50 Things Photographers Need to Know About Focus

6. FOCUS MODE

THERE ARE THREE Autofocus (AF) Modes that a camera may offer for focusing on a subject: Single, Continuous, and Auto. In Single AF Mode the camera adjusts the focus of the lens until the subject is in focus, then stops. In Continuous AF Mode, the camera adjusts focus until a subject is found and then continues to adjust focus as the subject moves toward or away from the camera. The Auto AF Mode is where the camera chooses either the Single or Continuous AF Mode and will switch back and forth if necessary. The camera analyzes the available information and chooses what it determines as the most appropriate mode.

Single AF Mode

When ...