A Beginner's Guide to Autofocus for Action Photography

Action photography will challenge your skills as a photographer, but one thing you should pay particular attention to is your autofocus settings. If you are new to the pursuit and want to increase your chances of getting the shot, this helpful video will show you the basics of autofocus settings for action photography.

Coming to you from David Bergman with Adorama TV, this excellent video will run you through the various settings for autofocus when it comes to shooting action photography. Though Bergman is using the new Canon 1D X Mark III, you do not need to use a flagship camera (particularly if you are just starting), as most modern cameras are quite capable in a variety of action scenarios. Furthermore, the principles and settings he discusses are relevant to a wide range of cameras. As he mentions in the video, the AF-On button (or its brand equivalent) is especially useful for these situations, as it decouples autofocus engagement from the shutter button. On another note, I definitely recommend starting with the expanded mode. It can be difficult to work with a single spot if you are not used to this sort of work, while zone AF tends to give up a bit too much control to the camera (at least in my opinion). Expanded spot is a good balance of the two. Check out the video above for the full rundown.

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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3 Comments

Thank you, now i too dont need to be the doubter.

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