What Is AF On A Camera: Things You Need To Know

If you’re new to photography, you might have heard established photographers using the abbreviation AF.

With time you will also become aware of such words and abbreviations, but for now, you must know that AF is short for AutoFocus.

Usually, you will find AF written on cameras or lenses next to a switch. This indicates that with the switch you can either switch on or switch off autofocus or AF.

What exactly is AF on a Camera?

For most photographers, autofocus is a useful feature wherein the camera automatically focusses on the main subject of the photograph. This ensures that the subject is captured in a sharp and clear picture.

How does Autofocus work?

The working of autofocus is pretty simple. When you point the camera towards the subject you wish to capture, the camera detects the subject.

Then, the sensors of the camera send this information to the lens. Once the lens receives the information, its electric motor adjusts the lens’ focal distance to capture the subject in the photograph.

Earlier, there used to be more cameras with Active AF.

Active AF makes use of a red beam to determine the distance between the camera and the subject. Active AF is best used for stationary subjects.

Any subject that is in motion cannot be captured using Active AF.

Also, the maximum distance between the camera and the subject may only be about 15 to 20 feet, depending on the lens being used.

The most popular cameras using Active AF are Nikon and Canon.

Then there is Passive AF

Passive AF relies on the camera’s sensory abilities. Cameras with such mechanics work on contrast detection. This simply means that the camera looks for sharpness in the subject.

If the subject you are trying to capture lacks contrast, you will often see your camera focusing in and out to detect the same.

Is Autofocus apt all the time?

This is quite a subjective topic. Not all photographers swear by autofocus.

After all, it is an automatic feature only. And like many automatic features, this one also is not completely reliable. Autofocus can sometimes focus on another object rather than what you want to focus on.

Then, in lieu of focusing on a subject that lacks contrast, you might end up with a blurry picture.

This happens because autofocus keeps on trying to capture sharpness, and in failing to do it, it keeps on focusing in and out.

The end result is a blurred photograph. However, all cameras come with an option to switch off the AF system.

Manual AF – The Best Option (IMO)

As ironic as it may sound, cameras also come with a manual focus option.

Here, you can select from the autofocus points detected by the camera. If you have a DSLR with a touch-screen, you will know what we are talking about.

All you need to do is pick the point where you want to focus.

As technology advances, photography also gets its share of benefits. In some of the latest cameras, you can also take advantage of multiple autofocus.

This means that instead of selecting one, you can select multiple points of focus. This reduces the chances of getting your focus wrong drastically!

Having multiple or a group of focal points also has other benefits.

This comes handy, particularly in active or non-stationary subjects. Whether it is sports, animals, or even humans.

They are hardly still, and if you have multiple AF option in your camera, there is no way you can get a shot wrong.

Which one to choose?

If you are someone who prefers to shoot still things, such as landscape or portraits, then having a basic AF camera is good enough for you.

If only you have an eye and interest in moving subjects, then you must go for an advanced AF system camera.

Photography is an art in itself.

So, one needs to have the right equipment before jumping into the field although it’s now ALL about the equipment. Having the right knowledge is equally important.

Once you have the perfect blend of the two, curate your best photographs for your portfolio. Autofocus is just one of the aspects of photography, this field is huge.

It takes a lot of time and effort to get to create epic pictures. All you have to do is continually shoot. keep shooting. It’s all about the process!