D70 question: how to lock focus during a continuous burst

[freeside]

I'm having trouble with focus on the Nikon D70.

 

Suppose I'm in AF-S mode, set to shoot multiple frames.

 

I press the shutter release halfway, lock focus on my subject, then recompose, moving the

selected focus area away from the subject. Focus remains locked on my subject, so I press

all the way and fire. I want to keep shooting multiple frames with that composition, and I

do not want the camera to helpfully refocus.

 

Isn't the camera supposed to keep the focus locked until I lift my finger off the button?

Right now it seems to refocus between frames.

 

To force it to remain focused on my subject, I can hold down the AE-L/AF-L button, or I

can flick the focus control switch to M instead of AF.

 

But that seems kludgy. Am I missing a CSM? Or is the AE-L/AF-L the recommended way

to do what I want? If so, I would probably set CSM15 to "AF Lock only" and CSM16 to "+

Release" --- that means the AE-L button locks focus, and the shutter release button locks

exposure, and that feels backwards.

[spencer_hahn]

Change to AF-C. AF-S will lock the focus with each exposure, at the expense of speed. AF-C prioritizes speed at the expense of focus lock.

[freeside]

But I don't want it to lock focus between frames; I want the camera to refocus only after

I've lifted my finger from the shutter button.

[aardvarko]

set the AF-L/AE-L button to AF-L and hold it down after a successful focus lock.

[mark_gillett]

Yes, the AF-L button is the way to do it. The camera is supposed to be designed to make it natural to hold that button, but it does take a little practice for it to really feel natural. What your camera is doing is the way it is supposed to work.

[mfeetham]

I'm not sure if you have this option on the D70, but on the D100 you can set the AE/AF lock button to trigger AF. This way the camera doesn't focus when you press the shutter release. This is a little closer to what your looking for, but you still have to use the AE/AF Lock button.

 

Being left handed, this button has always been a pain in the butt for me. Since I use my left eye, my nose ends up slightly in the way of the button.