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Auto focus or manual focus

kenjancef

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So I've had my Air 2S for about 5 months now, and I love it... coming from an Air 2. The one thing I'm not used to is the Auto Focus. I leave it on Auto, and I see sometimes that it will start focusing as I'm taking a picture. My typical use case for my 2S is sunsets, and I use 5-shot AEB. There are times when I see the focus changing as it's taking the 5 shots. So should I do the auto focus, then switch to manual before doing the shots? Should I leave it at Auto anyway? Wanted to get your opinions...
 
So should I do the auto focus, then switch to manual before doing the shots? Should I leave it at Auto anyway? Wanted to get your opinions...
Instead of opinions from others, see what works for you.
Are you getting good focus from auto?
If you are (or aren't), there's your answer.
 
Instead of opinions from otyhers, see what works for you.
Are you getting good focus from auto?
If you are (or aren't), there's your answer.
Was looking for opinions... maybe there's a process that someone uses that may work better for me... but I guess I was wrong...
 
I see sometimes that it will start focusing as I'm taking a picture.

There are times when I see the focus changing as it's taking the 5 shots.

If it is doing as you say, I would certainly turn it off, but then I have every camera I own set to manual, across the board. The only real down side to manual focus is that it becomes yet one more thing one must do but once you start getting used to being off the "auto" train, things open up.

If your drone comes equipped with focus peaking, turn that on and stay in manual focus.
 
Push the shutter button to the first stop, this focuses in auto, then all the way to take the picture. This will prevent it from "hunting"
Does that work on AEB? Surely the camera just whacks off 3/5 shots in sequence with no pause.
 
Push the shutter button to the first stop, this focuses in auto, then all the way to take the picture. This will prevent it from "hunting"
Great tip... thanks!!! If the weather cooperates I'll be flying later today, I'll test it. And yea, "hunting" was the word I was looking for.
 
I have every camera I own set to manual, across the board.
Thanks for the input Ty. I bought an air 2s a couple days ago. I hate it at this point only because of the terrible focus. I also run my Mini 3 Pro and my Matrice with an X5S in manual focus. I came today and searched "air 2s poor focus" and got to this thread. I had hoped for a solution that allows leaving the drone in autofocus since I only bought this small drone to put some recreation back into my flying. Looks like it is a no go. The mini 3 pro is only meant for times when I need a shot and do not have time for flight approval. Anyways, great tip for everyone, good job.
 
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Ty, are you able to get everything in focus in a landscape scenario using this technique? I am concerned about with the 2.8 aperture. I mean sharp focus. I am able to achieve this with a Mavic 2 pro. If I cannot with the Air 2s, then it will be sold. I am referring to both photos and video.

Apologies to the op if I am high jacking….. but the question seemed relevant.
 
Ty, are you able to get everything in focus in a landscape scenario using this technique? I am concerned about with the 2.8 aperture. I mean sharp focus. I am able to achieve this with a Mavic 2 pro. If I cannot with the Air 2s, then it will be sold. I am referring to both photos and video.

Apologies to the op if I am high jacking….. but the question seemed relevant.
Yes, when I want to. I also use the Mavic 2 Pro and if I am shooting landscape, the subject is almost always in the mid to back ground and I focus there. But there are times when I am shooting in close with foreground and depending on the scene I will use the narrow depth of field to separate or isolate a subject.

Below is a screen grab from a video (F2.8 - 1/60th) in which I hovered about 2 feet away from a Palm while focused on it; and then repositioned the camera to capture a hiker walking up a elevated walkway into thick forest. Not your typical drone use but I thought it looked better than a wide open shot with everything in focus.


DOF1.jpg

This is the next scene and I left the focus and setting the same and slowly followed the subject from low level.

DOF3.jpg
 
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Really nice photograph Ty. I really like shooting bracketed photographs where there’s a lot of dynamic range. The one thing that we have to give the air 2s is it produces some incredibly rich colors. You did a great job with your editing as well. The aperture of the air 2S suits this scene really nicely. But it would also be interesting to see the same photograph shot with an aperture setting of seven or nine On an M2P.
 
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You did a great job with your editing as well. The aperture of the air 2S suits this scene really nicely. But it would also be interesting to see the same photograph shot with an aperture setting of seven or nine On an M2P.
The wideangle lenses on drones have so much depth of field that focussing isn't critical and the aperture used won't make any difference except at very close range.
 
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