How to continually focus my camera on a rapidly approaching subject?
I'm shooting with a Nikon d700. But I think this question can be for all DSLR cameras:
When I'm using a zoom lens (e.g. 70-200mm) and am trying to auto-focus on a subject (e.g.a running dog) that is directly approaching me at a fast pace, how can I continuously keep them in focus?
What I have done up till now is just keep clicking the shutter release button in the hopes that at least one of the shots stays in focus, however this seems to only have a 10% success rate.
Is there not a way to keep the subject in focus at all times no matter how fast and how near the subject is?
Switch to manual focus and twist the ring. It's a skill, but not an impossible one to learn.
I'm not positive on the D700 but I'm pretty sure you can do this. On the D3s you can re program it so a button on the back does the focusing rather than the shutter release. You hold it down with your thumb while you are shooting. It's the only way to focus that I like. Make sure you are on continuous focus as well. Go through your manual and play with the settings. It's the best way to focus, the shutter release focus is the dumbest idea ever. With a 70-200 you'll nail most the shots. Manual focus is extremely difficult.
Make sure that your camera is set to continuous focus. The switch is located next to the lens. The choices are C, continuous, S, single and M, manual
You can then press and hold the AF-L button on your camera once you have auto-focused on the subject that is moving
Look on pages 78 and 79 of your user manual
I use this feature all the time with my D300 and D3 when shooting basketball
You might try shooting at the maximum 5 frames per second rate.
Check in your Owner's Manual for an explanation of 3D Focus tracking.
Check in your Owner's Manual for an explanation of Single-servo AF (S).
Check in your Owner's Manual and see if you can choose just one focus point which you can then keep on your fast approaching subject.
I use the same technique as fhotoace with my Pentax DSLRs for race horses and greyhounds.
But I usually preselect the centre autofocus point so that the focus system stays in the centre of the changing image, where hopefully I have the fast moving subject.
http://philip-northeast.suite101.com/how-to-use-dslr--autofocus-modes-a300607