Focus question.

[moroccangirl]

I'm confused.
So, if I have my camera body on manual, I can choose my focal point. Right?
If the camera body is on auto, it chooses the focal point or points for me, right?
When my camera body is on manual, do I always have to manually focus the lens too? If you tell me it should automatically focus then something is wrong with my camera of lens or I'm doing something wrong.

[omega lambda]

What kind of camera do you have?

Usually, the focus is tied in with the shutter button - you press half-way and it focuses, then you finish pressing and it takes the photo.  With your camera on manual, it should still focus; but when you press the shutter half-way, you'll see your aperture and shutter speed displayed somewhere and how far off from the right exposure you are (usually some kind of scale either on the right side or bottom of the view finder).  So, no - you shouldn't have to focus manually when your camera is on manual.

Did you happen to turn auto focus off on your lens? 

[moroccangirl]

What kind of camera do you have?

Usually, the focus is tied in with the shutter button - you press half-way and it focuses, then you finish pressing and it takes the photo.  With your camera on manual, it should still focus; but when you press the shutter half-way, you'll see your aperture and shutter speed displayed somewhere and how far off from the right exposure you are (usually some kind of scale either on the right side or bottom of the view finder).  So, no - you shouldn't have to focus manually when your camera is on manual.

Did you happen to turn auto focus off on your lens? 

Nikon D7000. I think something is wrong then. The camera is on manual, the lens is on auto (M/A actually). It's not focusing by itself, I have to use the focus ring on the lens. It was dropped (Adam pulled it off of the counter). That's with the 18-200 lens, but when I put the 50mm on there it's not sutofocusing wither with the body on manual. When I put the body on auto, everything does focus.

[omega lambda]

Sounds like maybe one of the contacts isn't working then.  Do the lenses wiggle on the mount now? 

[moroccangirl]

Sounds like maybe one of the contacts isn't working then.  Do the lenses wiggle on the mount now? 

No. They're tight. I have to go by the camera shop anyways so i'll ask them. I'm sad that it may be messed up, but I'm glad I'm not a dummy and couldn't figure it out. Lol. I bought the D7000 since ill have some extra time in Saudi to learn more.

[omega lambda]

No. They're tight. I have to go by the camera shop anyways so i'll ask them. I'm sad that it may be messed up, but I'm glad I'm not a dummy and couldn't figure it out. Lol. I bought the D7000 since ill have some extra time in Saudi to learn more.

Best idea - just get it checked out. 

For the record, I have dropped, banged, smashed, tweaked and twisted cameras, lenses and flashes.  Half the time, everything is fine.  The other half the time, I've messed something up. 

[moroccangirl]

Well, like I said. Operator error. Lol. I had a gazillion picture scanned at a local camera place. I went to pick them up today and took my camera with me. Thank goodness the man behind the counter was very knowledgeable, and explained things perfectly. I wasn't paying attention to whether I was in auto or manual on the dial. I was just looking at the focus. He explained something about the type of camera and lens I have, it's either one or the other. If both the body and lens are in auto, the lens still autofocus. If either are different, I have to manually focus the lens.
I was trying to pick my own focal point but I didn't realize my camera dial was in auto shooting mode. It has to be on a manual priority setting. He took about ten minutes to tell me about it. I'm so glad no one else was in the store at the time so he could help me. And I'm glad to know my camera is ok.

[badger]

Glad it's okay

[omega lambda]

Well, like I said. Operator error. Lol. I had a gazillion picture scanned at a local camera place. I went to pick them up today and took my camera with me. Thank goodness the man behind the counter was very knowledgeable, and explained things perfectly. I wasn't paying attention to whether I was in auto or manual on the dial. I was just looking at the focus. He explained something about the type of camera and lens I have, it's either one or the other. If both the body and lens are in auto, the lens still autofocus. If either are different, I have to manually focus the lens.
I was trying to pick my own focal point but I didn't realize my camera dial was in auto shooting mode. It has to be on a manual priority setting. He took about ten minutes to tell me about it. I'm so glad no one else was in the store at the time so he could help me. And I'm glad to know my camera is ok.

Now I'm confused!

So if you have your camera on M on the dial, you have to manual focus as well?  Even if the lens is still switched to autofocus?  Are we talking about the same M?  The one where you have to set shutter speed and aperture yourself, right?  In this case, you had your camera in an auto mode, so how was your lens set?

Not sure what you mean by focal point; the point that is in focus, the part of the image you want people to notice, which point the camera uses to focus...?

Regardless, I'm glad it isn't broken!

[Yogi]

Now I'm confused!

So if you have your camera on M on the dial, you have to manual focus as well?  Even if the lens is still switched to autofocus?  Are we talking about the same M?  The one where you have to set shutter speed and aperture yourself, right?  In this case, you had your camera in an auto mode, so how was your lens set?

Not sure what you mean by focal point; the point that is in focus, the part of the image you want people to notice, which point the camera uses to focus...?

Regardless, I'm glad it isn't broken!

I agree, it doesn't make sense. The focus/sharpness and the focal point are two different things. As long as your lens is on A (automatic focus) you should not have to turn the lens to focus on M, A, P, or S (manual) settings. Like YM said, you press the shutter halfway and it should focus to the focal point you selected. Changing the focal point doesn't have anything to do with actually focusing as far as how you operate the camera (the focal point should be the four-arrow dial type thingy... and the focus mechanism is either A for auto focus (shutter halfway down) or M for manual focus (turn the lens).

My opinion is - use autofocus (A) and have control over your focal point (shooting in manual). But don't manually focus the lens. YMMV.

[moroccangirl]

I'm sure y'all aren't confused, i'm sure it's just me. I'll try to explain better.
So, I've been trying to learn to shoot on manual (M on the dial). The photographer that did the kids' portraits did a beginner class. She explained how you can push the up, down, left, right buttons to pick what you want the camera to focus on. I thought the body had to be in Manual focus to do that, when it was really Manual shooting priority (is that how it's called?). I had my body on manual focus, my lens on auto focus and I was wondering why the whole camera wouldn't autofocus when I pushed the shutter release down halfway, that's when the guy explained it's all or nothing. All manual focus or all autofocus. So the guy at the camera place changed the shooting priority to manual (actually I think he put it on P, can't remember), then he was able to choose the focal point with the up, dwn, left, right button (when you look through my screen there is one small box, and that's what you put on whatever you want in focus.
This probably still doesn't make sense.

[omega lambda]

I'm sure y'all aren't confused, i'm sure it's just me. I'll try to explain better.
So, I've been trying to learn to shoot on manual (M on the dial). The photographer that did the kids' portraits did a beginner class. She explained how you can push the up, down, left, right buttons to pick what you want the camera to focus on. I thought the body had to be in Manual focus to do that, when it was really Manual shooting priority (is that how it's called?). I had my body on manual focus, my lens on auto focus and I was wondering why the whole camera wouldn't autofocus when I pushed the shutter release down halfway, that's when the guy explained it's all or nothing. All manual focus or all autofocus. So the guy at the camera place changed the shooting priority to manual (actually I think he put it on P, can't remember), then he was able to choose the focal point with the up, dwn, left, right button (when you look through my screen there is one small box, and that's what you put on whatever you want in focus.
This probably still doesn't make sense.

It makes more sense! 

I think what you're saying is that your camera has a feature that allows you to select the focus point by using the arrow keys (which are probably the keys surrounding some other menu button).  Usually the terms are manual mode (meaning YOU select or dial in the shutter speed and aperture, not the camera), Aperture Priority (meaning you select the aperture, the camera will set the shutter speed for the correct exposure) and Shutter Priority (meaning you select the shutter speed and the camera will select the aperture for the correct exposure).  Program Mode or P means the camera will select both aperture and shutter based on what it thinks you are photographing/what you've focused on, but usually in P you can also change the settings by turning one of the dials.  Then there's Auto or A, in which the camera sets everything and you can't change it.

What I still don't understand is how your body can be on manual focus mode.  I suppose that is some other feature your camera has, but my camera does not have an option from the body to use manual focus (meaning you have to turn the focusing ring on the lens to focus the lens on your subject).  The only way I can change from auto to manual focus is on the lens itself - my lenses have little switches on them to go from auto focus to manual. 

I'm just curious - I haven't bought new cameras in over 7 years, so I'm sure there are plenty of new features of which I am unaware.

[moroccangirl]

On my body I can make it manual or auto focus. On my lens I can make it manual or auto. If either is in manual, I have to fcocus with the lens ring. If both are in auto, it focuses itself. I have no clue what the manual focus on the body is for. That's where I was confused. I thought I could choose my own focal point if the body was on manual FOCUS, but really I was supposed to be in manual SHOOTING mode to be able to choose the focal point with the up down left right dial. I need to read the manual but I probably won't have time to until I get overseas.

[omega lambda]

On my body I can make it manual or auto focus. On my lens I can make it manual or auto. If either is in manual, I have to fcocus with the lens ring. If both are in auto, it focuses itself. I have no clue what the manual focus on the body is for. That's where I was confused. I thought I could choose my own focal point if the body was on manual FOCUS, but really I was supposed to be in manual SHOOTING mode to be able to choose the focal point with the up down left right dial. I need to read the manual but I probably won't have time to until I get overseas.

That's interesting, and probably cool.  I remember when I first got my camera, it was an upgrade from my previous one and I had to learn a lot of new features.  I remember thinking that I couldn't ever imagine wanting to use certain features, or make so many modifications in the custom menu.  But I did.    And there were other features that I thought I would never get the hang of using, but I did and now I can't imagine not having them.  So while being able to change the focus mode from the body or the lens isn't something I'm familiar with, I can imagine that it is a feature Nikon and Nikon users thought was important enough to include. 

About reading the manual - ugh.  I don't think there's anything harder or more boring than reading user manuals.  I have read mine, multiple times, but if a lot of what's in the manual is new to you, having that information doesn't tell you how to use that information.  I find that the manuals are strictly how-to when it comes to operating the features of a camera.  They don't say anything about why you might use that feature or how you might use that feature.  So the thing that helped me more than anything was someone else's write-up of all the features and custom functions on my camera, and how they set their camera up and why.  It made so much more sense to me to know how and why I might use that feature, which actually prompted me to try a lot of new things.  Otherwise, I think just reading the manual gave me an input overload in one area but left me drastically uninformed in another.

Good luck with it all though!  Learning all of this stuff can be half the fun if you're not completely frustrated. 

[moroccangirl]

You're right OL, the manual is not always helpful. I do watch a lot of YouTube videos. I've seen some very helpful ones.