Switching from AF to MF turns off the motor in the lens.
Several variables affect whether or not an action shot turns out sharp and clear, including focus, f-stop, shutter speed, film ISO and flash. The low light typical of indoor situations causes further complications. Having the proper settings and focus ready before the action begins will increase success. The auto focus and other auto settings common on modern cameras may seem like a convenient solution, but a camera's auto settings may not always create the best possible picture.
Instructions
1. Load film into the camera. Use ISO 800 film or higher for action shots. If you're using a digital camera, load the memory card and battery. Then turn on the digital camera and set your ISO to 800.
2. Attach the lens to the camera.
3. Set up a tripod, if you are using one, and attach the camera.
4. Move the auto focus switch on the camera lens from AF to MF. AF means "auto focus" and MF means "manual focus." Moving the switch to MF turns off the auto focus motor in the lens.
5. Set the aperture of the lens to the widest f-stop, such as f4.5. This will allow you to see better when you're focusing. F-stop refers to the size of the aperture opening. The smaller the number f-stop, the wider open the aperture will be. The larger the number f-stop, the narrower the aperture opening will be.
6. Look in the camera's viewfinder, and turn the focal length ring to zoom in on the subject or on something that's an equal distance away from the camera. There are two rings that rotate on the lens. The ring nearest to the camera body adjusts focal length for zooming in and out.
7. Turn the focus ring on the lens left or right until the image in the viewfinder is sharp and clear. The ring farthest from the camera body is the focus ring.
8. Zoom out to the desired focal length.
9. Set the aperture to the desired f-stop. A narrow f-stop, such as f16, provides more depth of field, which means more of the picture will be in focus.
10. Set the shutter speed. A fast shutter speed (such as 1/100 of a second) decreases the blur of a moving subject.
11. Turn on the camera's flash. Using a narrow aperture and a fast shutter speed in low light will result in a dark picture unless the flash is on.
12. Take a test picture to make sure the settings are appropriate if you're using a digital camera.
Tags: auto focus, shutter speed, digital camera, focal length, aperture opening, auto settings, camera body
