5 replies to this topic

[bugblatterbeast]

Hello,

 

sometimes I would really love to have an adjustable minimum distance for the autofocus to target on.

 

I like it, when some flowers or trees are unfocused in the front of the picture. When I take a picture of a castle or a mountain that is perfectly still, while the leafs in the foreground are swaying in the wind, the z50 seems to pick up the movement and focuses on it. Most of the time it's manageable by selecting the focus on the touch screen, which I don't like very much because it somehow doesn't fit in my workflow.

 

Recently I took a bus ride through a beautiful landscape and had some problems to take pictures because my z50 often focused on the window pane. It wasn't a sightseeing tour but a normal public bus ride and I didn't had any time for adjustments. It would have been so great if I just could have told the camera, to never focus on anything that's closer than five meters.

 

Kind regards

[Jerry_]

Hello,

The problem with automatic modes is that they try to meet best for an average situation, but will work poorly in specific situations like taking a capture while being seated inside a bus.

While the feature of setting a minimum distance for autofocussing exists for some *lenses*, those are typically the heavy beasts; the aim to offer it here is for faster autofocussing by limiting the distance range in which they should scan.

To my knowledge no such feature exists on the cameras, though I am familiar with the Nikon DSLRs, but not the mirrorless Z series.

What you will typically do, if you want to use full automatic mode, is to set the zone (f.i. the center) where you want the capture to be in focus, rather than it being able to select any element in your field of view. I seem to remember that however the Z series do not offer the same features here than the DSLRs, but have read that the « Wide Area-Large » will search within a given subframe area (to be confirmed and detailed by another user that is familiar with the Z series)

Alternately, f.i. for your bus ride, you might have set focussing on close to infinite and disabled (re-)focussing. It wlould not have been perfect, so likely have had little extra impact, compared to a slightly dirty window.

But best is to swith to a manual mode where you decide where the capture should be in focus.

[Merco_61]

No setting for minimum focus distance, even in the mirrorless bodies.

What lens do you have?

The less than stellar AF in the Z50 has some bad habits compared to the FX bodies.

With the Z50 I used to have and the Zfc I have, switching focus peaking on permanently and overriding the wrong focus manually when it happens is usually enough.

[bugblatterbeast]

Thank you both very much for the replies.

 

 

What lens do you have?

I just have the Kit lens "NIKKOR Z DX 18–140 mm 1:3,5–6,3 VR". It was on sale and I wanted something light, that can be used as a single "all-purpose" lens when I'm traveling.

 

 

 

But best is to swith to a manual mode where you decide where the capture should be in focus.

On my previous cameras, I always thought that I have a very good hand for focusing manually. However, that doesn't seem to be true with this lens. I have no feel for the manual focus at all. I think it's far too sensitive for me and even a fracture of a degree seems to make such a huge difference. I think, I will need much more training before I will be able to use the manual focus of this lens.

[Merco_61]

Thank you both very much for the replies.

 

 

I just have the Kit lens "NIKKOR Z DX 18–140 mm 1:3,5–6,3 VR". It was on sale and I wanted something light, that can be used as a single "all-purpose" lens when I'm traveling.

 

 

 

On my previous cameras, I always thought that I have a very good hand for focusing manually. However, that doesn't seem to be true with this lens. I have no feel for the manual focus at all. I think it's far too sensitive for me and even a fracture of a degree seems to make such a huge difference. I think, I will need much more training before I will be able to use the manual focus of this lens.

… or switch focus peaking on.

Custom function d9, page 370 in the reference handbook.

It really is a gamechanger.

[bugblatterbeast]

… or switch focus peaking on.

Custom function d9, page 370 in the reference handbook.

It really is a gamechanger.

You are right! That looks very promising.

 

EDIT: can I quickly switch between auto and manual focus without going to the menu?