paul_armendarez Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 <p>I just got a nikon d300 and i was messing around with the depth of field button and i noticed everytime i pushed it, the camera view finder turned darker and the camera made a funny noise. Im just wondering if the darker view finder and funny noise is normal or should alarmed. thanks paul</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lornesunley Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 <p>The "depth of field" (preview) button stops down the lens to the f-stop that will be used to take the picture. This makes a sound. The darker view finder is because less light is admitted through the lens when it is stopped down.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daverhaas Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 <p>Perfectly normal and expected. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilambrose Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 <p>That's exactly what's supposed to happen.</p> <p>When you press the DOF button you're asking the camera to stop the lens down to the set aperture so you can visually check the depth of field. That's the sound you hear. The reason the viewfinder looks darker is because the lens is stopped down to the set aperture so less light is getting in.</p> <p>Normal operation for the lens is to stay at its widest setting for metering and composing, which is why the viewfinder normally looks brighter. When you take the shot the mirror lifts and the lens stops down to the set aperture so the camera can take the image. But it all happens too fast for you to notice, plus when the mirror is lifted you can't see through the lens.</p> <p>Hence the reason for the DOF feature. It allows you to view the scene at the aperture you'll be using.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnw63 Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 <p>If you open the lens all the way up, ( smallest f-stop number ) and press the DoF preview, you will see no change and not hear much at all.</p> <p> </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kris-bochenek Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 <p>nothing to worry about.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pisq Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 <p>how is the viewfinder screen in the D300? most screens only show an almost constant f4 depth of field, so the preview does not show much change other than to become darker...</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
errol young Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 <p>I find the DOF preview to be not that useful even with film cameras. If you stop down enough to make a difference it is too dark to see the results in the viewfinder. With digital, I just snap a pic and look at it. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now