Photo-a-day

[htid]

If I am not mistaken, on most cameras on the normal focus setting doing that would just lock the focus to the post. So focusing on the post then moving to your subject would still have focus on the post.

There are other focus methods that adjust the focus as you move your camera, but if you couldn't focus on the bird in the first place, then this would be of no use.

As far as I'm aware (and from experience of this camera and my previous) holding the shutter halfway autofocus and continually updates as you move the view. To lock view to the post I'd need to hold AE-L/AF-L or am I totally wrong about all of this?

[g8ina]

There should be a switch for single focus, or continuous focus... there is on the D70 & D200 and can see no reason why there wouldnt be on the newer jobs.

[htid]

There should be a switch for single focus, or continuous focus... there is on the D70 & D200 and can see no reason why there wouldnt be on the newer jobs.

You mean AF-S/AF-A/AF-C? I just keep it on AF-A.

[kalniel]

As far as I'm aware (and from experience of this camera and my previous) holding the shutter halfway autofocus and continually updates as you move the view. To lock view to the post I'd need to hold AE-L/AF-L or am I totally wrong about all of this?

AF-A makes the camera chose between AF-S (single) or AF-C (continuous), based on whether it thinks the subject is moving. Which would be a decision I wouldn't leave to the camera!

AF-S is the normal one, - half press and hold will lock focus, making the AE-L/AF-L button lock exposure, rather than focus.

AF-C will continuously adjust focus as long as you hold the shutter halfway. AE-L/AF-L will still lock exposure, not focus.

You can set the camera to do the opposite however - lock exposure on half press, and lock focus on AE-L/AF-L press.

Or you can probable set it to pre-focus on AF-L press etc. Any combination imaginable is possible on my Oly!

For this subject AF-S is what you'd want, and a simple half-press to lock while you then move the composition, as the bird is likely going to be in the same focal plane as the post. AF-C is dangerous, because when you move the camera it might try and lock onto the background instead. Nikon's tracking is probably good enough to prevent it doing that, and there maybe more options you can set related to this (I can tell mine to ignore sudden changes in depth when in AF-C).

AE-L comes into it's own when the brightness of the scene is very different, which it might be if you were photographing the bird against the sky - pointing down at the post and possibly into shadow would overexpose the sky, so with the default set up you could point at the final composition first, hold AE-L, then move and point at the focal point, half-press the shutter, then move back and take the shot. The point of changing the options with buttons and priorities is to reduce some of this moving around if needed!

Or you could just use a different focus point so that you don't have to move anything or press/half press buttons, just take the focus from the post

[g8ina]

wot kal sed

AF-S ftw unless its a rapidly moving target.

[htid]

Thing is, with birds, they can and invariably will fly off at any second, and you need to be ready to catch them in flight too so AF-S kind of becomes unuseful there.

[redddraggon]

AF-C with backbutton focusing FTW

[kalniel]

Thing is, with birds, they can and invariably will fly off at any second, and you need to be ready to catch them in flight too so AF-S kind of becomes unuseful there.

Is there a function button or something you can assign for that? I normally shoot AF-S but have a function button next to it that I've set to reset the camera into my 'action' mode, including AF-C, for as long as I hold the button. The idea being that no matter what I'm currently shooting, if something suddenly flies overhead or whatever I can just hold down the button and track/take a few snaps, before letting go and reverting back to my previous shooting settings. Not so useful when I'm doing landscape on an ultra-wide, granted

AF-C with lock button set to AF-L would also work, as mentioned above.

[roorooroo]

Roo tell your brother its a great shot of the Moon - all these shots makes me want a telescope

hehe..i'll tell him his moon shot was appreciated :O)

btw, he has a Canon 550d and 6 inch reflector telescope..he's been into astrophotography for many years now.


Really like the kingfisher sequence..i've only ever seen one..and that was a fleeting glance so really well done.

[TheAnimus]

Were abouts near London were you seeing such a loverly Kingfisher?

[htid]

Were abouts near London were you seeing such a loverly Kingfisher?

RSPB Rye Meads at Rye House, its only 20 mins out of seven sisters (or 35 from liverpool street) and free entry. They have a kingfisher hide where they are currently scoping out a nesting site. I've heard there have been kingfishers seen at WWT in Barnes too but nowhere near as often.

[Bobster]

Dan from The Longest Day

[crazy]

Me likey

Thanks Rob

Shot quite a few photos yesterday, here are two:

[g8ina]

and a good weekends shooting here with the D70iR, I really love the Brixworth one -



and this is Moreton Corbett chuch, cross just outside the grounds -



I managed to get 8 reasonable (IMHO) shots from 5 days shooting , that's 1 in 60 !

[roorooroo]

Great atmospheric photos David, particularly the top one.

Roo

[g8ina]

One more :