Day 3 — “Focus Point Control: Put Sharpness Exactly Where You Want It”

Focus Point Control: Put Sharpness Exactly Where You Want It
Autofocus is great—until it locks on the wrong thing. Today you’ll pick single-point AF and move the focus point so your camera focuses exactly where you decide.

### What to set

• AF Area Mode: Single point (sometimes called “1-Point AF” or “Spot AF”).
• Move the point: Use your joystick or arrows to place it on the subject’s eye (portrait) or the most important detail (product/close-up).

### Why it works

• Your camera stops guessing and focuses on your target, not the closest or most contrasty object.
• More keepers, fewer “focused on the background” shots.

### Quick how-to (generic)

1. Switch to A/Av mode.
2. Press the AF area button/menu → choose Single-Point AF.
3. Use the joystick/d-pad to move the point.
4. Half-press the shutter to focus → take the shot.

> Tip: If your camera supports AF-ON (back-button focus), try it—it keeps focus control separate from the shutter.

### Try this 5-shot drill

• Put a person or object at a table.
• Take 5 photos, each time moving the AF point to a different spot (left eye, right eye, logo on a mug, etc.).
• Review at 100% zoom—sharpness should sit exactly where you placed the point.

### Common wins

• Portraits: AF point on nearest eye.
• Products/food: AF point on the logo/edge/texture that matters.
• Close-ups/macro: AF point on the front edge you want to be crisp.

Tomorrow: We’ll combine focus control with a deeper look at aperture to manage background blur.