Focusing

There are many different focus setting variations, and certain combinations can cause the focus features in ControlMyNikon to give incorrect results.

Be sure to read the ‘Preparing your Camera’ article for information on how to set your camera for proper focusing while tethered.

Check out this tutorial video showing how to focus

Phase Autofocus

• Only accessible in the main window. Phase focus does not work in live view (it uses contrast focus instead).
• To start a phase autofocus, click on the ‘AF’ button.
• To phase autofocus and then capture an image, click on the ‘AF Shoot’ button.
• The phase autofocus attempt will use whatever focus box you have assigned in the viewfinder (this is different from the focus box in live view).
• There is no indication if phase focus failed.
• Generally speaking, you should use contrast focus instead of phase focus as you will have greater control over it.

Contrast Autofocus

• This is accessible only when live view is active.
• To autofocus in live view, press the ‘green box’ button in the live view screen.
• You can move the contrast autofocus target by single-clicking on the screen.
• Double-clicking on the screen also causes a contrast autofocus.
• If the focus is successful (as determined by the body), the focus box will turn green. It will turn red if it has not found focus.
• Contrast autofocus relies on sufficient light and contrast to find the edges which will define which area of the image is in focus. With low light or low contrast (like a sheet of white paper, close-up), the body cannot find contrast, and the – lens will ‘hunt’ for the focus.
• You can nudge the contrast focus by using the focus coarse and fine buttons on the live view toolbar. The amount of focus change is defined in the Layers tab.
• Remote focus is only available for ‘CPU Lenses’. Most modern Nikon lenses are cpu lenses. Some third-party lenses try to clone the Nikon cpu, but are not entirely compatible.