Manual Focus Mode vs Autofocus Mode
Camera focus modes… If you are anything like me when I first started you will be asking yourself, what are the focus modes? what are they for? what do they do? So let’s get into it…
First of all, do not get the focus mode confused with the focus area modes. There is a post coming up about this but just know these are 2 completely different things. A camera's focus mode is the main setting of a camera that tells it how to focus on the subject, automatically or manually.
When taking photos, choosing the correct focus mode is crucial. There are mainly 2 focus modes: Autofocus mode and Manual focus mode. Nowadays, cameras come with a variety of autofocus modes to choose from but since they are still automatic modes, I have kept them in the same category.
Setting your focus mode
First things first… how do we even choose a focusing mode? There are several ways to do this and this might be camera dependent. If you have set it to one of your function (Fn) buttons, then you can easily choose and change between modes easily by pressing the button and scrolling through the options with one of your dials. But if your camera is brand new and you haven’t set up anything, do not worry, I’ll help you find it.
I am a Nikon shooter, so beware that this might change from camera to camera. Make sure to check your camera guide if you have any issues finding this option.
Head into your camera menu and click on the “Photo Shooting Menu” and “Focus mode” after that (see images below).
Now, you can also change from Auto to Manual or vice versa from your lens by flicking the little switch on the lens from "AF" to “MF”.
Manual Focus Mode (MF)
I’m going to start with manual mode since there is only one and it’s an easy one to explain. Manual focus mode is the most basic type of focus mode available on most cameras. Here, you will have to manually (duh!) adjust the focus ring on your lens. That’s it!
Autofocus Mode (AF)
In photography, the autofocus mode is the one mostly used. Why? Well, it is simple and easy IF you know how to use it properly. You might be a bit confused because I basically said that both modes are easy.
They truly are. The only problem I see with manual focus is that it can be hard to see if your scene or subject is completely in focus. However, nowadays there are things like Focus peaking (according to Adobe, Focus peaking is a real-time focus mode that uses the camera’s Live View focusing aid to highlight peak contrast areas with a false-color overlay in your viewfinder. This can help you determine what part of the image is in focus before you shoot) which makes it really easy to know where your focus is. You would need a higher-end camera so not everybody has access to this feature.
So, unlike manual focus, the camera shows you in the viewfinder where it focusing on with a little red square in most cases. So let's get into the different autofocus modes, shall we?
Auto AF
Also known as AI Focus AF in Canon cameras, this option is the most Automatic option out of the whole bunch. That is why this option is not available in every model as the higher-end cameras expect you to do a little bit of work to get your subject in focus.
Another important thing to mention about automatic autofocus is that it switches from single AF and Continuous focus mode as it sees fit. More about those modes coming up.
The next 2 modes are considered automatic because the lens adjusts by itself to the distance the photographer sets it up to but it won’t do it on its own.
Single AF (AF-S)
Single AF (Nikon) or One-Shot AF (Canon) is a mode for single-focus capability.
What does this mean you ask? When you half-press the shutter release button, the camera will focus on the subject and lock the focus distance. You will hear and feel your lens adjusting and your focus area (those little red squares in your viewfinder) will turn green and may be there to let you know everything is in focus and ready to shoot. Note that this might depend on your camera model and brand. After you take the picture and you let go of the shutter release, the camera will reset. This means that if you want to take another shot, you will have to go through the whole process again (not that it is a long list of steps but you get the drill).
However, if you do not fully let go of the shutter release (keep it half-pressed), then the distance will stay locked and ready to keep shooting.
This is the ideal mode for things that are not and will not move like landscapes. Hopefully, you can see why.
Continuous AF (AF-C)
Now we have Continuous Autofocus mode. Basically, it works the same way as the Single AF but, unlike the previous mode, the camera will track the subject’s movement. So once you half-press the shutter release button and the camera focus on the subject, if it moves you won’t have to refocus.
For example, you are photographing a kid running toward you. If you have selected Single AF, then you will have to adjust the focus with every movement. With Continuous AF, the camera will automatically adjust the focus for you and keep the kid crystal clear for you.
How it tracks the movement, the area size, etc will depend on your camera capabilities and area focus mode (post coming up soon I promise).
Also, it is important to mention that unlike with Single AF, there is no indication of when the camera is done focusing.
Why not use AF-C all the time you might wonder? Well, technically you can but although they work similarly, it’s exactly the same. Focusing on AF-C takes a little bit longer than with Single AF which means that it needs a little bit of extra power. This does not mean that your battery life will be reduced by half on this mode! But over a long day, you might see a slight difference.
Also, in my opinion, Single AF is a little bit more precise. But give it a go and see if you agree with me.
This is the ideal mode for subjects in motion like portraits, wildlife, and sports.
Back Button Focus
Because I like you guys so much, I’ll give you an extra tip.
So this whole post we have discussed each of the focusing modes:
Single AF for static subjects
Continuous focus mode for moving subjects
The only issue is that if you are constantly changing from one to the other it takes a little bit of time. Also if you change to Single AF because your subject became static and all of a sudden started moving again, it can become frustrating. Sooo I have a solution for you:
Back Button AF (BBAF)!
The way this works is by assigning all AF function to a button on the back of your camera, disabling the shutter release completely. This means that when you half-press it, your camera won’t focus. Once you press the BBAF the camera will lock your distance so you can recompose your scene. So this will be like using Single AF. But if your subject starts moving, all you have to do is keep the BBAF pressed and the camera will continuously adjust the focus (like AF-C).
To set it up, you’ll need to go to. the Custom setting Menu - Autofocus - AF activation and select “AF-ON Only”. This will prevent the camera from adjusting when the shutter release button is half-pressed.
If you don’t have an AF-ON button, you can always reassign the AE/AF lock button. You can always achieve the same thing by shooting fully in manual mode or using exposure compensation.
Well, I hope this all made sense but let me know in the comments if you need any help!
Happy shooting!
