Focus Assignments

Manual

1. Locate the manual focus on your camera.

With the camera in Manual Focus mode prepare to take a picture. Locate your subject in the viewfinder and turn the focus ring until the subject appears to be in sharp focus. Press the shutter release and take the picture. Try this several times with subjects at different distances until you feel you have the hang of it. (Note: In the manual focus mode the camera will take the photo when the shutter is released whether the subject is in focus or not.)

2. Single Point Autofocus Technique

Turn the autofocus back on. Locate the focus drive mode and choose the single shot mode (AF-S or One Shot). Next locate and select the single point in the Autofocus Area Mode. Set the camera drive mode to single frame. Use your camera manual to find these settings if you are not sure where they are located.
The single point autofocus technique is also known as the Focus and Recompose technique. Once you have the camera set up try selecting a focus point (you can start by leaving the focus point in the center). Looking through the viewfinder place the selected focus point on your subject and depress the shutter release halfway. In the AFS (or One Shot) mode the camera will lock the focus as long as you hold the shutter release down halfway. Now, keeping the shutter release depressed recompose the image so that the selected focus point is no longer on the subject and follow through depressing the shutter release the rest of the way to take the photograph. Review the image. You will see that the subject is still in focus even though the focus point was no longer on the subject. The trick with this technique is to keep the shutter release depressed halfway. If you take your finger off the shutter release, the camera will refocus on another part of the image when you depress the button again.

3. Continuous or Dynamic Autofocus

Select the AF-C or AI Servo mode from the AF mode menu. In the AF Area Mode menu select the option that gives you the most points (AF Auto or Auto Select). Set the camera drive mode to continuous shooting. Now when you depress the shutter release halfway the camera will lock on to the area where it finds the maximum contrast. As the subject moves track the subject trying to keep the selected AF point close to the subject. The adjacent AF points will automatically acquire the focus as you track your subject.
With your camera set up for Continuous Focus find a subject that is moving around such as a child, pet or moving vehicle. Try tracking the subject as it moves around while you depress the shutter release halfway. In the continuous drive mode when you depress the release button all the way the camera will take multiple images for as long as you hold the button down. Take several series of multiple exposures of your moving subject. Check them later on the LCD or on your computer for focus. Practice until you feel comfortable with the technique.