This modes changes what happens when the shutter release button is pressed halfway. There are three different settings:

• Auto-servo Auto Focus (AF-A)
  • This setting allows the camera to select between AF-S (if the subject is motionless) and AF-C (if the subject is moving).
• Single-servo Auto Focus (AF-S)
  • This setting will not allow the camera to refocus while the shutter release button is kept halfway. This is useful when you want to change the other camera settings, like aperture and shutter speed, without changing the focus point. Typically used for subjects that are motionless.
• Continuous-servo Auto Focus (AF-C)
  • This setting will allow the camera to continuously adjust the focus point when the shutter release button is kept halfway. This is useful when photographing subjects that are in motion. The one limiting factor for this setting is that you are unable to change the shutter speed or aperture.
    • In order for the camera to get a moving subject in focus, the camera will use predictive focus tracking, meaning the camera will try to predict where the subject will be when the shutter is released.

In the area mode, the camera uses a variety of focus points to determine where in the frame the camera should focus. The number of focus points and which focus points are used, depends on your camera and which setting is selected.

Within the area mode you can select from the following:

• Single-point AF
  • Can be used with AF-A, AF-C or AF-S.
  • This will allow you to manually chose which single focus point should be used to focus. This is great for stationary subjects. In order to use the multi selector while using the viewfinder, move the focus selector lock to the position shown in the below photo.
    • Hint: If you press the "OK" button in the center of the multi selector, the camera will automatically select the center focus point.
  • Rotate the focus selector lock back to the "L" position to prevent the selected focus point from accidentally being changed.

• Dynamic-area AF
  • Can be used with AF-A or AF-C.
  • The same process is used as the single point setting but if the subject moves the camera will automatically refocus on the subject based on information about the subject from surrounding points. This is best used for subjects that behave in erratic ways. As an example Nikon cameras have three different dynamic-area AF
    • 9-point dynamic-area AF:
      • This should be chosen when photographing subjects that move predictably (i.e. runners on a track or horse racing) and there is time to compose the image.
    • 21-point dynamic-area AF:
      • This should be chosen when photographing subjects that move in unpredictable ways (i.e. hockey or football players).
    • 39-point dynamic-area AF:
      • This should be chosen when photographing subjects that are hard to track and keep in the viewfinder (i.e. birds / animals in flight)
• 3D-tracking
  • Can be used with AF-A or AF-C.
  • Initially the photograph must be composed with the focus point on the subject that you want to track. When the shutter-release button is depressed half-way, the camera will automatically select new focus points to tack the subject that was in the originally selected focus point. Best used for subjects that behave inconsistent ways (i.e. hockey or football players).
    • Note: The camera is able to track the subject by storing the colors in adjacent areas to the focus point when the shutter-release button is pressed halfway. With this in mind, if the subject and the background are the same color, the camera will not be able to properly track the subject.
• Auto Area
  • This setting is used most often when first starting out. It takes into consideration all of the available focus points and decides which point contains the subject and focuses on that point.
  • After depressing the shutter-release button halfway, the focus points selected will briefly highlight.