Understanding Autofocus


Let's face it: Cameras are confusing. Especially when you have a big, heavy, DSLR with lots of buttons and knobs to deal with. And if this weren't enough, you have to deal with the insane menu systems with additional features that you didn't even know were there.

One of the features that often gets overlooked, mainly because it may exist in a menu setting, is how your camera focuses. In actuality, the lens has a lot to do with it, but your camera has several methods of focusing. I'm going to cover two of these right now, and in a further post, I'll talk about some additional focusing that your camera can do.

Zone or Area focusing: This is the autofocus setting that most cameras have on by default. What this does is tells the camera to focus on what it thinks you want it to focus on. In other words, whatever in the frame is noticed by the camera. For what it's worth, this setting does a decent job, but the problem is that you are depending on the camera to figure out the focus, which can cause you to miss the shot if it chooses wrong.

Spot Focus: This is what I like to use (and most professionals). In this setting, YOU choose the focus point that you want the camera to pay attention to (usually shows up like a square or plus in your viewfinder) and that is what the camera focuses on. I like this because it allows me to pick what I want to be in focus. Additionally, you can also move to a different focus point if you want to.

The best way to figure all of this out is by practicing and consulting your camera manual for the settings. So that's your homework!

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