Nikon Camera D5200 Reference Manual

							
34
APredictive Focus Tracking
In  AF-C  mode or when continuous-servo autofocus is selected in  AF-A mode, the camera will 
initiate predictive focus tracking if the subject moves toward the camera while the shutter-
release button is pressed halfway.
 This allows the camera to track focus while attempting to 
predict where the subject will be when the shutter is released.
DContinuous-servo Autofocus
When  Focus is selected for Custom Setting a1 ( AF-C priority selection; 0 157) and the 
camera is in  AF-C mode or continuous-servo autofocus is selected in  AF-A mode, the camera 
gives higher priority to focus response (has a wider focus range) than in  AF-S mode, and the 
shutter may be released before the in-focus indicator is displayed.
AGetting Good Results with Autofocus
Autofocus does not perform well under the conditions listed below.
 The shutter release may 
be disabled if the camera is unable to focus under these conditions, or the in-focus indicator 
( I ) may be displayed and the camera may sound a beep, allowing the shutter to be released 
even when the subject is not in focus.
 In these cases, focus manually ( 040) or use focus lock 
( 0 38) to focus on another subject at the same distance and then recompose the 
photograph.
There is little or no contrast 
between the subject and the 
background .
Example : Subject is the same 
color as the background. The focus point contains 
areas of sharply contrasting 
brightness
.
Example : Subject is half in 
the shade.
The focus point contains 
objects at different distances 
from the camera .
Example : Subject is inside a 
cage. Background objects appear 
larger than the subject.
Example
: A building is in the 
frame behind the subject.
The subject is dominated by 
regular geometric patterns .
Example : Blinds or a row of 
windows in a skyscraper. The subject contains many 
fine details
.
Example : A field of flowers or 
other subjects that are 
small or lack variation in 
brightness. 
						

							
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DThe AF-Assist Illuminator 
If the subject is poorly lit, the AF-assist illuminator will light 
automatically to assist the autofocus operation when the shutter-
release button is pressed halfway.
 The AF-assist illuminator will not 
light:
• In live view or during movie recording
• During manual focus or if live  view is off and continuous-servo 
autofocus is selected ( AF-C selected for focus mode, or 
continuous-servo AF selected in  AF-A focus mode)
• If the center focus point is not selected in  c (single-point),  d (dynamic-area), or  f (3D-
tracking) AF-area mode ( 036, 38)
• In shooting modes in which the AF-assist illuminator can not be used ( 0221)
• If Off  has been selected for Custom Setting a3 ( Built-in AF-assist illuminator; 0 158)
The illuminator has a range of about 0.5–3.0  m (1 ft 8 in.–9 ft 10 in.); when using the 
illuminator, use a lens with a focal length  of 18–200 mm and remove the lens hood.
 The AF-
assist illuminator will turn off automatically to  protect the lamp after a period of continuous 
use.
 Normal function will resume after a brief pause. Note that the illuminator may become 
hot when used multiple times in quick succession.
ASee Also
For information on the focus modes available in live view, see page 94.
 For information on 
using release priority in continuous -servo AF, see Custom Setting a1 (AF-C priority 
selection , 0 157).
 Custom Setting d1 ( Beep; 0 161) can be used to turn the beep speaker 
on or off.
AF-assist illuminator 
						

							
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AF-Area Mode
Choose how the focus point for autofocus is selected. Note that d (dynamic-area) 
and  f(3D-tracking) AF-area modes are not available when  AF-S is selected for focus 
mode.
1Place the cursor in the information display.
If shooting information is not displayed in 
the monitor, press the  P button.
 Press the 
P  button again to place the cursor in the 
information display.
2Display AF-area mode options.
Highlight the current AF-area mode in the 
information display and press  J.
OptionDescription
c Single-point AF  User selects focus point using multi selector (
038); camera focuses 
on subject in selected focus point only.
 Use with stationary 
subjects.
J Dynamic-area AF 
(9 points) In AF-A and AF-C focus modes
, user selects focus point using multi 
selector ( 038), but camera will focus  based on information from 
surrounding focus points if subject briefly leaves selected point.
 
The number of focus points varies with the mode selected:
• 9-point dynamic-area AF : Choose when there is time to compose the 
photograph or when photographing subjects that are moving 
predictably (e.g., runners or race cars on a track).
• 21-point dynamic-area AF : Choose when photographing subjects that 
are moving unpredictably (e.g.,  players at a football game).
• 39-point dynamic-area AF : Choose when photographing subjects that 
are moving quickly and can not be easily framed in the viewfinder 
(e.g., birds).
K
Dynamic-area AF 
(21 points)
L Dynamic-area AF 
(39 points)
f 3D-tracking In AF-A and AF-C focus modes
, user selects focus point using multi 
selector ( 038).
 If subject moves after camera has focused, camera 
uses 3D-tracking to select new focus point and keep focus locked on 
original subject while shutter-release button is pressed halfway.
 Use 
to quickly compose pictures with subjects that are moving 
erratically from side to side (e.g., tennis players).
 If subject leaves 
viewfinder, remove your finger from shutter-release button and 
recompose photograph with subject in selected focus point.
e Auto-area AF Camera automatically detects subject and selects focus point.
P button Information display 
						

							
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3Choose an AF-area mode.
Highlight an option and press J. To  r e t u r n  t o  
shooting mode, press the shutter-release button 
halfway.
AAF-Area Mode
AF-area mode selections made in shooting modes other than  P,  S,  A , or  M are reset when 
another shooting mode is selected.
A3D-tracking
When the shutter-release button is pressed half way, the colors in the area surrounding the 
focus point are stored in the camera.
 Consequently 3D-tracking may not produce the 
desired results with subjects that are the same color as the background.
ASee Also
For information on the AF-area modes available in live view, see page 95.
 For information on 
using the  Fn button and the command dial to select an AF-area mode, see page 165. 
						

							
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Focus Point Selection
In manual focus mode or when autofocus is combined with AF-area modes other 
than e (Auto-area AF ), you can choose from 39 focus points, making it possible to 
compose photographs with the main su bject almost anywhere in the frame.
1Choose an AF-area mode other than e 
( Auto-area AF ; 
036).
2Select the focus point.
Use the multi selector to select the focus point in 
the viewfinder or information display while the 
exposure meters are on.
 Press  J to select the 
center focus point.
Focus Lock
Focus lock can be used to change the composition after focusing in  AF-A, AF-S , and  AF-C 
focus modes ( 033), making it possible to focus on a subject that will not be in a 
focus point in the final composition.
 If the camera is unable to focus using autofocus 
( 0 34), focus lock can also be used to re compose the photograph after focusing on 
another object at the same distance as your original subject.
 Focus lock is most 
effective when an option other than  e (Auto-area AF ) is selected for AF-area mode 
( 0 36).
1Focus.
Position the subject in the selected focus point 
and press the shutter-release button halfway to 
initiate focus.
 Check that the in-focus indicator 
( I ) appears in the viewfinder.
Focus point 
						

							
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2Lock focus.
AF-A and AF-C focus modes: With the shutter-release 
button pressed halfway ( q), press the  A (L ) 
button ( w) to lock both focus and exposure (an 
AE-L  icon will be displa yed in the viewfinder; 
0 63).
 Focus will remain locked while the  A(L ) 
button is pressed, even if you later remove your 
finger from the shutter-release button.
AF-S focus mode : Focus will lock automatically when the in-focus indicator 
appears, and remain locked until you  remove your finger from the shutter-
release button.
 Focus can also be locked by pressing the  A (L ) button (see 
above).
3Recompose the photograph and shoot.
Focus will remain locked between shots if you 
keep the shutter-release button pressed halfway 
( AF-S ) or keep the  A (L ) button pressed, 
allowing several photographs in succession to be 
taken at the same focus setting.
Do not change the distance between th e camera and the subject while focus 
lock is in effect.
 If the subject moves, focus again at the new distance.
AThe  A (L ) Button
Custom Setting f2 ( Assign AE-L/AF-L button ; 0 166) controls the behavior of the  A (L ) 
button.
Shutter-release button
A (L ) button 
						

							
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Manual Focus
Manual focus can be used when you are not using an AF-S or AF-I lens or when 
autofocus does not produce the desired results (034).
1Set the lens focus-mode switch.
If the lens is equipped with an A-M or M/A-M mode 
switch, slide the switch to  M.
2Focus.
To focus manually, adjust th e lens focus ring until the 
image displayed on the clear matte field in the viewfinder 
is in focus.
 Photographs can be taken at any time, even 
when the image is not in focus.
❚❚ The Electronic Rangefinder
If the lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster, the 
viewfinder focus indicator can be used to confirm whether the 
subject in the selected focus poin t is in focus (the focus point 
can be selected from any of the 39 focus points).
 After 
positioning the subject in the se lected focus point, press the 
shutter-release button halfway and rotate the lens focus ring 
until the in-focus indicator ( I) is displayed.
 Note that with the subjects listed on 
page 34, the in-focus indicator may someti mes be displayed when the subject is not 
in focus; confirm focus in th e viewfinder before shooting.
A-M
mode switch M/A-M
mode switch 
						

							
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ASelecting Manual Focus with the Camera
If the lens supports M/A (autofocus with manual override), manual 
focus can also be selected by setting the camera focus mode to  MF 
(manual focus;  033).
 Focus can then be adjusted manually, 
regardless of the mode selected with the lens.
AFocal Plane Position
To determine the distance between your subject and the camera, 
measure from the focal plane mark on the camera body.
 The 
distance between the lens mounting flange and the focal plane 
is 46.5 mm (1.83 in.).
AThe Exposure Indicator as Rangefinder
If desired, the exposure indicator can be us ed to determine whether the focus point for 
manual focus is in front of or behind the subject ( 0159).
Focal plane mark
 46.5 mm 
						

							
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Image Quality and Size
Together, image quality and size determine how much space each photograph 
occupies on the memory card.
 Larger, higher quality images can be printed at larger 
sizes but also require more memory, meanin g that fewer such images can be stored 
on the memory card ( 0241).
Image Quality
Choose a file format and compression ratio (image quality).
1Place the cursor in the information display.
If shooting information is not displayed in 
the monitor, press the  P button.
 Press the 
P  button again to place the cursor in the 
information display.
2Display image quality options.
Highlight the current image quality in the 
information display and press  J.
3Choose a file type.
Highlight an option and press  J. To  r e t u r n  t o  
shooting mode, press the shutter-release button 
halfway.
OptionFile typeDescription
NEF (RAW) +  JPEG fine
NEF/
JPEG Two images are recorded: one NEF (RAW ) image and one fine-quality JPEG 
image.
NEF (RAW) +  JPEG normal Two images are recorded: one NEF (RAW ) image and one normal-quality 
JPEG image.
NEF (RAW) +  JPEG basic Two images are recorded: one NEF (RAW ) image and one basic-quality 
JPEG image.
NEF (RAW) NEFRaw 14-bit data from the image sensor are saved directly to the memory 
card.
 Settings such as white balance and contrast can be adjusted after 
shooting.
JPEG fine JPEGRecord JPEG images at a compression 
ratio of roughly 1 : 4 (fine quality).
JPEG normal Record JPEG images at a compression ratio of roughly 1 : 8 (normal quality).
JPEG basic Record JPEG images at a compression ra tio of roughly 1 : 16 (basic quality).
P button Information display 
						

							
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ANEF (RAW) Images
Note that the option selected for image size does not affect the size of NEF (RAW ) images.
 
White balance bracketing ( 083), high dynamic range (HDR,  071), and print date ( 0163) 
are not available at image quality setti ngs of NEF (RAW ) or NEF (RAW )+JPEG.
NEF (RAW ) images can be viewed on the camera or using software such as Capture NX 2 
(available separately;  0209) or ViewNX 2 (available on the supplied ViewNX 2 CD).
 JPEG 
copies of NEF (RAW ) images can be created using the  NEF (RAW) processing option in the 
retouch menu ( 0186).
ANEF (RAW) + JPEG
When photographs taken at NEF (RAW ) + JPEG  are viewed on the camera, only the JPEG 
image will be displayed.
 When photographs taken at these settings are deleted, both NEF 
and JPEG images will be deleted.
AThe Shooting Menu
Image quality can also be adjusted using the  Image quality option 
in the shooting menu ( 0150).
AThe Fn Button
Image quality and size can also be adjusted by  rotating the command dial while keeping the 
Fn  button pressed ( 0165).