2 questions I am primarily using Case 1. Should I be switching to another Case when shooting BIF? Here is one from today. I have adjust tracking sensititvey to +2, Accel/decl tracking +1 AF pt auto switching +1. Lots of throw aways BIF and its probably just me. Can i get more consistant results like this with another case
I do not think that there is one case that is best for all situations. A lot also depends on which AF area mode you are using and the flying pattern of the bird you are shooting (fast, slow, erratic, steady, large bird or small bird....)
If you are shooting birds against a busy background (especially if you are likely to momentarily lose the bird) then you need a slow tracking sensitivity so the AF gives you enough time to get back on the bird before latching onto the background and going widely OOF. But if you are shooting against a un-cluttered BG (like the sky) then a fast tracking sensitivity could be best.
On the other hand if you are using a multi point area mode (like zone) then you may want a fast AF auto points switching setting especially if you are shooting fast erratic flyers like Swallows or Martins.
How large the bird is likely to be in the frame can also influence the best settings, especially when deciding the AF area mode. For distant birds that will be fairly small in the frame then a wide AF area could work well with fast AF point switching. But if you are likely to get the bird fairly large in the frame then something like zone AF may not be the best as you are likely to get the birds wing in focus and not the head/eye (the Camera will focus on the nearest part in the zone), in this case you may be better using single or single point expansion to ensure the AF point is over the head.
There are loads of different scenarios for BIF so it is not easy to know which are the best settings. At the end of the day I guess if you know what bird you are trying to capture and how near you are likely to get then you need to use settings that are most appropriate. But if you are just walking around ready to snap anything that moves at a moments notice then you just have to use a general case and hope for the best (I tend to use Case1 as a general walk around).
For BIF one of the most difficult/important things is getting the metering right IMHO but that's a whole new topic lol.
P.S. too many choices is making my brain hurt lol - I think I will go back to the 40D where all you had to do was to use AI servo and hope for the best B
