How to lock AF point on a NIKON D5100

minooo · Apr 9, 2012

I have a Nikon D5100 and it doesn't seam to exist a menu or switch to lock the AF point, so I keep changing it accidentally with my palm while holding the camera.
So, is there any other firmware or any kind of trick to lock the AF point on the center position?
In action photography this AF issue is very dangerous and iritating.

BlairWright · Apr 9, 2012

I'm not a huge fan of Ken Rockwell but some of his how to guides are worth reading: Nikon D5100 Autofocus Settings

KmH · Apr 9, 2012

Nikon calls such a feature a 'Focus Selection Lock' and from looking at the D5100 user's manual, it appears the D5100 doesn't have that feature. On other Nikon DSLR's it is a switch on the back of the camera.

brian_f2.8 · Apr 9, 2012

its annoying to lock the af. if we are talking about the same thing, the focus point constantly moves around and you find your self hitting the ok to center the focus point over n over. the d5100 is good for some things and others, it makes you wanna ask nikon what did i ever do to you.

MTVision · Apr 9, 2012

minooo said:
I have a Nikon D5100 and it doesn't seam to exist a menu or switch to lock the AF point, so I keep changing it accidentally with my palm while holding the camera.
So, is there any other firmware or any kind of trick to lock the AF point on the center position?
In action photography this AF issue is very dangerous and iritating.

Do you have a really tight grip on the camera? If your a man - you probably have bigger hands then mine but I was just playing around with the camera to see how this would happen. It's never happened to me but i probably shoot differently. To change my focus points on "accident" with the palm of my hand i would have to be squeezing the camera pretty tightly.

Using back button focus might help this issue. Instead of focusing with a half press of the shutter button you'd use the button on the back of the camera (ae-l/af-l button). You'd us your thumb to focus and your index finger to hit the shutter to take the picture. Doing it this way might take some of the pressure of the back of the camera so your aren't accidentally changing your focal points.

pisicel · Apr 28, 2012

I also move unwilingly the buttons. Mostly when holding camera with one hand.
I see in Ken Rockwell tutorial that there is an AF Area Mode selection, so the camera will auto select AF point.
It would be a solution. But my battery just died. I am waiting for it to charge anxiously.

jriepe · Apr 28, 2012

pisicel said:
I also move unwilingly the buttons. Mostly when holding camera with one hand.
I see in Ken Rockwell tutorial that there is an AF Area Mode selection, so the camera will auto select AF point.
It would be a solution. But my battery just died. I am waiting for it to charge anxiously.

I wouldn't recommend the AF Area Mode because the camera will focus on whatever it feels it should which could be something or someone closer to the camera or possibly a high contrast object. The camera is making the decision instead of the user.

Jerry

SCraig · Apr 28, 2012

First thing I do with a new body (except my now-retired D60) is figure out how to lock the focus point in the center. I'll never understand why Nikon omitted that on the D5100. As far as I know there is no way to do it.

pisicel · May 3, 2012

I tried the Auto AF Area shooting my girlfriend in the park with a 70-300. Bad choice. The AF point goes on whatever it likes, fences, trees, other things near the subject intended...
So auto AF point is useless. It would've been a good thing to choose it by face priority, but I think that is possible only in video mode, or live view, I don't know exactly.