Nikon D70 focusing problems. Help!

[Todd Patten]

OK guys, I think I was messing with my camera settings and messed things up. I have been noticing that a number fo my auto-focus shoots have been outta-focus shots. It's been frustrating because some of the images were very nice pictures, or could have been at least.

Anyway, I started to mess around with the camera and it's focus and I realized that it is using the top spot, just above the center focal point as the primary focus point. Did I do this somehow? Is there a way to put it back to a center focused shot?

Ugh.

[another view]

I don't have a D70, but all the Nikons I've used that have the five-point AF use the round button on the back of the camera to select the AF point. Just push it down once and it'll be back in the middle spot (as long as the D70 is set up this way). Most of them have a locking ring around the round button, just turn the ring a little bit and it will lock so this won't happen again.

[OldSchool]

Hey Todd,

I strongly suggest that you read the Manuel. I'm being very sincere here. The D70 is a very flexible camera. It can be used as a point and shoot -- if you set up properly. But, it's also really easy to change things such that it'll screw up every shot you take. I say this because one of the design philosophies of the D70 is that it's always ready to take a shot no matter what. Thus, if you are deep in a menu changing settings and you press the shutter, it'll snap the shot with those settings you have. And, you'll have lost your place in the menu.

Also once you've worked through the manual, you'll realize it's a pretty easy camera to use. You will really appreciate that flexibility.

Now to answer your question....
There is a slider on the back just above the trashcan button. Slide it off "L". Go right above it to the 4way toggle and move the focus to where you want it in the frame. Go back to the slider and slide it back to "L" (The "L" is for lock by the way.).

Good luck,
Tim

[another view]

Reading the manual is always good advice. Several years ago at Nikon school, the instructors really pounded that into our heads with stories about people asking them about their cameras, and since they didn't have the manual they couldn't help (can't remember everything about every camera they've built!).

The thing is, some other control could get bumped another time and you won't know how to fix it. I use the spot meter a lot, and if I don't remember to put it back on matrix (or CW) then I get wierd readings - and of course wrong exposures.

I change my settings a lot - I think life's easiest to set all the controls how you want them, then you don't have to think as much about the camera, only the subject, when you're shooting. Reading the manual and practicing will teach you about the options you have available.

But if you do this, come up with a "standard" setup and try to always remember to put the camera back to these settings before putting the camera away (see my above example). For me, that's "S" focus mode, matrix metering, "A" exposure mode at f5.6, center focus selector, and the list goes on...

[OldSchool]

Read the sections of the manual on focusing, metering, and white-balance.

Tim
(I'll assume that people understand about shutter and aperature if the picked up a (d)SLR....)