New camera, nube photographer.
In my R50 the autofocus area can be selected and moved around, but can it be locked to the center? I currently have it set to the point focus, so the smallest focus area, but I find that the box that shows where the camera is focusing moves around (no faces involved or vehicles) Usually the focus square jumps up and to the right, and sometime moves around while I am trying to compose the shot. Is there a way to lock it down so it will stay in the center?
Update: I tried several things and lost track of some of them. It seems my focus point is staying put now - it is just off-center but close enough to make me happy.
I think you are searching for the One Shot focus mode. In that way it doesn’t matter where you set your focus point (in this case the center) it should stay there and focus every time you press the shooter button. Like other comment said it, there is more “advanced” ways to personalise the way autofocus works but this should solve your problem for the moment :)
This article explains the focus modes in a easy enough way:
https://www.morethanasnapshot.com/blog/2023/6/7/how-to-use-the-focus-settings-on-the-canon-r50
I hope it helps.
I just checked to see if Touch and Drag was on - it was off. I turned off “whole screen servo”, but I am not sure what that really is, I thought it was for video.
I usually remove the focus lock from the shutter button and put it on the * button on the back of my Canon bodies. I don’t have an R50 so I can’t tell you how to do it exactly on that model. This allows you to get focus, and then lock it in and recompose the shot without having to worry about the camera “deciding” that you want something else to be the focal point when you press on the shutter button. Just my quick opinion and there’s a ton more to focus settings, but that’s always been the first thing I adjust on my Canons.
I put the focus marker on the subject where I want the focus to be, then I would hold the shutter button down part way and re-compose the shot, then press the shutter button the rest of the way to shoot.
I would have to find my 5D book, but the issue there is that holding the shutter button down halfway also locks in the metering. So when you re-compose you have both the focus and metering locked. With the focus on the back button, you can separate the two, lock them to what you want, and then still re-compose the shot. My background was shooting racecars, so holding the shutter halfway and tracking wasn’t exactly something I could do. I could hold the back button down, and then just fire the shutter when I was ready. Lots of panning, so trying to be delicate with the shutter button wasn’t really a good idea for me when things got moving.
I see - Getting that shot is a lot harder than mine - trees and flowers don’t move as fast as racecars. My eye is especially pleased by shots that use depth of field.
So there might be a way for me to designate a subject and then have the camera watch that subject while it moves through shadow or bright light and also maintain proper focus while I decide the proper framing and the moment to record?
Can I put focus on the “record video” button as I do not use the video features of my camera? Just not into video.
