Nikon D600 For Dummies

Mastering the Autofocusing System

One of the most important advantages you gain from stepping up to a powerhouse camera like the D600 is access to an amazing array of autofocusing features, all designed to help you achieve tack-sharp focus with just a half-press of the shutter button.

The first step in putting the autofocus system to work is to set the Focus-mode selector on the front of the camera to AF, as shown in Figure 8-1. With a lens like the 24–85mm kit lens, also set the switch on the lens to the M/A position, as shown in the figure. At this setting, you can set focus initially by using auto-focusing and then, if necessary, fine-tune focus by turning the manual focusing ring. For other lenses, check the lens instruction manual for details on its focus-method setting.

Figure 8-1: These switches control whether the camera uses autofocusing or manual focusing.

Pressing the AF-mode button, also labeled in the figure, gives you access to the two most critical autofocusing options:

• Autofocus mode: This setting determines whether the camera locks focus when you press the shutter button halfway or continues to adjust focus up to the time you take the picture.
• AF-area mode: This setting tells the camera what area of the frame to analyze when establishing focus. You can ask the ...