Focus while shooting video on D5100

[starnesc]

I hope this is not a stupid question. When I record video on my D5100 it will not autofocus. Now I can continue to press the shutter halfway down over and over again and it will focus during video. This just creates camera shake by doing this over and over. Just seems that it should do this automatically without having to do that.

Also, can you only shoot video in Live View on this camera?

 

[Mark F]

I hope this is not a stupid question. When I record video on my D5100 it will not autofocus. Now I can continue to press the shutter halfway down over and over again and it will focus during video. This just creates camera shake by doing this over and over. Just seems that it should do this automatically without having to do that.

Also, can you only shoot video in Live View on this camera?

Best way to focus when shooting video is by using manually focus. I have seen people make some type of lever that they add to the lens to help with this process.
So far, Live view is the only way to shoot video. I have seen cameras equipped with a lcd screen loop that helps keep the camera steadier if you are not using a tripod with a fluid video head. Manual focus also eliminates AF motor noise if you are recording audio as well.

 

[WayneF]

I have seen people make some type of lever that they add to the lens to help with this process.

The lever is an art form. Proper focus is both essential and difficult in video. No one wants to watch the camera seek focus. There are even jillions of levers we can buy for this, some for amazing prices. Google Follow Focus.

The professionals scope out the scene first, and plan and know where this lever should be for every scheduled focus shift. They focus using the lever position (like the hand on a clock) instead of the camera view. They hire assistants called Focus Puller with the job to get this lever into this scheduled place while the cameraman works the camera.

Point is, it is not any easy problem.

 

[starnesc]

Best way to focus when shooting video is by using manually focus. I have seen people make some type of lever that they add to the lens to help with this process.
So far, Live view is the only way to shoot video. I have seen cameras equipped with a lcd screen loop that helps keep the camera steadier if you are not using a tripod with a fluid video head. Manual focus also eliminates AF motor noise if you are recording audio as well.

So are you all telling me that the D5100 does not autofocus without the shutter being held halfway down? Sure I could always manual focus if I wanted to.

 

[Philnz]

See page 100 in the Reference Manual. Set AF to "Full-time servo AF For moving subjects Camera focuses continuously during live view and Movie recording. so I don't know where the the other poster's are coming from.

 

[Mark F]

See page 100 in the Reference Manual. Set AF to "Full-time servo AF For moving subjects Camera focuses continuously during live view and Movie recording. so I don't know where the the other poster's are coming from.

A: if doesn't work that well
B: focus motors are really loud
C: it's better to manual focus or use a small aperture for increased depth of field


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[starnesc]

Thank you Phil for the response. I had to do some extensive looking to find the settings and now I think I have it. And Faccone, YES the motor noise is horrible on this camera or I guess it could be a lense thing. But wow, the video is almost unuseable with all of that motor noise. I will just have to use my other camera for video and make this my pictures only camera. My other camera is a Canon PowerShot S5 IS and it takes great video.

 

[Philnz]

Thank you Phil for the response. I had to do some extensive looking to find the settings and now I think I have it. And Faccone, YES the motor noise is horrible on this camera or I guess it could be a lense thing. But wow, the video is almost unuseable with all of that motor noise. I will just have to use my other camera for video and make this my pictures only camera. My other camera is a Canon PowerShot S5 IS and it takes great video.

You can turn the sound recording off. And you can also buy an external mike, if you really need sound. On the other hand if you need top Video, you can get a Video camera. (Did You Say C----n) Go wash your mouth out with soap. :glee:

 

[starnesc]

You can turn the sound recording off. And you can also buy an external mike, if you really need sound. On the other hand if you need top Video, you can get a Video camera. (Did You Say C----n) Go wash your mouth out with soap. :glee:

Oh, sorry. I forgot where I was. That camera is what I cut my teeth on and used the heck out of it. I always longed for a Nikon though, so when I started my DSLR search, I looked at nothing but Nikon. And that is how I ended up with my D5100. I love it.

 

[Philnz]

Oh, sorry. I forgot where I was. That camera is what I cut my teeth on and used the heck out of it. I always longed for a Nikon though, so when I started my DSLR search, I looked at nothing but Nikon. And that is how I ended up with my D5100. I love it.

Great to hear, I like my d5100 as well. However would like to up grade to a D7200 sad to say cost is the stumbling block. And my lovely wife she would feel she would have to go and spend the same amount on clothes or shoes or such like. Don't you love them.

 

[Vinnydude]

Starnesc, you've asked exactly what I was wanting to ask

I've just been messing with my camera and noticed it wasn't continually autofocusing. If I set it up to af-f, it will focus once, and then hold that focus point until I half press the shutter.

 

[Sandpatch]

I'm rather puzzled about this with my D5100. If I shoot video and work the shutter button, it'll auto-focus while shooting video. But, if I don't use the shutter button, it won't auto focus. Is there any way to provide continuous auto focus with video without using the shutter button? This may have been asked above, but I still don't get it. Thank you.

 

[Sandpatch]

I read the Nikon manual again and it reads that you must press the shutter button to focus with video, so it seems that there's no continuous auto-focus when shooting video.

 

[Michael J.]

The fourth clip, above, deliberately puts the new AF-F mode to the test. Here I moved the camera around, pointing it at various subjects near and far to see how the continuous autofocus coped. Give the D5100 some defined edges for its contrast-based AF system to lock-onto and it can actually do quite a good job. Sometimes the focusing searches a little, but at others it feels more confident as it locks-onto the desired subject. Indeed as the clip progresses, it's hard not to be at least a little impressed by the AF-F mode as it succeeds more than it fails.

Nikon D5100 movie mode | Cameralabs

 

[Sandpatch]

Thanks Michael -- the article does indeed state that full automatic auto focus is possible with D5100 video and that's how I recall it. I think I reset something when I was copying old 8mm film home movies with my D5100; I went to manual focus copying the movies. The switch on the lens is back to the 'A' position. I need to check the AF-F setting next. Again, thanks for confirming that the feature exists.

 

[Sandpatch]

Thanks Michael! I selected AF-A (Auto Servo AF) and all is well -- it now Auto-Focuses in video just fine. I had it set to AF-S (Single Servo AF). I'll make a written note of this in case I get confused again someday.