What’s Your Preference?

Adel99 · #1 (**permalink**) 04-09-2011, 06:24 PM

Hello, everyone. May you help me?

I'm beginner to lighting. I switch off all the lamps in my room, and use the SB-900 in remote mode to lighten the picture by bouncing its light off a white ceiling. The D7000 struggles to auto-focus on the model's eye. The results are blurred. I can't used the AF illuminator because the model is complaining.

Q1: How to auto-focus in such situation? What wrong am I doing?

Q2: Although the commander built-in flash is set to [--], it still fires. Is this normal?

Thank you in advance.
Adel.

jdepould · #2 (**permalink**) 04-09-2011, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adel99

Hello, everyone. May you help me?

I'm beginner to lighting. I switch off all the lamps in my room, and use the SB-900 in remote mode to lighten the picture by bouncing its light off a white ceiling. The D7000 struggles to auto-focus on the model's eye. The results are blurred. I can't used the AF illuminator because the model is complaining.

Who cares what models think?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adel99

Q1: How to auto-focus in such situation? What wrong am I doing?

You need more light, there isn't a whole lot you can do about it other than the AF illuminator. Have you tried manual focus?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adel99

Q2: Although the commander built-in flash is set to [--], it still fires. Is this normal?

Yes, that's how it triggers the remote.

OsmosisStudios · #3 (**permalink**) 04-09-2011, 08:14 PM

I use an SB speedlight as an AF-Assist only in some cases when it's very dark. Doing longer-range studio shots in a dark nightclub counts, for sure.

Adel99 · #4 (**permalink**) 04-09-2011, 08:46 PM

Thank you, jdepould and OsmosisStudios for the answers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdepould

Have you tried manual focus?

Yes, and I've failed. I find manual focus too hard.

autofocus · #5 (**permalink**) 04-09-2011, 09:09 PM

...stupid question, but why are you turning all the lamps off?

autofocus · #6 (**permalink**) 04-09-2011, 09:14 PM

...a possible solution, shine a flashlight on the subject, let the camera lock focus, flashlight off, and quickly take the shot. Sounds crazy, but may work
Also, make sure your camera is set to single focus mode...if in continuous, it may try to re-focus after you douse the flashlight

Adel99 · #7 (**permalink**) 04-09-2011, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by autofocus

...stupid question, but why are you turning all the lamps off?

Sorry if being stupid, I'm very new to the subject. I first thought I would eliminate the effect of other light sources other than the sb-900.

Adel99 · #8 (**permalink**) 04-09-2011, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by autofocus

...a possible solution, shine a flashlight on the subject, let the camera lock focus, flashlight off, and quickly take the shot. Sounds crazy, but may work
Also, make sure your camera is set to single focus mode...if in continuous, it may try to re-focus after you douse the flashlight

Thank you.