Using Auto-area AF modes

Here’s how the three Auto AF-area modes work:

• Auto-area AF: The camera can focus anywhere in the area bounded by the red focus-area brackets, one of which I labeled in Figure 4-6. Typically, the object closest to the camera is used as the focus target.

• Auto-area AF (people): This setting is the default. As with Auto-area AF, the camera may set focus anywhere within the boundaries of the red focus brackets. But before it picks a target, it scans the scene for human faces and eyes. If it finds a face or an eye, it places a yellow focus frame over that face or eye. Figure 4-7 shows the eye-detection focus frame.

  

  

  A triangle hanging off the side of the focus frame means that you can use the Multi Selector to choose a different face or eye. Press the Multi Selector in the direction you want to move the frame.

  Notice that in the scene shown in Figure 4-7, the box has just one triangle, indicating that the only other eye to choose is the eye to the right of the one that’s selected. Why only one option? Because eye detection works only when the eyes are facing the camera. If your subjects are looking down or to the side, eye detection fails. In a group portrait where everyone is facing the camera, you should be able to choose from a larger selection of eyes. The same restriction applies to the camera’s ability to detect faces – don’t be surprised if it doesn’t recognize the face of a subject you’re shooting in profile view.

• Auto-area AF (animals): This mode works just like the human face/eye detection mode, but it’s designed to detect animal faces and eyes. However, it usually works best on cats and dogs; it’s not equipped to recognize what constitutes a face or eye in all of nature’s creatures. (The detection algorithm is based on certain eye and face shapes.) Again, the feature is mostly likely to succeed when the animal is facing the camera.

Now that you have a general idea of how the Auto AF-area modes work, you need to know some additional details that apply to all three:

• When face and eye detection fails, autofocusing works as it does in regular Auto-area AF mode. Again, that typically results in focus being based on whatever is closest to the camera.

• Subject-tracking AF is available in all three Auto-area modes. This feature, designed for focusing on moving subjects, tells the camera to reposition the focus frame as necessary to keep it over your subject until you initiate autofocusing.

  You can engage this feature in two ways:

  • If you see an OK symbol like the one in 4-7, tap it or press the OK button. You see a white frame like the one shown on the left in Figure 4-8. Use the Multi Selector to position the frame over your subject and then press OK again. The frame turns yellow, as shown on the right in Figure 4-8, and the frame starts following the subject.

    

  • If you set the Touch Shutter to Touch AF or Position Focus Frame, tap the monitor to position the focus frame and start subject tracking. With this method, you completely bypass the white focus frame shown on the left in Figure 4-8; the yellow tracking frame and other symbols shown on the right in the figure appear right away. (See the first part of this chapter for more details about selecting the Touch Shutter setting.)

    It’s important to note that if you use Touch AF, focus is set on the area you first tap. But if the focus frame moves during subject tracking, focus isn’t adjusted to match the new frame position even if the Focus mode is set to AF-C (continuous autofocusing).

  Whichever approach you use, press the shutter button halfway to set focus on the object under the tracking frame. In AF-S Focus mode, the frame turns green when focus is locked. In AF-C mode, focus is adjusted to accommodate the frame movement as long as you keep the shutter button pressed halfway. Press the button the rest of the way to take the picture.

  To disengage subject tracking before taking the shot, tap the Exit box (next to the OK box) or press the Zoom Out button.

I have mixed feelings about subject tracking being tied to the Auto AF-area modes feature. Yes, it makes these modes more useful for focusing on moving subjects. But if you’re using automatic anything, you shouldn’t have to figure out what a huge OK symbol in the display means. Okay what? Okay to shoot? Okay to set focus? Okay to ask your know-it-all neighbor (no, definitely not that). Also, in other AF-area modes, described in the next section, pressing the OK button doesn’t initiate subject tracking. Instead, it moves the focus target to the center of the frame, a technique that long-time Nikon shooters have been using for years. Even if you’re not familiar with other Nikon cameras, it’s easy to forget what AF-area mode you’re in and start subject tracking when you think you’re about to position the focus frame. So my recommendation is that if you want to photograph moving subjects and need the camera to track the subject, move on to the next section and discover Dynamic-area AF mode, which offers an easier way to get the job done.

Gaining more control with other AF-area modes

In addition to the three Auto AF-area modes, you get seven advanced modes that enable you to control where the camera establishes focus. For all the advanced modes, the following rules apply:

• The first step is to position a focus frame over your subject. When you use any advanced AF-area mode, the red corner brackets that appear in the Auto AF-area modes disappear. Instead, you select the focusing area by positioning a focus frame over your subject. The frame design varies depending on the AF-area mode, but in all cases, use these techniques to position the frame:
  • Press the Multi Selector in the direction you want to move the frame.
  • Press the OK button to move the frame to the center of the display.

  • If you set the Touch Shutter to Touch AF or Position Focus Point, tap your subject on the monitor. With Touch AF, the camera places the frame and sets the initial focusing distance based on that frame. With Position Focus Point, the camera simply places the focus frame. See the section “Reviewing Touchscreen Focus Options,” at the start of this chapter, to find out how to set the Touch Shutter mode.

    In the advanced AF-area modes, tapping your subject on the monitor does not start subject tracking as it does in the Auto-area modes. That form of subject tracking isn’t available in the advanced AF-area modes; again, check out Dynamic-area AF mode, covered a few paragraphs from here, for a simpler way to track focus on a moving subject.

• Which AF-area modes are available depends on the Focus mode. One AF-area mode works only when the Focus mode is set to AF-C or AF-A; others require the Focus mode to be set to AF-S. I spell out these requirements as I go through the AF-area mode descriptions.
• Not all lenses support all AF-area modes. If the Focus mode is compatible with the AF-area mode you want to use but appears dimmed in the menus, your lens doesn’t support that mode.

Now for the details about each advanced AF-area mode:

• Pinpoint AF: Available only when you set the Focus mode to AF-S, Pinpoint AF is designed for shooting stationary subjects that require precise focusing on a small detail. The first screen in Figure 4-9 shows you the itty-bitty focus frame that appears when you use this mode.

  I show the focus frames against a blue background to make them easier to see. In real life, locating the smaller frames can be difficult if your subject is the same color as the frame. If you can’t find the frame, press the OK button to shift it to the center of the display, making the frame easier to spot. Then use the Multi Selector to move it over your subject.

• Single-point AF: This mode, available no matter what Focus mode you use, presents the slightly larger focus frame shown in the second example in Figure 4-9. It’s my go-to choice for shooting stationary subjects that don’t require Pinpoint AF.

• Wide-area AF (S): Displaying the focus frame shown in the third example in Figure 4-9, this mode is useful when you’re photographing a subject that doesn’t require the precision offered by Pinpoint or Single-point modes. For example, you might use it to focus on a statue that occupies a good portion of the scene. The larger the focus frame, the less time you have to spend pressing the Multi Selector or tapping the screen to move the frame into place.

  The S in the name refers to the fact that this wide-area focus frame is smaller than the one described next, Wide-area AF (L) — L, for large.

  

• Wide-area AF (L): Want the largest possible focus frame? Use this setting to display the frame shown on the fourth screen in the figure. It’s a good option for quickly setting focus on a large structure, such as a building. Again, because the frame is larger, you need less time to properly position it.

  If you use either of the wide-area options, keep in mind that the camera can select any focus points within the frame, so be careful that the frame doesn’t include objects in front of or behind your subject. If it does, the camera may choose to focus on those objects instead of on your subject.

• Wide-area AF (L) plus face/eye detection: You also get two modes that add the face- and eye-detection feature explained in the preceding section to the Wide-area AF (L) autofocusing scheme.

  You can choose from two Wide-Area AF (L) options:

  • Wide-area AF (L-people): You see the normal Wide-area AF focus frame, but if the camera detects human eyes within the frame, it displays a small, yellow box over one of those eyes. If the camera notices a face but can’t detect eyes, the focus box appears over the face.
  • Wide-area AF (L-animals): This mode works just like the one just described but is designed to find animal faces and eyes. As with the animal-eye detection available for the Auto-area modes, this one is geared to dogs and cats.

  A triangle on the edge of the yellow focus frame is your cue that you can move the frame over a different face or eye. Just press the Multi Selector in the direction you want to move the frame. If no faces or eyes are detected, focusing works as it does with the normal Wide-area AF (L) setting.

• Dynamic-area AF: Available only when you set the Focus mode to AF-C or AF-A, this mode is my go-to setting for photographing action. When you enable this mode, you see a focus frame that consists of nine points, as shown in Figure 4-10. Position the frame so that the center point is over your subject. The camera uses that point to set the initial focusing distance when you press the shutter button halfway. But if your subject moves away from that focus point, the camera looks to the surrounding points for focusing information and adjusts focus as needed.

  

  For continuous focus adjustment to occur, you must keep the shutter button pressed halfway. You also may need to pan (move) the camera to keep your subject under the cluster of focus points.

  Although you also can use Dynamic-area autofocusing when the Focus mode is set to AF-A, I suggest using AF-C instead. In the AF-A (auto-switch autofocusing), the camera may not detect enough motion in the frame to automatically switch from AF-S to AF-C mode.

Focusing on stationary subjects

When photographing nonmoving subjects, I usually pair AF-S Focus mode with Single-point AF-area mode. Follow these steps to try this combo:

1. Position the red Single-point focus frame over your subject.

   For example, I placed the frame over the dragon’s eye on the first screen in Figure 4-11. You can move the frame by using the Multi Selector or tapping your subject on the touchscreen.

2. Press the shutter button halfway to set focus.

   When focus is achieved, the focus frame turns green, as shown on the second screen in Figure 4-11. Focus remains locked as long as you keep the shutter button pressed halfway.

3. Press the shutter button the rest of the way to take the picture.

Here are a few variations on the theme, all using the AF-S Focus mode but using different AF-area modes:

• When shooting close-ups that require precise focus positioning, switch the AF-area mode to Pinpoint AF. As an example, in Figure 4-12, I wanted focus to be set on the front part of the orchid. With the larger, Single-point frame, the camera sometimes focused on parts of the flower behind that spot. With Pinpoint AF mode, I nailed down focus with ease.

  

• For large objects, such as the statue in Figure 4-13, using Wide-area AF (S) or Wide-area AF (L) can save time. Positioning the larger frame is faster because you don’t have to nudge it so many times with the Multi Selector or find just the right spot on the touchscreen to tap. For my sample photo, I used Wide-area AF (S) to focus on the statue.

  When using either Wide-area frame, make sure nothing is inside the frame that might draw the camera’s focusing attention away from your subject. For example, had I used Wide-area AF (L) mode, the larger frame would have included some of the background monument in the focusing target, which could have confused the autofocus system.

  

• For portraits of people or pets, try the Wide-area plus eye/face detection modes. Again, the face- and eye-detection feature provided by these settings works great if your subject is looking at the camera. But if you’re shooting a subject in profile or taking a candid shot of someone not looking directly at the lens, the face/eye detection usually doesn’t get the job done. If no faces or eyes are found, the camera operates in the normal Wide-area frame mode, which, again, can result in focus miscues if background or foreground objects are within the frame.

  Additionally, in a group portrait, the camera may not initially target the person who’s most important to the moment, and then you have to take the time to reposition the face- or eye-detection frame. Think of a group wedding photo, for example: Obviously, the most important person in the frame is usually the mother of the bride because — let’s face it — if mama ain’t happy with those photos, nobody’s happy. But the camera may lock onto the eyes of the groom instead, and there go all your hoped-for wedding album sales. (Tip: Put all the primary players in the front row of the group, and then everyone will be about the same distance from the camera and in clear-eyed focus.)

  When eye detection isn’t likely to work or the Wide-area focus frame incorporates too much of the background or foreground, use Single-point AF-area mode and position the focus frame on the preferred subject’s face or eye yourself.

Want to skip the whole task of moving the focus frame into place? When you use AF-S Focus mode, try this trick instead. First press OK to move the frame to the center of the scene. Then compose your shot initially so that the subject is under that center point. Press and hold the shutter button halfway to lock the focusing distance and then reframe to your desired composition. I use this approach most of the time when I’m handholding the camera and using AF-S Focus mode. Perhaps this is just a long-time habit, formed in the days when the only focus point available was in the center of the frame. But I find this technique faster than continually moving the focus frame when I change subjects or composition.

You may want to lock focus and exposure together before you reframe. Just press and hold the AE-L/AF-L button. Otherwise, exposure is adjusted to match the new framing, which may not work well for your subject. See Chapter 3 for more details about autoexposure lock (AE Lock).

Focusing on moving subjects

When shooting moving subjects, I usually select AF-C for the Focus mode and choose Dynamic-area for the AF-area mode, as shown in Figure 4-14.

When you enable Dynamic-area AF, you see a cluster of nine focus points. The camera refers to the center point to set the initial focusing distance, so start by positioning that point over your subject by using the Multi Selector or by tapping your subject on the monitor. Then press and hold the shutter button halfway. As long as you keep the button halfway down, the camera adjusts focus as needed if your subject moves before you press the button all the way to take the shot. If it can’t set focus based on the center point, it checks the eight surrounding points for focus information.

Spend some time practicing with this setup so that you can get a better feel for how it works before you need to take important action shots. Don’t be alarmed if you feel slight camera vibration or hear subtle sounds when you use AF-C with any AF-area mode, by the way — that’s just the autofocus motor doing its thing.

Here are some additional tips on using this autofocusing combo:

• Try to keep the subject under the center focus point to increase the odds of good focus. If the subject moves away from that point, it should still find the focus target as long as it falls under one of the other eight active points. But reframing to keep the subject under the center point gives the camera a focusing assist.

• Prevent focusing miscues with tracking lock-on. You’re shooting your girlfriend's volleyball game, practicing your action-autofocusing skills. You set the initial focus on your friend, and the camera is doing its part by adjusting focus to accommodate her pre-serve moves. Then all of a sudden some clueless interloper walks in front of the camera. Okay, it was the referee, who probably did have a right to be there, but still.

  The good news is that as long as the ref gets out of the way before the action happens, you’re probably okay. A feature called Focus Tracking with Lock-On tells the camera to ignore objects that appear temporarily in the scene after you begin focusing. Rather than reset focus on the newcomer, the camera continues focusing on the original subject.

  You can vary the length of time the camera waits before starting to refocus by way of the Focus Tracking with Lock-On option, found in the Autofocus section of the Custom Settings menu. You can choose a delay time ranging from 1 to 5 seconds; 3 seconds is the default. At the 1 second setting, called Quick on the settings screen, the camera will probably shift focus to any person or object that moves in front of your subject. I suppose it’s a good option for a nicely focused shot of a photo bomb, but those pictures are usually only funny if it’s a squirrel or some other cute animal coming into the frame.

• You can interrupt continuous autofocusing and lock focus by pressing the AE-L/AF-L button. Focus remains locked as long as you hold down the AE-L/AF-L button. Don't forget, though, that by default, pressing the AE-L/AF-L button also locks autoexposure. You can change this setup so that the button locks just one or the other; Chapter 10 explains how.

• On occasion, you may want to switch to Single-point AF-area mode when using continuous autofocusing. For example, if you're photographing a tuba player in a marching band, you want to be sure that the camera tracks focus on just that musician. With Dynamic-area AF, it’s possible that the focus may drift to another nearby band member. The difficulty with the Single-point/AF-C pairing is that you must reframe to keep your subject under the point you selected.

• For people or pets on the move, also try using AF-C with the face/eye detection versions of the Wide-area AF (L) mode, assuming that the subjects are facing the camera. For example, think of a 2-year-old child in a highchair, about to blow out the candles on a birthday cake. Using face/eye detection with continuous autofocusing makes it easier to maintain focus on the toddler’s face (or eye) instead of the cake, even as the child wriggles in the chair. You can set focus in advance by holding the shutter button halfway down and then wait until the child starts trying to blow out the candle to take the picture.

Don’t forget that any moving subject requires a fast shutter speed to capture a blur-free shot. See Chapter 3 for details on shutter speed, and check out Chapter 6 for additional action photography tips.