How to Focus and Recompose with a DSLR

Leigh demonstrates "Focus and Recompose" technique using a D300s. This technique can be used on most SLR and DSLR cameras

[SourojitBh]

Watching this 13 years later just to see you. I learnt a lot from your videos. Thanks!

[LeighAndRaymond]

@bautilicious That number is indicating how many photos you have left in the buffer. If you take a series of photos rapidly, the number may decrease temporarily. As the pictures get written to the card, the number will come back up to the maximum. If you are shooting JPG, you will have a larger buffer than if you are shooting RAW.

[LeighAndRaymond]

@fausto412 Yes, you can definitely do this in AF-S mode. To get the flash to go off in daytime, you can set the camera to "P" and push the flash button to the left of the popup flash.

[LeighAndRaymond]

@johnnyLikeVideo Yes, you can change the focus areas - that is the best way. If you don't have focus point where you need the subject to be in the frame, Focus and Recompose is a good option.

[LeighAndRaymond]

@johnnyLikeVideo Hi! One reason for this technique is to put the object that you want to focus on in the area of the frame where your camera does not have an AF sensor.

[yitzchallevi]

Awesome to see this older video of you! Thanks for your diligence over the years.

[LeighAndRaymond]

@Jems102 Where to focus? Always on the girls! Focus mode depends on how much movement there is. I walk around at wedding receptions with aperture set to f4. In low light, crank the ISO, use the lens with the widest aperture that you have, and as a last resort, underexpose and "push" the exposure to be brighter when post processing.

[LeighAndRaymond]

Hmmm... it's possible that the half-press is not configured to lock the autofocus. I'm guessing that the D5000 is set to lock on the half press by default, but I do not have a D5000, so I am not sure of all of the options, but it does have an AF/AE lock button, so you should be able to lock focus and recompose.

[LeighAndRaymond]

You can do this with AF-C if you have the AF-L button activated and press the button to hold focus when you recompose. Or, you could use the AF-ON button to focus (if your camera has it), and then release this button to stop focusing and then recompose. The second method would require you to disable focus when you half-press.

[LeighAndRaymond]

@bautilicious Hi! Sometimes some debris can get between the lens contacts and the corresponding camera contacts, which can cause this problem. Also, the aperture ring on the 50mm must be set to "22" and there is a small switch on the lens to lock "22" in place. The D90 will not fire if the lens is not set to "f22." I have accidentally hit the unlock and moved the ring, and the same thing has happened to me!

[LeighAndRaymond]

@katource1 Thanks! New video (or videos) coming this week!

[trinhk]

thank you so much for the nice tip. Simple and easy. One problem I have is when I have 2 or more people in my composition and if I focus on one, the other is out of focus, what should I do then? thanks in advance.

[LeighAndRaymond]

@smoothyesss This can be mitigated by the amount of DOF that is being utilized and using the AF sensor closest to your target area. 51 AF sensors on something like the D300s is nice, but for someone using a D40/D60 with 3 sensors, they will have to focus and recompose or have pictures that are always composed about 3 ways in portrait and 3 ways in landscape. If they were to focus on their final composition without 'focus and recompose, they run a much higher risk of an out of focus shot.

[nitinkgoud]

Thanks for this simple and great tutorial. Been looking for this for some time now.

[LeighAndRaymond]

@bautilicious No problem! I'm glad it's solved! I try to get back to everyone :)

[techgalaxy]

Very helpful tutorial SnapChick. I am using back button focus. How do I do focus and recompose? Do i remove the finger from back button after focusing and then recompose or should I focus using the back button and keeping the button pressed recompose and shoot?

[LeighAndRaymond]

Many DSLRs can be configured to set focus separately from locking exposure.

[LeighAndRaymond]

If someone does not want to use it, that is fine. Until manufacturers have focus areas that cover the entire frame, it is a resource that most photographers will have to employ. It is viable in most situations... people working with razor thin depth of field generally know what they're doing in those circumstances.

[LeighAndRaymond]

@fotobyjp I've been doing alright with a Rode Videomic recently. This video is from two years ago.

[alexcorona]

This video helped me out so much, for weeks I couldn't figure it out.