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Priority Setup 289

6.19 PRIORITY SETUP

Menu Position MENU  4  Priority Setup

What it Does Lets you select between “Only take a picture if the camera
thinks the subject is in focus” and “Take the picture NOW, damn you!!”

Recommended Setting I strongly endorse “Release”, but it really depends
on your personal tastes and working style.

There is a very important function which was designed to work in
conjunction with Continuous Focus mode: It is called “Autofocus Priority”,
and it essentially means “When I press the shutter release button down all
the way, don’t take the picture unless the subject is actually in focus!” This
is how the camera is set by default, and this is a pretty good setting which
helps to ensure that all of your pictures of moving subjects (or even those
that stay still!) come out sharp in good light. In Autofocus Priority mode;
when you press the shutter release button, the camera will autofocus first
and then shoot. If for some reason the camera can’t find focus, you’ll get a
flashing green dot in the viewfinder display, and the camera will not take a
picture.
So what is “Release Priority”, and why would you need it? The answer is,
as you get more experienced shooting sports using Continuous Focus mode,
you will find that there will be times that the subject is indeed in focus (or
is so close that it’s “good enough”) and yet the camera doesn’t realize it,
causing you to miss the shot while the camera wastes precious time
hunting.
So if you ever find yourself saying, “Take the picture NOW, %$#@$%!!”,
then you are SO ready for Release Priority mode. Release Priority mode
tells the camera to take the picture WHEN YOU PRESS THE SHUTTER
RELEASE BUTTON, whether it thinks the image is in focus or not.
History is filled with important pictures that were either out of focus or
poorly exposed. Using the combination of Continuous Autofocus and
Release Priority, the camera will do its best to quickly get the subject into
focus, while you wait for the decisive moment to occur. The camera will
never disobey your direct order to SHOOT! It’s a great partnership.