Great autofocus performance isn’t just about pressing a button. While modern cameras are advanced, they still need your help to lock onto a subject quickly and accurately. Small tweaks in your shooting technique can dramatically improve your results, especially when tracking fast-moving subjects.
Coming to you from Jan Wegener, this practical video breaks down several autofocus tricks that can make a real difference. One key tip is tilting your camera at an angle to help acquire focus in difficult conditions. It’s a simple adjustment that can speed up focus acquisition. Another technique is using zoom lenses strategically. Instead of trying to find a small subject at full focal length, start zoomed out, locate the subject in the frame, then zoom in to compose. This method makes it easier to track and reduces the chance of losing focus.
Wegener also covers the importance of pre-focusing. When you anticipate where your subject will appear, focusing on an area at a similar distance can reduce the time your camera spends searching. This is especially useful for wildlife photography, where reaction time matters. He highlights how shooting a bit wider instead of tightly framing a subject helps autofocus stay locked, particularly when tracking birds in flight. A slight crop in post-processing is often better than missing the shot due to focus errors.
Another common challenge is autofocus failing when the background shifts—like when a bird moves from the sky to trees. Wegener suggests letting go of the focus button the moment your camera starts to struggle, then reacquiring the subject once the background stabilizes. Holding the focus button down often leads to more frustration, as the camera keeps locking onto the wrong area. This trick can prevent missed shots in high-action scenarios. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Wegener.
