Trains

Track-side/Side Shots

Photograph trains as they pass across the frame.

Camera settings
Focus mode	AF‑C
AF-area mode	[Wide-area AF (C1)]
Auto capture settings
[Capture criteria]	[Motion]
[Advanced: Motion]	[Direction]: Upper right to lower left, right to left, and lower right to upper left [Slowest]: [3] [Smallest]: [2]
[Timing options]	[Recording time selection]: [2 s] [Wait after shooting]: [10 s]

The options listed for [Direction] assume that the subjects will be crossing the frame from right to left. Specifying the direction prevents shooting being triggered by trains moving in the opposite direction.
Taking [3] as your reference point, adjust [Slowest] and [Smallest] according to subject speed and size relative to the frame. Users of wide-angle lenses, in particular, will need to choose smaller sizes to reflect the subjects’ smaller apparent size.
We recommend short recording times for long trains to prevent shooting continuing after the lead cars have passed.
To prevent unwanted shots, match the height of the AF area to the height of the train. In this example, the right edge of the focus area is positioned at the extreme right so that shooting will start when the train enters the frame. Even if the camera is slow to detect the train, shooting will have started by the time it reaches the center of the frame.

Photograph trains head on.

Camera settings
Focus mode	AF‑C
AF-area mode	[Auto-area AF]
Auto capture settings
[Capture criteria]	[Distance]
[Advanced: Distance]	[Nearest]: (Varies with location of camera) [Farthest]: (Varies with location of camera)

Target a telephone pole, pylon, or other object near the track to choose the approximate focus distances for [Nearest] and [Farthest], and then fine-tune focus using the command dials.
Using [Target area] to restrict your target to the area over the track helps reduce the number of unintended shots.