D7200 / D7500 Question

graham43 said:

I've had a quick play with both the D7200 and D7500 recently as I am thinking of upgrading.

I found a problem that when looking through the viewfinder, on both these cameras, my nose was touching the little joystick(?) that's located to the right of the LCD screen, thus causing the focus point to move.

Is there something I was missing, for example a way to disable this?

I hope my question is clear.

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Rhinoplasty?

But, seriously there is a lever to lock the focus point.

Diffraction Limited said:

Rhinoplasty?

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You beat me to it! Funny! Alternatively, what about a nose helmet?

Guessing you are using your left eye at the view finder. How about switching to the right eye at the view finder.

Even though I use my right eye, my problem is my right thumb has a tendency to mess with the joystick or the main dial (shutter speed). I think over time I have gotten better at not doing these thumb changes, but still a concern.

Nice to see there are some comedians about . I suppose i teed you up nicely. :-|

Yes, i do use my left eye to view the viewfinder and did try using my right eye but thought, why should I...?

Surely a camera should meet my needs, not the other way round.

Thanks for the replies.

graham43 said:

Nice to see there are some comedians about . I suppose i teed you up nicely. :-|

Yes, i do use my left eye to view the viewfinder and did try using my right eye but thought, why should I...?

Surely a camera should meet my needs, not the other way round.

Thanks for the replies.

Click to expand...

Well, the camera is made with a certain way to use it in mind. You may want to hold the lens with your right hand and press the shutter with your left. Maybe it's possible for some shots, but it sure would look funny.

I've had another look at a D7500 today.

I tried with both eyes/hands and found the problem still occurred whichever way I try: my left eye, it's my nose that's the problem, with my right eye it's my cheek that's the problem! :-|

I see that the joystick can be locked but I don't think shifting that lever whilst trying to focus is something I can quickly get used.

I have another question that I forgot to ask in the shop and would appreciate if someone could help:-

On my current D3100, I can only take a picture when the camera is focused, something that I've got used to and find it great. Would I be able to activate/deactivate this on the D7500?

Thanks again

graham43 said:

On my current D3100, I can only take a picture when the camera is focused, something that I've got used to and find it great. Would I be able to activate/deactivate this on the D7500?

Click to expand...

This is known as AF-S mode, where the camera will only take a shot after it's confirmed to have a focus lock. On the D7500, this is controlled via the second dial below the mode selector on the top left. It's easy to miss if you didn't know it was there. This dial is where you select AF-S, or AF-C (continuous), the quiet modes, mirror up, and the timer.

My camera lives in AF-C, since I tend to be more in action and use back button focus. And then I always spend 10 minutes looking in the menus for turning on the timer - I forget that this is where it lives!

graham43 said:

On my current D3100, I can only take a picture when the camera is focused, something that I've got used to and find it great. Would I be able to activate/deactivate this on the D7500?

Click to expand...

Yes that is even the standard setup when shooting in AF-S. In AF-C the default is to shoot an image regardless if focus was achieved. It's completely configurable, look in the manual.

Thank you for your help.

Decision time for me in the coming days.

blueknigh7 said:

graham43 said:

On my current D3100, I can only take a picture when the camera is focused, something that I've got used to and find it great. Would I be able to activate/deactivate this on the D7500?

Click to expand...

This is known as AF-S mode, where the camera will only take a shot after it's confirmed to have a focus lock. On the D7500, this is controlled via the second dial below the mode selector on the top left. It's easy to miss if you didn't know it was there. This dial is where you select AF-S, or AF-C (continuous), the quiet modes, mirror up, and the timer.

My camera lives in AF-C, since I tend to be more in action and use back button focus. And then I always spend 10 minutes looking in the menus for turning on the timer - I forget that this is where it lives!

Click to expand...

Careful. It's the COMBINATION of mode and priority selection (a1, a2) that delivers what you want. When you select AF-S, priority selection defaults to FOCUS - i.e., the camera won't release the shutter until focus is confirmed on the half-press. But you can use setting a1 to change priority selection to RELEASE, and even if focus isn't confirmed, the shutter will release. a2 works the same way for AF-C mode.

Now it may not seem to make a lot of sense to have an a1 setting - AF-S is supposedly for deliberative shooting situations in which the camera doesn't move relative to the subject, so focus should always be confirmed on the half press - but it's there.

The a2 setting makes a lot more sense to have - the default setting of RELEASE makes sense for BBF operation, but some folks like myself find that you can get better focused shots in portraiture and such if you both continuously focus until shutter press (AF-C) and confirm focus after shutter press (a2=FOCUS). This gets rid of the inevitable subject-camera wobble that can throw off close-focused scenes. Of course you have to remember to switch OUT of a2=FOCUS when shooting action, and this is where BBF comes in as a possible benefit.

In the pro/semi-pro level Nikon DSLR bodies, there are multiple options for priority selection - you can have focus on first in a burst with following frames being release priority, etc.. All of these have found some utility in shooting moving subjects.

graham43 said:

Thank you for your help.

Decision time for me in the coming days.

Click to expand...

Regardless what camera you choose it might be worthwhile to get one of Thom Hogan's ebooks. This is the one for the D7500: http://dslrbodies.com/books/bythom-complete-guides-/nikon-d7500-guide.html but he has them for all Nikon bodies.

He explains the basic technology of digital photography first and then explores in-depth the functions of the camera at hand and explains how to use them to maximum effect. Much better than the cryptic manuals from Nikon.

mosswings said:

blueknigh7 said:

graham43 said:

On my current D3100, I can only take a picture when the camera is focused, something that I've got used to and find it great. Would I be able to activate/deactivate this on the D7500?

Click to expand...

This is known as AF-S mode, where the camera will only take a shot after it's confirmed to have a focus lock. On the D7500, this is controlled via the second dial below the mode selector on the top left. It's easy to miss if you didn't know it was there. This dial is where you select AF-S, or AF-C (continuous), the quiet modes, mirror up, and the timer.

My camera lives in AF-C, since I tend to be more in action and use back button focus. And then I always spend 10 minutes looking in the menus for turning on the timer - I forget that this is where it lives!

Click to expand...

Careful. It's the COMBINATION of mode and priority selection (a1, a2) that delivers what you want. When you select AF-S, priority selection defaults to FOCUS - i.e., the camera won't release the shutter until focus is confirmed on the half-press. But you can use setting a1 to change priority selection to RELEASE, and even if focus isn't confirmed, the shutter will release. a2 works the same way for AF-C mode.
Now it may not seem to make a lot of sense to have an a1 setting - AF-S is supposedly for deliberative shooting situations in which the camera doesn't move relative to the subject, so focus should always be confirmed on the half press - but it's there.
The a2 setting makes a lot more sense to have - the default setting of RELEASE makes sense for BBF operation, but some folks like myself find that you can get better focused shots in portraiture and such if you both continuously focus until shutter press (AF-C) and confirm focus after shutter press (a2=FOCUS). This gets rid of the inevitable subject-camera wobble that can throw off close-focused scenes. Of course you have to remember to switch OUT of a2=FOCUS when shooting action, and this is where BBF comes in as a possible benefit.

In the pro/semi-pro level Nikon DSLR bodies, there are multiple options for priority selection - you can have focus on first in a burst with following frames being release priority, etc.. All of these have found some utility in shooting moving subjects.

Click to expand...

I have been trying to configure this on my D7500. I can set a1 so the shutter only fires when focused in AF-S , but it is not working in AF-C mode (a2). This is the mode I want to use it in.

Am I missing something? ( I have BBF enabled)

Thanks

I don't know if BBF affects it as I don't use it.

However, on my D7500 a1 is AF-C and a2 is AF-S. Perhaps you just wrote it down wrong or maybe it's the cause of your problem.

Yes, a1 is AF-C, and a2 is AF-S, I wrote it down wrong! Sorry.

I've been looking at this for a couple of days and my head is mashed with it:-x

Whether I have BBF enabled or not, I cannot seem to get the camera to only release the shutter in AF-C when it is focused.

I must be missing something

graham43 said:

Yes, a1 is AF-C, and a2 is AF-S, I wrote it down wrong! Sorry.

I've been looking at this for a couple of days and my head is mashed with it:-x

Whether I have BBF enabled or not, I cannot seem to get the camera to only release the shutter in AF-C when it is focused.

I must be missing something

Click to expand...

Look for the words 'focus priority' (this is what you want) and 'release priority' (which is what you do not want). Both even have their own icon.

Flashlight said:

Flashlight wrote

Click to expand...

Flashlight said:

Look for the words 'focus priority' (this is what you want) and 'release priority' (which is what you do not want). Both even have their own icon.

Click to expand...

I've done this. Not sure why it works with AF-S and not AF-C...

graham43 said:

graham43 said:

Flashlight wrote

Look for the words 'focus priority' (this is what you want) and 'release priority' (which is what you do not want). Both even have their own icon.

Click to expand...

I've done this. Not sure why it works with AF-S and not AF-C...

Click to expand...

These are two different settings. You need to set the priority value for AF-S and AF-C separately.

--
Philip

Just to be perfectly clear:

I have a1 AF-C priority selection set to Focus.

I have a2 AF-S priority selection set to Focus.

I want the camera (D7500) to only shoot when it's focused.

When I shoot in AF-C, the camera shutter is released when out of focus. :-(

When I shoot in AF-S the camera will not release the shutter until it is focused.

I have had Nikon cameras for 30+ years and never had a fault with the menu settings.

I have over 200,000 images with a D3100 and not one out of focus!

I now have a new D7500 with less than 100 images - virtually all out of focus. :-x

I could do with knowing if I am missing some other setting in the menu before I send the camera back

Thanks

Hi, given your problems I have tried it on my D7500.

I set BBF by setting AE/EL to AF-ON (f1), Set AF-Activation to AF-ON only (a6) and set AF-C to focus priority (a1).

I am afraid you are quite right with these settings AF-C focus priority does not work any more, it releases come what may.

When I set AF-Activation to Shutter/AF-ON rather than AF-ON only it works OK.

Looks like it is the way the D7500 works, so you need to set a6 to shutter/AF-ON.