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jaegerlecoultre · 註冊: 2009-12-28 上載我的肖像

Marksman ching:

one kind of photos i wanted to take most is action pictures like the "BB also Seven" above.
pls share ur experience with me,
thx!

Marksman01 · 註冊: 2008-11-24 上載我的肖像

Since it is in dim ambient so I use flash with Hi-Speed Sync, TTL and due to close distance shot, I used a soft box, point straight to the object and +1 EV on camera body. Set ISO 3200 - 6400, F2.8-3.2, AI servo with all 9 point auto selection or center point with the 6 assist points on (if 5D or 5D2). Alway try to put your camera level or a bit lower to the child body (跟他們腰平) so your camera is always perpendicular to the child body, this way the focal plane will always cover from their face to their toe. No need to use burst shooting, just one shot one kill as child always have un-predictable action.

jaegerlecoultre · 註冊: 2009-12-28 上載我的肖像

i always find the camera gets the focus faster with One Shot mode, and slower with AI servo. However I tend to believe it is due to my mis-use rather than the technology of AI servo mode.
i always use high speed consecutive shots mode in order not to miss any moment, no matter when i'm on One Shot or on AI servo mode. i also believe AI servo mode is designed good for high speed consecutive shooting mode, so it makes me think there might be something else which is not appropriate in the setting and had caused the slow reaction of the AI servo mode.

ching, can u think of something i might have gone wrong in the setting?

btw, i dont have a soft bounce, but a bounce card, that's why i need to tilt the flash at angle, and hence lose the point of ETTL. that why, i only adjust the light level by the angle of the flash.

while ur with the soft box, will it cover the AF assist beam? (i hope not)

i also feel that with a flash, it doesn't help the AF speed at all, is that right?

thx for ur time!!

Marksman01 · 註冊: 2008-11-24 上載我的肖像

You need to use your right thumb to keep pressing on the AF-ON button on the back of the camera while you are using the AI-servo. When AI-servo needed thats mean you need the AF to follow the object which is moving back and forth to the camera.

An external flash with assistance beam (poor 270EX doesn't have this function) with speed up / make accuracy for the one shot AF mode when shooting in a very dark condition.

The soft box / diffuser is just a milky plastic cover place on the flash lamp, never interfere with the AF assistance beam.

jaegerlecoultre · 註冊: 2009-12-28 上載我的肖像

so it's the AF-ON button.... i always feel it's not convenient to reach out the thumb. this is also part of the reason i dont like live view mode, as i also cannot use half shutter for AF.
but since AI servo is so useful (i believe it should be), i need to get use to the button.

i use 430EX, so i have AF assist beam.

thx again~

Marksman01 · 註冊: 2008-11-24 上載我的肖像

With the AF-ON button keep pressed, you AI servo will keep continuously tracking the object without interfered while you are triggering the shutter.

jaegerlecoultre · 註冊: 2009-12-28 上載我的肖像

i would like to try, if i only use the central AF point, and hold the AF-ON button under AI servo mode, in case the subject has moved away to areas covered by the other 8 AF points, i'd like to see whether the AI servo can continue to track the moving object when it had left the central AF point.

otherwise, i may check if it is necessary to use all 9 AF points in order to cover the subject moving across the whole picture.

Marksman01 · 註冊: 2008-11-24 上載我的肖像

of cos the object will be off track when the center point (when select center point only) not pointing to the object. If you are using 5D or 5D2 you can switch on the 6 invisible AF point so the center AF area will become much bigger and let you easy to track on the object but avoid the busy background.