Nikon D5100 Experience Manual page 29

Nikon D5100 Experience
very quickly done and will become instinctive. You may even start to set your Focus Point as
you approach a scene before even bringing your camera to your eye (you can even use the
Information Display to see which Focus Point is selected – the Focus Point Indicator shown in
Figure 18). But if you wish, you can start by always using the center point and recomposing
before taking the shot.
If the Focus Indicator does not light up and the camera does not take the photo, the camera may
not be finding something to focus on or you may be too close to your subject for the lens to
focus. Autofocus works by looking for contrast, so try focusing on a detail with a strong line or
strong contrast between light and dark. It may not be able to focus on a large area of consistent
color or a subject that is too dark. It can be disrupted by regular patterns or confused when
looking through close objects to objects farther away, such as looking through a fence. When
photographing people, always try to focus somewhere on the face, ideally on the eyes or
eyebrows (see Figure 19).
Figure 18 – Auto Focusing Controls of the D5100
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