Tag Archives: camera

Trap Focus on Nikon D80

1-11Do you know what trap focus is? 
Well, I’ve found out this cool technique yesterday and, if you don’t know it yet, keep reading!

Basically trap focus is when, after doing some abracadabra to the settings of your camera, you choose a point to focus the camera and as soon as a subject enter in that area and it’s 100% in focus, click!, the camera start shooting automatically.

Ok, now I’m going to explain you how this technique works on a Nikon D80.. I presume it’s pretty the same on other Nikons and should be quite similar on Canon cameras too..

  1. Set your lens and camera for autofocus
    You can do it with manual focus too, but it’s probably easier with autofocus
  2. Set your camera in autofocus single-area AF-S
    In this mode when you press the shutter release button the camera will first focus and then take a photo. No photos will be taken before the camera has focused.
  3. Set AF-AREA to “Single Area” 
    It’s in the Pencil Menu – 03. That means it will use a single point to focus.
  4. Set the AE-L/AF-L button to “AF”
    Pencil menu – 15. This means: the camera will autofocus only when you press the AE-L/AF-L button, not when you press the shutter release button.


What you are doing is saying to your camera: 

  • I don’t want you to autofocus before taking a shot. 
  • I want you to take a photo only when the autofocus has done its job
  • I want to tell you where the trap-focus area will be pointing the camera somewhere and focusing


How does it work:

  1. Tell a friend to go few meters away from you.
  2. Point your camera (a wide aperture is better) to your friend.
  3. Press the AE-L/AF-L button. This will autofocus the camera in that point. Now you have your trap-focus in that area. (point4)
  4. Ask your friend to move further from you.
  5. Now the cool part: Press & keep pressing the shutter release button. The camera will not take a photo because you told her (yes, she’s female, at least in Italian) to obtain focus before releasing the shutter (point 2/3), however you’ve already focused on an area but in that moment the camera doesn’t see anything focused.. so she’ll just wait..
  6. Ask your friend to come closer.. (hug if you like, later)
  7. As soon as your friend enters in the trap-focus area… clikclickclickclick! The camera will automatically take photos!


It’s so funny, I spent one hour just doing these stupid things..

How can you use it:

  • Sport photography (car racing for example, you point somewhere and wait the cars)
  • Street photography – wide lenses (focus few meter away, walk, point you camera to the other people)
  • Street photography – long long lenses (that’s probably interesting, however I don’t have big zoom lens so I’ve not tried… you could just set a wide aperture, point your camera somewhere and wait people entering in the trap focus area)
  • Spy photography (just kidding…using a remote external shutter release and pointing the camera to your neighbor’s window – especially if she’s hot)
  • Wildlife?


Anyway, it’s a funny cool technique, have fun!