Nikon D7000 manual Autofocus Mode and Priority, Automatic-Area AF

148 David Busch’s Nikon D7000 Guide to Digital SLR Photography

Automatic-Area AF

In this mode, autofocus point selection is out of your hands; the D7000 performs the task for you using its own intelligence. If you are using a type G or D lens, the camera can even work with the supplied distance information to distinguish humans from their background, so a person standing at the side of the frame will be detected and used to evaluate focus, while the camera ignores the background area in the frame.

The D7000 tends to keep the active focus point somewhat of a mystery (although it will be displayed during picture review if you’ve activated that option). In AF-S mode, the active focus point is highlighted in the viewfinder for about one second after focus is achieved. In AF-C mode, the active focus point is not shown.

Autofocus Mode and Priority

Choosing the right autofocus mode (AF-S, AF-C, or Manual) is another key to focus- ing success. To save battery power, your D7000 doesn’t start to focus the lens until you partially depress the shutter release or press the AE-L/AF-L button on the back of the camera or on the MB-D11 battery pack/grip (unless you’ve reprogrammed the button for some other function or have specified another control to activate autofocus, as described in Chapter 9). But, autofocus isn’t some mindless beast out there snapping your pictures in and out of focus with no feedback from you after you press that but- ton. There are several settings you can modify that return at least a modicum of con- trol to you. Your first decision should be whether you set the D7000 to AF-S, AF-C, or Manual.

You can set any of the three modes, with the AF mode switch in the AF position, hold down the center button of the focus mode selector switch on the front of the camera (under the lens release button, and seen in Figure 5.11) and rotate the main command dial. The selected AF mode will appear in the viewfinder briefly as you make your selec- tion, and on top of the camera in the monochrome LCD panel. It will also be shown on the back-panel LCD when the shooting settings screen is active.

Autofocus Mode

This choice determines when your D7000 starts to autofocus, and what it does when focus is achieved. Automatic focus is not something that happens all the time when your camera is turned on. To save battery power, your D7000 generally doesn’t start to focus the lens until you partially depress the shutter release. (You can also use the AE/AL Lock button to start autofocus, as described in Chapter 9.)