5 pt AF vs 11 pt AF For Sports

reivax · 03-29-2013, 02:26 PM

Most of the shooting I do is live action sports photography (mainly high school). I've been using my K-30 and I get pretty good results with it. I usually use the 5 pt AF setting over the 11 pt AF setting because I remember reading somewhere that it was a lot more accurate. Yesterday, I decided to try out 11 pt AF. To be honest, I can't really tell which was more accurate. I did catch myself having to adjust focus more often than I do with the 5 pt, but the amount of keepers didn't really seem to change. Has anyone else found there to be a difference? I want to say I did, but I haven't used 11 pt AF enough to really draw a clear conclusion. Which do you the rest of you sports shooters prefer?

Anvh · 03-29-2013, 02:47 PM

I don't see why there should be change in focus accuracy but like you mention the camera might more often focus on things you didn't attended to focus on.
I believe it prefers subjects on the front more then on the back, but that was with the K10D never used multi point AF with the K5.

Anvh · 03-29-2013, 02:48 PM

How many do actually use the multi points?

Tanzer · 03-29-2013, 03:34 PM

I never do, and I don't even shoot sports. Can't be sure what the camera will select.

Anvh · 03-29-2013, 03:46 PM

I wonder if they can make a system where you an give where the focus should start and end when doing landscaes for example and that the camera selects the right aperture and focus distance for you.

But i'm going very off topic now...

Primes4ever · 03-29-2013, 04:19 PM

I do a lot of sports and recommend the centre point for best results. It prevents hunting when a player moves in to the field of view. Also shoot manual with a shutter speed at least 1/300 and continuous shooting mode.

**dadipentak** · 03-29-2013, 04:23 PM

Originally posted by Tanzer

I never do.... Can't be sure what the camera will select.

Ditto.

VisualDarkness · 03-29-2013, 05:08 PM

I switch between center, select and multi-point. Multi-point is quite useful for panning and when players go highspeed towards the net in hockey.

Anvh · 03-29-2013, 05:16 PM

I don't do sport, that's maybe my problem =]

reivax · 03-29-2013, 06:41 PM

I used to shoot center point exclusively, but can run into problems when the athletes are moving (especially at high speeds). I found the multi-point really useful for when they are moving around a lot, but I was wondering what people found more accurate, the 5 point? or 11 point?

I know they all have their place, just curious what other were using and recommended.

Tanzer · 03-29-2013, 07:00 PM

You didn't really ask about this, but the Face Detection mode on the K-01 is even more unpredictable. If there are no faces in the field of view, it seems to pick some random area -- the few times I tried this it was in the upper left corner so I gave up on trying that and went back to center point. You would think that if there aren't any faces, then it would at least try to use the center.

Anvh · 03-29-2013, 07:06 PM

All the 9 center points in the center are of the same accuracy only the far sides are less acurate.
That's the hardware specs for you.
So 11 and 5 should in the center be evenly accurate in terms of focus.

Now if there is a differnce in the accuracy in which focus point the camera selects... i don't know.
I'm actually now curious to know if pentax has improve the focusing software with their latest camera's

03-29-2013, 02:26 PM	#1
reivax Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: California Posts: 826	5 pt AF vs 11 pt AF For Sports Most of the shooting I do is live action sports photography (mainly high school). I've been using my K-30 and I get pretty good results with it. I usually use the 5 pt AF setting over the 11 pt AF setting because I remember reading somewhere that it was a lot more accurate. Yesterday, I decided to try out 11 pt AF. To be honest, I can't really tell which was more accurate. I did catch myself having to adjust focus more often than I do with the 5 pt, but the amount of keepers didn't really seem to change. Has anyone else found there to be a difference? I want to say I did, but I haven't used 11 pt AF enough to really draw a clear conclusion. Which do you the rest of you sports shooters prefer?

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03-29-2013, 02:47 PM	#2
Anvh Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,616	I don't see why there should be change in focus accuracy but like you mention the camera might more often focus on things you didn't attended to focus on. I believe it prefers subjects on the front more then on the back, but that was with the K10D never used multi point AF with the K5.

03-29-2013, 02:48 PM	#3
Anvh Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,616	How many do actually use the multi points?

03-29-2013, 03:34 PM	#4
Tanzer Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Perrineville, NJ Posts: 1,375	I never do, and I don't even shoot sports. Can't be sure what the camera will select.

03-29-2013, 03:46 PM	#5
Anvh Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,616	I wonder if they can make a system where you an give where the focus should start and end when doing landscaes for example and that the camera selects the right aperture and focus distance for you. But i'm going very off topic now...

03-29-2013, 04:19 PM	#6
Primes4ever Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Cambridge, Ontario Posts: 179	I do a lot of sports and recommend the centre point for best results. It prevents hunting when a player moves in to the field of view. Also shoot manual with a shutter speed at least 1/300 and continuous shooting mode.

03-29-2013, 04:23 PM	#7
dadipentak Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,590	Originally posted by Tanzer I never do.... Can't be sure what the camera will select. Ditto.

03-29-2013, 05:08 PM	#8
VisualDarkness Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Uppsala, Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,439	I switch between center, select and multi-point. Multi-point is quite useful for panning and when players go highspeed towards the net in hockey.

03-29-2013, 05:16 PM	#9
Anvh Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,616	I don't do sport, that's maybe my problem =]

03-29-2013, 06:41 PM	#10
reivax Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: California Posts: 826 Original Poster	I used to shoot center point exclusively, but can run into problems when the athletes are moving (especially at high speeds). I found the multi-point really useful for when they are moving around a lot, but I was wondering what people found more accurate, the 5 point? or 11 point? I know they all have their place, just curious what other were using and recommended.

03-29-2013, 07:00 PM	#11
Tanzer Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Perrineville, NJ Posts: 1,375	You didn't really ask about this, but the Face Detection mode on the K-01 is even more unpredictable. If there are no faces in the field of view, it seems to pick some random area -- the few times I tried this it was in the upper left corner so I gave up on trying that and went back to center point. You would think that if there aren't any faces, then it would at least try to use the center.

03-29-2013, 07:06 PM	#12
Anvh Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,616	All the 9 center points in the center are of the same accuracy only the far sides are less acurate. That's the hardware specs for you. So 11 and 5 should in the center be evenly accurate in terms of focus. Now if there is a differnce in the accuracy in which focus point the camera selects... i don't know. I'm actually now curious to know if pentax has improve the focusing software with their latest camera's