Focussing in fast paced conditions is one of the greatest challenges a photographer can experience. When the subject is moving erratically and at high speed it draws on all of our camera skill and subject knowledge, to correctly cover the main zones of the scene by the focus plane. Not only do we have to work quickly but we also have to maintain the same level of precision as when shooting in any other, more static conditions.
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Part of the solution is learning to predict subject movement, so we can be in place, with the focus set on a predetermined spot before the action takes place, but there is more we can do to speed up the focussing process. Professional sports and wildlife photographers often employ function customisation to assign camera and lens controls to better fit the current shooting situation.
They also make full use of the advanced control systems offered by high end lenses and create standardized presets to apply to common conditions. These steps allow the photographer to be confident in how their camera will behave during the shoot, which frees them to concentrate on composition and timing. Here we explore some of the most popular, cross-system AF methods to consider for your next action photography shoot.
01 Customise AF array
You may not require all of the focus points available on your camera and having them all visible can slow the selection process. Reduce the number of points or select only cross type points to be displayed.
02 Reassign AF activation
Assign the AF On button on the back of your camera to activate AF rather than half pressing the shutter release. This enables you to trigger the shutter and control AF independently for greater accuracy.
Step 3: AF Stop
By pressing the AF Stop button on some longer pro lenses you can cancel AF at any time. When your subject appears in focus in the viewfinder press this button to prevent focus from moving further.
Step 4: Set focus limit
Define a custom range for focus movement to reduce the transit time during AF operation. If you know all of the action will take place within a certain distance range, prevent the lens from hunting beyond this.
Step 5: Focus preset
Pre-program a focus distance which can be set at the touch of the on-lens function button. If you know the exact spot where an image will materialise regularly you can quickly pull focus to that distance on command. Here the lens was programmed to focus at the position indicated by the marker in the above image, knowing the car would pass through that point.
Step 6: Control AF behaviour
Customize how rapidly AF refocuses on novel objects in the frame. If shooting a ball game, reduce this sensitivity to prevent loss of subject focus as other plays cross your frame, in the busy environment.
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