Hi,
I got my D700 last week after a long layoff from photography and Nikon equipment.

I currently have a very, very, very steep learning curve!

I am currently down in the south of England on 2 day photography course. Today was glamour and tommorrow is fine art nude.

In reality the course is just jam packed full of lighting info.

We are working in a studio with a pro model and a maximum of 4 studio lights, each of us with an infra red trigger.

Most shots today were taken 125th sec at F8. I am using D700 with Nikon 24-70.

My problem is that the camera appears to be hunting for focus and not firing when I depress the shutter. However if I point the lens towards another area of the model it fires.

I have the manual with me, but so I can get this sorted before we do loads of subtle back ligthing tommorow. Can people point me in the right direction?

Thanks

Ian

Assuming all your settings are in default (and so in single point, focus priority), a likely cause is that the active sensor is seeing a flat area and cannot achieve focus. Simply change your focus point until it covers an area of contrast (read pp 282 - 290 NOW ). There are other things to do, including dynamic focus using multiple sensors but start here.


Walter

f/8 and be there?....but I'm moving as fast as I can!

Hi,
thanks, that seems to be answering many of my questions. I found I was missing loads of shots today because I did not know my camera inside out.

Nothing has brought it home more than this course. I need to get out and use the camera and practice, practice, practice.

Ian

Hi,
would you suggest single point AF or 9 point Dynamic on a relatively static model striking poses?

Thanks

Ian

I think that for best accuracy on critical small object focussing (usually the eye - front one, I believe), I would select single point AF. All 51 focussing points are available from which to choose.

Walter

f/8 and be there?....but I'm moving as fast as I can!

Hi,
thanks, you have been a life saver for me on this. Just playing with the camera in my hotel room and it seems a lot better now I have set it up correctly.

Hopefully tommorow I will get more consistant shots than today.

Once again, thanks for helping me with this.


Ian