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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Auto Focus question (1 Viewer)

MergusSerrator

Registered Bird Guy
Hello,

Wanted to run these settings by the forum to see what you think...

I have a Canon SX70 HS and I'm set with the following:
AF Operation: One Shot AF
AF Method: 1-point AF
Continuous AF enabled
AF assist beam firing on.

It seems way too common when I'll center a bird in the frame, press the shutter half way, and the camera displays the green rectangle around a leaf next to the bird. I have to release, move the camera a bit, zoom out, and/or zoom in, and try to focus again. Sometimes it will eventually focus on the bird, but many times the bird will fly off.

Am I using the wrong settings, am I using the wrong technique, or is this a limitation of the camera?
 
Trying to get this back up to the top: I do not have experience with your camera. However, in those I have experience with there is a way to make the focusing square smaller which minimizes the risk of experiencing what you are describing.

Niels
 
Trying to get this back up to the top: I do not have experience with your camera. However, in those I have experience with there is a way to make the focusing square smaller which minimizes the risk of experiencing what you are describing.

Niels

Ah, that's changing the AF method from 1-point to spot. I'll try that out.

In the meantime, I did switch AF operation to AI Servo and that did seem to signifcantly improve focus when shooting in shutter priority at high zoom. But I guess since it can't shoot while focusing, it makes continuous shooting intermittent.
 
I don't know the camera, but can you set up back button focus? This allows you to continuously press the assigned button with your thumb, while operating the shutter with your finger.
 

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