Canon's 9-point AiAF, Fact or Fantasy???

Exactly.

It's not that you can't move around. But sometimes you don't want to do that. And with some shots, you CAN'T do that, not if you need multiple shots, and you have certain specific alignment requirements for those multiple shots.

Better it's there than not. I guess you just have to try using it in certain situations.

Whiggs said:

Well - I guess it's better having it there for those few times
than not having it at all.

Thanks.

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Ulysses
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I'm an uncle!!!

Cool example. How did you do that?

Ulysses said:

Let me illustrate it here with this animation. It demonstrates how
moving the focus point to only 3 positions (of the five) allows for
different looks. This was done at F2.8, I believe. You don't want
to fool around by moving the camera manually back and forth. The
movable focus zone is a tremendous aid here. And it could also be
in shots other than macros, where composition is important.



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Ulysses
Repository of Some of My Stuff
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=4291269101

I'm an uncle!!!

Click to expand...

Member said:

Anh Nguyen
Let me give you an example:
you're photographing a race (horses or marathon); you want a
specific view (cropping) with say buildings and distinctive
features included; but you also want the runners appearing on the
left entering the frame; you cannot obviously move, click, move
back, because by then the runners will be too far into the frame;
the solution then is to set the flexizone on the left of your
frame, wait till they appear and click right away.

Click to expand...

This sounds wonderful in theory, but I've yet to see a non-SLR digital camera that can focus anywhere near that fast, especially on a moving object.

Walter Anasagasti said:

Walter001 said:

Anh Nguyen
Let me give you an example:
you're photographing a race (horses or marathon); you want a
specific view (cropping) with say buildings and distinctive
features included; but you also want the runners appearing on the
left entering the frame; you cannot obviously move, click, move
back, because by then the runners will be too far into the frame;
the solution then is to set the flexizone on the left of your
frame, wait till they appear and click right away.

Click to expand...

This sounds wonderful in theory, but I've yet to see a non-SLR
digital camera that can focus anywhere near that fast, especially
on a moving object.

Click to expand...

Come to think of it, I really can't imagine capturing that shot at all unless you prefocused. If the slow AF doesn't screw it up, the shutter lag will.

Yeah, I just caught up with the latest posts and I see your point that it's not necessarily better in general, but just very nice to have in certain cases.

Ulysses said:

Actually, I think we were talking about Auto selection versus
manual selection, and that might have been the source of our slight
disagreement (not a biggie to me).

But you can see a sample of what I'm talking about and trying to do
for some shots:
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1010&message=3764403

Walter Anasagasti said:

Can you elaborate on this a bit?

I'm inclined to agree with Gary that if a flexible AF system can
focus on an off-center object, then there should be no reason why
the same thing can't be accomplished with a conventional AF system
by simply pointing the camera at the subject and locking focus on
it before recomposing the shot and snapping the shutter. Seems to
me this would be a whole lot faster and easier too.

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Ulysses
Repository of Some of My Stuff
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=4291269101

I'm an uncle!!!

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Good point.

Ulysses, maybe you can answer something for me...

Why do all prosumer digital cameras seem to have such slow and unreliable AF sytems compared to even the cheapest SLR film cameras?

Is this due to some inherent limitation in digital cameras, or is it just that the digital cameras are so expensive to begin with that manufacturers all try to save money on the AF systems?

Ulysses said:

Walter Anasagasti said:

Tom Davenport said:

Yes, I was assuming the G3 had the 9 point AiAF. I guess it is
fantasy, at least on the G3 .

Click to expand...

Is this a joke, or does the S45 actually have a more advanced AF
system than the G3?

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Ulysses
Repository of Some of My Stuff
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=4291269101

I'm an uncle!!!

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When you have specific area where your subject has to stand to get the correct background and you have no room to move to get certain angel, i was so happy to have the flexizone.
athem.

athem said:

When you have specific area where your subject has to stand to get
the correct background and you have no room to move to get certain
angel, i was so happy to have the flexizone.
athem.

Click to expand...

I'm not knocking teh flexizone. It's alwasy nice to have options.

I just couldn't image shotting the racehorse scene as it was described. I'd pay a lot of money for a camera in the G3's size and price range that could actually focus that fast.

I know they're kind of "retro" nowadays, but I like animations if they entertain or make a point.

The reticule is just a simulation on my part to demonstrate what I saw in the LCD when locking focus on the area.

The camera did exactly what I needed it to do: Remain stable, while focusing on a specific area of the frame as targeted.

Walter Anasagasti said:

Cool example. How did you do that?

Click to expand...

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Ulysses
Repository of Some of My Stuff
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=4291269101

I'm an uncle!!!

I'm going to get me a CF card (not too expensive), and when the G3 comes in to my Best Buy or some other local retailer nearby, I'll go in and spend some time monopolizing it at the display counter. Take a bunch of shots. Try to force some CA by pointing it up at some ceiling lights. Check out the focus speed. Stuff like that. I can't wait, even if for the experience.

Every time I walk into Best Buy now, they know I'm not there to buy anything, but to just check out the latest gear. They keep offering me a job, though.

Walter Anasagasti said:

Yeah, I just caught up with the latest posts and I see your point
that it's not necessarily better in general, but just very nice to
have in certain cases.

Click to expand...

--

Ulysses
Repository of Some of My Stuff
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=4291269101

I'm an uncle!!!

I have a simple theory about it. But it's not a concrete answer and perhaps not even valid, I'll be the first to admit.

You see, I've wondered the same thing.

I was recently doing a comparison between the F717 and some film SLR cameras with the goal of seeing how the prints would turn out (another story for another time). When I picked up the VERY basic Canon Rebel XS and half-pressed to focus, imagine my shock at the speed! Easily three to four times faster than the F717/F707. I'd forgotten. :-

My guess, then about why digicams are so slow is that they have more to do:
Calculate not only the exposure (if in Program AE mode)
Calculate white balance
Metering
Drawing image onto LCD
And somehow has to figure out the focus

It's just a lot busier than a film camera. At least, that's the guess.

I do think that there is something to what you said, too, though. About saving money. The focus systems here are so problematic at times that there has got to be a money-savings effort, too. Get as accurate as you can 'for the money'. That type of thing. :-(

Walter Anasagasti said:

Good point.

Ulysses, maybe you can answer something for me...

Why do all prosumer digital cameras seem to have such slow and
unreliable AF sytems compared to even the cheapest SLR film cameras?

Is this due to some inherent limitation in digital cameras, or is
it just that the digital cameras are so expensive to begin with
that manufacturers all try to save money on the AF systems?

Click to expand...

--

Ulysses
Repository of Some of My Stuff
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=4291269101

I'm an uncle!!!

Ulysses said:

I'm going to get me a CF card (not too expensive), and when the G3
comes in to my Best Buy or some other local retailer nearby, I'll
go in and spend some time monopolizing it at the display counter.
Take a bunch of shots. Try to force some CA by pointing it up at
some ceiling lights. Check out the focus speed. Stuff like that. I
can't wait, even if for the experience.

Every time I walk into Best Buy now, they know I'm not there to buy
anything, but to just check out the latest gear. They keep offering
me a job, though.

Click to expand...

I'm even worse. I'm waiting for the G3 and the 5050z to arrive at Brandsmart. They have a 2 week return policy with no restocking fee.

Rats. Not much chance of finding one of them up here. That restocking fee is a killer up here.

Walter Anasagasti said:

I'm even worse. I'm waiting for the G3 and the 5050z to arrive at
Brandsmart. They have a 2 week return policy with no restocking
fee.

Click to expand...

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Ulysses
Repository of Some of My Stuff
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=4291269101

I'm an uncle!!!

It is here too, in most places, at least for certain types of products.

I stopped buying from CompUSA altogether when they instituted a restocking fee on ALL purchases.

Ulysses said:

Walter Anasagasti said:

I'm even worse. I'm waiting for the G3 and the 5050z to arrive at
Brandsmart. They have a 2 week return policy with no restocking
fee.

Click to expand...

--

Ulysses
Repository of Some of My Stuff
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=4291269101

I'm an uncle!!!

Click to expand...