D7000 won't take photos at night

<p>Hi,<br>

I use my D7000 for filming fishing videos at night on the beach. When I change the camera to take photos, the camera won't focus on anything. I press the shutter button and I do not see any red squares. I use liveview for filming, but not for taking photos. I tried placing background lights and the camera was still unable to focus. Any help would be appreciated. </p>

 

<p>You could use the built in AF-assist illuminator (custom settings menu a7). Also if you swith to manual focus it should work.</p>

<p>Another consideration would be the lens you are using. A kit lens with a maximum apeture of 5.6 lets in 3 & 1/3 times less light than a 35mm 1.8. Your camera could use this more than 3 stops of light to better AF in low light conditions.</p>

<p>Put the camera in manual focus. I shoot at night all the time.</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

<p>The problem is that the camera uses hard contrast edges to detect focus, and you are in AF-A or AF-S mode. find a high contrast line for the camera to focus on. For example, if I point my camera at a wall, it will just rack focus back and forth without achieving focus lock/confirmation, so it won't let me fire the shutter. If I point it so that the edge of a photo frame is within one of the focus points, it will use it to lock focus. Or, as Nathan and Kent say, switch to MF.</p>

<p>Either shoot manual or use a wider aperture for AF.</p>

<p>--Lannie</p>

<p>I'm surprised the camera will focus in Live-View for video, but not when taking stills?? or does live-view on the D7000 force manual focus, ie doesn't AF itself?</p>

<p>@Mike - No live view doesn't force manual focus - the D7000 will autofocus in liveview and video. </p>

<p>It seems strange though that the camera will autofocus in LV but not in normal mode. </p>

<p>Does it behave like this in daylight also? Or are you using MF in liveview? </p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

<p>Hi Nathan, I checked my menu and I had AF-assist illuminator on. Also how do I focus the subject with MF if I can barely see the subject in the viewfinder? Is there a trick to do this?<br /> Mike & David, I use manual focus when filming with the camera. I also use a 5600K film light and filters to help focus the subject.</p>

<p>You have set Focus Priority on the shutter release.<br>

If you use Shutter Priority release, you would be able to take picture, even if picture is not sharp.</p>

<p>The best is to shoot when you have sufficient light, or use Auto Focus assist light of any external CLS flash in the camera hot shoe, or in the SC29 cord.</p>

"Is there a trick to do this?"

 

Great question. The D7000 does not have that bright of a viewfinder, although much brighter than my D50, so it is very

hard to tell if something is in focus. It is easy to tell if something is way out of focus, so I go from way out of focus in front

of the subject to way out of focus behind the subject, then select a spot in between for OK results.

 

The previous trick works when I forgot to bring a flashlight. The flashlight trick works best, simply shine enough light on

your subject that either the cameras AF or your eye can easily focus on it.

 

Also +1 for using the autofocus assist light of a CLS flash. My SB600 when mounted on the hot shoe projects a nice grid

pattern onto the subject for the AF to lock on to. The only problem with this is who wants to use the flash in the hot

shoe?

<p>Thank you for the suggestions, I will give them a try and let you know how they work.</p>