Practicing For Warbler and Songbird Photography

Honing your hand-to-eye coordination with respect to this type of photography pays off.  Note that the center focusing point is used because it has the fastest ability to automatically adjust focus.

Interesting! 

Good job! But you should have posted some photos too.

Kyle. Good idea on posting photos with teaching videos.

Where does any manufacturer state that the center focus point is fastest?

Additionally, if you want to practice acquiring focus in this manner, perhaps back-button focus would be a suitable technique to learn and apply.

I think it´s more about knowing your camera´s AF system, for example the Nikon D850´s 153 point system has 99 cross sensors up to F:8 and 15 @ F:8 +. I use the centre focusing area at some focal lengths on zooms where corner sharpness falls off rapidly. I´m with Kyle on posting some image examples along with the vid as you have many excellent shots

My advice for the center focusing point is based on trial and error with my Canon EOS 1D Mark 2, years ago. It was much slower the further away from the center focusing point.

I am replying to this because I won't let people think that what you implying - that I do not know what I am doing - stand. I base my advice on 20+ years of intensive in-the-field experience with abundant opportunity right outside my door. But people might need the word of the manufacturer. I just got off the phone with a Canon Rep. He confirmed that the center focus point is fastest at gaining focus and maintaining it, and the further you move the focusing point away from the center the slower the performance. We discussed back button focusing. With respect to songbird photography it would only offer an advantage if the songbird perches in one place for a while and maintains its relative position to the lens. In that case a photographer could lock focus on the subject and quickly recompose and fire the shutter. Warblers (the topic of my video) constantly move, even when they are perched in one spot so the chances of getting a sharp image while locking focusing and recomposing are very small. When I get a warbler that stays in place and a better composition would result if it were placed to one side of the frame I move the focusing point so continuous automatic focus it maintained.

Paul-Rossi wrote: I am replying to this because I won't let people think that what you implying - that I do not know what I am doing - stand.

I'm implying no such thing.

There's more than one way to skin a cat, and if you're going to discuss technique, I think it's worthwhile to mention alternatives (back-button focus) as well as support assertions that, on the surface, seem... "odd". Especially when it's the first I've ever heard of it.

Your Canon product may suffer from performance degradation when using non-center focus points. I will assert that my Nikon product does not (based on admittedly less experience, but a hundred thousand shots, give or take). So I'm simply suggesting that claiming that one thing is better, without specificity and basis, might be misleading. Thoroughness and clarity are Good Things, don't you think? Which you added here. Thank you for that. Very useful and interesting information.

Now I want to contact Nikon to inquire about this performance question.

Nice!

"We discussed back button focusing. With respect to songbird photography it would only offer an advantage if the songbird perches in one place for a while and maintains its relative position to the lens. In that case a photographer could lock focus on the subject and quickly recompose and fire the shutter. Warblers (the topic of my video) constantly move, even when they are perched in one spot so the chances of getting a sharp image while locking focusing and recomposing are very small. When I get a warbler that stays in place and a better composition would result if it were placed to one side of the frame I move the focusing point so continuous automatic focus it maintained"

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With respect the back button focus technique will maintain absolute focus on small warblers actively flitting about on branches because AF-C is selected. The focus will only lock on the subject when you take your finger off the AF-ON back button allowing you to recompose if needed - something that is impossible with the shutter button configured to AF-C. With the D5 / D500 and the D850 you can also designate the joystick to act as a secondary back button giving you the option of having single point AF-C on the main back button plus an additional 25 points or more configured to the joystick. A good example would be using the single focus point on the eye of a bird, if the bird suddenly takes flight you can at the touch of a button switch to a larger number of AF points for better coverage. Some people are infinitely more comfortable using the BB technique because of this advantage conversely some are happy to remain with the shutter button alone. I think it´s important when presenting workshops that knowledge of different techniques with differing camera systems can be demonstrated.. I captured all my flying dragonflies with the BBF technique on AF-C and they are very small and lightning fast..

GJ-Vernon. Good points and I have considered them. When allowed to recompose, as you suggested, the small warbler almost always changes its relative position to the lens - at least in my experience every year since 1997. So for me its better to move the focusing point, if I see the appropriate behavior, such as a bird constantly singing from one perch. Keep in mind that as it sings it will almost always change its relative position to the lens, so continuous auto-focus must be maintained. I have my camera configured so I can switch the focusing point quickly and switch to a larger number of AF points quickly, and that is useful for a perched hawk that I anticipate taking flight. I must have AE lock at that point in case it flies through an area with a much different background.

Speechless. 

Learning!