Newbie to DSLR (Not Photo or Video Creation): How to Have AutoFocus on In (All?) Mode

Soniclight

Senior Member
My first posting here and the subject line is pretty self-explanatory. Although...
When I say "All" Modes, that's probably not possible or accurate.

Let's say "most". Auto, Program, Manual, and such.


Due to my experience in digital still and video editing, I can take a dull still or frame and do magic with it. Almost 50 years ago, I started on a 35 mm Minolta. Have used a camcorder for the last 10 years (consumer grade Canon HV30) and did quite well...

.... with autofocus on.

While I will be taking stills with my new 5500, it's really the 60p video that was one of the main factors why I got it. I want to be able to pan and zoom with some depth of field without having to hit the "focus" box on the LCD screen or fiddle manually (not a viewfinder kind of guy anymore).

So if anyone can tell me:

a) if this request or wish is possible, and
b) if so, where in the Menu to go to set it

Thanks.

~ PSK
 
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Soniclight

Senior Member
Due to that most do not use DSLRs for taking video, perhaps no-one can answer this. I've thus submitted the question to Nikon Support. Hopefully that will result in a solution. I also mis-wrote the modes in OP. It should have been:

By "modes" I mean, P, S, A, M. (Programed auto, Shutter Priority auto, Aperture priority auto, Manual).

Unless someone with experience in the 5000 series does have an answer for this kind of "global" autofocus setting in one or more of said modes, no response necessary.

Thank you.

--
"Art is the contemplation of the world in a state of grace." ~ Hermann Hesse
 

Blade Canyon

Senior Member
I try shooting video with my Nikon DSLRs and am very disappointed that the auto focus is not continuous the same as dedicated video cameras are. The only solution I know is to half-press the shutter button while shooting, which will make the camera re-acquire focus. Unfortunately, you get some focus hunting before it locks, and that ruins smooth video.

There are a lot of good videos on Youtube about using DSLRs for video, but those guys just use manual focus or focus pullers, with their shots and focus points planned in advance.

When I got my D800 I was excited about using it for high quality video because D800s had been used for video on the television show "Dexter." (Not in the show, I mean parts of the actual show were recorded on D800s.) Lack of continuous auto-focus killed the idea of using it for anything. The other night I had to video my wife's orchestra, and I used a small Sony video camera instead of the better image DSLR. For that reason.
 

Soniclight

Senior Member
@Blade Canyon - Thanks for in-depth reply, albeit a bummer in terms of what you described. Maybe I should have gotten a 1180p camcorder... On my fixed retired/disabled budget of only SSA/SSI income, not an option. Unless I try to sell the D5500, but as that goes, one tends to lose out financially even if one finds a buyer. It's basically never really been used since I bought it around Christmas and it's been in the closet for most of the time.

As I stated in my last post, I submitted a support query to Nikon, maybe... they'll have some workaround. But it sounds you're quite experienced and will probably get a similar response to yours.

To be seen what I will do...
 

Blade Canyon

Senior Member
I forgot to add that the noise of the autofocus is picked up on the camera mike. To help stop that, I bought an expensive RODE hotshoe-mounted microphone. It's better, but you can still hear the auto-focus motors. Go search for DSLR video focusing and you will find many articles, tips, and tricks.

One other trick that DSLR video shooters employ is the use of "Cine-lenses." These are lenses made especially for shooting video on DSLRs. They allow quiet "clickless" change of aperture during shooting and quiet focus adjustments.
 

RobV

Senior Member
Yes, it was the focus noise that I noticed the most on the few videos I have shot with my 5300. I would imagine the only way around that is to isolate an external mic from the camera body.

And I had forgotten about cine-lenses. Probably not fixed-budget-friendly.
 

Soniclight

Senior Member
That kind of lens sounds expensive. Not in my financial zip code.

As to audio, the type of videos I make are usually scored by me (music man dude) and are of the artsy dreamy type. So I strip out the audio track. Meaning I don't do weddings, sports, family events, etc. that require audio of the footage.

If I need to do a voice-over, I do it directly via mic in either my Vegas Pro NLE or Steinberg Cubase audio production prog via my small Beringer mixer.

Anyway, once I get the hang of this camera a bit more, it's going to be... experiment, experiment, experiment. Hopefully it won't be nightmare to get the focus right, or I'll have to plan out what I do more carefully.

Or if I hit brick wall, sell and buy a camcorder.
One day at a time...
 

Soniclight

Senior Member
UPDATE (as per response from Nikon Support):

As @Blade Canyon stated, there really is only one solution - and it's not a "global one". Here is the response I got:

Hello Mr. --------,

Thank you for contacting Nikon. Because the video option was a function added to the cameras, you will have to use the shutter button to autofocus the same way you focus for shooting still images. There is no setting in the camera to always autofocus during video. You will have to press the shutter half way to do so. You may hear the focusing motor during the recording but that is normal. This can be decreased by using an external microphone that is compatible with your camera.

Best Regards,

------ -------
So this means I hope I can have enough finger coordination during a video shoot to keep things in focus. But how am I going to do this if on-tripod? Maybe come up with some gizmo to hold that button down halfway. I'm a DIY type of person, but this one may be tricky.. Maybe I'll even ask Nikon if they have anything like that (doubt it).

As to motor noise being picked up by internal mike, as stated to Blade Canyon, not an issue due to that I strip out audio tracks in my NLE/video editing software.. I can use the same external mike in terms of recording voice by plugging it into the D5500.

So, time to put this thread to rest unless I come up with some ingenious way to keep that button pushed down half-way on a tripod...

Thanks for input. Over and out.

~ PSK
 
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Blade Canyon

Senior Member
You can also assign autofocusing to the auto exposure autofocus lock button (AE-L/AF-L)on the top back of your camera. With that location it might be easy enough to get a clamp to hold the button down for continuous Focus. You assign the auto Focus to that button in your settings menu.
 

Soniclight

Senior Member
@Blade Canyon - Good idea! Thanks. As to the clamp thing, hopefully I can make something like that. Tend to be inventive...

Thanks again. NRN.
__________

(BTW on a total aside: as a motorcycle rider and one who lives near canyons north west of L.A., the vernacular for my type of bike (racing/street) is "blade" (or in 70s-80s speak, "rice burners) - and there are a lot of rider who are termed "canyon carvers." And my particular type of bike is also referred to as a "blade." Maybe you are a rider, or not. Though in that case you'd be "Canyon Blade" - lol.

Pics below show my bike - and oldie but a goody. Slight over-saturation in pics what you see is what you get. Incl. the DIY stuff described in the almost 3/4-ish perspective one with "thought bubble".

Last two pics are during the "under construction" phase of the signal light casing I build out of extruded aluminum for the truck/trailer lights turned front signals. Freakin' almost brighter than my head lights, so swept slightly back.

Since I built this stuff, should be able to come up with some autofocus clamp thingy...)

CBR-7-11-NOV-2016-1000.jpg

CBR RESEDA-50.jpg

CBR AMBER FRONT LIGHTS-FRONT.jpg
CBR AMBER FRONT BACK.jpg
 

Soniclight

Senior Member
Ah, so my intuition or deduction was right - lol.
VFR, a real classic too.

That's a very nice model. And to continue this OT subject...

Speaking of white rims, here is the "beauty shot" of when the F2 with my striping came out - also white rims. Which I think really look cool and have been tempted to duplicate (take wheels off and paint that way). But the "gets dirty way too fast" factor has stalled that.

I have a bike because my only income is Social Security and its SSI disability income, so I can't afford a car - or am too nervous to get one due to how much repairs can cost. I can do minor, non-engine related stuff on my own for the bike, and even a valve job or carb cleaning cost far less than auto repair stuff. Hence the trunk was not built for aesthetic reason, it make my bike a mini-mini pickup.

It was born of two thrift-store Samsonite suitcase I took apart, walker aluminum rods, electrical conduit pipes (diagonal support on the outside and along the frame -- the latter can't be seen from outside). Then internal "upholstery" from light black welcome mats from Home Depot...

While I've changed the middle "stripe" to white now for more night visibility and added subtle metal stripes, this helmet was white when I bought it. And as stated in text everything that is not black is night reflective too. (Is there a a pattern going on here? - lol)

The front mod ambers are high intensity LED, but unlike the ones I installed in the back, the are not sequential. These have five arrows that in this product pic go from left to right. So I built an aluminum bracket for the two, flipped the other around, to mirror direction. Right arrows cycle to the right, left to the left. (Highlighted in pic below using black opacity around the rest of the pic).

As you pointed out, visibility is crucial for a rider. And again, all these mods may look cool, but their main purpose is "Notice me, and don't slam into me or see me coming..."
______________

OK, OK.... 'nuf of this totally OT stuff. To quote Jim Carey from the Mask movie, "Somebody, Please STOP ME!" So I'll stop.

HONDA CBR F2 - AD IMAGE.jpg

HELMET ONLY.jpg

SEQUENTIALS - JUST INSTALLED-photoshopped.jpg

SEQ-TRUCK-LIGHTS.jpg
 
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