The focus trap is an interesting feature to catch the desired subject in focus without focusing itself.
Photo tricks. Part 11. Focus Trap
The focus trap is also called focus trap... The essence of the reception is very simple, the camera focuses at a certain distance, and then waits for something at this distance to come into focus, that is, to fall into the so-called 'trap'.
First, how to configure:
If you have a professional-grade camera, such as Nikon D300, D700, D3s etc., which has a special AF-ON button
1. Set the 'AF activation' function from the 'Autofocus' menu item to 'AF-ON only'. In this position, auto focus is only available when the AF-ON button is pressed, and the shutter button when pressed halfway will activate metering exposurebut will not auto focus. This is the standard focus mode for professional photographers.
2. If using the AF-S focusing mode, set the focus priority in the camera menu using the 'Priority selection' menu item. for dir. AF-S 'to' Focus'. When using focus mode AF-C, then in the camera menu set the focus priority using the 'Select priority. for dir. AF-C 'is also set to' Focus'.
3. Set the focus mode on the lens to the auto focus position. Focus in any way at the desired focusing distance, press the shutter button all the way, and wait until an object appears in the focusing area, as soon as the subject gets into the 'trap', the camera releases the shutter.
If you have an amateur level camera such as Nikon D5100, D60, D80 etc., which does not have a separate AF-ON button
1. Using the camera menu, configure the button AF-L / AE-L to 'AF: AF-ON'. It's good that all Nikon cameras have this button and can always be reprogrammed. After this setup AF-L / AE-L button will simulate the operation of the AF-ON button on older cameras. When you press the AF-L / AE-L button, the camera will automatically focus. Auto focusing by half-pressing the shutter button will not occur.
2. Put the camera in focus mode AF-S or AF-A. Unlike professional cameras, almost all amateur cameras do not have the ability to prioritize focus, in AF-C trigger priority always works, and in AF-S mode, focus priority always works. Features of amateur cameras described here.
3. If the camera has the ability to set the focus priority for AF-S, AF-C modes, for example, such a function is in the amateur camera Nikon D5100, then you need to set the priority 'Focus' for such modes. If you don't want to set priorities, on amateur cameras just turn on the mode AF-A.
4. Set the lens focus mode to auto focus mode. Focus in any way on the desired focusing distance, press the shutter button all the way, and wait until an object appears in the focus area, as soon as the object falls into the trap, the camera releases the shutter.
Attention: Some new Nikon cameras cannot be set to focus trap mode. A reliable list is not known.
The focus trap works in any focus mode: one point at a time, with dynamic focus area selection and normal auto mode. Best to use a trap in single-point focus mode or with dynamic focus area selection.
Where to apply?
The focus trap can be used to easily catch moving objects.
Example: at motorcycle competitions everyone knows where motorcyclists will pass. On a tripod, we focus the camera on the place where we want to catch a motorcyclist. Press the shutter button all the way and wait for the rider to fall into our focus trap. With the usual focusing method, the focusing speed of the lens will not always help to quickly respond to a changing situation. In general, there are many examples.
Conclusions
The focus trap is an interesting way of working with a camera. With the help of the trap effect, you can simplify the shooting of dynamic events, or make manual focusing easier. I advise you to do your own research.
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Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram
Verification of work: point at the subject, press the AF-L / AE-L button, focus will occur, move the lens a little to the side so that when the shutter button is pressed halfway there is no focus sign, we hold it all the way, we aim the camera at the subject, shooting is taking place.
Gentlemen, help / Nikon D7000, turned on the AF-ON mode, AF-S focus priority, on lens A, I press the AF-L \ AE-L / button. I focused. I press the shutter fully, the shutter works. What's wrong?
I performed a check according to your method. Everything as you did, only shooting does not happen. ((
No need to press the AE-L button first! When it is pressed, the FA is already focused, therefore, the descent occurs without delay! You need to focus manually and wait until the subject is in focus. At this point, the attention in the article is not very focused, but if you read it carefully, everything is correctly written there.
According to Sim, taking this opportunity, I ask Arkady to complete the article, because many similar errors arise among readers (as I understood from the comments)
.....
Great article! Nikon D5100 + 30 minutes for experiments = autofocus trap
The main thing is not to forget about the depth of field. With a small depth of field (10-15 cm) and relatively fast movement of the subject, the camera does not have time to react that the subject is in focus. I cannot take more than one shot with the built-in flash.
Hello dear friends, I recently (December 2013) purchased a Nikon D5100 with an AF-S NIKKOR 18-55 1: 3.5-5.6G object. Since I accidentally came to this site - I read articles one after another with interest - it is so interesting and informative that sometimes I cannot tear myself away. Many thanks to Arkady for this great site and detailed articles, understandable for beginners.
As for the "Focus Trap" technique, I painstakingly completed all the points, rechecked all the settings several times, tried all three AF-A AF-S AF-C modes ... And like many here - I could not achieve the desired result - after pressing the AE button -L focuses on the place where the subject should appear, but after pressing the shutter button to the end - the shutter is immediately released - without waiting and the appearance of the object. Somewhere on the 3rd attempt, a conscious understanding of all the operations that I do came to me and I came to this conclusion - there is no error in the operation of the camera - it clearly releases the shutter immediately - since the object on which we are in focus is in the field of the lens focused when the AE-L button was pressed. Further, I assumed that if you focus not on the PLACE where the object should appear, but on the OBJECT itself (with its preliminary substitution) - which is a little closer to the camera and then remove it - then the algorithm described by Arkady will work, and indeed with such manipulations when you press shutter buttons THE PLACE where the object should appear is out of focus, and when the OBJECT appears, the object is photographed. I conducted this experiment at a focal length of a 55mm lens - I put the computer mouse on the laptop, set focus by pressing the AE-L button, then removed the mouse and held down the shutter button - and lo and behold, the photographing did not take place until I had my second hand on the laptop put the mouse, which naturally fell into focus - and after that, the long-awaited shutter operation occurred.
I dare to assume that difficulties will arise at longer distances, in the example with a motorcyclist it will be necessary to ask the motorcyclist to first stand at the place where he will pass in the future in order to pre-focus on him and not on the road, but most likely this method will not work like this how all this will happen far away, and the road and the motorcyclist will be, as it were, approximately at the same distance and the shutter will be triggered without waiting for the motorcyclist. In the examples with titmates near a birdhouse, or bees near a flower, he first spins to simulate the situation and focus on a titmouse or a bee, and then wait on an unfocused birdhouse / flower for the appearance of tits / bees.
I apologize if my comment seems very long to you, but I hope that my reflections will bring clarity to the above comments and misunderstandings. I wish you all the most beautiful photos and good luck in this exciting and interesting “world of photography”.
Oh yes, it also came to mind - that after focusing with the AE-L button on the PLACE where the object should appear, you can try to move the camera to a distance approximately equal to the size of the expected object (or the size of the object + the distance from the expected object to the LOCATION of the object, if this object flies). And then the road / birdhouse / flower will be out of focus, and when a motorcyclist / tit / bee (respectively) appears in the expected waiting area, the camera will notice the OBJECT that will be in focus - and take a picture ... But all these are my assumptions, in practice I am at home in his experiments he was limited by the length of his arms, which could take the computer mouse away from the camera, which had to be held straight and at the same time managed to press the shutter and AE-L buttons
Guys, do not know, on the D800 corrected the situation?
I have a D800. Tormented, like many, nothing worked. Then I updated the firmware to 1.10 and it worked, they fixed this glitch. Now descent without focusing does not occur.
With each of your articles I am more and more surprised by the possibility of my camera.
Your site is the most accessible and informative. Thanks.
Nikon D610. After reading the article, I reconfigured the AF focus (AF-ON) on the programmable button. Configured as follows: AF-S with focus priority AF-C with priority from shutter release (as by default). At the same time, in AF-S, the camera continues to shoot with a priority of descent, despite the fact that there is no focus.
When I reset user settings (I return focus to the shutter button), in AF-S mode the camera refuses to shoot without focus. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks to the author for an interesting and useful collection of articles!
I read the comments above, I see that I'm not the only one. Something Nikonovtsy piled in new models.
What kind of “numerous photographers” could ask them to give up their normal focus-catching scheme? They probably asked the Canonists, for fun :)
On the D3200, the trap does not work. The descent still occurs :(
in firmware 1.10 for the Nikon D4, the focus trap works.
at 5200 does not want to work
Maybe someone already tried to fix the situation on the D5200 ??? or is there any idea on the focus of the focus trap ????
I read and tested it on my Nikon D5100 in conjunction with the Sigma 150 f / 2,8 Macro. She just has the ability to manually adjust the focus in autofocus mode, similar to Nikon's M / A system. I must say - it turned out to be very convenient to catch insects on flowers, simply by setting the focus and smoothly approaching the object with the whole body.
Thank you so much for the valuable information!
The new firmware allows you to use the trap on the D800.
Thanks to the author! Amazingly useful thing. To paraphrase Matroskin: I already loved my D 200, and now I love twice as much.
Can you please tell someone whether the trap will work on the d7100, otherwise something doesn’t work
Tell me please! Is it possible to “screw” the “M \ A” mode for the trap to Helios-81H without setting a dandelion? (Nikon D200 camera) ... but buying a dandelion just for this is not serious (its other functions are not interesting) ...
Thank you in advance.
Tell me, on the Nikon 5200 you can not try? I’ve been tormented for two hours and doesn’t come out, maybe it’s worth pouring the old firmware?
Arkady, thank you very much for the interesting lesson))) Not everything worked out right away, but in the end, after reading all the comments carefully, I managed to catch the cat.
I can’t learn how to focus correctly! Help! the trap on the D3100 does not work ((
Say, be a weasel, I have adjusted the given function on the D7000, it is wonderful for the NIKKOR AF-S 18-105G, for the NIKKOR AF-50D. Nutrition in the fact that there is no protection for the activation of this function, which is the case? In simple words, why can't you break from nothing?)))
Dyakuyu !!!
Great article! I did not know about such a function! very useful!
so look ... an example of motorcycle racing ... it turns out that in order to tune the camera to a certain point, you need to take a picture at least once at this point and then what you photographed disappeared from the frame, otherwise the shutter will work all the time ... but if we say the titmouse should sit on a branch. . I put the focus on this branch but then there will not be a trap because the branch will already be in focus ... confused
D750
It works in AF-S S when the shutter release button is pressed fully, and in AF-A / C when half-pressed in some modes.
You can use this: fix the focus, for example, on the meter -> in spite of pointing at the subject -> focus -> descent
For children it is quite (:
Thank you for the article!
> in AF-A / C when half pressed in some modes.
in which?
On nikon d810 works, the author for the article +. In 7100 it does not work, can it be treated with firmware? Share the people, if there is information.
Thanks, I found out one more lotion)) now I will hunt for tits)) Everything turned out with the shutter. On the D90 from 18-105, I set the button through the f menu, I pressed the AF-L button on the object at a distance of half a meter, released the button, directed the lens onto the wall, meter distance 3, pressed the shutter button and the stop and slowly started to walk around the room when focus was found an object at a distance of about half a meter, the shutter worked. Interestingly, it will be necessary to shoot, to see how sharp the pictures will be, but in general many thanks !!!!!
Thank you, an interesting and useful site, an accessible and logical presentation of topics. The author is on top!
On D90 from 18-105 and 55-300 works. But, I have one caveat: through the f menu, the AF-L button setting is available only for the MB-D80 battery pack. For the carcass, the AF-L button setting is available through the shooting information display (quick setting screen) from the info button. Perhaps I didn't take everything into account in the settings, but I got the result. Thanks again.