How to focus your D200 in total darkness?

[Benign]

Sorry, I was stuck with this tricky situation....I was trying to capture the early morning sunrise on a beach. As the dim light start to appear in the horizon, although it was visible to my eyes. But my D200 was unable to focus on the subject till light source become much brighter.

Is there any way to focus in darkness? :think:

Thanks :embrass:

 

[TMC]

manual, go infinity.

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

ya go manual focus... and instead of infinity... u might wanna try hyperfocal if u are taking landscape fotos.

 

[Atlas]

How do you go hyperfocal?

 

[photobum]

How do you go hyperfocal?

Forget about hyperfocusing because most modern lenses do not have the HF scale. My suggestion: set the aperture to f8 and shoot with manual focusing.

That was what photojournalists in the past did!

 

[Artosoft]

Forget about hyperfocusing because most modern lenses do not have the HF scale. My suggestion: set the aperture to f8 and shoot with manual focusing.

That was what photojournalists in the past did!

Yes, that what photojournalists in the past did. But you need to know where your distance set with manual focusing, or everything will be blur.

Regards,
Arto.

 

[photobum]

Yes, that what photojournalists in the past did. But you need to know where your distance set with manual focusing, or everything will be blur.

Regards,
Arto.

Of course you will still need to focus lah.... but estimate can already.... do not have to be precise.

 

[jeanie]

Sorry, I was stuck with this tricky situation....I was trying to capture the early morning sunrise on a beach. As the dim light start to appear in the horizon, although it was visible to my eyes. But my D200 was unable to focus on the subject till light source become much brighter.

Is there any way to focus in darkness? :think:

Thanks :embrass:

IIRC, the d200 has a focus-help light?i've disable that anyway.
but you could use that to focus on your subject?

i usually focus at about 2 meters from me on the ground, recompose the scene and fire.aperture to f8-16.i'm referring to landscape shots that is.

 

[Zerstorer]

Sorry, I was stuck with this tricky situation....I was trying to capture the early morning sunrise on a beach. As the dim light start to appear in the horizon, although it was visible to my eyes. But my D200 was unable to focus on the subject till light source become much brighter.

Is there any way to focus in darkness? :think:

Thanks :embrass:

Set to wide AF mode, center sensor. Aim at a spot where there is a sharp transition from light/dark(i.e contrast edge).

Should be relatively to do that if its a sunrise shot since part of the clouds will certainly be highlighted.

 

[zac08]

Sorry, I was stuck with this tricky situation....I was trying to capture the early morning sunrise on a beach. As the dim light start to appear in the horizon, although it was visible to my eyes. But my D200 was unable to focus on the subject till light source become much brighter.

Is there any way to focus in darkness? :think:

Thanks :embrass:

What do you want to focus on? A tree or the light?

If it's the tree, then use a torch to illuminate it and focus manually. If it's the light, also doit manually...

 

[jeanie]

What do you want to focus on? A tree or the light?

If it's the tree, then use a torch to illuminate it and focus manually. If it's the light, also doit manually...

still must bring torch ah?so troublesome?

 

[lsisaxon]

Sorry, I was stuck with this tricky situation....I was trying to capture the early morning sunrise on a beach. As the dim light start to appear in the horizon, although it was visible to my eyes. But my D200 was unable to focus on the subject till light source become much brighter.

Is there any way to focus in darkness? :think:

Thanks :embrass:

You can see the object, but is there contrast? If not it will not focus. Try using the edges of the object as a target. Otherwise it's MF for you. Don't know what kind of subject and how far you're shooting if it's something near, you can use the focus assist light.

 

[theRBK]

use the mark 1 mod 0 human optical device, ie. eyeball to manual focus... then to be sure, bracket focus, taking multiple shots while making small adjustments to focus...

focus assist light not very strong, depending on distance might not be powerful enough...

look for something contrasty to focus on... if you don't mind footprints, get someone to stand where you need to focus...

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

IIRC, the d200 has a focus-help light?i've disable that anyway.
but you could use that to focus on your subject?

i usually focus at about 2 meters from me on the ground, recompose the scene and fire.aperture to f8-16.i'm referring to landscape shots that is.

focus help light aka AF Assist Lamp can light up the clouds in the sky for focusing? light up the distant rocks for focusing? :think:

 

[jeanie]

focus help light aka AF Assist Lamp can light up the clouds in the sky for focusing? light up the distant rocks for focusing? :think:

i thought ts said

I was trying to capture the early morning sunrise on a beach. As the dim light start to appear in the horizon, although it was visible to my eyes. But my D200 was unable to focus on the subject till light source become much brighter.

he didnt state what his subject was.so if it's a human, why not?

even in landscape, you focus on the clouds?sky?:dunno:

depending on his distance to the rocks you mentioned, the focus assist might work.why not?:think: :dunno:

 

[Artosoft]

Of course you will still need to focus lah.... but estimate can already.... do not have to be precise.

Estimate also need to know what the focusing distance and what DoF to achieve. You estimate for infinity, but you take 2m object with 135mm lens, see the result lah.

Regards,
Arto.

 

[blowblue]

What do you want to focus on? A tree or the light?

If it's the tree, then use a torch to illuminate it and focus manually. If it's the light, also doit manually...

what about stars? I've tried doing it with D70s...it refused to take pics of the sky :bsmilie: on AUTO focus mode.

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

Estimate also need to know what the focusing distance and what DoF to achieve. You estimate for infinity, but you take 2m object with 135mm lens, see the result lah.

Regards,
Arto.

tats y need a hyperfocal chart... best liao... just set aperture, set distance finish...

 

[zac08]

still must bring torch ah?so troublesome?

Well, if you're gonna be stumbling around in the dark trying to take such photos, you'd need a torch to get where you're going anyway...

 

[zac08]

what about stars? I've tried doing it with D70s...it refused to take pics of the sky :bsmilie: on AUTO focus mode.

Well, in such cases, there isn't enough light for the autofocus point to capture on to differentiate. So you should be using manual focus.