Does the Nikon D3300 autofocus when using the ML-L3 wireless remote?
Asked 8/8/2017
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I use a Nikon D3300 with the ML-L3 wireless remote and want to know what happens with autofocus when I press the remote shutter button. Since the ML-L3 only has a single button and no half-press, does the camera still try to autofocus before taking the shot? If focus is not confirmed, will it still release the shutter?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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I can't find an exact source for that, but from my experience, since the D3300 lacks the custom settings menu and the AF-S and AF-C priority selection that D5xxx, D7xxx and upper level models have and since the remote only has one button (no half-press), the camera will try to acquire focus for a short while after pressing the button and then it will take a picture (it will treat this button press as both half-press and full-press in succession). If it can't confirm the focus, it may fail taking a picture. To remedy this, you have two options:
Set the AE-L/AF-L button to AF-ON (if you can't find your way to do this, Google "D3300 back button AF"). This will decouple the AF acquisition from the shutter button and hence the remote button will only act as shutter release. Thus, if you focus in advance (if it's possible), the remote will only trigger the shutter and won't bother with AF.
[somewhat related to the previous one] Focus in advance using whatever method you find convenient and switch the lens to manual focus (using the little physical switch on the side of the lens). This way the camera won't try to confirm anything related to focus and will take a picture right away when pressing the button on the remote.
Originally by user31714. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user31714
8y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—on the D3300, pressing the ML-L3 remote button generally acts like a half-press and full-press in sequence. The camera will usually try to autofocus briefly, then take the picture.
Because the remote has only one button, you can’t separately half-press to focus first. If the camera cannot achieve focus, it may fail to take the shot.
A practical workaround is to use back-button focus (assign AF to the AE-L/AF-L button as AF-ON). That separates focusing from shutter release, so you can focus first on the camera, then use the remote only to trigger the shutter without refocusing.
This can be helpful for tripod shots, self-portraits, or any setup where you want focus locked before firing remotely.
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