How can I see which autofocus point was used after taking a photo on a Nikon DSLR?
Asked 4/25/2014
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I sometimes find that an otherwise good shot has a blurred subject, and I want to work out whether the issue was focus placement rather than motion blur or depth of field. I shoot with a Nikon DSLR and edit on macOS. Is there a way to review a photo afterward and see which autofocus point was active when the image was taken? Also, are there any limitations when interpreting that information?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
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Yes. Nikon’s ViewNX/ViewNX 2 software can display the active autofocus point(s) used for a shot, and the image metadata also includes other useful details such as focal length.
A few cautions when interpreting the result:
- If you used focus-and-recompose, the software shows the AF point position at the moment of exposure, not necessarily where that point was aimed when focus was locked.
- On many DSLRs, each AF point’s actual sensitive area is larger than the small marker shown in the viewfinder. The camera focuses on the strongest contrast within that larger area, so focus may land on something near your intended subject.
- 1/200 s is not a universal guarantee against blur; subject motion, camera movement, focal length, and depth of field still matter.
So yes, reviewing AF points can help diagnose misses, but combine that with shutter speed, aperture, and shooting method when evaluating why an image looks soft.
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