MISSING Camera body feature

[Andyx01]

So like many, I have de-coupled the half shutter press from AF, and instead use the AF-ON button to Auto Focus.

Boom - no more hesitation when the trigger is pulled waiting for the lens to re-focus.

What's missing though is a second AF-ON button / Dedicated SERVO mode.

How many of you toggle between "Single Shot" and "Servo" ?

Is it just me, or it would it be sooooooo nice to have them both at your fingertip?

Switching between C1/2/3 isn't a good alternative, esp with a locked dial.

 

[Tanispyre]

I think it would be a bit of a hassle to have two buttons. It might be possible to program the button so that if you hold it down for more than 1 second is switches to servo mode. Might be a feature to ask the firmware hackers to look into.

 

[Loswr]

On the 1D X, if you're willing to give up the AE Lock button, you can assign that to back button Servo with AF-ON as back button One Shot, or vice versa.

 

[BL]

Or on the 1Dx, completely do away with One Shot and keep it on AI servo full-time with BB AF.

I haven't found One Shot to provide an accuracy advantage over AI servo for still subjects, and not having to switch AF modes is a breath of fresh air.

 

[priyadi]

What's missing though is a second AF-ON button / Dedicated SERVO mode.

How many of you toggle between "Single Shot" and "Servo" ?

Is it just me, or it would it be sooooooo nice to have them both at your fingertip?

on 5D3, I'm using the DOF preview button to switch between one shot & servo.

 

[wickidwombat]

So like many, I have de-coupled the half shutter press from AF, and instead use the AF-ON button to Auto Focus.

Boom - no more hesitation when the trigger is pulled waiting for the lens to re-focus.

What's missing though is a second AF-ON button / Dedicated SERVO mode.

How many of you toggle between "Single Shot" and "Servo" ?

Is it just me, or it would it be sooooooo nice to have them both at your fingertip?

Switching between C1/2/3 isn't a good alternative, esp with a locked dial.

5d3 and 1 DX can program the dof button to do this

 

[AcutancePhotography]

On my camera, I have a choice of hitting and releasing the back button for single or hit and hold for servo.

I thought all the modern cameras back button focus had this capability?

It is one of the features that made me a back button believer.

 

[viggen61]

So like many, I have de-coupled the half shutter press from AF, and instead use the AF-ON button to Auto Focus.

Boom - no more hesitation when the trigger is pulled waiting for the lens to re-focus.

What's missing though is a second AF-ON button / Dedicated SERVO mode.

How many of you toggle between "Single Shot" and "Servo" ?

Is it just me, or it would it be sooooooo nice to have them both at your fingertip?

Switching between C1/2/3 isn't a good alternative, esp with a locked dial.

5d3 and 1 DX can program the dof button to do this

As can the 7D.

(though I do find that placement less than ideal...)

Also, if one owns one of the "great whites" with the buttons on the lens ring, they can do the same thing. As always, the camera manual has this information.

 

[DominoDude]

Hmmm.... I don't see any problem. I've been shooting with BBF since day one on my 7D, and the way it works it is AF Servo if I keep the button pressed, and One shot if I just press, acquire focus and then let go.

 

[Loswr]

Hmmm.... I don't see any problem. I've been shooting with BBF since day one on my 7D, and the way it works it is AF Servo if I keep the button pressed, and One shot if I just press, acquire focus and then let go.

I'm not certain that's true. AI Servo is the, "AF mode for continuous autofocusing on a moving subject. This mode predicts the next movement of the subject so that the focus is correct when you take the picture. This is also called predictive AF."

The AI Servo algorithms are designed to predict where a moving subject is going and focus accordingly. It seems reasonable that algorithms intended to predict motion may not be optimal for static subjects. One other consideration is that the f/2.8 center point(s) greater accuracy comes at the cost of slightly slower focus, so the AI Servo algorithms may give preference to the less accurate but faster-focusing f/5.6 sensor lines.

Just some food for thought…

 

[3kramd5]

It seems reasonable that algorithms intended to predict motion may not be optimal for static subjects.

That's absolutely true. Camera pointing at a fixed targed, it will continually adjust, even if slightly. If it's a scene where AF was difficult in the first place like a small low contrast subject against a confusing fore/background (a bird inside a shrub, for example), it will sometimes jump way behind target, even though nothing related to the subject has moved. In my experience, anyway.

So like many, I have de-coupled the half shutter press from AF, and instead use the AF-ON button to Auto Focus.

Boom - no more hesitation when the trigger is pulled waiting for the lens to re-focus.

What's missing though is a second AF-ON button / Dedicated SERVO mode.

How many of you toggle between "Single Shot" and "Servo" ?

Is it just me, or it would it be sooooooo nice to have them both at your fingertip?

Switching between C1/2/3 isn't a good alternative, esp with a locked dial.

5d3 and 1 DX can program the dof button to do this

Just note that, at least on the 5D, it doesn't switch it permanently, only as long as the button remains depressed.

I generally have my camera in "M" + one shot. DOF preview switches to servo in case I need it unexpectedly, otherwise I do use the C modes for Av + servo, with various apertures and EC's dialed in.