Nikon D3300 auto-exposure lock
Discussion
Hi guys,
Just yesterday got a D3300 and have a question already (naturally!).
On my old compact Rx100 I could point the camera at a certain point, lock the exposure, point the camera somewhere else and then use auto focus and take a shot. Job done.
On this I have found how to lock the exposure but it seems to lock the focus as well (there's am AE-L AND AE-L button).
The only way I've seen so far to remotely get around this is by focusing on what you want using a single shot AF setting, moving the camera elsewhere whilst maintaining a half-push on the shoot button, then pressing the AE-L and AE-L button, moving the camera back to where you focused and then pressing shoot.
Is there a better way I'm missing?
Many thanks
Just yesterday got a D3300 and have a question already (naturally!).
On my old compact Rx100 I could point the camera at a certain point, lock the exposure, point the camera somewhere else and then use auto focus and take a shot. Job done.
On this I have found how to lock the exposure but it seems to lock the focus as well (there's am AE-L AND AE-L button).
The only way I've seen so far to remotely get around this is by focusing on what you want using a single shot AF setting, moving the camera elsewhere whilst maintaining a half-push on the shoot button, then pressing the AE-L and AE-L button, moving the camera back to where you focused and then pressing shoot.
Is there a better way I'm missing?
Many thanks
See page 252 of the manual.
'Setup menu - Buttons'
AE/AF button has a number of settings. AE/AF lock combined is the standard setting. You can change it to AE lock only.
As mentioned above look up 'back focus button'. I would try setting the AE/AF button for 'AF on'. It makes it more versatile i.e. press once for AF-S or kept held down for AF-C. You don't then need to deliberately change the AF settings for each situation. It takes some getting used to and some people don't get on with it but it's worth a try.
You need to set the shutter release button to exposure lock on (the next menu after 'Buttons'), which will lock exposure on a half press of the shutter.
'Setup menu - Buttons'
AE/AF button has a number of settings. AE/AF lock combined is the standard setting. You can change it to AE lock only.
As mentioned above look up 'back focus button'. I would try setting the AE/AF button for 'AF on'. It makes it more versatile i.e. press once for AF-S or kept held down for AF-C. You don't then need to deliberately change the AF settings for each situation. It takes some getting used to and some people don't get on with it but it's worth a try.
You need to set the shutter release button to exposure lock on (the next menu after 'Buttons'), which will lock exposure on a half press of the shutter.
Mroad said:
See page 252 of the manual.
'Setup menu - Buttons'
AE/AF button has a number of settings. AE/AF lock combined is the standard setting. You can change it to AE lock only.
As mentioned above look up 'back focus button'. I would try setting the AE/AF button for 'AF on'. It makes it more versatile i.e. press once for AF-S or kept held down for AF-C. You don't then need to deliberately change the AF settings for each situation. It takes some getting used to and some people don't get on with it but it's worth a try.
You need to set the shutter release button to exposure lock on (the next menu after 'Buttons'), which will lock exposure on a half press of the shutter.
Thanks for this, but at the moment I can't see it as any different from having the shutter button as AF... because in the button menu it has back button set to AF-on.... I don't see a way of getting it as a "press once for AF-S and hold for AF-C".... It's just setting it to AF-A whether I press or hold it? So currently having the back button to AF-ON and shutter button to AE-L is the same as I'd have normally, only the buttons are reversed 'Setup menu - Buttons'
AE/AF button has a number of settings. AE/AF lock combined is the standard setting. You can change it to AE lock only.
As mentioned above look up 'back focus button'. I would try setting the AE/AF button for 'AF on'. It makes it more versatile i.e. press once for AF-S or kept held down for AF-C. You don't then need to deliberately change the AF settings for each situation. It takes some getting used to and some people don't get on with it but it's worth a try.
You need to set the shutter release button to exposure lock on (the next menu after 'Buttons'), which will lock exposure on a half press of the shutter.
Thanks again
Google is your friend.....and Ken Rockwell
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d3300/users-guide...
Just scroll down about halfway for the AE-L AF-L button. This will change the button to JUST AE-L. Then you can lock the exposure and then go focus on something else. Also dont go changing the function of the shutter button just yet as that will complicate things ( plenty of time to do that when you mess around with back button focussing).
It should be in your manual as well.
Dont confuse yourself with AF-S and AF-C, just get your exposure lock sorted first so you can do what you first asked.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d3300/users-guide...
Just scroll down about halfway for the AE-L AF-L button. This will change the button to JUST AE-L. Then you can lock the exposure and then go focus on something else. Also dont go changing the function of the shutter button just yet as that will complicate things ( plenty of time to do that when you mess around with back button focussing).
It should be in your manual as well.
Dont confuse yourself with AF-S and AF-C, just get your exposure lock sorted first so you can do what you first asked.
Edited by The_Jackal on Sunday 24th May 12:47
E65Ross said:
Thanks for this, but at the moment I can't see it as any different from having the shutter button as AF... because in the button menu it has back button set to AF-on.... I don't see a way of getting it as a "press once for AF-S and hold for AF-C".... It's just setting it to AF-A whether I press or hold it? So currently having the back button to AF-ON and shutter button to AE-L is the same as I'd have normally, only the buttons are reversed
Leave the camera set to AF-C, then you can press and release to have it act like AF-S (focus once and then lock) or press and hold for AF-C (focus continuously). It gives you control over when focussing starts and stops without having to change modes.Mr Will said:
Leave the camera set to AF-C, then you can press and release to have it act like AF-S (focus once and then lock) or press and hold for AF-C (focus continuously). It gives you control over when focussing starts and stops without having to change modes.
This is a good tip, thank you. Although one of the reasons I liked to have a quick way to lock the exposure was to be able to take a picture of something bright and make that dimmer, but everything else around it dark.... Rather than having something over exposed (eg on car headlights where you focus the exposure on the headlights, zoom out and the the shot....so the car appears dark and the headlights aren't over exposed).Or is there another way of doing this without going into manual mode or using the AE-L? Do you use exposure compensation?
Thanks again
Edited by E65Ross on Tuesday 26th May 11:09
E65Ross said:
This is a good tip, thank you. Although one of the reasons I liked to have a quick way to lock the exposure was to be able to take a picture of something bright and make that dimmer, but everything else around it dark.... Rather than having something over exposed (eg on car headlights where you focus the exposure on the headlights, zoom out and the the shot....so the car appears dark and the headlights aren't over exposed).
Or is there another way of doing this without going into manual mode or using the AE-L? Do you use exposure compensation?
I have my camera set so that half-pressing the shutter locks the exposure, with focus being separate on the back button. Or is there another way of doing this without going into manual mode or using the AE-L? Do you use exposure compensation?
What I'd do would be:
- Point the camera at the light, half press and hold to lock exposure
- Point the camera at what I wanted to focus on, then tap the focus button to lock focus at that distance
- Recompose and shoot.
If I didn't want to be fussy then I might just crank the exposure compensation down by a couple of stops, which would do the job most of the time. It wouldn't be as precise though and you need to remember to set it back afterwards.
The other option would be manual mode. Point it at the light and set the exposure once, then take as many shots as you like without it varying. It's slower if you're only doing one shot, but faster if you are doing 10.
Where exposure compensation really comes in is when the environment is misleading the camera. For example on a snowy day the camera will be fooled by the snow and underexpose in an attempt to make it mid-grey. Bumping the Exposure Compensation up and leaving it there will result in more natural looking shots. The reverse might apply in a dark and moody night club, you might want lots of dark shadows to capture the atmosphere, so dropping the exposure by a stop might do the trick.
Does that make sense?
Mr Will said:
E65Ross said:
This is a good tip, thank you. Although one of the reasons I liked to have a quick way to lock the exposure was to be able to take a picture of something bright and make that dimmer, but everything else around it dark.... Rather than having something over exposed (eg on car headlights where you focus the exposure on the headlights, zoom out and the the shot....so the car appears dark and the headlights aren't over exposed).
Or is there another way of doing this without going into manual mode or using the AE-L? Do you use exposure compensation?
I have my camera set so that half-pressing the shutter locks the exposure, with focus being separate on the back button. Or is there another way of doing this without going into manual mode or using the AE-L? Do you use exposure compensation?
What I'd do would be:
- Point the camera at the light, half press and hold to lock exposure
- Point the camera at what I wanted to focus on, then tap the focus button to lock focus at that distance
- Recompose and shoot.
If I didn't want to be fussy then I might just crank the exposure compensation down by a couple of stops, which would do the job most of the time. It wouldn't be as precise though and you need to remember to set it back afterwards.
The other option would be manual mode. Point it at the light and set the exposure once, then take as many shots as you like without it varying. It's slower if you're only doing one shot, but faster if you are doing 10.
Where exposure compensation really comes in is when the environment is misleading the camera. For example on a snowy day the camera will be fooled by the snow and underexpose in an attempt to make it mid-grey. Bumping the Exposure Compensation up and leaving it there will result in more natural looking shots. The reverse might apply in a dark and moody night club, you might want lots of dark shadows to capture the atmosphere, so dropping the exposure by a stop might do the trick.
Does that make sense?
^^^ all good and very well explained.
Of course, another approach - albeit a scattergun one - is to assume plenty of card capacity and buffer, switch to "Continuous" and bracket by one or two stops.
It's really a "quick and dirty" alternative - a bit like "shoot now and ask questions later" and I totally hold my hands up and say it's the lazybones approach to photography!
But it does work
Of course, another approach - albeit a scattergun one - is to assume plenty of card capacity and buffer, switch to "Continuous" and bracket by one or two stops.
It's really a "quick and dirty" alternative - a bit like "shoot now and ask questions later" and I totally hold my hands up and say it's the lazybones approach to photography!
But it does work
K12beano said:
^^^ all good and very well explained.
Of course, another approach - albeit a scattergun one - is to assume plenty of card capacity and buffer, switch to "Continuous" and bracket by one or two stops.
It's really a "quick and dirty" alternative - a bit like "shoot now and ask questions later" and I totally hold my hands up and say it's the lazybones approach to photography!
I save bracketing for film. On digital I just guess, chimp the histogram and re-shoot if required. Either does work though! Of course, another approach - albeit a scattergun one - is to assume plenty of card capacity and buffer, switch to "Continuous" and bracket by one or two stops.
It's really a "quick and dirty" alternative - a bit like "shoot now and ask questions later" and I totally hold my hands up and say it's the lazybones approach to photography!
OP: Another for the list - learn to read your histogram!
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