How to maintain focus on the eye of a moving child?

I find that tracking across multiple focus points doesn't work w/ D700 because the eye is just too small of an area relative to the rest of the frame. So what settings do you use then?

Sorry, there is no AF setting that can overcome the physics of the situation you describe. If the eye is so small that even a single focus sensor will cover other high contrast areas of the face or body then the AF system can't really be expected to isolate the eye.

On the other hand, if you're that far away from the kid, you should have enough DOF to cover the whole face, including the eyes. Try a smaller aperature setting. For instance if you're using f2.8 go to f5.6.

If focus accuracy is still an issue I suppose you could try manual focus. That's the way we used to do it, but it takes practice and considerable skill. Even if you're good you will need to take a lot of shots to get a few keepers this way, especially if the kid is a fast mover.

Since you didn't post an example and didn't include the most relevant details, (lens focal length, aperature, distance to subject, light level) I can't offer much more.

m_appeal said:

I find that tracking across multiple focus points doesn't work w/
D700 because the eye is just too small of an area relative to the
rest of the frame. So what settings do you use then?

Click to expand...

I just meant that the eye is small in relation the frame... I'm shooting at 300mm... why 300mm indoors? Because I prefer to stand as far as possible and get a fairly tight crop without getting in close.

What I do is to use spot focus mode and set the active spot to the place on the frame I want the critical detail to be. As long as there is enough light, it works fine for me in situations like this.

practice, practice, practice!

maljo

but is it a matter of using particular settings or more of how lucky you are?

I'm curious about the typical setup;

You mentioned 300mm
Aperture
Distance
ISO
Shutterspeed

Humorously, I shot a lot of Indoor Basketball this year and keeping the eyes in focus was the least of my worries. (In general though, I had decent DOF)

I prefer to switch to MF in situations like this......

I find what works best is to pick the AF point you want the subject to be at (the eye most of the time) based on the composition you want, then track the kid (AF-C) keeping the eye in that AF point until they give you the picture you want.

-Suntan

Do you mean basketball or kids running around?

Suntan said:

I find what works best is to pick the AF point you want the subject
to be at (the eye most of the time) based on the composition you
want, then track the kid (AF-C) keeping the eye in that AF point
until they give you the picture you want.

-Suntan

Click to expand...

--

Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status.

• Laurence J. Peter

Usually, terrible things that are done with the excuse that progress requires them are not really progress at all, but just terrible things.

• Russell Baker

tell the kid to stop.

m_appeal said:

but is it a matter of using particular settings or more of how lucky
you are?

Click to expand...

I shoot a lot of indoor sports, but my toddler is the toughest. The most reliable for kids has been single area with AF-C and Continuous mode. Higher f-stop settings will reduce your frustration. I've helped the situation by adding a number of lights around the house.

Take a ton of pictures. I find it's a little easier if you contrain the child with something to play with, or have someone else reposition the child so that they move in a predictable path over and over. It's kinda like that nouveau time-out parenting technique that teaches your child that conflict is resolved by having a larger person pick you up and put you in the same place 30 times until you're exhausted from resisting.

I would really like to see more bracketing options, such as focus distance or aperture.

Craig said:

tell the kid to stop.

Click to expand...

Yeah, and why don't they speak English when they come out of the "box".

m_appeal said:

I find that tracking across multiple focus points doesn't work w/
D700 because the eye is just too small of an area relative to the
rest of the frame. So what settings do you use then?

Click to expand...

Well, it depends. I first choose the part of the frame I want to have the main subject in, select the focus point accordingly. Then I just maintain the position of the subject relative to the focus point. Depending on situation I may switch to 9-point focus.

1- Auto ISO up to 1600 or 3200 w/ min shutter speed of 1/125 (worse case scenario for a posed portrait; for running/moving people or dogs go to 1/500 or even more)

2- Use Aperture mode and choose f 5.6 or f4 outdoors unless you want maximum bokeh or indoors without flash and shoot at f1.4-> f2.8 (depends of your lens/light combination of course)

3- In camera sharpening +5 (I shoot in Neutral for portraits)

4- Shoot in a 3 pics burst at C-low (limit your burst inside menu settings and set it to 3/4 fps).

Someone always blinks or moves at the wrong moment and you can later choose the best of the 3 pics.

5- Focus: your main concern could be simpler if you use AF-ON button:
Settings:
a3 -> 21 points (or 9 points )
a4 -> off
Front button (focus mode selector) to C - continuous focus

Dynamic area - "middle option" in the AF-area mode selector in the back of camera
a1 -> release
LOCK initial focus point to central point (w/ the focus lock selector )
a5 to AF-ON only

It's a night and day difference and you'll never need to change any of the above settings whatever condition you want:

1- Just press AF-ON to focus;
2- Keep pressing while you want to continuous focus and shoot at will

3- If you want to recompose, just lift your thumb and the focus will lock -> then recompose and shoot. (not for action shoots of course)
4- For manual focus dont touch the AF-ON button

It takes minutes to get used to it and you will never go back. It's so easy to use that my wife, 11 y old son, girlfriend of my oldest, etc shoot now w/ AF-ON.

Notes on this technique:

1- You don't have to bother about changing camera focus settings for every condition (unless you're a pro w/ many chalenges/especial conditions to shoot)

2- The person you lend the camera will not shoot by mistake using half-press shutter (very easy and happens w/ every new person that grabs such a heavy DSRL)-> ask him/her just to press AF-ON untill he gives you back the camera!

3- You'll cut all focus delays and will get a pretty fast, almost instantaneous focus (w/ a HSM lens especially but still quite fast w/ my 85mm f1.4)

4- In action situations, like kids running or worse like BIF, is almost impossible to get the right moment using AF-S focus old techniques (let's say AF-S plus beep confirmation+focus lock to release shutter)

5- Pressing AF-ON just start the continuous focus procedures a bit before than using the half-press shutter and THAT is the secret together w/ using RELEASE mode, that gets things working flawless w/ NO delay using AF-ON button.

6- If you keep the half-press shutter focus activated too, you won't lock focus and recompose w/ the AF-ON button, because the moment you press the shutter the camera will acquire a new focus target different from the one you have choosen before w/ AF-ON only.

7- Please note that any lens VR is NOT activated by pressing AF-ON (a new firmware would be nice to correct this) and you'll need to half press shutter button way before to estabilize it.

Regards,

--
Ray Soares

See my pictures at http://www.pbase.com/raysoares

... sedatives. For the child, not for you.

Another option is to take a boatload of pictures, which should increase the number of keepers by sheer force of numbers. Can you say '8 frames per second' ?

-- Bob Elkind
Family,in/outdoor sports, landscape, wildlife
photo galleries at http://eteam.zenfolio.com
my relationship with my camera is strictly photonic

Craig said:

tell the kid to stop.

Click to expand...

Spoken like a true bachelor... What planet do YOU live on? LOL!!

Sedatives in the kid's porridge works every time. :=)

-- Bob Elkind
Family,in/outdoor sports, landscape, wildlife
photo galleries at http://eteam.zenfolio.com
my relationship with my camera is strictly photonic

opiates have been found to slow moving children enough to make even manual focusing a snap.

raoulsam said:

opiates have been found to slow moving children enough to make even
manual focusing a snap.

Click to expand...

What do you do with the leftovers ?

-- Bob Elkind
Family,in/outdoor sports, landscape, wildlife
photo galleries at http://eteam.zenfolio.com
my relationship with my camera is strictly photonic