T6s autofocus success?

i rented an SL1 a while back, and for things like birds on grass or a crab on sand, it tended to autofocus on the grass or the sand rather than the subject. i used more than one lens, but this was pretty frequent for the 3 days i had it. i never had this problem with my previous canon (a 30D) nor with my m4/3 or a6000.

fast forward to now. i am interested in the T6s, but when i went to flickr and pixel-peeped a variety of pics in styles i would shoot, often the focus was nice and sharp but not on the actual part that the shooter would want focused on. i saw a lot of birds in trees and bushes where the leaves were sharp and clear but the birds... not so much. and these were shot with a variety of lenses.

so for those who own or have owned a T6s, how is the auto focus when shooting smaller subjects against a larger textured background - grass, dirt, sand, etc? birds, wildlife, mushrooms and flowers, that sort of thing, in decent to good life? samples would be very much appreciated.

thanks!

The AF on my T6S is spot on. There are three AF modes: One Shot, AI, and Servo. Each has its pros and cons, but I have found One Shot is the most accurate .... especially when used with a single focus point. There are also three settings for focus points, with the single point mode giving you, rather than the camera, full control of where it focuses.

Another consideration is depth of field, which you can control with the aperture of the lens you're using. A shallow depth of field and a slightly missed focus point will give the kind of results you're describing. There's nothing wrong with the AF system on the T6S... in fact it's one of the best out there in this price range.

So, to answer your question more directly ... yes, the T6S autofocus is a success.

Stan in NH wrote:

The AF on my T6S is spot on. There are three AF modes: One Shot, AI, and Servo. Each has its pros and cons, but I have found One Shot is the most accurate .... especially when used with a single focus point. There are also three settings for focus points, with the single point mode giving you, rather than the camera, full control of where it focuses.

Another consideration is depth of field, which you can control with the aperture of the lens you're using. A shallow depth of field and a slightly missed focus point will give the kind of results you're describing. There's nothing wrong with the AF system on the T6S... in fact it's one of the best out there in this price range.

So, to answer your question more directly ... yes, the T6S autofocus is a success.

thanks!

i always use single shot, although i did test all the options on the SL1, and i'm aware of depth of field.  among other shots i did included some i do with every camera, and at the same aperture and distance, it was the only one that focused on the grass only.  that being said, i did those particular test shots with one particular rented lens, so maybe it had issues.

Another neat feature is Live View.  With this enabled, which takes a simple push of a button, you just touch the LCD to define your focus point and it will take the shot if touch shutter is enabled.  It is very accurate.  I don't use it much myself, but some users swear by it.

Stan in NH wrote:

Another neat feature is Live View. With this enabled, which takes a simple push of a button, you just touch the LCD to define your focus point and it will take the shot if touch shutter is enabled. It is very accurate. I don't use it much myself, but some users swear by it.

i have trouble shooting fast moving subjects using live view, but if i get the T6s, i'll use it for other stuff.  thanks.

patticake wrote:

i always use single shot

Do you always use a single AF point?

R2

R2D2 wrote:

patticake wrote:

i always use single shot

Do you always use a single AF point?

R2

no, i don't.  time to try that, i'm thinking.

patticake wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

patticake wrote:

i always use single shot

Do you always use a single AF point?

R2

no, i don't. time to try that, i'm thinking.

IMHO this is the single biggest step toward achieving success.  It will literally transform your camera (and your pictures!).

Happy shooting!

R2

patticake wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

Do you always use a single AF point?

no, i don't. time to try that, i'm thinking.

Most of your shots will be focussed on the grass if you're using all AF points. (I'm not certain about the latest Rebels but) traditionally with Canon you have to get out of the Basic Zone modes into the Creative Zone to be able to select a single AF point. Then use the one that's closest to where you want the subject to be in the frame. It will transform your photography.