Help focusing on object - baby photos

Hey gang....we just had our little girl last Tuesday...she has been awesome. I've been taking tons of pics, but have problems sometimes getting camera to focus on her eyes. I've got it in AF-S,...any tips yall can suggest so that I can have more control when taking shots of her. I'm using my 50 mm and 35mm lenses.

Assuming you're not using "Auto" setting you should be able to push the focus point so that it's spot on your baby's eyes. After doing that are you still not getting the level of focus you were expecting? Also, I wouldn't use AF-S on anything that is moving, be it you holding the camera or your baby, I would use AF-C so that small little changes are taken into account. I might be wrong but the only time I use AF-S is when I'm using a tripod and the object I'm shooting is not moving at all.

One of the things I noticed is that you were using f/2, and a low ISO. f/2 will give you a very shallow Depth of Field making it harder to get a good focus point. You put this in the D7000 forum so I assume that's what you have. the D7000 can handle really high ISO values, allowing you to increase your f number which will give you sharper photos.
Experiment... Try ISO 400 or 800 (try 1600 if you have to) and bump up to f/8. Then work up or down from there. Your baby's going to be there for quite some time so no rush.

Oh yea... Beautiful little girl

As Mike said, bump up the ISO to 800 for non-flash shots, you'll get more shutter speed. For flash shots, turn red-eye reduction off, it creates a slight delay between focus and exposure.

Dave_W said:

Assuming you're not using "Auto" setting you should be able to push the focus point so that it's spot on your baby's eyes. After doing that are you still not getting the level of focus you were expecting? Also, I wouldn't use AF-S on anything that is moving, be it you holding the camera or your baby, I would use AF-C so that small little changes are taken into account. I might be wrong but the only time I use AF-S is when I'm using a tripod and the object I'm shooting is not moving at all.

Click to expand...

No, you're not wrong, Dave. You're right on the money. AF-C would be the way to go.

Thanks for all the info guys....this camera is big leap from my old D40X, and I'm trying to learn more on the manual modes, etc. I'm gonna try to bump up the ISO and fstop and try some more shots tomorrow. I got it in AF-c and single focus mode so I can pick where to focus.

Hey guys thanks again for the tips....I tried it with Mike's tips today and I think it came out a little better.

One more picture of our girl

Definitely the d7000 can handle high ISO! I shoot my 50mm at 2500 ISO no problem!

Set lens wide open on manual...focus on the eyes...then stop down...learn the DOF provided by each stop...then go from there...that is control over the what is in focus. When you are really good and the subject is right you can get the wide open ones. Use the lowest ISO appropriate to the setting and look at how different white balances work with different poses and angles and lighting etc.

Hang on Eye-level. Don't all Nikkor lenses focus wide open regardless of the aperture you have chosen and only stop to the selected aperture the moment the photo is taken. Seems an unnecessary step whilst shooting...

No.

"Control, control, you must learn control!" Yoda

*it depends on what kind of Nikkors and bodies we are talking about*

Just try it swift you'll see...

Guess you are talking about G series lenses, which I only have two of. Thinking D series behave like the "old lenses". Correct?

You are mostly right about the lenses focusing wide open regardless of the aperture selected. I think this began with the Ai lenses. As you say most Nikkors are "auto aperture" lenses that is they allow metering and viewing and focusing at the len's maximum aperture then it stops down to the working aperture while the snap is being made.

But not all Nikkors do this! Just the ones that everyone has...LOL Now if you have non Ai stuff like me you must open wide to focus!

Mine are all AIS lenses. They sure stop down. D's do too. Have one G series one but presume that does the same..