D500 TIPS - AF-Area Mode | Technical Solutions

Single-point AF
Control panel
Viewfinder
Focus-point display: Selection
Focus-point display: Shooting

The focus point is selected manually. The camera focuses on the subject in the selected focus point only. Choose for subjects you can keep framed in the selected focus point.

25-point dynamic-area AF
Control panel
Viewfinder
Focus-point display: Selection
Focus-point display: Shooting
72-point dynamic-area AF
Control panel
Viewfinder
Focus-point display: Selection
Focus-point display: Shooting
153-point dynamic-area AF
Control panel
Viewfinder
Focus-point display: Selection
Focus-point display: Shooting

The focus point is selected manually. The camera focuses on the subject in the selected focus point when autofocus is initiated, but if the subject later leaves the selected point for brief periods, the camera will focus based on information from surrounding points (the edges of the area surrounding the selected focus point are shown by small dots, but all 25, 72, or 153 focus points in the area are used for focus). Choose for low-contrast subjects if the camera has difficulty focusing or for active subjects that are hard to keep framed in a single point, and increase the number of points if the subject is moving unpredictably or occupies a large area of the frame. Choose a setting one level higher for subjects at the edge of the frame.

3D-tracking
Control panel
Viewfinder
Focus-point display: Selection
Focus-point display: Shooting

The initial focus point is selected manually. While the shutter-release button is pressed halfway, the camera uses color information to track subjects that leave the selected focus point and selects new focus points as required.

Group-area AF
Control panel
Viewfinder
Focus-point display: Selection
Focus-point display: Shooting

The camera focuses using all the focus points in a group around the point selected by the user, reducing the risk of the camera focusing on the background. Choose for subjects that are difficult to photograph using a single focus point.

Auto-area AF
Control panel
Viewfinder
Focus-point display: Selection
Focus-point display: Shooting

The camera automatically detects the subject and selects the focus point. Priority is given to the faces of any portrait subjects detected.

Custom Settings

For faster AF-area mode selection, you can:

Assign specific AF-area modes to buttons using Custom Setting f1 (see this section): If you assign 72-point dynamic-area AF to the Pv button and group-area AF to the lens focus function buttons, for example, and then select 25-point dynamic-area AF with the AF-mode button and sub-command dial, you can keep the Pv button pressed to take pictures with 72-point dynamic-area AF, keep a lens focus function button pressed to take pictures with group-area AF, or release both buttons to take pictures with 25-point dynamic- area AF.

Match AF-area mode to camera orientation using Custom Setting a7 (see this section): Select Focus point and AF-area mode to link AF-area mode selection to camera orientation.

Restrict AF-area mode selection using Custom Setting a9 (see this section).

Technical Solutions | D500 TIPS

AF-Area Mode

Custom Settings