Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/05/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Thanks for that Harrison, I use Canon for historical reasons - I own EOS lenses. I have been impressed by the quality of the sensor right from the EOS D30 (which I used to get more in focus bird shots with than the EOS 1DS using the same lens BTW). With regard to focus speed I had heard reports that Canon autofocus was faster than Nikon but whilst I subscribed to Chasseur d'Images, the best photography magazine I have read, their tests always showed the Nikon to be slightly faster and more accurate than the equivalent Canon model. They printed the results. I have never seen this comment in an English language magazine but I have also never seen a credible test of autofocus and tracking speed in an English language magazine either. I mainly use an M8 now anyway - onto topic. Frank On 16 May, 2007, at 13:35, Harrison McClary wrote: > Frank, > > I have never tried to shoot birds so I am not a good one to talk on > this with any authority. I have always heard that the birders tend > to shoot MF mostly. On something small like that I really am not > surprised the AF did not work that well. > When I am using AF for sports or things that move rapidly I always > use AI servo. On stationary subjects it goes back to one shot. > > Focus point selection, the best one is the center point. I never > use the one where the camera picks the point, invariably it will > choose the wrong spot right at peak action. > If I had not gotten old and my eyes bad I'd still MF, when I used > to shoot professional sports I never used AF and I was pretty good, > unfortunately my eyes are not what they were when I was 25 and I > have a very hard time focusing anything other than an M these > days. Actually I was poked in the eye by a big stick one day > working in the yard and it knocked a big floater loose and when it > floats in front of my eye everything gets very blurry. My eye > doctor said over time it will go away, but for now it is very > annoying! > > As far as the D200 v Canon. I wish I could get a D200 body with my > Canon sensor/processing and Canon AF. The Canon AF is faster than > the Nikon I have used and the Canon files are far better, IMHO than > the Nikon are. The D200 interface and focusing screen is better. > In the end it is about images and I use Canon, also the 5D being > 35mm in format is a big plus to me. I "think" in 35mm focal > lengths and once again I can look at something know how I want it > to look and pick the right lens. This is a big issue for me, may > not be for some. > > > Frank Dernie wrote: >> How do you set the autofocus on your 1 series? I was out shooting >> Red Kites with mine yesterday in the hills, I tried both one shot >> and AI servo, all (auto select by camera) autofocus spots and >> center lock. About 10% success focusing on the subject, the auto >> was particularly shite when the hills were in the background, >> focused on countryside not bird, whereas previously I have found >> the autofocus to always focus on the nearest object in the >> autofocus area, as Canon specify it should I believe, even when >> this is not the main subject. I was particularly annoyed because >> this "feature" has autofocused on many an undesired but close item >> in the field but failed to do so when the closer item actually was >> the desired subject. >> My hit rate went up when I went to manual focus. >> Any help on this would be most appreciated, My EOS 1Ds -can- >> produce superb results but IME it is in spite of the user >> interface, not because of it. The Nikon D200 I have tried is about >> 10 million times better as an ergonomic useable tool IMO. >> Frank > > > -- > Harrison McClary > Harrison McClary Photography > harrison@mcclary.net > http://www.mcclary.net > ImageStockSouth - Stock Photography > http://www.imagestocksouth.com > Tobacco Road: Personal Blog: > http://www.mcclary.net/blog > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information