Nikon D50 center single-spot focus (how to set?)

On Sat, 16 Dec 2006 22:14:29 +1100, Joan wrote:

Are you saying that the focus point you select is not the one
the camera uses? You need to wake up the focus system by
half pressing the shutter release before you can change the
selected focus point.

Sorry for being too succinct.
I can CHANGE the focus point to be the center but it won't STAY that way!

I half-press the shutter-release button and the focus point selects the
left-most box in the horizontal centerline of the view and I use the
arrow-wheel to CHANGE the focus point to the center box on the horizontal
line of the view and that picture works just fine.

The next shot I take - the focus point is the left-most box again.

All I want is it to ALWAYS choose the center box since I habitually mumble
to myslef "FOCUS - COMPOSE - COUNT" every time I snap a picture of a
subject.

FOCUS: I focus on the "eyes" of the subject
COMPOSE: I compose the picture, generally breaking the scene into thirds
and choosing where to place the subject. This composition step generally
takes the most time, perhaps five or ten seconds per shot. Only about 1/10
of the time is the subject in the center of the shot after the composition
stage is completed.
COUNT: I count to three backward, either to allow the subject to compose
themself, or to remember to steady my aim, hold my breath, and twitch just
my finger and no other muscle in my body when the shutter releases.

The problem is that the very next shot chooses the left-most focus point
most of the time. Of course, if there is a closer subject in the center or
right focus point, it will choose that; but what I want is to force the
Nikon D50 camera to ALWAYS CHOOSE THE CENTER spot to focus.

This is a use model I have been using for decades and I don't wish to
change it. All I wish is to change the camera setting but I can't figure
out how to force the Nikon D50 to STAY in the center-focus position.

If you want to always use the Center Focus Point, you can not use the
Digi Vari-Programs as all of these options have a set focus method, see
pages 19-20 of the D50 manual. You will have to use the P, S, A, or M
shooting mode.

From Page 34 of the D50 manual:

"Select Single Area or Dynamic Area for Custom Setting 3 (AF-Area
Mode). Manual focus area selection is not available with Closest
Subject, which is the default setting in Auto, Portrait, Landscape,
Child, and Night Portrait modes."

If you are using the Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Child, or Night
Portrait mode you can not set the single focus point since these modes
all use the Closets Subject mode, see page 20 of the D50 manual.

Emily wrote:
On Sat, 16 Dec 2006 22:14:29 +1100, Joan wrote:

Are you saying that the focus point you select is not the one
the camera uses? You need to wake up the focus system by
half pressing the shutter release before you can change the
selected focus point.

Sorry for being too succinct.
I can CHANGE the focus point to be the center but it won't STAY that way!

I half-press the shutter-release button and the focus point selects the
left-most box in the horizontal centerline of the view and I use the
arrow-wheel to CHANGE the focus point to the center box on the horizontal
line of the view and that picture works just fine.

The next shot I take - the focus point is the left-most box again.

All I want is it to ALWAYS choose the center box since I habitually mumble
to myslef "FOCUS - COMPOSE - COUNT" every time I snap a picture of a
subject.

FOCUS: I focus on the "eyes" of the subject
COMPOSE: I compose the picture, generally breaking the scene into thirds
and choosing where to place the subject. This composition step generally
takes the most time, perhaps five or ten seconds per shot. Only about 1/10
of the time is the subject in the center of the shot after the composition
stage is completed.
COUNT: I count to three backward, either to allow the subject to compose
themself, or to remember to steady my aim, hold my breath, and twitch just
my finger and no other muscle in my body when the shutter releases.

The problem is that the very next shot chooses the left-most focus point
most of the time. Of course, if there is a closer subject in the center or
right focus point, it will choose that; but what I want is to force the
Nikon D50 camera to ALWAYS CHOOSE THE CENTER spot to focus.

This is a use model I have been using for decades and I don't wish to
change it. All I wish is to change the camera setting but I can't figure
out how to force the Nikon D50 to STAY in the center-focus position.

On Sat, 16 Dec 2006 22:14:29 +1100, Joan wrote:

Are you saying that the focus point you select is not the one
the camera uses? You need to wake up the focus system by
half pressing the shutter release before you can change the
selected focus point.

Sorry for being too succinct.
I can CHANGE the focus point to be the center but it won't STAY that
way!

I half-press the shutter-release button and the focus point selects
the left-most box in the horizontal centerline of the view and I use
the arrow-wheel to CHANGE the focus point to the center box on the
horizontal line of the view and that picture works just fine.

The next shot I take - the focus point is the left-most box again.

All I want is it to ALWAYS choose the center box since I habitually
mumble to myslef "FOCUS - COMPOSE - COUNT" every time I snap a
picture of a subject.

FOCUS: I focus on the "eyes" of the subject
COMPOSE: I compose the picture, generally breaking the scene into
thirds and choosing where to place the subject. This composition step
generally takes the most time, perhaps five or ten seconds per shot.
Only about 1/10 of the time is the subject in the center of the shot
after the composition stage is completed.
COUNT: I count to three backward, either to allow the subject to
compose themself, or to remember to steady my aim, hold my breath,
and twitch just my finger and no other muscle in my body when the
shutter releases.

The problem is that the very next shot chooses the left-most focus
point most of the time. Of course, if there is a closer subject in
the center or right focus point, it will choose that; but what I want
is to force the Nikon D50 camera to ALWAYS CHOOSE THE CENTER spot to
focus.

This is a use model I have been using for decades and I don't wish to
change it. All I wish is to change the camera setting but I can't
figure out how to force the Nikon D50 to STAY in the center-focus
position.

Hi Emily

Looks like you can't lock the focus area like you can on other models
Got this -
From the front and back, the only things to distinguish a D50 and D70/D70s
are some minor cosmetic changes and the fact that the D50 seems to have
shrunk a bit. If you look carefully, you'll see the cosmetic (and sometimes
functional differences). The D50 has:

a.. No DOF preview button.
b.. No Front Command dial.
c.. No Bracketing button.
d.. No Top LCD backlight button.
e.. No AF selector lock button.
f.. No Color LCD protector.
g.. No Metering selection button (replaced with Self timer button).
h.. Night Landscape scene mode is replaced with Child scene mode.
i.. The side panel has only one rubber cover hiding the connectors.
j.. The AF Assist lamp is a little smaller.
k.. The IR remote detector has moved to under the shutter release.
l.. The prism is a little lower and the internal flash a little different
in shape.
From here
http://www.bythom.com/D50REVIEW.htm

Don't know if there's a way of making the D50 favour the centre - you could
try zooming in a bit on the subject but that could be a pain I guess

Is the focus set to closest subject by any chance? might have some bearing
on it??

Not much help I'm afraid

Tim

--
http://www.timdenning.myby.co.uk/

George K wrote:

From Page 34 of the D50 manual:

"Select Single Area or Dynamic Area for Custom Setting 3 (AF-Area
Mode). Manual focus area selection is not available with Closest
Subject, which is the default setting in Auto, Portrait, Landscape,
Child, and Night Portrait modes."

If you are using the Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Child, or Night
Portrait mode you can not set the single focus point since these modes
all use the Closets Subject mode, see page 20 of the D50 manual.

Gak. What a crock. Does O'Reilly have a _Nikon Firmware Hacks_ book?

On Sun, 17 Dec 2006 06:35:56 +0000, scenic_man wrote:

George K wrote:

From Page 34 of the D50 manual:

"Select Single Area or Dynamic Area for Custom Setting 3 (AF-Area
Mode). Manual focus area selection is not available with Closest
Subject, which is the default setting in Auto, Portrait, Landscape,
Child, and Night Portrait modes."

If you are using the Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Child, or Night
Portrait mode you can not set the single focus point since these modes
all use the Closets Subject mode, see page 20 of the D50 manual.

Gak. What a crock. Does O'Reilly have a _Nikon Firmware Hacks_ book?

The obvious solution to this problem is to use manual, aperture priority,
or shutter priority modes instead of auto, closest subject, portrait,
landscape, child, or night portrait.

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

No, but you are welcome to write a hack. You will need a cross compiler
(since the D50 is not an Intel chip), debugger and need to write two
programs. Note no one has done a software hack on the D70 yet, so maybe
it is not as simple as you think.

I forgot, updating the firmware on Nikon requires 2 programs as noted
above and one has to apply them in a specific order. There are many
post about users not following the instructions and having some
problem. Nikon also warns that if the updates are not done properly one
may lose the ability to update the firmwares.

scenic_man wrote:
George K wrote:

From Page 34 of the D50 manual:

"Select Single Area or Dynamic Area for Custom Setting 3 (AF-Area
Mode). Manual focus area selection is not available with Closest
Subject, which is the default setting in Auto, Portrait, Landscape,
Child, and Night Portrait modes."

If you are using the Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Child, or Night
Portrait mode you can not set the single focus point since these modes
all use the Closets Subject mode, see page 20 of the D50 manual.

Gak. What a crock. Does O'Reilly have a _Nikon Firmware Hacks_ book?