Halp Ples!

[Matblack]

I am struggling a bit to find information on my cameras autofocus settings, its a canon 300d and as far as I can see it has three settings

OS - One shot? - In this mode I can select a focus point or multiple focus points and get the camera to lock to one of these by depressing the shutter halfway, once I have it held there I can move the camera and the focus will be held.

But I have two other settings

Ai - This seems to do the same thing as OS

SE - I call this one Elmer Fudd mode because it does a lot of hunting but never pulls the trigger, it just refuses to pop up that focus lock icon and stops the camera firing when I depress the shutter all the way.

With all of these I can move the focus points around which seems useful, I suspect if I want to take a landscape with some one in front of it I could move the focus point to the point they are standing and get the camera to focus there, not sure why I wouldn't use the halfway focus lock and move to create the composition but I think thats what it does.

Please can someone explain the difference between SE and OS and what Elmer Fudd mode does http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/images/smilies/help.gif

Thanks

MB

[leowyatt]

Are these settings like the AI Focus and AI Servo?

Will get you definition/explanations now.

From my understanding, the AI servo always keeps the subject in focus, useful for stuff like horse racinng. AI Focus works as a one shot if stuff isn't moving but when it does it automatically uses aI Servo mode.

OS - one shot, the camera focus and takes the shot.

AI - switch between os and elma without you actually selecting it.

SE - servo mode as mentioned above (AI-Servo allows you to lock right onto your subject and track super accurately)

[Matblack]

Thanks

SE is arse, I can't get the bloody thing to focus lock at all, think I shall just leave it on focus lock that seems to be the best setting anyway :)

MB

[leowyatt]

I've never used anything other than one focus on all the cameras I've used :D

AI Servo (elma fud) would be useful for motor racing though.

[Matblack]

I've never used anything other than one focus on all the cameras I've used :D

AI Servo (elma fud) would be useful for motor racing though.

He would be if he could achieve a focus lock, maybe its just this camera but its not an issue, the next thing I need to understand is light metering, where it is can I change it and do I need to change it :)

MB

[Matblack]

Ahh a little research says that the 300d won't let me fiddle with that apart from a little trick with the * button.

Good that makes things slightly simpler :)

MB

[divine]

Servo will never lock, that's the point, it continually focuses until you shoot to ensure that moving objects remain in focus and don't move themselves out of focus.

As for: "I could move the focus point to the point they are standing and get the camera to focus there, not sure why I wouldn't use the halfway focus lock and move to create the composition but I think thats what it does."

If you did by moving to recompose after focussing, depending on how you have the camera set up with regards locking the metering with a half depress of the shutter you may end up with incorrect exposures if the lighting situation changes significantly between where you focussed then where you moved it to.

[Matblack]

Makes sense

The problem with the servo mode is that it won't allow me to take a picture it just hunts and hunts and the camera won't respond to a full depression of the shutter, basically it won't allow a shot to be taken, that doesn't sound right to me.

MB

[divine]

That does sound somewhat broken, yes :p

I can't comment much further really as i've never used servo on a 300D myself, so I don't know exactly how it works and if anything else needs changing.

[Matblack]

Its fine, it'll focus pretty fast in Ai and as I never used SE before I won't mmiss it. Theres a chance this camera will go for trade later this year athough maybe as just a body as someone has bids up to £45 on the 18-55mm kit lens on Ebay and now I have the Sigma 17-70 I'm tempted to get shot of the Canon one to make room in the bag.

Eyes are on a 40d later this year and I could trade the body against it if I don't pick one up on TP.

MB

[lostkat]

I take it you're using a 300D with the WASIA firmware hack? If so, I don't actually think it works properly. i.e. it hunts but won't let you take a photo.

[lostkat]

Oh, it would appear that I am wrong. Just found this:

"Tricking AI servo, three ways I know... (works in ANY mode)

1. Achieve focus lock on a subject and then whilst keeping the shutter half depressed and the subject centered, move the lens focus ring - camera drops into AI servo and will stay there as long as the shutter is kept half depressed. (Only works with lenses that support full time manual focusing such as Canon USM and Sigma HSM lenses)

2. Achieve focus lock on a subject and whilst keeping the shutter half depressed use the lens zoom mechanism to zoom in slightly. Camera drops into AI servo and will stay there as long as the shutter is kept half depressed. Obviously only works with zoom lenses and doesn't work with parfocal lenses.

3. Achieve focus lock on a relatively close subject and then whilst keeping the subject centered, and the shutter button half depressed take a step forward. Camera drops into AI servo and will stay there as long as the shutter is kept half depressed.

All three methods take a little practice and some methods work better with some lenses than others. Fairly easy to do though."

[Matblack]

I take it you're using a 300D with the WASIA firmware hack? If so, I don't actually think it works properly. i.e. it hunts but won't let you take a photo.

BINGO!

Thanks Kate :)

MB

[lostkat]

BINGO!

Thanks Kate :)

MBI'm not sure if the instructions I posted will work for you. I never got it to work myself, but admittedly I didn't try very hard. There are a few bits on the WASIA firmware which don't work.

The most useful bit I found was the mirror lock.

[Matblack]

Oh, it would appear that I am wrong. Just found this:

"Tricking AI servo, three ways I know... (works in ANY mode)

1. Achieve focus lock on a subject and then whilst keeping the shutter half depressed and the subject centered, move the lens focus ring - camera drops into AI servo and will stay there as long as the shutter is kept half depressed. (Only works with lenses that support full time manual focusing such as Canon USM and Sigma HSM lenses)

2. Achieve focus lock on a subject and whilst keeping the shutter half depressed use the lens zoom mechanism to zoom in slightly. Camera drops into AI servo and will stay there as long as the shutter is kept half depressed. Obviously only works with zoom lenses and doesn't work with parfocal lenses.

3. Achieve focus lock on a relatively close subject and then whilst keeping the subject centered, and the shutter button half depressed take a step forward. Camera drops into AI servo and will stay there as long as the shutter is kept half depressed.

All three methods take a little practice and some methods work better with some lenses than others. Fairly easy to do though."

Meh :/

Sound complicated I think I'll steer clear for the time being :shocked:

MB