Hello, fellow nature photographer,
in my short series “Bird Photography for Beginners” I help you get ready as a beginner for the adventures ahead with your camera out in the wild. The series started with the subject of “controlled environments” and takes you step by step from there to striking animal photos.
In the last two articles you learned to start with a setting you can control, so that you can put all your attention on the photography. That way, once you are out in the field, you can call up what you learned in practice quickly.
The last article covered the advantages of continuous autofocus and burst shooting. In today’s article we look at focus areas, and more precisely at two kinds that matter for you to begin with. Focus areas can be a big subject on their own, but once you have the basics down, the rest is more of an extension of them. So do not worry: as I always say, none of this is rocket science, and you do not have to know it all by heart. For now it is enough that you understand how it fits together and know where to look it up if you want to go deeper. Here at Wildenatur.com, for example.
A quick reminder:
What is continuous autofocus (Continuous Autofocus)?
Continuous autofocus keeps the focus on a moving subject automatically. Unlike single-shot autofocus (AF-S/One Shot), which sets the focus only once, continuous autofocus keeps adjusting the focus as it goes. This is especially useful for getting sharp images of moving subjects.
What is burst shooting (burst mode or continuous shooting)?
Burst shooting lets you take several photos in quick succession for as long as you hold the shutter button down. It helps you catch the perfect moment and gives you a set of images to pick the best one from.
Have you found continuous autofocus on your camera?
The name for continuous autofocus can differ from one camera maker to the next:
- Canon: AI Servo (AI Servo AF)
- Nikon: AF-C (Autofocus Continuous)
- Sony: AF-C (Autofocus Continuous)
- Fujifilm: AF-C (Autofocus Continuous)
- Panasonic: AFC (Autofocus Continuous)
What follows goes into the different settings for continuous autofocus and burst shooting and how they work together, so that these camera settings support you as well as possible while you shoot.
What to watch out for!
When you use continuous autofocus (Continuous Autofocus), I want to go into one particular aspect – the focus areas. The subject is a broad one, but to give you an easy, quick way in so you can get started right away, I will explain two basic focus areas here.
Focus Areas
Single-point AF
Single-point AF is a focus mode where you pick one single focus point for the camera to focus on. It works well for subjects that do not move quickly. And it pins the focus to one object, such as a bird sitting in a bush.
Multi-point AF
Multi-point AF, by contrast, uses several focus points, which can cover the whole sensor depending on the camera. It works well for fast-moving subjects, such as a bird in flight.
Single-point AF and multi-point AF are two different autofocus modes on cameras. Single-point AF is a mode where the photographer picks one single focus point and the autofocus then focuses on that point. This is especially useful when you know exactly what the main subject is and want the camera to focus on it for targeted sharpness. Single-point AF works best for static subjects or subjects that do not move too quickly.
Multi-point AF (also called matrix AF or multi-zone AF) is a mode where the camera automatically uses several focus points to pick up the subject and focus on it. This is especially useful with fast-moving subjects, or with shots at shallow depth of field where focusing on a single point can be difficult. Both autofocus modes have their strengths, and which one suits best depends on the kind of shot.
Tip:
Look in your camera menu to find where you set the focus areas.
Choose multi-point AF (also called matrix AF or multi-zone AF) when you want to photograph birds in flight.
Use single-point AF when you want to photograph a bird sitting on a branch, for example.
Photographing birds in flight with single-point AF can be a challenge, because you only have one focus point and it has to sit exactly on the bird.
If you want to photograph a bird through a bush, single-point AF can help you, because multi-point AF scans the whole area and may get pulled away, which could leave you focused on a branch next to the bird.
