Back button and focus points 5diii

[JPAZ]

I recently converted to the back button for focus and I am totally hooked. But, I find myself using center-point focus then recomposing almost exclusively, now. So, given my glorious 61points in this camera, should I be even bother to use any more than the center. I know this sounds like a silly question, but I have found myself putting the center on my subject, focusing, then moving and just wonder if I am losing out on some of the camera's capabilities. Just thinking.........

 

[Janbo Makimbo]

I too use that, but then again I only have a 6D where the centre point is the only decent one.... better than the 5D III in fact

 

[ForumMuppet]

It really all depends on your subject and the environment in which you are shooting. If you are exclusively doing portrait work where you are posing your subject that would probably be fine. Because you have the time to setup the shot exactly how you like it. But if you are shooting fast moving subjects that will not be in the same place for long, then you may need to look at using some of the other points as well, to better have an opportunity for making the shot. It sounds like from your original post that you are in a controlled posing environment where single point re-compose will work just fine. If that works for you, have fun. The center point on a 5D3 is a dual cross type point that should give you as good, if not more, of a chance to lock on to your subject as any of the other AF points.

 

[Loswr]

As long as your aperture is sufficiently narrow and/or your subject is sufficiently distant that the DoF is deep enough to mask the backfocus that results, it's fine.

http://www.visual-vacations.com/Photography/focus-recompose_sucks.htm

 

[Northstar]

I'm curious, did you try the 9 point expansion or the 5 point before exclusively going to center point only? And if so, are your results better now?

As forummuppet posted, it depends a bit on whether you're shooting action or still subjects. For me with my sports shots, I like using the 9 point expansion so that I'm using more of those "glorious" 61 AF points.

 

[Random Orbits]

I don't focus/recompose unless I have to (subject is beyond the outer points). For stills, I enable spot focusing and use a single point.

 

[JPAZ]

I'm curious, did you try the 9 point expansion or the 5 point before exclusively going to center point only? And if so, are your results better now?

I became a convert in Denali (none of the PP done yet) mostly shooting wildlife at 400mm or 400 + 1.4x so I've not expanded the number of points, yet.