Nikon D200 User Manual

Page 15

Focus Area Mode Selector Switch

The Focus Area Mode Selector Switch lets you choose how the D200's brilliant AF
system uses all 11 sensors. This switch is important for switching from shooting static
subjects to action.

Little Box: Leave it as shown to use just one sensor. That's how I shoot still subjects. You
use the thumb button to choose which sensor. Nikon calls this "Single-area AF."

Cross: The next position up is for sports and action. Set AF-C mode on the front of the
D200. Choose the AF sensor with the thumb switch. The D200 sets focus using that
sensor and tracks your subject, even if it moves around the frame! It really works. It will
track birds, runners, cars or anything. It's easy for the D200 to track a bird against a blank
sky. It's tougher for it to stay locked you have a lot of other things immediately in front or
behind your subject. Nikon calls this "Dynamic-area AF."

Diamond: This does the same as the previous position, except it limits the D200 to the AF
areas next to the chosen sensor. Nikon calls this "Group-dynamic AF." You can tweak
some of this function in the

Custom Settings Menu a4

. I never use this setting.

White Rectangle: The D200 chooses the best sensor automatically. It ignores your input.
Use this when you hand your camera to a non-photographer or when the action is too fast
for you to be able to choose sensors. It works great: I got lazy one day and photographed
a bunch of kids this way, and everything looked perfect. Nikon's name for this, even less
understandable than the others, is "Dynamic area AF with closest subject priority."

The D200 doesn't display the focus area that it has chosen while shooting in three modes.
You can see which it chose in playback if you go to MENU > PLAYBACK MENU > Display
Mode, check "Focus Area" and select OK.

Pac Man Switch:

this cool switch does nothing but pop open the CF card door.