How to Use Autofocus on the Canon C100 MKII

The Canon C100 Mark 2 was one of the first Canon cameras to really demonstrate the potential of their Dual-Pixel Autofocus. If you need amazing face-tracking and single-push autofocus on a budget, look no further.

1 - CHOOSE THE RIGHT LENS

Luckily for you, The C100 Mark II (and the Mark I, for that matter) are pretty much lens-agnostic. As long as it has an AF motor in it, the camera will try to make it work.

It should be noted, however, that only a few select lenses are capable of face-tracking. And those lenses are:
EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM
EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STM
EF-S 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 IS STM
EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS STM
EF-S 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 IS STM

2 - CONTINUOUS OR ONE-SHOT AUTOFOCUS?

In the AF menu, you have two different options: Continuous and One-Shot. In One-Shot, the Autofocus is inactive until you force it to act, while Continuous AF is always active unless you lock it (more on that later). 

3 - ACTIVATING ONE-SHOT

Deploying One-Shot Autofocus is as simple as pressing the little button on the front of the camera, right below the lens. The C100 will snap to focus whatever object is inside the white box in the center of the image. It’s really that simple.

4 - USING CONTINOUS AUTOFOCUS

Continuous Autofocus can be a blessing and a curse. The C100 Mark II will focus on whatever is within the box in the center of the image - nothing more, nothing less. If your subject is there, it will work miracles. If they drift to one side though, you may find yourself looking at a perfectly sharp wall.  

5- USING CONTINUOUS AUTOFOCUS WELL

One clever trick is to assign the “focus lock” option to a button that is easily reachable for you, wherever that may be. When your subject is centered in the frame the camera will focus on them, and when they aren’t, you simply hold the focus lock button to keep the camera from hunting for focus. 

Deployed tactically, this can be a great way to reign in the worst impulses of the C100’s autofocus system. But don’t take my word for it - try this all out for yourself, and see which mode works for you!

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