autofocus on camoflauged airplanes

[Carswell Dude]

Is it easier for a camera to autofocus on an airplane with a camoflauge pattern (especially the splinter variety) than it is for your basic run-of-the-mill gray Navy jet.   Was curious because I seem to have a higher number of in focus shots of these camoflauged birds than I do of others. . . I just figured there was a higher area of contrast than other planes provide. . . am I wrong?   

[Tonyz]

You are right on....the camera is (I think...) looking for that contrast, and on those flat grey surfaces....ugh.  Drives ya nuts.

[tvrphoto]

Actually, you're right.  When the F-117 came public, many photographers complained that the radar absorbant material was causing the AF systems on their cameras to malfunction.  (Yes, I'm serious!)  Obviously RAM was not the cause of the problem but rather the camera had nothing to focus on.

Remember the old Pentax and similar cameras that had the split prism focusing system?  In the center of the focusing screen was a circle split in half.  When the camera was out of focus, the image within the circle was disjointed.  As the image came into focus, the image became one within the circle.  Your camera still works on this premise although it lacks the visual cues we used to go by so many years ago.