Check out The Dynamics of Photographic Lighting section of our forum.
Nikon D600 focus points
Aug 10, 2013 14:44:57 #
I have the D600 also, and after reading all this thread I see that you are going through the same learning curve I did. It took some time for me to learn the features and their relationships to what I want to accomplish in each shot. I started using the back button for focus and because most of my shots are of an action nature I use the single spot.
I read and watched everything I could find, and practiced and practiced and experimented.
I read and watched everything I could find, and practiced and practiced and experimented.
Aug 10, 2013 15:01:59 #
sumo wrote:
Shooting with a prime 50mm 1.8 lens..on auto focus... (show quote)
Okay, a couple of things here.
Lenses are made of glass as we all know. They cannot focus, under the lighting conditions you showed us, as deeply as they will in strong light at say f/10. That is known as depth of field.
I only use one focal point - at dead center. All the rest are useless... why? Because when you're using them you're allowing the camera to decide where it will focus - you're not in control. Using a single point, placing that over your subject, doing your focus, then re-framing the way you want the photo, your subject will always be in focus. Everything else in the shot can be out but your subject will be in.
Aug 10, 2013 16:01:38 #
jimmya wrote:
I only use one focal point - at dead center.
Do you use manual focus with that?
Aug 10, 2013 17:09:32 #
jerryc41 wrote:
Do you use manual focus with that?
Don't know if the D600 operates the same as my D700, but I've been using the single focus point a lot and it can be moved around to different places on the frame or focus with it and hold the shutter button half-way down to keep the focus from changing during framing (although I had once that last bit didn't work...?)
Aug 10, 2013 19:52:21 #
romanticf16
Loc: Commerce Twp, MI
sumo wrote:
i used F1.8...but when the camera is set on D39, shouldn't the focus points move around ...mine one focus point never moves...unless I move it
If you're thinking the focus point follows where you look- this is not how a Nikon works.
Aug 10, 2013 22:08:22 #
sumo wrote:
Shooting with a prime 50mm 1.8 lens..on auto focus... (show quote)
Sounds like you need to make an adjustment to your custom AF settings thru the menu settings. I think the one for "closest subject" setting is the one you need to set. Check your manual for the AF area settings. Hope this helps.
Aug 10, 2013 23:37:12 #
Here's the video that helped me make sense of the D600 focusing system. Sit down with your camera. Listen to it from beginning to end and then go through it, pausing the video and trying out all of this amazing camera's options! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML3fT74mMWU
Check out The Dynamics of Photographic Lighting section of our forum.
Aug 11, 2013 07:44:17 #
Mormorazzi wrote:
Here's the video that helped me make sense of the D600 focusing system. Sit down with your camera. Listen to it from beginning to end and then go through it, pausing the video and trying out all of this amazing camera's options! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML3fT74mMWU
Great video. It's typical of modern technology that we need 10 minutes of instruction on how to focus a camera.
By the way, is there a YouTube video that doesn't begin with "guys," or "you guys"?
Aug 11, 2013 09:55:55 #
I've lived in Texas since I was 19 but grew up in Chicago, so the "you guys" tag floated right past the "foreign phrase catcher" in my left hemisphere!
jerryc41 wrote:
Great video. It's typical of modern technology that we need 10 minutes of instruction on how to focus a camera.
By the way, is there a YouTube video that doesn't begin with "guys," or "you guys"?
By the way, is there a YouTube video that doesn't begin with "guys," or "you guys"?
Aug 13, 2013 01:51:28 #
sumo wrote:
When in AF-C, I have no active focus points except in the center regardless of what setting I have it on.... D9, to D39...my other camera the active focus points move around as I move the camera...sometime 5 or 6 or more light up....
I intentionally set my lens on 1.8 because of the depth of field... but surely with 39 active points shouldn't the bartenders been in focus and not the bottles in the rear.
I think I have a defect in my camera....
I intentionally set my lens on 1.8 because of the depth of field... but surely with 39 active points shouldn't the bartenders been in focus and not the bottles in the rear.
I think I have a defect in my camera....
How is your camera supposed to know what you want to focus on?
A lens can only focus on one plane.
I always use single point focus (AF-S, single point) and choose that plane.
Aug 13, 2013 07:15:06 #
MtnMan wrote:
How is your camera supposed to know what you want to focus on?
It goes for the closest object, which is why back button or single point are so popular.
Check out True Macro-Photography Forum section of our forum.
Aug 13, 2013 10:02:48 #
jerryc41 wrote:
It goes for the closest object, which is why back button or single point are so popular.
If so wouldn't it have selected the bartenders rather than the back bar?
As I understand it when using the autofocus selection methods Nikon built a complex algorithm based on hundreds of thousands of actual photos. It works pretty good most of the time. But not all the time as illustrated by the bar photos.
Since the camera lens can only focus on one plane I don't get all that complexity and stick to single point AF-S. I still miss sometimes with that because despite my telling it not shoot until it is happy on focus and metering the D800 sometimes fires when it isn't done focusing anyway.
Aug 13, 2013 18:23:20 #
jerryc41 wrote:
It goes for the closest object, which is why back button or single point are so popular.
What is back button focus, please?
Aug 13, 2013 19:13:45 #
On your D600, designate your AE-L AF-L button to take on the duty of focussing with your thumb, freeing up your pointer finger to snap the shot at the precise moment you want. You'll press the "back button" to establish your focus and release it if your subject is going to remain on the same plane OR hold it down until you take the shot if your subject is moving.
Go to your CUSTOM SETTING MENU (a) Autofocus. I have AF-C set to "Release," and AF-S set to "Focus."
There's a lot of online discussion about BBF.
Here are two sites that explain things well:
http://improvephotography.com/4552/back-button-focusing/
http://www.clickinmoms.com/blog/how-to-use-back-button-focusing-tutorial/
Go to your CUSTOM SETTING MENU (a) Autofocus. I have AF-C set to "Release," and AF-S set to "Focus."
There's a lot of online discussion about BBF.
Here are two sites that explain things well:
http://improvephotography.com/4552/back-button-focusing/
http://www.clickinmoms.com/blog/how-to-use-back-button-focusing-tutorial/
Mousie M wrote:
What is back button focus, please?
Aug 15, 2013 17:09:43 #
Mormorazzi wrote:
On your D600, designate your AE-L AF-L button to t... (show quote)
That is going to take some study and practice to make it second nature! Thanks, I will try it out.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.
Check out Underwater Photography Forum section of our forum.