Focus lock and recompose—unlearn it now
The so-called “focus lock and recompose” technique should be unlearned in the digital age, especially on a full-frame camera like the Nikon D3. The technique consists of focusing on the desired subject matter, then recomposing the image (shifting the view) somewhere else. This technique is a sure recipe for making the desired subject matter go blurry—not just because the plane of sharp focus shifts away from the subject, but also because field curvature might come into play. Field curvature is more common than generally realized, and it’s present in one of my favorite lenses, the Zeiss ZF 25/2.8 Distagon. Stopping down helps, but stopping down ruins any photo which makes intelligent use of zones of sharpness and unsharpness.
A soft cookie
Of course, if one is shooting a camera like the Leica M8 with its single center-focusing area, there is no choice—meaning time and experience are required to avoid soft photos shot at wider apertures and/or non-optimal placement of the zone of sharp detail.
