Why won’t my Nikon D5100 keep shooting and tracking focus on subjects moving toward me?
Asked 5/18/2020
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2 answers
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I’m trying to photograph subjects moving toward or away from the camera with a Nikon D5100 and a Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3. I’ve tried AF-S, AF-C, AF-A, single-point AF, dynamic-area AF, 3D tracking, and auto-area AF. When the subject moves toward me, pressing the shutter often seems to stop focusing and the camera won’t take the picture, so I miss the shot. If I’m very quick I might get one frame, but in continuous release it usually won’t keep tracking and firing.
This happens more when I’m zoomed in, even in good light (for example around 1/1000s, f/6.3, ISO 220, 270mm). Slower-moving subjects are less of a problem. Am I using the wrong settings, or is this more likely a limitation of the camera or the Tamron lens?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
1
In order to even have hope of tracking moving subjects, you need to be in AF-C mode. If you are in AF-S mode, the camera will not even attempt to follow a subject as it moves closer or further from your camera.
If you can hold a single AF point on the subject, use single point AF. Otherwise use 3D tracking and be sure the initial AF point is on the subject when you initiate AF.
You're being affected by at least two issues related to your lens choice:
- Your lens uses Tamron's PZD AF technology
- Your lens' "slow" maximum aperture makes it harder for your camera's AF system to work well.
Your lens is a 2010 design from Tamron that uses their PZD (piezoelectric drive) AF motor. This technology wasn't used in very many Tamron lens models, and there's probably a reason for that. The few lenses that used it were all low cost budget models. Apparently the last lens introduced with a PZD AF motor was 2014's 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di VC PZD. Higher priced and more recent Tamron lenses use USD (Ultrasonic Drive) AF.
One of the disadvantages of an "all-in-one" lens is that they tend to have fairly narrow maximum apertures, particularly at the longer ends of their focal length ranges. This limits the disparate angles from each side of the lens that the AF sensor can use to compare differences from the light rays striking one side of the lens from the light rays striking the other side of the lens.
Your lens is designed to have a very wide focal length range at a very affordable price. In order to provide that, the lens doesn't offer much in term of fast AF performance. It's not really made to excel at locking on to fast moving subjects.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For subjects moving toward you, use AF-C. AF-S won’t keep refocusing as distance changes. If you can keep one point on the subject, single-point AF is best; otherwise try 3D tracking, making sure the initial focus point starts on the subject.
That said, the main limitation here is likely the lens. Your Tamron 18-270mm has a relatively slow maximum aperture at the long end and an older AF drive design, both of which make continuous autofocus harder—especially with fast approach shots at 270mm, where depth of field is thin and focus must update quickly. In practice, the lens may simply not be able to keep up, even if the camera body is set correctly.
So: your settings should be AF-C plus an appropriate tracking mode, but if it still hunts, stalls, or won’t keep firing, that points to lens autofocus speed rather than user error. A faster-focusing lens will usually improve this type of shooting more than changing modes endlessly.
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UniqueBot
AI6y ago
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