We’ve already covered zone focus on our channel, which is a great way to handle focusing when it comes to street photography, but now we’d like to cover the best autofocus mode for street photography: tracking focus. Though there are many ways to handle autofocus, I find tracking to be the most flexible and reliable in any given situation—a very welcome trait in street photography.
To help you find the tracking setting on (some of) your cameras, please see below…
Nikon: AF-C + 3D Tracking
Nikon provides clear instructions that work for most of their cameras. However, some models have a dedicated focus mode selection button located on the lower front left of the camera. Hold it down and turn the rear or front selection dial to get to AF-C. Then keep holding it and use the other dial to find the mode labelled ‘3D.’
Fuji: AF-C + Wide/Tracking
Fuji provides detailed instructions for accessing their tracking mode. Essentially, you have to set the focus mode to AF-C, which is done with a small switch on the lower front left corner of the camera (on most models). Then you have select wide area AF in the Auto Focus setting menu.
Sony: AF-C + Tracking Focus Area
Sony provides these instructions. Basically, you have to set the main focus mode to AF-C and then in a sub-menu you can select various tracking modes such as wide and spot.
Canon: AI Servo + Manual or Automatic AF Point Selection
Canon explains how to access tracking focus plus a whole bunch of ways you can customize it. You first have to be in AI Servo mode, which is Canon’s name for AF-C (continuous auto focus) and then you can select the exact AF point selection. There are some variations here depending on the exact Canon model you have.
