How to Master Nikon D3, D300 Autofocus
Posted in How-to, Photography Education, Photography Hardware on November 14th, 2009 by Tony Passera – Be the first to commentRude Awakening
When my D3 first arrived, I had been using a D2x for 2 years. I never noticed the D2x’s autofocus because it worked so well. It faded into the background of my attention. Expecting to have the same experience with the D3, I took it out of the box and brought it with me to a friend’s wedding. I was seated among the guests right on the aisle. It was still daylight, so the chapel had adequate lighting. When the bridal procession began, I expected to get some great shots for my friend, the groom. As the procession was moving straight toward me, I had only a few seconds to get a shot. I confidently picked up the camera, framed and pressed the shutter. Nothing happened. I noticed that it was in single shot mode (S on the front switch) and realized that the shutter wouldn’t trip unless the focus was spot on. I immediately switched it to C. My last chance. I reeled off a few frames, but all of them were out of focus. What had gone wrong? Of course, I switched to manual focus, but that moment was lost. Fortunately, I wasn’t the hired photographer that day. read more »