What is the best AF mode for wildlife photography?

When it comes to photographing fast-moving and unpredictable wildlife, having the right autofocus (AF) mode on your camera can make all the difference in capturing sharp, well-composed images. There are several AF modes that are well-suited for wildlife photography, each with their own advantages and disadvantages depending on the situation. Choosing the right one requires understanding both your camera’s capabilities and the behavior of your subject.

Single Point AF

Single point AF is when you select a single AF point within the viewfinder that will be used for focusing. This mode gives you pinpoint control over exactly where in the frame you want to focus. It is ideal for composition-critical shots where you want to focus on the eye of a portrait subject, or when you want to track a subject that is isolated against a clean background. The downside is that since there is only one AF point, if the subject moves outside of the selected point’s coverage area, the camera can lose focus.

Dynamic Area AF

Dynamic area AF gives the camera some leeway to use AF points surrounding the one you selected to maintain focus on a moving subject. This mode can vary across camera models in how many points it uses – some may only use points in a small cluster around the selected point, while more advanced implementations allow a wider area of points to be used. Dynamic area AF is very useful for maintaining focus on subjects that are moving somewhat predictably, like an animal walking across a field. The wider tracking area prevents loss of focus as easily as single point AF. The downside is that with more AF points in play, there is a higher chance of foreground objects inadvertently being focused on instead of the intended subject.

Automatic AF Point Selection

In this mode, all of the camera’s AF points are active, and the camera handles selecting which ones to use for focusing automatically. This can be advantageous for subjects that move very unpredictably, like birds in flight, or when photographing many moving subjects at once, like a herd of running wildebeest. You do not have to worry about manually keeping an AF point over the subject. The downside is that you lose control over exactly what the camera focuses on, which may result in incorrect focus on the foreground or background. The camera has no inherent knowledge of your intended subject, only its algorithm for what constitutes a focusable target.

AI Servo AF (Canon) / Continuous AF (Nikon)

AI Servo AF and Continuous AF are essentially automatic AF point selection modes that are specifically tuned for focusing on moving subjects. As their names imply, the camera continuously adjusts focus to track whatever is under the active AF points. This is ideal for erratic motion that would be impossible to manually keep a single AF point over. That said, since there are no user-selected starting AF points, the camera may still incorrectly lock onto the background initially before recognizing the actual subject you want to track.

Configuring Custom AF Modes

Many DSLR and mirrorless cameras allow you to customize the AF mode to get the advantages of both auto AF point selection and user-selected AF points. For example, you may configure the camera to use your manually selected initial AF point to lock focus on your chosen subject, but enable surrounding points to aid in tracking if the subject moves away from the selected point. This gives the reliability of single point AF for initial focus acquisition but the flexibility of dynamic area AF for maintaining focus on moving subjects. The optimal custom AF settings will depend on your camera model and shooting situation.

Best Practices

When photographing moving wildlife, start by using single point AF to lock focus on your subject, selecting an AF point over the animal’s eye whenever possible. Once focus is acquired, consider switching to a dynamic tracking mode if the subject is moving across your frame, readjusting your AF point placement as needed. For more erratic motion like birds in flight, an automatic AF area mode performs better. Always try to give your camera’s AF system the best chance of success by using AF points with high precision when available, and keeping your AF points over higher contrast areas of your subject instead of blurry extremities.

Choosing an AF Mode

Here are some recommendations on which AF modes perform best for certain types of wildlife photography:

Keep in mind that while recommendations like these provide a starting point, you will need to experiment to determine the optimal AF settings for your particular camera gear and the unique attributes of the subjects you are shooting. Be ready to change AF modes quickly as the movements of your subjects dictate.

Other AF Settings to Consider

In addition to the AF area mode, there are other camera settings that have an impact on autofocus performance for wildlife photography:

Focus Tracking Sensitivity

Many cameras allow you to configure how quickly the AF system responds when tracking moving subjects. A lower sensitivity focuses more deliberately, ideal for wildlife that moves at steady speeds. Faster settings react quicker to changes in subject movement, better suited for erratic motion.

AF Activation

Choose whether you want focus to begin tracking immediately when you half-press the shutter button, or only after the button is fully pressed. Immediate activation can help get focus started quicker on fleeing subjects, but risks losing focus due to intervening objects before you fully commit to the shot.

AF Priority Selection

This determines if shutter release is prioritized over focus acquisition or vice versa. Shooting with focus priority means you won’t be able to take the shot until correct focus is obtained, reducing the number of misfocused images. Shooting speed priority runs the risk of taking photos without good focus but increases your chances of capturing the “decisive moment”.

Focus Limiter

Limiting the focus range can speed up AF performance when you know approximately how far your subject will be. This is useful for situations like shooting from a vehicle, hides, or blinds where the distance is constrained.

Lens Calibration

Proper autofocus requires lenses and camera bodies to be calibrated to the same focus plane. AF inconsistencies can sometimes arise after long term use and abuse of gear. Re-calibration or microadjustment can improve accuracy if regular autofocus fine tuning is needed.

Manual Focus

While autofocus is typically preferred for moving wildlife, there are some cases where manual focus is recommended instead. This includes static subjects like crocodiles basking on shore, venomous snakes that shouldn’t be startled, or any dangerous game where remaining a safe distance is required. Manual focus may also be the fallback when AF fails in tricky situations like shooting through dense foliage and the subject has low contrast against the background. Use the camera’s digital magnification Live View function when possible to confirm sharp focus on the eye.

Focus and Recompose

A common technique for off-center compositions is to first focus using the center AF point aimed directly at the subject. Then, with focus locked, you recompose the shot to your desired framing and take the picture. This can be effective with sedentary wildlife, but recomposing too much can jeopardize focus, especially at wider apertures. Always review your images and magnify the focus area to confirm desired sharpness was maintained.

Conclusion

Photographing wildlife requires an AF system that can keep pace with often fast and erratic motion. Automatic, dynamic AF modes that utilize multiple points are generally the best approach, but understanding your camera’s capabilities and intelligently leveraging single point AF is also important. Manual focus retains its place for more predictable wildlife behavior. At the end of the day, practice is required in the field to learn how your camera’s AF responds to different subjects so you can capture wildlife in sharp focus.

Wildlife photography AF need not be intimidating. Start with the recommended settings here, but don’t be afraid to experiment with the advanced autofocus options offered by your camera. The ability to track focus on moving subjects is one of the major advantages of DSLR and mirrorless systems over smartphone cameras. Mastering these AF modes will give you the best chance of coming home with stunning wildlife images that do justice to your unique encounters in nature.

Some additional tips for photographing moving wildlife include:

• Prefocus on where you anticipate the subject will be rather than trying to focus on it once it starts moving.
• With off-center compositions, position the subject nearer to an AF point to minimize recomposing needed.
• Try back-button autofocus for easier tracking of erratic motion.
• Shoot in short bursts to increase the chance of capturing the peak action moment.
• Practice panning technique to track the subject with a fluid motion.
• Learn to instinctively change AF modes without taking your eye from the viewfinder.
• For extremely fast motion like hummingbirds, leveraging automatic focus trapping in designated zones can help increase keepers.

Wildlife photography requires patience, practice and fast instincts with your camera controls and settings. Mastering autofocus technique is just one piece of the puzzle, but it is one of the most important to allow you to reliably capture these fleeting moments in nature.

Some final tips for choosing the best AF mode for wildlife photography:

• Get to know your camera’s AF system and customize settings when possible for ideal wildlife subject tracking.
• Use Single-point AF to start focus on your subject’s eye, then switch to a tracking mode like AI Servo to maintain focus.
• For birds in flight, try modes like Automatic AF point selection or equivalent to let the camera track focus.
• Practice and find which modes work for you in different scenarios with erratic motion or obstructed subjects.
• Enable back-button focus for easier activation and tracking of moving wildlife.
• Shoot in continuous high-speed burst modes to capture peak action moments.
• Manual focus can be a fallback if AF fails in challenging situations.
• Proper camera-lens calibration is important for consistent AF performance.

The go-to AF modes like single-point and AI Servo / Continuous can get the job done in many cases. But taking the time to really learn your AF system pays dividends when trying to photograph evasive or dangerous wildlife. Practice, get to know your gear’s capabilities, and customize the various settings to optimize for your typical shooting situations. With experience, you can learn to trust your AF to capture every breathtaking wildlife encounter.