Focus points

Nero

Nero

Senior Member
More is definitely better. Even if you don't always use any of them besides the center one there will be times where you'll need to use off-center focus points and when that happens you'll be glad to have more rather than less.
 
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Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
xlDeMoNiClx said:
More is definitely better. Even if you don't always use any of them besides the center one there will be times where you'll need to use off-center focus points and when that happens you'll be glad to have more rather than less.
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I agree with this totally. 90% of the time I only shoot with single point focus but I do move the point around all over the screen
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
*confused look*

Are some of you equating SHOOTING with a single point with HAVING only one focus point? Because that seems dubious to me... I may choose to shoot with a single focus point, but having 51 focus points means I have a plethora of choices as to where, exactly, I'm focusing. I don't see a downside to this. And yes, while I can focus and recompose, trying that at f/1.4 can result in soft focus.

Personally, I'll take more choices over fewer choices every time.
 
wev

wev

Senior Member
Contributor
It depends a lot on what you typically shot. If I have multi points set and find a a nice bird in a leafy shrub, I can guarantee the camera will focus everywhere but on the bird. And even if the bird was one of the points, I could never gauge and select (if I even remembered how) before it danced off. I only use single point, but move it as needs be.
 
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WayneF

Senior Member
There are two definitions of multiple focus points, and it's not always clear who's discussing what.

Nikon offers Single Point focus, where we see one focus point and we can move it to one of several multiple locations in the frame, center, or far left, wherever, but it remains one single point at wherever we put it. It is for stationary objects. We put the focus where we want it. Some of the cameras give us choices of how many points or places where we can move that single point, like 11 or 51 places (finer or coarser positioning), but it's still Single Point focusing, at the one place of our own choice.

Or there is a Dynamic Area AF choice, offering several to many focus points available, and the system automation chooses some one or a few of them, on something where it chooses it wants to focus. This is for moving subjects, to help follow them. I'd say fast moving, mild movement is no problem with Single Point. It is not in our control, except it does sort of favor the general central area of the frame. IMO, for when you don't much care where...

I don't do much motion chasing, and I really can't imagine not using Single Point focus. I want it to be where I put it.. like on the near eye, or wherever, but my choice. I do move it around in some cases. More often I will lock it with half press in the center, and then shift the camera to frame it different.
 
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Moab Man

Senior Member
More is better, but most important is the cross type. I shoot sports and the more cross types available is always better for maintaining focus with high speed action and it allows for a bigger focus area.

So more is better but more cross type is more better :)
 
D

Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
Moab Man said:
More is better, but most important is the cross type. I shoot sports and the more cross types available is always better for maintaining focus with high speed action and it allows for a bigger focus area.

So more is better but more cross type is more better :)
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That is why I like my D750. 51 focus points with the 15 in the 3 center rows being cross-type sensors. You are right that more is better so we can move around where we want the one we are using. I do change over to more points when shooting BIF but even that can get confusing if there are a lot of birds flying around.
 
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DJWPhotos

New member
Hi Wayne,
I feel pretty stupid after using my 2 D700's for several years now, and always on single point focus, I have just purchased a D810, and for the life of me I can not set it to single point focus.
I think I am losing it, but can you steer me in the right direction for setting my focus to single? Thank you :)
 
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WayneF

Senior Member
DJWPhotos said:
Hi Wayne,
I feel pretty stupid after using my 2 D700's for several years now, and always on single point focus, I have just purchased a D810, and for the life of me I can not set it to single point focus.
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The new models solved the problem of the AF-C and AF-S switch being changed accidentally. Now we Hold the button there while adjusting it.

I have a D800 instead of D810, but see D810 manual, pages 91 and 92. Page 91 says to Hold the AF button (shown there, below the lens release button), and while holding, rotate the front wheel to see the display choices shown there, and interpreted on page 92.

The A8 menu selects the number of possible choices selected with the select buttons when unlocked.
It is still single point, but one of many possible points in the finder (fine vs coarse positioning).
 
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