5d mark iii focusing tips

[wdh777]

I just got my new body and candidly I'm upgrading from a much lesser camera. Can someone explain in simple terms the different AF selection modes and when to use them. I'm having trouble focusing using all 61 points on the intended subject and getting the right focus point and I thought I would use this mode as a default. Can I focus the center point on the subject in this mode and press the shutter half way and then change the composition and have the focus point remain on the subject? Also, if I want to shoot my son playing soccer with a wide open aperture what is the best focus mode? Am I Better off with something like point expansion mode and then will the square continue to track my son. Any general tips would be great. Thanks

 

[elflord]

I just got my new body and candidly I'm upgrading from a much lesser camera. Can someone explain in simple terms the different AF selection modes and when to use them. I'm having trouble focusing using all 61 points on the intended subject and getting the right focus point and I thought I would use this mode as a default. Can I focus the center point on the subject in this mode and press the shutter half way and then change the composition and have the focus point remain on the subject? Also, if I want to shoot my son playing soccer with a wide open aperture what is the best focus mode? Am I Better off with something like point expansion mode and then will the square continue to track my son. Any general tips would be great. Thanks

On the Mk II there's a custom setting that lets you use the joystick to choose the AF point. For some things this is handy because it lets you choose the AF point fairly quickly (e.g. you can do it while you're looking in the viewfinder). Otherwise I usually focus and recompose with center point.

 

[ljiang]

Shooting your son playing soccer at wide open may be a challenge. What's your requirement of sharpness, the body, face or the eye? Using AI Servo mode (Menu P. 70) and High speed continuous shooting (Menu P. 112). You may try AF point expansion and set the AI Servo AF to case 4 (Menu P.85). Depend on your sharpness requirement, you may choose to set AI Servo 1st/2nd image priority accordingly (Menu P.94)

I used 5D II shooting my 3 year old son running in park. To get sharp focus on eye with aperture wide open was difficult. Just got my 5D III and hasn't tried it yet.