sweet spot on focusing

[jethro]

does anyone know if dynamic focus control is the best setup for sport?

comments would be appreciated

[Matt. K]

This is something you have to try for yourself and make up your own mind....some say yes and some say no. Be aware that this mode will take a pic even if focus is not locked, and that may be a good thing or a bad thing depending upon the situation. In single focus mode the camera will not fire until focus is locked...and this might cost you a front page pic.


By the way...the term "sweet spot" refers to a combination of camera to subject distance and f/stop where some lenses deliver a magical combination of sharpness, wrap-around and boke. It can take years to find this magical spot on any given lens...but when you find it, get someone to weld the lens up so that it can't be altered and exploit the hell out it. On a Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 it's around 3 metres at f/5.6.

[jethro]

thanks matt. sometimes my 70-200vr freaks out and after repeated half presses still sometimes focuses rear or left or right. got me stumped! guess ill keep trying.

[birddog114]

And it's difference on each type of camera.

[Nikkofan]

thanks matt. sometimes my 70-200vr freaks out and after repeated half presses still sometimes focuses rear or left or right. got me stumped! guess ill keep trying.

I seem to have this problem also, but with all the lenses I use. It's got me stumped too! When it happens, I try to take the photo and all I get is the lens focusing back & forth until it finally focuses rear/left/right, but not on the intended subject. I have to get around it by focussing first on something completely irrelevant at a different focal distance and then again on the subject. It's completely frustrating, especially when I want to take a quick shot.

I've met another D70 user with the same situation and now you've said you've got it too, Jethro. Is this a known problem with the D70?

By the way, Birddog, thanks for the lens!! I was a happy little Nikkofan yesterday, shooting the afternoon away with my new (1.8 50mm) lens!

[Matt. K]

I find that when my lens starts to act oddly and refuses to focus it's because the center focus square in the viewfinder has accidently been changed to an extreme left or right square. The active focus point is red. I also find that single auto focus is best most of the time. Sometimes, though, you have to find an area of high contrast on your image to lock the focus on. This is common in poor light situations. Just getting to kmow your camera can take awhile but is worth the effort.

[samester]

In single focus mode the camera will not fire until focus is locked...and this might cost you a front page pic.

yep, i agree - i don't use single focus because the shutter mightn't fire at the critical moment (ie when u want it to).

[Matt. K]

samester
I did say this could be a good or bad thing...It depends on what you are using your camera for. There are times when I want the focus to be locked before I take a pic and there are times when I might change to Continuous focus mode. If I'm doing macro or portraits then it's single mode. If I'm doing a surfer then it's continuous.