Toggle focus
Jun 5, 2013 22:43:53 #
I recently read an article about toggle focus. Can someone please explain what and how? I get the gist of the idea, but have searched the Internet and really have not found a good explanation of the process. I have a Nikon 7000 and take, I think, good pictures, but sometimes the focas point is not what I wanted. Please help, and explain in language that is understandable to newbies. Thanks, Linda
Jun 5, 2013 22:52:42 #
Skeezit wrote:
I recently read an article about toggle focus. Can someone please explain what and how? I get the gist of the idea, but have searched the Internet and really have not found a good explanation of the process. I have a Nikon 7000 and take, I think, good pictures, but sometimes the focas point is not what I wanted. Please help, and explain in language that is understandable to newbies. Thanks, Linda
I did a quick search, and it seems to cover a couple of different things in photography and something in post processing. From what I gathered, it refers to switching from one focus point to another in the viewfinder, so at you can focus on one subject or another in your viewfinder.
Let's see if anyone can explain it better.
Jun 5, 2013 22:54:13 #
I got that from what I read, but really can't find what it means. It has something to do with back focus??
Jun 5, 2013 22:59:51 #
Skeezit wrote:
I got that from what I read, but really can't find what it means. It has something to do with back focus??
You can select which focus point is the active one and put that on your subject. Regardless how you have the scene composed, anything in the viewfinder can be designated as the subject for focusing purposes. Your manual will tell you how to do this. What kind/model of camera do you have? I'm sure someone here is familiar with it.
Jun 5, 2013 23:03:22 #
Nikon D7000. I'm completely confused about focus toggle.
Jun 5, 2013 23:06:56 #
From what I have heard, if you focus on the eyes, and back off the lens for a say, shot including shoulders, there is some way to adjust focus on the back of the camera to keep the eyes focused, but everything else sharp too. Does this make sense?
Jun 6, 2013 07:15:40 #
Skeezit wrote:
From what I have heard, if you focus on the eyes, and back off the lens for a say, shot including shoulders, there is some way to adjust focus on the back of the camera to keep the eyes focused, but everything else sharp too. Does this make sense?
It sounds like you're talking about back button focus. Instead of using the shutter button to focus, you set your camera to use the AE-L/AF-L button. I tried it and went back to the shutter button, but some people swear by it.
Or maybe, you're talking about holding down the shutter button after you compose the shot to maintain focus and exposure.
Let's see if someone else jumps in here.
Jun 6, 2013 07:26:57 #
Skeezit wrote:
Nikon D7000. I'm completely confused about focus toggle.
Toggle Focus means changing the focus points that the camera uses to focus. Rather than have the camera decide where to focus, you move the little focus points you see in the viewfinder. See the directions from your manual below, and try that.
Jun 6, 2013 07:28:25 #
CurreyPhoto
Loc: Reddick, Florida
Skeezit wrote:
I recently read an article about toggle focus. Can someone please explain what and how? I get the gist of the idea, but have searched the Internet and really have not found a good explanation of the process. I have a Nikon 7000 and take, I think, good pictures, but sometimes the focas point is not what I wanted. Please help, and explain in language that is understandable to newbies. Thanks, Linda
It is obvious from the replies that no one has ever heard of toggle focus, me included. Maybe a reference where we could read the article would help to enlighten us all.
Jun 6, 2013 07:32:52 #
CurreyPhoto wrote:
It is obvious from the replies that no one has ever heard of toggle focus, me included. Maybe a reference where we could read the article would help to enlighten us all.
"Toggling focus is just choosing one single focus point among however many you have and putting it on your subject or point of focus, rather than always using only the center FP and then recomposing.
Focus and recompose can often result in missed focus as the distance from the camera sensor and middle FP can change when recomposing. By toggling, you choose the FP closest to where you want it to be in your ultimate composition.
For instance, if you want your point of focus to be the upper 1/3 on a ROT composition, choose the FP that is nearest to the upper 1/3. That would be toggling. The alternative is to use the center FP, lock focus, then recompose to the 1/3 composition, but knowing that your DOF may change slightly and you may miss focus that way.
If you are manually selecting any of your FPs and not always using the center one, you are already toggling."---http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/mb.asp?cmd=display&thread_id=3118209
http://www.becoming-mom.net/2010/01/13/photography-basics-lets-talk-focus/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTgM-bEc3Kg
http://www.ehow.com/how_8220676_toggle-focus-points.html
Jun 6, 2013 07:36:28 #
This is a good example of the "no stupid question" rule. I had never heard of toggle focus before Skeezit used the term, but I see it's no more than choosing which focus point the camera uses. Live and learn. It's not even 8:00 AM, and I've learned something already.
Jun 6, 2013 07:41:02 #
CurreyPhoto
Loc: Reddick, Florida
jerryc41 wrote:
"Toggling focus is just choosing one single f... (show quote)
I found the eHow article that you site above. All this is a very complicated way of saying that you should frame your picture the way you want to, then select one of the camera's focus points that is over the subject and shoot.
Jun 6, 2013 09:02:15 #
CurreyPhoto wrote:
I found the eHow article that you site above. All this is a very complicated way of saying that you should frame your picture the way you want to, then select one of the camera's focus points that is over the subject and shoot.
As you soon find out, there is no lack of over-complication in photography. The simplest solution is usually the worst. :D
Jun 6, 2013 09:24:36 #
Nice research, Jerry. I'd never heard it called focus toggling before either. Simply put, just "toggling" between the focus points. Skeezit may have been further confused by some references to back button focusing (using the button on the back of the camera to choose focus points) and back focus (being focused behind the subject). I think I'll just stick with using the center focus point then recomposing, the way we did before digital.
Jun 6, 2013 09:26:29 #
OddJobber wrote:
I think I'll just stick with using the center focus point then recomposing, the way we did before digital.
Good idea.
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