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Archive 2016 · Question about rear AF button options

  
 
graham_martin
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Question about rear AF button options


Yesterday I ran into a situation where the rear AF-ON button on my D3s stopped focusing. I have since learned that I mistakenly had changed the a9 control from AF-ON to AF-lock only. Once I changed it back to AF-ON, the button focused the way it should have. My understanding is that in AF-C mode, focus will be maintained so long as you keep the AF-ON button depressed and so long as your subject is still in the frame. When I look at the manual, it says that pressing the AF-ON (a9) initiates auto-focus while AF-lock only locks in the auto focus. As soon as I change the setting to AF-Lock on, the AF button stops working. This seems counter intuitive.

What am I missing here?



Sep 11, 2016 at 07:43 PM
Norm Shapiro
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Question about rear AF button options


With AF-ON turned on and pressed once the lens remains focused at that point regardless of what your subject does, at least on my D300s and V3 bodies. With 3D focus tracking turned on, on my D300s bodies, and holding the AF-ON button down the focus will follow the subject.


Sep 11, 2016 at 10:28 PM
graham_martin
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Question about rear AF button options


It is the same way with my D3s cameras as well. What I am trying to figure out is what is different about the AF-Lock On setting. What does it do that is different to the AF-ON setting?


Sep 11, 2016 at 10:32 PM
Steve Perry
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Question about rear AF button options


The AF Lock setting is designed to be used with shutter release AF on Continuous AF. The idea is that you can use your shutter release in Continuous AF and then press the AF-L (or the AF-On button is that's how it's assigned) to lock in the focus at a certain distance.

For example, let's say you're on continuous AF and are taking a photo of a static subject. Let's say you put your AF point on the eye and then need to recompose. In this case, the camera would refocus as soon as you recomposed since it's on continuous AF. Whatever ended up under the active AF point would now have focus.

With AF Lock, you would focus on the eye, hold in the AF-L button, recompose, and shoot.

Hope that makes sense



Sep 12, 2016 at 08:02 AM
graham_martin
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Question about rear AF button options


Steve Perry wrote:
The AF Lock setting is designed to be used with shutter release AF on Continuous AF. The idea is that you can use your shutter release in Continuous AF and then press the AF-L (or the AF-On button is that's how it's assigned) to lock in the focus at a certain distance.

For example, let's say you're on continuous AF and are taking a photo of a static subject. Let's say you put your AF point on the eye and then need to recompose. In this case, the camera would refocus as soon as you recomposed since it's on
...Show more

What you are saying makes sense, but why would choosing AF-Lock Only in the a9 control cause the AF-ON button to no longer focus. I have tried it on two different D3s bodies, and the same thing happens each time. When I choose AF-ON in a9, the camera focuses when I press the rear AF button (i.e. the green dot lights up), but when I select lock only in a9, the camera does not focus and the green focus dot does not come on.



Sep 12, 2016 at 08:41 AM
Steve Perry
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Question about rear AF button options


graham_martin wrote:
What you are saying makes sense, but why would choosing AF-Lock Only in the a9 control cause the AF-ON button to no longer focus. I have tried it on two different D3s bodies, and the same thing happens each time. When I choose AF-ON in a9, the camera focuses when I press the rear AF button (i.e. the green dot lights up), but when I select lock only in a9, the camera does not focus and the green focus dot does not come on.


I no longer have a D3 so I can't say 100% for sure, however, I think when you select "AF Lock Only" you're reassigning the function and turning the AF-On button into an AF-L button.



Sep 12, 2016 at 08:58 AM
graham_martin
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Question about rear AF button options





I no longer have a D3 so I can't say 100% for sure, however, I think when you select "AF Lock Only" you're reassigning the function and turning the AF-On button into an AF-L button.


It then appears that if one assigns lock only in a9 that one must then change the shutter release button to Release and Focus (a1 and a2).




Sep 12, 2016 at 09:11 AM
Steve Perry
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Question about rear AF button options




It then appears that if one assigns lock only in a9 that one must then change the shutter release button to Release and Focus (a1 and a2).



I looked it up - it seems like you need to assign AF via custom function a5 to Shutter AF-On if you're using the AF-On button as AF-L.

For a1 / a2, it should be some form of "release" in a1 and should be "focus" in a2.

(I think - it's tough without the camera in front of me to verify, but if what I looked up is correct, the info above should be )



Sep 12, 2016 at 10:23 AM
graham_martin
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Question about rear AF button options




I looked it up - it seems like you need to assign AF via custom function a5 to Shutter AF-On if you're using the AF-On button as AF-L.

For a1 / a2, it should be some form of "release" in a1 and should be "focus" in a2.

(I think - it's tough without the camera in front of me to verify, but if what I looked up is correct, the info above should be )


I would have thought that the settings for a1 and a2 would be the same since a1 is for AF-C and a2 is for AF-S, but you may be right. I haven't tried that combo yet. Since the goal is to be able to focus and recompose, it seems as though there are two ways to do this.

The first is to assign as follows:



  1. a1: AF-C Release
  2. a5: AF-ON only
  3. a9: AF-ON


The second option to achieve the same result is as follows:



  1. a1: AF-C Release
  2. a5: Shutter/AF-ON
  3. a9) AF lock only


The main difference is that in the first option you acquire focus by pressing the rear AF-ON button, recompose and then press the shutter. In the second you acquire focus by half depressing the shutter button first, press the rear AF-ON button, recompose and then fully press the shutter. Since, I have got in the habit of pressing the rear AF button first, I am going to stick with option 1.



Sep 12, 2016 at 10:46 AM
Elisha82
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Question about rear AF button options


I still don't get why AF-L is needed with back button AF in AF-C. Wouldn't letting go of the AF-ON button lock the focus? As long as it is pressed, it's tracking focus, the second you let it go, it should stay put and focus locked as long as the shutter button is decoupled from AF duties!
Am I missing something?



Sep 12, 2016 at 11:28 AM
graham_martin
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Question about rear AF button options


Elisha82 wrote:
I still don't get why AF-L is needed with back button AF in AF-C. Wouldn't letting go of the AF-ON button lock the focus? As long as it is pressed, it's tracking focus, the second you let it go, it should stay put and focus locked as long as the shutter button is decoupled from AF duties!
Am I missing something?


I agree with you 100%. I use the AF-ON button in exactly the same way you describe it. I just learned that doing it the other way accomplishes the same thing. The AF-ON button seems more intuitive than the other way.




Sep 12, 2016 at 11:31 AM
Elisha82
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Question about rear AF button options


I've been using this with success for many years. I always assign my shutter button to AE-L so that it's only locking exposure at half press and releasing the shutter at full press.

graham_martin wrote:
I agree with you 100%. I use the AF-ON button in exactly the same way you describe it. I just learned that doing it the other way accomplishes the same thing. The AF-ON button seems more intuitive than the other way.





Sep 12, 2016 at 11:34 AM
Steve Perry
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Question about rear AF button options


Elisha82 wrote:
I still don't get why AF-L is needed with back button AF in AF-C. Wouldn't letting go of the AF-ON button lock the focus? As long as it is pressed, it's tracking focus, the second you let it go, it should stay put and focus locked as long as the shutter button is decoupled from AF duties!
Am I missing something?


It's not - and normal back button AF works exactly as you describe. However, when you set the AF-On button for AF-L instead, it no longer functions as an AF button and you have to use shutter release AF.



Sep 12, 2016 at 01:58 PM
Steve Perry
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Question about rear AF button options




I would have thought that the settings for a1 and a2 would be the same since a1 is for AF-C and a2 is for AF-S, but you may be right. I haven't tried that combo yet. Since the goal is to be able to focus and recompose, it seems as though there are two ways to do this.

The first is to assign as follows:


  1. a1: AF-C Release
  2. a5: AF-ON only
  3. a9: AF-ON


The second option to achieve the same result is as follows:


  1. a1: AF-C Release
  2. a5: Shutter/AF-ON
  3. a9) AF lock only


The main difference is that in the first option you acquire focus by pressing the rear
...Show more

Yup

I use option #1 as well



Sep 12, 2016 at 01:59 PM





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