoot. I think certain bodies have a custom function to change that.

themadman wrote in post #9623475
Nifty fifty has bad and slow autofocus. If the camera doesn't think the shot is focused, it won't shoot. I think certain bodies have a custom function to change that.

but in AI servo that doesn't really matter...the shot doesn't have to be in focus to take a shot...

at first i thought the o.p. would for sure be in one shot, and that focus just wasn't achieved yet...but once it focuses, and you hold down the shutter button...it keeps going...

I'm thinking that it's in the design. They realize that the lens is soo slow focusing that it would never be able to keep up with high speed shooting, so why waste the shots.

DreDaze wrote in post #9623506
but in AI servo that doesn't really matter...the shot doesn't have to be in focus to take a shot...

Actually it does.

One 1 series you can select focus priority or drive priority. You only going to get max fps when using manual AF, one shot mode atleast on xxD series.

bobbyz wrote in post #9623733
Actually it does.

does it?...when i switch to ai servo i can fire off a shot before the red light blinks...

The red light never blinks in AI Servo....

I asked Chuck Westfall about this problem. Here is his answer.......

http://digitaljournali​st.org …tips.html#comme​nt-2234509

THE DIGITAL JOURNALIST
Tech Tips
June 2008
by Chuck Westfall

BenJohnson wrote in post #9623841
The red light never blinks in AI Servo....

yeah i guess it just blinks in the beginning...but i can take shots with the 50mm while it's focusing that are totally out of focus...the shots are taken while the lens is hunting back and forth...

DreDaze wrote in post #9623506
but in AI servo that doesn't really matter...the shot doesn't have to be in focus to take a shot...

at first i thought the o.p. would for sure be in one shot, and that focus just wasn't achieved yet...but once it focuses, and you hold down the shutter button...it keeps going...

That is incorrect Dre. AI SERVO (at least in the iterations before the 7D, i.e. 20D, 30D, 40D, and perhaps 50D (dunno never had one)) will keep shooting at full speed as long as its getting (what it thinks is) focus lock for every shot. With the 7D (and perhaps 50D) there are two C.Fn's that handle how AI Servo AF behaves.

C. Fn III-2 "AI Servo 1st/2nd image priority"
0: AF priority/Tracking priority
1: AF priority/Drive speed priority
2: Release/Drive speed priority
3: Release/Tracking priority

of the 4 choices, Choice 2 is the fastest because even with the first shot of the sequence the AF system does not wait for AF Lock, its priority is shutter release.

of the 4 choices, I use 0 for the simple reason that the 70-200 f/4L IS USM which is the main reason for such speed for me can actually keep up. 2nd fastest lens is probably my 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM, followed by the 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM. The speed of the lens's AF motor plays a major role in how the AI SERVO will work. If the lens is slow and your priority is choice 0 for example, you won't likely be able to maintain full 8fps on the 7D. I know on my 40D and 30D before it, slow lenses like the 75-300 III would no go faster than 3fps in AI SERVO, even in High Speed Continuous motor drive. Simply put AI SERVO was originally designed to keep shooting as long as AF is found - no lock, no shot.

What I used to do with my 40D before I got the 70-200L was I'd set my AF to ONE SHOT and High Speed. It ended up doing the same as option C.Fn III-3 Option 1. It locks for the first shot, then just shoots more of the same focus. AI SERVO on the 7D is a lot better tho because now it can still give a damn about focusing the subsequent shots - something ONE SHOT AF is not meant to do.

C.Fn III-3 "AI Servo AF tracking method"
0: Main focus point priority
1: Continuous AF track priority

This function deals more with tracking priorities... i.e. if something gets between you and the subject over the course of a sequence... like a tree that gets between you and your dog.