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Hi there- I have a Tokina 100mm and a Nikon D7500. When I'm in autofocus mode on both the lens and camera body, I press the shutter button halfway to acquire focus—I get a beep, but the focus point on the camera doesn't go from red to green—it stays red. Is this normal for a 3rd party lens on a Nikon body? The resulting photo seems to be in focus. Thanks for your help.

Here's a photo of how it detaches. I was assuming this meant I could screw on a different ball head w/ a 3/8" stud, but, based on what's pictured here, is that accurate?

Thanks for your help. If I just got an Arca Swiss ball head that supports 20+ lbs and put that on the Promaster (which is Arca Swiss), do you think it could hold the additional weight?

I have a Promaster XC522 tripod (max load: ~11 lbs) that I love using and traveling with, since it’s light but sturdy and collapses really well. Every once in a while, the head sags a bit under the weight of my camera and lens, so I have been thinking of upgrading the ball head to one that supports more weight. I haven’t had any issues with the legs and weight so far—it always feels secure. Question #1: Is it accurate that upgrading just the ball head will help the occasional sage? (as opposed to necessarily having to upgrade the entire tripod body) That said, I’ve also been thinking of getting an iOptron Sky Tracker Pro for astrophotography, in which case I probably would need a new tripod with both a strong head and a strong base. Question #2: If I did get a second more heavy-duty tripod, would I be able to take the ball head off that and use on my Promaster for travel and more casual use as long as the second ball head is Arca-Swiss compatible? (my Promaster is Arca Swiss compatible) Finally, here’s the weight in play: Nikon D7500 w/ battery: 1.6 lbs Lens range 1.2 - 4.43 lbs iOptron Sky Tracker Pro Camera Mount with Polar Scope: 6.6 lbs iOptron Counterweight Package: 2.97 lbs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 lbs minimum Question #3: Any recommendations for a good, sturdy tripod around $100 or so that would cover at the very least 16 lbs but in reality would support more weight in case I were to upgrade to a full frame camera with full frame lenses? Thanks for your help!

I have friends who are on the D850, and they've sworn by the additional landscape detail and dynamic range that the full frame and the 40+ megapixels (D850/Z7) provide. They've also noted overall better performance in astro in terms of ISO/noise management.

I currently have a Nikon D7500 with a ton of specialty DX lenses (wide-angle, fisheye, standard zoom, telephoto zoom, macro, primes). I only have two FX-compatible lenses: Nikon 50mm and Tokina 100mm. I'm trying to decide whether my next system should be Nikon FF or Nikon Mirrorless. I mostly shoot landscape & walking shots in cities, but also have started to do some introductory astrophotography and moon shooting. For creativity and variety, I like to occasionally dabble with other specialty lens cases like macro, wildlife, etc. I don't really do any people photography. A couple of considerations from my end: I like Nikon and prefer to stay with them. I know that I will need to buy at least a couple of new lenses to start on either system. I tend not to buy the most expensive lenses in a given category and instead have been happy using lenses that rate very well but also don't break the bank: e.g. Tokina (e.g. 11-16, 100), Nikon (35, 18-140, 70-300), Sigma, and Tamron. While I know I can't use my DX lenses on either system without quality loss, ideally I'd love to be able to carry over those 2 FX lenses to the new system, so I at least have a few additional options beyond the core lenses I'd have to buyt. But it's not an absolute requirement, since neither is a heavy-use lens for me. A couple of questions: For the type of stuff I shoot, would full frame and mirrorless be a toss-up? (i.e. either system would be good for what I do) In the year 2020/2021, is it smart to make a big investment in a full-frame camera and FX lenses, or is mirrorless the smarter long-term bet? I know that more mirrorless lenses are hitting the market, but, realistically if I upgrade in 2020/2021, would I be forcing myself into pretty expensive Nikon lenses vs. waiting for the Tokinas/Tamrons of the world to catch up? I'd really appreciate any gut-level reactions and advice. Thanks!

Thanks for your reply! I have been using Live View for manual focusing, and normally I have no problems with it. But, for moon photos, I don't see any details to focus on in the interior of the moon--it's just a bright ball of light. That's where I've had to focus on the pulsing swirls around the edges of the moon. Am I doing anything wrong? (I am on a tripod btw and am usually set around F8, 1/125, ISO 100-400).

Thanks for your reply and the helpful info! I'm definitely shooting with a tripod, and I've already moved away from full moons for the reason you mentioned—the attached shot was from my ever foray. That's a really interesting suggestion with the Spiratone. Am I correct that it's a T-Mount lens, and I'd need something like Celestron T-Mount SLR Camera Adapter for Nikon F-Mount to attach it to my Nikon D7500 F-Mount?

I have a Nikon D7500 and a Nikkor DX 70-300mm (4.5 VR AF-P). I've started doing Moon photos these last couple of months. I've been fairly happy with the results so far, but I'd love to get larger shots with more detail & sharpness. (My zoomed-in edited shots are ending up around 850 x 850 pixels) That said, I'm not looking to spend a lot, since I don't otherwise do much telephoto shooting like wildlife or sports. I was researching the Kenko 1.4x DGX teleconverter, but it sounds like autofocus likely wouldn't work with my lens. I'm not averse to manual focus but, so far, I've found it hard to manually focus on the moon because I can't see any details through my camera's viewfinder even when zoomed in--I've ended up having to focus on the edges of the Moon's corona (not sure that's the right word). Would that be less of an issue with the teleconverter? In other words, would I be able to see and manually focus significantly better with the 1.4x addition? If that's not an option, I'd probably be willing to spend up to 500 for a used lens that goes out to 400 or 600mm, but it doesn't seem like there really are any options for that price, even used. Am I missing any obvious contenders? So, with that, I'm wondering if the best approach might be a telescope + ring + adapter. If yes, does anyone have any good recommendations to go with the D7500 for this? All that said, I've love any high-level feedback or suggestions on what the best approach might be here, including things I haven't yet considered. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

That's it! Thank you so much!!!

I have a Nikon D7500. In LiveView for photos with camera and lens set to manual focus, I frequently tap the touch screen to highlight an area that I want to zoom in on and focus against. All of a sudden today, the screen won't respond to my tapping to move the box. I think I must have accidentally changed a setting. Can somebody let me know what I need to do to get it back? (The screen generally still seems to respond to touch, as I can pinch and zoom within a photo I've already taken) Thanks!!

I have a Nikon 7500 and a bunch of specialty DX lenses. I've been thinking about upgrading to full-frame or mirrorless at some point, so I've been reading up on lens compatibility. I'm a little confused about what I'm reading (and have read some contradictory claims). I hoped somebody might clarify for me: If I used a DX lens like a Samyang 8mm, Tokina 11-16mm, Nikon 35mm, Nikon 18-140, or Nikon 70-300mm on a Nikon full frame: Would I get the same photo view as I would on my Nikon 7500? (i.e. the cropped sensor view) Would the megapixel quality be the same, less, or greater than on my Nikon 7500? Would vignetting occur on all DX lenses, or just certain lenses at certain focal lengths? If I used a DX lens like a Samyang 8mm, Tokina 11-16mm, Nikon 35mm, Nikon 18-140, or Nikon 70-300mm on a Nikon mirrorless with converter: Would I get the same photo view as I would on my Nikon 7500? (i.e. the cropped sensor view) Would the megapixel quality be the same, less, or greater than on my Nikon 7500? Would vignetting occur on all DX lenses, or just certain lenses at certain focal lengths? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for all that info--it's really helpful! @DavidTriplett I am currently using a Nikon D7500. Your point about F8 is a really good reminder for me. I have been using PhotoPills to give me the maximum shutter speed before stars would become blurry. But, because I'm on DX and am trying to keep my ISO low, I have been almost exclusively shooting in F2.8 to let in maximum light. In that case, I suppose I'm also running the risk of getting star bokeh if I'm focusing on the foreground tree or tree bokeh if I'm focusing on the stars. It hasn't been an issue so far, but I will definitely start paying more attention to hyperfocal from the outset and also experiment with F8 using my setup. Thanks again!

Let's say I'm shooting the starry night sky, with a prominent object in the foreground that I want to have as the lead-in part of the composition (e.g. a tree or a structure). I've been told that, for pinpoint stars, I should always be using manual focus against the brightest star in the sky. My question is this: Is that always the case, even if you have a prominent object in the foreground? Or, in those cases, should you be manually focusing on that foreground object? What would the best focus point to get the sharpest focus, from beginning to end, in cases where stars are the end? Any help would be appreciated! (If it matters, I'm using a Tokina 11-16, F2.8)

I haven’t yet gotten comfortable with manual focus—even at night, I’m usually lighting up the foreground and auto focusing against that. My plan is to ramp up on manual focus, but I do need a sharp autofocus for both day and night for now, which is why some of the reviews were concerning me.

I have a D7500 and was considering getting one of these Tokina lenses for wide angle night photography: 11-20mm f/2.8 AF AT-X 11-20 F2.8 PRO DX 14-20mm f/2 AF AT-X 14-20 F2 PRO DX 11-16mm f/2.8 AF AT-X 116 PRO DX II I've seen a lot of reviews that mention issues with Tokinas not being able to consistently autofocus on Nikon bodies. Some say they're fine on the 7000 series; other say they're not, or that they require camera settings changes each time you use them. And I saw at least one review that said newer Tokina models have fixed the autofocusing issue. Does anyone know which (if any) of the above would be safe on a D7500, as far as autofocus goes? Thanks!

Hi all- I have a Nikon D7500 (DX). I currently have a Tamron 18-200 as a walking/travel lens for landscapes, cityscapes, etc. I recently ran EXIFTool against my trip photos and found that I live in the 18-100mm range and barely use 101-200mm (I do have a separate wide angle that I use for 20mm and under circumstances). I'm thinking about replacing the Tamron with a shorter focal range so I can get more sharpness/quality in the range that I shoot (e.g. 18-?? or 24-??). Does anyone have recommendations for Nikon, Sigma, Tamron, Tokina etc. lenses in that 18-??? or 24-???-type range that are known for sharpness? My budget would be around $500 or less, but I would also like to know what the best expensive lenses in this category would be as well. Thanks!

Thank you--this explains so much. Even though I do side-to-side/up-and-down autofocus-and-recompose all the time within my landscape/cityscape compositions, I wasn't making the mental connection that it's locking in distance rather than subject (even though it should have been obvious to me). That's why I was thinking I was violating some cardinal rule of the universe by autofocusing on something that wasn't even going to end up within the compositional frame. Thanks much!

I totally get what you're saying....I may be overstating what I mean by "interesting." Check out the attached for a better example....In this case, in my opinion, the whole thing is interesting but there's not one singular element to focus on--it's the sum of the parts. At the same time, since it was a roadside thing with limited time and movement options, I couldn't get down and positioned more dramatically behind the bush in the foreground. So I think I just focused on the bush from where I was, but wasn't happy with the overall end result--it didn't seem sharp throughout the entire picture (and the bush didn't seem so sharp either). If it were you, where would you have focused in this one?

I'm not sure I follow. Are you saying to put my hand two feet in front of the lens, focus on it, and then remove it from the frame?

This is all super helpful! If I can tap your expertise further, this photo example actually hits on a challenge I've been facing with hyperfocal experimentation to date. I've been using PhotoPills, and, for a Nikon D7500 at 10mm at F8, it's telling me that my hyperfocal is 2 feet. My problem (as shown in my attached shots) is that the ground 2 feet in front of the camera is not in frame at 10 mm. So what I've been doing instead has been single point autofocusing on the nearest ground in front of me using the bottom middle single focus point and then recomposing up. The dual problem there would seem to be: 1) that groundpoint in frame is likely to be, say, 10-20 feet rather than the hyperfocal 2 feet and 2) the up-and-down autofocus and recomposing across that plane isn't likely to be helping my sharpness issues. So, in this example photo, how would I best achieve the hyperfocal? And a more theoretical question: Should I mainly be using hyperfocal in cases like the attached photo where there's nothing of particular interest in the foreground, midground, or background and instead you're just documenting the breadth of an entire landscape scene? And let's say 40 feet into this photo, there was a nondescript bush, but your eye would still naturally go in that direction....even if I'm still just documenting the entire scene, should I ditch the hyperfocal and instead set focus on the bush? Thanks again SO much for any help you can provide!

I'm struggling with landscape sharpness from front to back in a scene like the attached. I've tried the 1/3 rule of thumb for hyperfocal, but just realized I may have been misinterpreting that. I'm also trying manual focus and I'm a little confused about elements of it. Can someone help me with feedback on the below scenarios? I'd appreciate it! Auto-Focus Mode - I shot both of these in AF-S (stationary) single point focus. - These are both F8, ~1/160s, ISO 100, no tripod, Sigma 10-20 at 10mm - I think I've been misunderstanding the rough 1/3 of the way into the picture shorthand rule of thumb for hyperfocal. I had been interpreting it as the lower horizontal third in the viewfinder (in this shot, corresponds to the immediate right of the foreground tree shadow), but now I'm wondering if the 1/3 way focus point should be somewhere between the foul pole and the infield dirt because, if you factor in total distance to background tree line, that might be a more accurate rendering of 1/3 the total distance. Is that right? Where would you place you focus point in this picture for hyperfocal sharpness? - I've attached one where the autofocus point was to the right of the foreground tree shadow and another where it was between infield and outfield. Despite what I said above, I don't notice any practical difference in sharpness. Manual Focus Mode - I'm trying to learn how to do this, as I've read recommendations to use it for landscape sharpness. - In other shots, I tried to manually focus around where I thought the hyperfocal was, but, in the sunlight, I couldn't see enough in Live View to tell whether it was indeed sharp in that area. - If you were doing Manual Focus in the sunlight, how would you go about a shot like this? (e.g. I think I read a suggestion somewhere about setting the focus ring to just short of infinity for landscapes and not worrying about ever dialing in focus, or something like that, but wasn't sure if that was correct or feasible)

I have a Nikkor 10-24 (77mm thread) on a crop sensor D7500. I want to get an ND filter for shooting waterfalls, but want to do what I can to avoid vignetting on the wide angle. - I have a UV filter on already and ideally would like to keep that on for protection. I was looking at getting an ICE 77mm thread - https://www.amazon.com/ND1000-Filter-Neutral-Density-Optical/dp/B00GMXD9E8/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1530984184&sr=1-3&keywords=ice+77mm+10+stop - To avoid vignetting, should I shoot closer to the 24 with that lens? Would that take care of it? Or should I instead get the ICE 82 mm and a step-up ring from 77mm to 82 mm?

Thanks again for all your help! I did end up getting the Samyang SYHD8M-N, which B&H confirmed is the same as the Rokinon HD8M-N. So far so good with the photo quality. One thing I've noticed that's a little odd....When I'm inside and looking through the view finder, I can see and move the black focus square around as normal, and, when I depress it like I would with my other lenses, the focus square goes red and then I take the photo (even if it's presumably not actually focusing). But, when I go outside and do the same, the focus square never goes red. That said, the photos seem OK either way. So I guess my two questions would be: 1. Is the red-only-sometimes of any concern and/or do I need to adapt anything I'm doing? 2. Assuming that the depress'ing isn't locking the focus or anything, does moving the focus square around actually do anything? From something you said above, it sounded like that was the case (the enormous depth of field notwithstanding), but I wanted to confirm. Thanks again!

Sorry, one more question...I know that Rokinons also appear under the Bower and Samyang brand. Is the Samyang SYHD8M-N the same as the Rokinon HD8m-n? From the B&H page, it seems to be a similar update with the removable hood, but it also mentions an "an electronic circuit which allows for full control of exposure parameters accessible from the Nikon camera, including i-TTL flash communication and EXIF data with all Nikon Digital SLR cameras." Do you know if, like the Rokinon, that'd cover the auto-exposure, auto-aperture, and focus confirmation? It's so hard to tell given the variation in names, listings, and lack of documentation across the web. Thanks again!