Re: the Canon Noctilux...

I can usually find an AF sensor where I want it with the Canon 1D mark II's 45 AF points. The 20D is tougher with just nine, so I usually pick the nearest sensor and know I'm going to crop later, or move physically to get what I want full-frame if that's possible.
I use AI-Servo (tracking) AF mode, never one-shot AF unless the subject's very stationary. If the eye's moving too fast to track by sensor or my own panning motion, I look for something in the same focus plane or don't take the shot. With patience, I can get images of people when they're relatively stationary at events and celebrations, and wildlife in the field. I wait for an interesting expression or behavior, and people at least usually move in a narrow focus plane. Sometimes they don't, and I do the best I can with manual rangefinder focusing or SLR auto-focusing. I'll use DOF to enlarge my focus range to increase my chances if that's possible.
Mostly I'm an action photographer, but sometimes with closeups like this, focus is critical: 
http://tinyurl.com/tmmq5
No focusing system is a panacea in all situations. I do what works for me, sometimes experimenting with non-critical images. Most of the time, I get the shot and please myself or a client. 

Mark Bohrer
Wildlife Photography on the Urban Edge
www.mountain-and-desert.com



At 07:25 PM 12/19/2006, you wrote:

On Dec 19, 2006, at 6:53 PM, Mark Bohrer wrote:
If I choose the right sensor for my composition and put it on the eye of the bird, human, whatever, I usually get what I want.
suppose the composition you want doesn't fit the sensor pattern, or the eye is moving around in the frame too quickly to keep a sensor on it? Canon's white paper on effective use of AF recommends manual focus for these situations. They specifically recommend against focus-lock-recompose when you have a shallow DOF.
IME a viewfinder - not just viewscreen - optimized for manual focus works best in these situations where precise focus is important, particularly when you want the focus of your composition to be where the camera's designer's didn't anticipate it. 

Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com


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