Does anyone use AF-S anymore?

I do use AF-S and single point most of the time. Combined with touch AF it easy to choose the AF-point.

Alan Hewitt Photo said:

sagischwarz said:

I don't have a use case for AF-C, my subjects are almost never moving. It just does not feel right to me to leave it up to the camera to change the focus point on a whim. I also don't like the feeling that the camera is "still working" after I have half pressed the shutter button.

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You can still use single point and focus wherever you want it to focus in AF-C. The camera won't change this.

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Yes, however the camera won't lock focus with a half press of the shutter button. You would need to use AF-L to lock focus when using AF-C. I think this is why there is a preference for AF-S for some (such as me) depending on the kind of photography they do.

Fuegi said:

Wow, I didn't expect so many folks would be using AF-S as their main setting. Thank you for all the feedback.

I mainly shoot wildlife, my two year old, and street photography. It has been quite the journey of experimentation with autofocus when it comes to wildlife. AF-C hasn't been so kind to me. For example, when shooting a kingfisher flying across a lake (where I'm panning and have him in my 3x3 zone) yet focus isn't being acquired. Another infuriating moment is when I was on a tripod, shooting a big blue heron fishing. I would get beautiful static shots but just as I see they are about to plunge their head into the water, my AF-C would completely lose focus. I need eye tracking, but that is a topic for another day. I've tried using AF range limiters with limited success. Don't get me wrong, I get great shots, but I feel like I'm pushing my handholding/panning techniques to the extremes and not getting consistent results.

I've read in many of your comments that you feel AF-S provides for better AF performance over AF-C on that initial AF lock. Is there any way to objectively measure that? I do agree that for most photography a simple focus and recompose technique is much faster than fiddling with the AF joystick (when time is more of the essence).

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In any situation where something really needs to in focus, I almost never focus and recompose, it just isn’t accurate. If you need to work quickly without moving the focus box around yourself, try AF-C Wide Tracking - half press on the desired AF point and recompose (with the AF remaining stuck on the subject), it can work quite well in chaotic situations - especially with newer cameras.

Feugi said:

A few minutes ago I tried one of your suggestions to use AF-S and quickly press the shutter button down to get a quick capture. Before doing so, I focused on something in the distance in order to see if the focus would snap back onto the high contrast object I setup in front. When focusing into the distance and quickly pressing the shutter button, I was able to get a sharp image of my object (it would quickly refocus). When pre-focusing at minimum focusing distance, the camera/lens was not able to get a sharp shot. I guess it could depend on how "fast" you are pressing the shutter button.

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If you know where your moving subject is going to be ahead of time, it’s wise get the AF in the ballpark first with a quick half-press and release of the shutter button or BBF button (I use the rear command dial button). If the AF is already close from the get-go, focus acquisition is going to happen much faster (pretty much mandatory with an old slowpoke lens).

Feugi said:

My only concern with this technique is the camera shake that is introduced by NOT half-pressing and acquiring focus and then gently fully pressing the shutter.

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A smooth full-press squeeze works fine. No more jerky than a press from the half position, IMO.

Feugi said:

My take away from all of this is to try AF-S again (especially with wildlife) but not birds in flight. I should be able to use the smallest AF point possible and using my SUPERB :-D hand holding skills to focus on the eye of the animal.

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It’s usually best to use as large an AF box as you can get away with (to quickly lock on something with contrast on the same plane as the desired focus point), especially in low light or with distant isolated subjects. If you’re having issues with the AF “hunting” or hesitating, bumping up the box one size will usually do the trick (in all AF modes). I usually only use the smallest size box at very close range and a wide aperture where the DOF is razor thin and I want to avoid focusing on a peripheral detail (like an eyebrow). For birds in flight, try the largest single point box or one of the larger zone boxes - whether AF-S or AF-C, a full-press of the shutter button still usually results in sharper result in my experience with the older cameras (though I’m no bird photographer by any stretch). At close range, it seems that Zone AF focuses only on peripheral details. YMMV. Ultimately, you will have to experiment and figure out what works best for what doing. I’m just describing what I’ve found that works best for me.

Erik

Oregon Dawg said:

Alan Hewitt Photo said:

sagischwarz said:

I don't have a use case for AF-C, my subjects are almost never moving. It just does not feel right to me to leave it up to the camera to change the focus point on a whim. I also don't like the feeling that the camera is "still working" after I have half pressed the shutter button.

Click to expand...

You can still use single point and focus wherever you want it to focus in AF-C. The camera won't change this.

Click to expand...

Yes, however the camera won't lock focus with a half press of the shutter button. You would need to use AF-L to lock focus when using AF-C. I think this is why there is a preference for AF-S for some (such as me) depending on the kind of photography they do.

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Absolutely correct Oregon Dawg

Whether I'm using the shutter button "1/2 press" to lock focus or a programed button to the the same, the end result is that I don't have to worry about the camera getting in my way, ever, once it's locked focus - at that point I can manually focus to fine-tune if need be (depending on type of lens).

For most things that I'm inclined to shoot - my preference is to use the camera on manual, and AF-S in conjunction with manual focus, even if that means using the ground around my subject as a reference to monitor my depth of field as the subject moves. Seldom otherwise.

Oregon Dawg said:

Yes, however the camera won't lock focus with a half press of the shutter button. You would need to use AF-L to lock focus when using AF-C. I think this is why there is a preference for AF-S for some (such as me) depending on the kind of photography they do.

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I'm one of the people that uses only af-s. Most of my subjects move (not action, but people walking, people at the market...) and the af-c is a piece of ** on my x-pro2. With af-c, the focus is correct less than 20% of the time.

On the other hand with the af-s and single shot, I "hammer" down the shutter and magic happens. It's in focus 90+% of the time.

I forgot who mentioned that, but it was on this forum. Thank you for the great advice.

*sigh* Another Af-s exclusive user here. Center af point too.

yardcoyote said:

I don't know if I have a "case", but I use AF-S exclusively. And the center focus point, too.

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Exactly as I do on ALL of my cameras, even when shooting video.

Why? Simply because it WORKS.

Yes, it is very much dependent on what you are photographing and what it is you wish to achieve. But by definition, it's continuous autofocus for either a moving subject or a moving photographer so it doesn't lock.

I did until my kids got mobile.

Yes, I use AF-S, but with the camera's focus-mode switch set to "M" and back-button focus activating AF-S.

(If it matters, I use the front "Fn" button as AE-lock.)

Tally up another for (nearly) exclusive AF-S use. I almost never shoot moving targets, and appreciate the flexibility of being able to move my desired focus point at will for specific shots.

I also may be laboring under the false assumption that AF-C uses battery faster. To me, common sense says that needing to check and manipulate focus so often seems like it would drain battery faster, but I have never actually asked/researched if that's true.

AF-C and "continuous" (as opposed to "shooting") OIS both use more battery power. I have noticed the differences, though I use "continuous" OIS when using the 70-300mm zoom because it ensures accurate framing with hand-held shots.

No almost never. Except in low light non moving subjects.



When shooting portraits, animals… the subject and us are always moving. Always. So I don’t see a reason to use af-s when af-c solves that problem. And forget about firing a couple of shots after another while a model is moving after you used your af-s method.



even if your directly pressing through after af-s, subject will now move inbetween the next frames …

Also if taking photos of non moving subjects … I am moving while adjusting the composition so it’s af-c

Af-c is only annoying if the camera’s af-c system is not reliable

Chrisger said:

Af-c is only annoying if the camera’s af-c system is not reliable

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QED.

I have not used AF-S in years. In fact, I keep a piece of gaffer tape over the AF selector switch to keep it locked on AF-C. Started taping my X-T2 and continued taping my X-T3. It does not matter if I am doing posed portraits with the 56mm f/1.2, or high speed sports with the 50-140mm f/2.8, everything is shot using AF-C. I can not think of a single reason to ever use AF-S again.

ddtan said:

Another almost exclusive AF-S user. Maybe behind the times, but it’s a control issue. More personal control over my focus point.

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Huh? Control of the AF point has nothing to do with AF-S versus AF-C. I use AF-C all of the time with a single AF point fixed in my chosen location.

Erik Baumgartner said:

Fuegi said:

Hey guys,

Over the years, my camera workflow has evolved. At this point in time, I'm wondering if anyone has a good use case for AF-S on their Fuji bodies. Starting with the XT3, AF performance has improved drastically and we have our entire sensor covered with AF points. If you configured back button focus (BBF) and used that when in manual mode, what use case do you have to ever be in AF-S?

In my current setup, I live in AF-C and switch over to Manual focus mode when AF-C is having issues (birds with tons of branches around). If I need to quickly rely on autofocus, I press the back button I configured for autofocus and I'm on my merry way.

What use case am I missing here to ever use AF-S again?

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To my way of thinking, it’s more like …Why would anyone want to primarily use anything but AF-S?

I occasionally use manual focus with magnification for critical focusing on a single detail, or with peaking for optimizing focus for landscapes, but otherwise I use AF-S for almost everything.

I find AF-S (on the shutter button) to deliver far snappier and more accurate results than AF-C for just about anything I shoot (including moving subjects). I haven't shot with the very newest cameras yet (which seem to have some very effective focus tracking options), but I'm not missing focus much now with good old X-T2, X-T20, and X100V.

I do use AF-C occasionally, but far less often than AF-S or M.

Except for in M mode (which I use quite often), i find BBF to be especially poorly implemented on Fuji cameras and never use it.

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Starting with the X-T2, and now X-T3, BBF with AF-C is all I use for everything.

Fuegi said:

Hey guys,

Over the years, my camera workflow has evolved. At this point in time, I'm wondering if anyone has a good use case for AF-S on their Fuji bodies. Starting with the XT3, AF performance has improved drastically and we have our entire sensor covered with AF points. If you configured back button focus (BBF) and used that when in manual mode, what use case do you have to ever be in AF-S?

In my current setup, I live in AF-C and switch over to Manual focus mode when AF-C is having issues (birds with tons of branches around). If I need to quickly rely on autofocus, I press the back button I configured for autofocus and I'm on my merry way.

What use case am I missing here to ever use AF-S again?

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I am using also an EM1.3 and there I have totally changed to AFC because its AFS isn't as precise!! On the other hand XT3 AFS is usually very accurate.

I hate to be the one to echo what others have said before, but, Fujifilm continuous autofocus hasn’t been as reliable compared to other cameras I’ve used before, including my 6D Mark II (entry level FF) and 5D Mark IV. Which are 6 and 4 year old cameras! Isn’t that ancient technology already in the digital realm?

With that being said, I will occasionally put my Xpro3 in wide/tracking mode and use AF-c and set my camera to f/5.6 and take snapshots on the street like that.

It works, some of the time, but I’ll get a lot of missed focus people. And it’s not a lens issue, the camera just seems too slow.

yardcoyote said:

I don't know if I have a "case", but I use AF-S exclusively. And the center focus point, too.

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Me too.

After doing just a handful of weddings, the only time I can see myself using AF-C is while the groom and bride are walking down the isle and me walking backwards as well. But 99.9% of aaaaaall the thousands and thousands of photos I have taken they have been done with AF-S.