Nikon people... how do you focus?

[ocular]

You can always dl the manual of the nikon site.

 

[shaunly]

use AF/AE lock. Point at where you want to focus, lock it, then you can move it anywhere you like and the focus should still be on where you originally pointed at.

If you have it on AF-S, pressing the shutter button half way down should lock your AF/AE. If not then you can set it to, in the setup menu.

 

[lvcrtrs]

D90 manual
Page 171 - Tells you how to get to the Custom Settings
Page 173 - Explains the Autofocus area Modes (In all but AUTO you can pick your focus point)
Page 197 - Tells you about the options for the function button (very handy)

 

[itznfb]

1.Click menu on the camera.
2.Scroll down to custom settings.
3.Select Auto Focus.
4.Select a1.
4.Select Dynamic Area.

Now you can use the arrow pad to select the AF point that you want.

Also if when selecting the points if you want the point when you go all the way to the right to go over to the left side follow these instructions.

1.Custom Settings
2.Autofocus
3.a5
4.Select wrap
5.You're all done!

Just read my post and it is step by step on how to do everything.

actually this is exactly what you should not do. dynamic area af mode should only be used if you're using full auto. which is never. dynamic area af will try to pick out faces and most obvious subjects just like a point and shoot. it does not allow for manually composing a scene. it will also pick multiple points of focus and take away your ability to control dof

 

[Jay M]

1.Click menu on the camera.
2.Scroll down to custom settings.
3.Select Auto Focus.
4.Select a1.
4.Select Dynamic Area.

Thanks, that is exactly what I want to do! My portraits will improve tenfold

~Jay

 

[TJ K]

1.Click menu on the camera.
2.Scroll down to custom settings.
3.Select Auto Focus.
4.Select a1.
4.Select Dynamic Area.

Now you can use the arrow pad to select the AF point that you want.

Also if when selecting the points if you want the point when you go all the way to the right to go over to the left side follow these instructions.

1.Custom Settings
2.Autofocus
3.a5
4.Select wrap
5.You're all done!

Just read my post and it is step by step on how to do everything.

actually this is exactly what you should not do. dynamic area af mode should only be used if you're using full auto. which is never. dynamic area af will try to pick out faces and most obvious subjects just like a point and shoot. it does not allow for manually composing a scene. it will also pick multiple points of focus and take away your ability to control dof

Actually it depends on what you're shooting and auto area would be exactly what you should "not" do.

 

[itznfb]

you're both completely misunderstanding what dynamic area mode auto focus does. and there is no such thing as auto area so i don't even know what you're referring to.

dynamic area is the worst setting especially for portraits.

for portraits... as i've already said, you use the single point focus and use the dpad to select the correct focus point. that is how it's designed to work.

yes, you can accomplish any single task many ways... but doing it correctly the way the hardware was intended to be used will save a lot of headache. and give you better, more consistent results

 

[Jay M]

you're both completely misunderstanding what dynamic area mode auto focus does. and there is no such thing as auto area so i don't even know what you're referring to.

dynamic area is the worst setting especially for portraits.

for portraits... as i've already said, you use the single point focus and use the dpad to select the correct focus point. that is how it's designed to work.

yes, you can accomplish any single task many ways... but doing it correctly the way the hardware was intended to be used will save a lot of headache. and give you better, more consistent results

The above step by step accomplishes exactly what you are describing.

The auto area he is talking about is where the camera tries to guess which focus point to use, and usually guess wrong.

~Jay

 

[itznfb]

you're both completely misunderstanding what dynamic area mode auto focus does. and there is no such thing as auto area so i don't even know what you're referring to.

dynamic area is the worst setting especially for portraits.

for portraits... as i've already said, you use the single point focus and use the dpad to select the correct focus point. that is how it's designed to work.

yes, you can accomplish any single task many ways... but doing it correctly the way the hardware was intended to be used will save a lot of headache. and give you better, more consistent results

The above step by step accomplishes exactly what you are describing.

The auto area he is talking about is where the camera tries to guess which focus point to use, and usually guess wrong.

~Jay

which, according to the manual and the menu on the D90 is called Dynamic Area

Dynamic Area is not the same thing as Single Point. not even close.

 

[Jay M]

What exactly is single point? How is it different than dynamic?

~Jay

 

[TJ K]

you're both completely misunderstanding what dynamic area mode auto focus does. and there is no such thing as auto area so i don't even know what you're referring to.

dynamic area is the worst setting especially for portraits.

for portraits... as i've already said, you use the single point focus and use the dpad to select the correct focus point. that is how it's designed to work.

yes, you can accomplish any single task many ways... but doing it correctly the way the hardware was intended to be used will save a lot of headache. and give you better, more consistent results

The above step by step accomplishes exactly what you are describing.

The auto area he is talking about is where the camera tries to guess which focus point to use, and usually guess wrong.

~Jay

which, according to the manual and the menu on the D90 is called Dynamic Area

Dynamic Area is not the same thing as Single Point. not even close.

Do you own a d90?? Instead of looking at the manual look at the menu in the camera go to a1 and look at the settings there is
1.single point
2.dynamic area
3.auto-area
4.3-d tracking (11 point)
Dynamic is a single point that you can pick.

 

[TJ K]

What exactly is single point? How is it different than dynamic?

~Jay

When you go to the menu and go to a1 and you can select either type of focus press the button on the right side of the camera with the question mark (third from bottom) and it will explain what each one does. GL:thumbup:

 

[Jay M]

Now this is where I need help, which situations would I need the different settings?

Here are a few scenarios I can see myself in:

1. Subject is still and I can can put a focus point their eyeball.
2. Subject is still but the shot is composed in such a way that their eyeball is in between two points.
3. Subject is moving and I can have a point on them.
4. Subject is moving in a wide composition and they move between points.

I'm sure I've left out a few.

what settings should I use for each of those scenarios?

thanks,
~Jay

 

[PhotoXopher]

Single Point: Focus stays on that point, nothing else.

Dynamic: Primary focus is on the point you choose, but if the subject leaves that area it will try and stay focused based on the information from the surrounding focal points.

So yes, they are similar and yes you select which point in each to use but they are different.

 

[itznfb]

The above step by step accomplishes exactly what you are describing.

The auto area he is talking about is where the camera tries to guess which focus point to use, and usually guess wrong.

~Jay

which, according to the manual and the menu on the D90 is called Dynamic Area

Dynamic Area is not the same thing as Single Point. not even close.

Do you own a d90?? Instead of looking at the manual look at the menu in the camera go to a1 and look at the settings there is
1.single point
2.dynamic area
3.auto-area
4.3-d tracking (11 point)
Dynamic is a single point that you can pick.

yes i own one. and no, when i go to a1 it definitely does not say anything close to auto-area.
Single Point
Dynamic area
Custom area
3D-tracking (11 points)

Single Point: Focus stays on that point, nothing else.

Dynamic: Primary focus is on the point you choose, but if the subject leaves that area it will try and stay focused based on the information from the surrounding focal points.

So yes, they are similar and yes you select which point in each to use but they are different.

Single Point will illuminate only the focus point you've selected, dynamic area will use up to 4 points at the same time and try to focus on multiple subjects whether in the foreground or background eliminating dof control and it will ignore you use of the dpad, custom area will illuminate all the focus points and bold the one you select with the dpad, 3d tracking will follow a moving subject but will not ignore the use of the dpad.