Hi, this is my first post on the Nikon forum: I just bought a Nikon D3 Could someone tell me the camera set-up best for sports I have always shot Canon - using the back button for focus. CF 4 - 1 Push back button in to follow focus. Remove finger from button focus locks. Even on weddings, focus on group using above procedure. Look up and watch for expression. Fire normal. No need to refocus for additional shots. I would like to use the D3 this way. Tech support said no way to do this with Nikon cameras. Bob
I dont own a D3, but the D2H can do this. So why not the D3? I don't know what techsupport you were talking to...
Anyway, you need to read the manual to do the following: AF button to AF-only, focus selector on "C" for continuous. Set the priority to release priority. Hold down AF button to focus until it locks. Then you can just fire as needed.
edited: I just looking at D3 manual online. shooting menu option a1 to Release, a9 and a10 to AF lock only.
bob wrote:
Tech support said no way to do this with Nikon cameras. Bob
Tell Tech Support Bull Cr@p. Regardless of how else you set up AF simply go to Custom Settings Menu A5 and switch from the default to "AF-On only".
Now, on a Nikon, the AF-ON button will not activate VR, so if you use VR lenses you have to press the AF-ON button to focus and half-way depress the shutter button for VR. This makes sense to me and works great for me but some people find it a bit clumsy. Most Nikon shooters I know work this way so I don't know what the Tech Support moron was talking about.
+1 I use the AF-ON button as explained in my basketball thread (I use continuous mode, with the delay set to long so that if I "lock" a target I don't lose it too quickly - as a consequence, I have to press the AF-ON button more often to re-focus if I choose another point of attention - not too easy when players are moving that fast ), and fire with the shutter button. I switched VR off, I select a shutter speed of at least 1/400sec with the 70-200VR... and the results were more than acceptable...
My other recommendation is to avoid the full 3D mode for indoor sports (this has been my experience with both Tennis and Basketball, unless you are very close or use a very long lens). I used the dynamic mode with 21 or 9 points AF, this gave me more predictable results (at least for basketball), I would assume this depends on the size of the "objects" you track...
I brought back hundreds of usable pictures...
I am sometimes cursing about the D3 because it can be a complex machine, but I really love that camera...
I talked to Nikon Tech Support several time. Each time they stated could not set up like I had the Canon. I am a retired Newspaper Photographer. 38 years I covered the Red Sox - Bruins and Celtics plus college sports. We have 11 colleges in my area. All this help is great. Thanks to all. Bob
As I understand your post, you want to push a focus button that will lock the focus when you remove your finger from the button. Tech support is correct, you must keep your finger on the AF On button or keep the shutter release depressed half way.
As I understand your post, you want to push a focus button that will lock the focus when you remove your finger from the button. Tech support is correct, you must keep your finger on the AF On button or keep the shutter release depressed half way.
James,
Actually you and tech support are mistaken. If you have the camera set up so that only the AF-ON button controls focus, when you take your finger off of the button, focus is locked because pressing the shutter release button to take a picture will not make the camera refocus. This is the "lock" that we are talking about.
Actually you and tech support are mistaken. If you have the camera set up so that only the AF-ON button controls focus, when you take your finger off of the button, focus is locked because pressing the shutter release button to take a picture will not make the camera refocus. This is the "lock" that we are talking about.
JohnCote
You are right. Brain freeze. I was think about having both options operative.
Okay well Bob, I just reread your first post, strictly speaking, tech support is right, you dont lock on when you let go of the AF-on button.
On Nikons pressing the AF-ON button will engage focus, attain lock, and start tracking (if you have it on continuous servo via the little switch to the left of the lens). It will continue to focus and track as long as you press the AF-ON button. Once you let go, it will not focus nor track and will leave the focus at the last focus point. The reason I said to put it on release priority is that even if the camera thinks something is not in focus (say you focus and recompose or something along those lines) then the camera will allow you to fire, where on focus priority, it will not let you fire because nothing is focussed. So if you change the camera to the settings I suggested (AF button only does AF + release priority), and choose either the 9-point or 21-point dynamic AF, as Guy has suggested, then you should be able to attain the type of operation that you want. Apparently the new focus module tracks on colour as well...
Completely OT: Yay my habs beat the bruins the bruins did very well to get it to the 7th game, but in the end the better team won... gotta get it in coz there's TWO boston-area folks posting in this thread and fyi, I live in Toronto but I grew up in Hamilton (which is pretty anti-Toronto hah).
), and fire with the shutter button. I switched VR off, I select a shutter speed of at least 1/400sec with the 70-200VR... and the results were more than acceptable...