Is Single Point AF with Tracking possible?

[Geo]

This might not be the right title, am away from bird photos, talking happy snaps now so this may, or may not, be a silly question and I hope it makes sense.

The scene is a landscape with a small flowering bush which needs to be the point of focus and far left of centre for the composition.

With previous cameras it has been possible, with the focus point set centrally, to focus on the bush by half pressing the shutter, then move the camera so the bush is off centre still retaining the focus point which basically tracks the bush, then take the pic. Quicker and easier than using the joystick. It works with S-AF but can the OM-1 be set to do this with C-AF?

[gazza95]

Hi Geoff

In theory yes. Use c-af+TR and focus on something with colour and shape and then camera should in theory follow that around the screen while shutter is half pressed. This is off course with subject detection off. AFAIK this has never worked particularly well.

Am sure Rob Trek and others have made youtube video about c-af+tr.



Gary

[Geo]

Tried the C-AF Tracking but just got a lot of green boxes flying around!!

[gazza95]

Yes that is correct. C-AF+TR, no subject detect, works on a block of colour and shape. Thus if you put single point on a block of colour and move lens SLOWLY, the camera will follow the block of colour. Original focus is a single point but tracking is a group of green boxes depending on size of colour block.

As I said this is not very useful and I have never used in real life.

[rustyarrow]

You can do what you asked with SAF, focus- hold shutter button down half way recompose and fire. - Just tried it on mine s works as it always did I dont not have BBF enabled which if you do may be throwing it out.

[Geo]

I found it works with S-AF but can it work with C-AF?

[rustyarrow]

I think not as CAF is always focusing, not sure if there is a lock button somewhere

[blackfox]

works on the e.M1X ... CAF+TRK with bird i.d as long as you attain focus on the subject it works and hope that a bird doesn't appear to grab the focus

[Geo]

Not talking about birds but 'happy snaps' with no birds!!

[blackfox]

That’s what I’m on about , I’ve noticed if there’s no birds present it will lock on a bush ,tree ,fence post etc and you can move the lens around and will stay locked on that subject … as long as a bird doesn’t enter the frame which will then take priority

[Geo]

OK, forget S-AF, is it possible to take a landscape pic or street pic with C-AF and choose the exact focus point?

[gazza95]

No, is the simple answer.

Try this video even if its a bit slow;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRriqq4PRhk

[blu-by-u]

Can I assume you are talking about reframing the shot?

I use the 1/2 press on the subject then reframe while the finger is still 1/2 press. unless you want a focus LOCK on the subject then reframe at your leisure, then you could try AFL assigned to a button.

[Phill D]

I just tried it out and when on CAF plus tracking I get several green squares jumping all round too, completely useless. Turn off tracking and it seems that CAF takes over and refocuses pretty quickly. The sensitivity of the shutter button does make this tricky to check out though. It's easy to slip off the button and refocus so difficult to tell if I'd refocused or the camera CAF had done it for me. Interestingly as Jeff mentioned if bird I'd is on then it seems to slow down the CAF kicking in when the area is moved. But it did still seem to take over.

[blackfox]

Took some yesterday single point /CAF/ tracking/bird I.d . To many birds at Bempton overpowering multi point got some decent results