Tracking and continuous focussing was supposedly the biggest gain, along with focusing at f/8, there were also big gain in handling the blackout times during burst shooting. TBh, if you only manually select AF points and shoot static subjects then I am not sure why you are expecting aching to get any better, the D800 like the D700 can focus as fast as any lens can allow. You tend to use fast prime lenses, these all tend to have slow AF. Try a 70-200mm f2.8 to really see the speed. No future AF system will ever make the lens focus faster than its motor and gearing system allow.
Changing from Canon to Nikon
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Tracking and continuous focussing was supposedly the biggest gain, along with focusing at f/8, there were also big gain in handling the blackout times during burst shooting. TBh, if you only manually select AF points and shoot static subjects then I am not sure why you are expecting aching to get any better, the D800 like the D700 can focus as fast as any lens can allow. You tend to use fast prime lenses, these all tend to have slow AF. Try a 70-200mm f2.8 to really see the speed. No future AF system will ever make the lens focus faster than its motor and gearing system allow.
Soldato
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In good light even primes focus pretty fast. In low light AF speed takes a hammering.
What I was expecting was to be able to shoot in lower light before AF slows down.
This is an area that can be greatly improved, out with AF assist lamps I say...
What I was expecting was to be able to shoot in lower light before AF slows down.
This is an area that can be greatly improved, out with AF assist lamps I say...
I have never seen a comparison of the canon 65mm against an ordinary macro with tubes. With most tubes you loose AF but the canon 65mm is manual focus anyway. In theory the canon could be sharper because it will be optimized for that magnification, but I don't know if this holds true in realiy.
For birds you definitely want to stick with crop camera, and good AF helps for birds in flight tremendously. You might find canon slightly better for lens choices at a budget but there isn't a huge difference. Canon have a 400mm f5.6 prime which is a popular lenses for birders, on Nikon you don't have such a prime but can use a 300mm f/4 with a 1.4xTc to get similar results. Canon have a 100-400mm L which is good value for money, the new Nikon 80-400 AF-S VR2 is optically much better but is more expensive. The older Nikon 80-400 AF-D VR is similar optically to the canon but slower AF. The canon lens is quite old and will be replaced soon (the Nikon lens was also very old until it got replaced recently). The canon 300mm has an option with IS, the Nikon doesn't yet but might get replaced this year with a model that does.
So you might want to look closely at lenses for both systems. I have listed the best of the "affordable" teles. At the cheaper end the Nikon 70-300mm is superb, as is the canon 70-300mm L. At the higher price end all lenses are amazingly good and amazingly expensive, but canon have really massively increased their prices. I assume this wont affect you unless y.ou have a spare 8k to spend...
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Soldato
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My autofocus tubes have always worked well.
I've never noticed a big change beyond what is to be expected- with less light there is less signal and more noise so harder to discriminate. It also comes down to accuracy svs speed- at low light levels with less SNR then a system will have to be more careful not to make errors. Camera manufacturers prioritize accuracy over speed during single shot AF. You might find in AF-C mode you get faster focusing but less reliability.
Also, the AF sensors are not sensitive to light in apertures above f2.8 so fast primes have no advantage to fast zooms in this regard.
AF lights are annoying. I think they should shift to using infrared AF lamps that are invisible to the human eye. You could then have much more powerful lamps. They would have to be careful with IR interface but having a narrow band-pass filter is fairly straightforward. Then you cold have like a 50W IR lamp on the flash attachment (or built into external flash) to focus with.
I don't think there are huge gains to come in really dark scenes. If there is little light then there is little light. The AF sensors are very small and don't have sophisticated noise surprising filters, they are design for brighter conditions.
One thing to try would be live-view focusing. The sensor will gather far more light and is sensitive to faster apertures than f2.8 so although contrast based AF is not the fastest in daylight it might be much faster in the dark.
There are two reasons really....
The first is that it seems that a lot of people who are fixated solely on equipment, especially getting worked up about the difference between camera systems and whether it scores on technical figures are missing the point of photography. Ultimately as a Photographer its about capturing great images, yet for some, it seems they would rather spend more time comparing test reports and arguing it out on forums.
The second is that if you are too fixated on equipment, it comes down to the old adage that people will often say to you:
"That's a great photo........ you must have a really good camera, what is it?"
People forget that photography is an art form and the photographer an artist.
Soldato
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^^^
Computers are for increasing productivity and possibility, not overclocking and benchmarking yet some people enjoy it never the less.
Computers are for increasing productivity and possibility, not overclocking and benchmarking yet some people enjoy it never the less.
Soldato
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Look at Olympus's contrast detect, for single shot AF it's amazing. Personally I was thinking on sensor phase detect could have some potential.
^^^photogtpahy is not always about art. For many it is just a hobby, the process is all that matters (see Exception above). For others it is all about the equipment, you should understand since this is a forum dedicated to overclocking and modding computer hardware! Why do people overclock their CPU and run benchmarks? They like to.
Even with respect to professional togs, it is often not at all about art, just about capturing the right image at the right time. Professional photo journalists just want to get a photo of Paris Hilton up to something or the royal family etc. it's not art, it's a job. Large parts of sports photography is similar, it is mostly about getting the photo of the athlete/car going over the finishing line and getting that image to the editor ASAP. Then there are all the stock photographers that are explicitly not trying to do anything artistic, they just want photos of everyday objects and events that are captured in the most perfectly technical way- noise and sharpness is paramount and gear choice is critical. It is the designer that will add the art.
Then there are people who like the art in photography AND at the same time like the technicalities of the gear. Some of us are scientists, engineers, geeks or plain just want to understand their equipment to the deepest detail.
Even with respect to professional togs, it is often not at all about art, just about capturing the right image at the right time. Professional photo journalists just want to get a photo of Paris Hilton up to something or the royal family etc. it's not art, it's a job. Large parts of sports photography is similar, it is mostly about getting the photo of the athlete/car going over the finishing line and getting that image to the editor ASAP. Then there are all the stock photographers that are explicitly not trying to do anything artistic, they just want photos of everyday objects and events that are captured in the most perfectly technical way- noise and sharpness is paramount and gear choice is critical. It is the designer that will add the art.
Then there are people who like the art in photography AND at the same time like the technicalities of the gear. Some of us are scientists, engineers, geeks or plain just want to understand their equipment to the deepest detail.
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I have an Olympus, in good light it focuses almost as fats as my D90. Maybe with better ensues it could be faster. But when it gets dark it is worse, and when it comes to continue AF ethereal just isn't a comparison (and my D90 sucks in comparison to modern high end Nikons).
I am also interested in on sensor phase detection. The Nikon V1 has better AF than my D90- system like that on a full DSLR would be great for coverage of AF points (and one can go mirrorless if desired). But I don't think it solve the low light issue. If annything the AF sensors must be even smaller and have less sensitivity.
Soldato
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This is actually one of the things I love about the 100-400L. Trombone zoom is logical xD
As a side point, what on earth do you use the sigma 70-200 for?
'Definitely want to stick with a crop camera seems stupid' so many people seem to say this about wildlife, Motorsport and such, but how many of the pros do you see shooting with 7Ds and D7100's... They seem to much prefer the truly pro bodies of something like the 1DX (partly I suspect due to the AF system). And if we are talking zoom lenses to 400, the 200-400 is stupidly priced (only pros would buy them) but is arguably the best lens out there.
It amuses me however how much this thread has descended into Canon vs. Nikon. Ultimately, as others have said, it's not the gear that matters, it's the learning and the enjoyment. Personally I think the switch you're making is crazy, but if you feel it'll better suit your workflow and style of shooting then fair enough. Whilst I'm frequently looking at new gear, I'd like to think I'm more focussed on the art itself. (E.g. Predicting the shot before its really occurred)
kd
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Soldato
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No offence but do you understand why he said that? If you don't I would refrain the using the word stupid as their is perfectly good reasoning behind it.
You would be surprised how many pro wildlife togs use a 7d, D300 or D7100 and how many Nikon wildlife shooters are screaming for Nikon to release a D400. Not least for emergency extra reach.
Ultimately you need reach in wildlife (as in real wildlife, not pets or ducks at your local pond, but wild bears, elk, moose, wolves, coyotes, beavers, otters, kingfishers, golden eagles). There is only so close to a bear that I want to get!
If you are lucky you can get close enough, but there are usually legal, safety or practical issues preventing you. And even when you can get close, almost touching distance, it is surprising how much reach you need. Last week I was photographing a local osprey and could touch the tree it was perched on, having 640mm equivalent focal length was only just sufficient.
Now a full professional will undoubtedly try to use a FF camera whenever possible (better noise, better sharpness). The difference is they can afford a 600mm + lens that can take extensions. They also have the time to be always out there registering hundreds and hundreds of hours of field time during which they may get lucky with closer encounters.
Then is just comes down to practicality. There are many ways to get an affordable 400mm f5.6 lens on a crop camera giving 600mm or more reach. On a FF camera there is a big wall in your way, a 500mm f/4 is bloody expensive and no amateur will wish to pay that sort of money.
Of course you can crop but if you crop say the 22Mp 5d3 image to a D crop you are down to something like 9MP, or one could use a 7D and have 18Mp covering the Same region. The7D image will definitely look better printed on an 8x10" on your living room wall.
Now I hope to buy a d800 (mortgage deposit aside...) but that only interests me in that at least I will get a 15Mp DX crop- however a D7100 would be far cheaper and give me more pixels over the same area for the same lens and the money could've spent buying a longer lens to boot.
If you can afford a 1dX and 600mm then that is a different bll park to play in!
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Caporegime
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Konica did the IR-Beam AF thing in the 90's with their Hexar AF. Works amazingly well, it gets the focus perfect even if it's pitch black. There are issues with shooting through glass, thick fog and even heavy snowfall though (which is why I keep my Leica around really, it's more versatile).
Soldato
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Yes, really, I was just playing devils advocate. I realise that most who want to shoot wildlife will benefit from the crop factor, however, it's always good to remember not everyone who shoots wildlife has to use crop, which was what I felt D.P. was suggesting.
kd
Musical theatre.
old piccies below
[/URL]
I like that one. I currently have an addiction to taking photos of 'behind the scenes' stuff. Before gigs, at peoples houses checking gear, setting up before events. I find it's much more interesting to see the things most don't realise happen
Like this, from a charity gig
http://www.flickr.com/photos/niallallen/8689855509/
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Well I received my D7100 today, I have a 50mm 1.4G and I'm waiting for my walkabout to arrive, a 17-50 F2.8 VC tamron, well bearing in mind iv come from the 6d to the d7100 I have to say I am happy so far!
The camera it's self has so many function buttons all in the right place, the camera feels similar to the 6D in size and weight, I love the twin sd card slots and the AF is just amazing. The menu is a little Easier to navigate and I love the fact bracketing and flash functions are accessible from outside of the menu and fully customisable from outside the menu.
I actually like having a flash back albeit I will be buying remotes and a flash again.
I have to say the drive select is **** and hard to change one handed but I'm working on it, images really do seem more vivid and defiantly a wee but sharper.
I love all the customisable AF settings and the 3d setting is genius
Another point I'm not happy about is how complicated the lens system works, AF, AF-s, D, G, aperture ring, no aperture ring, environmental sealing, no environmental sealing! It's not as simple as canon at all, to find a lens you want you need to use their site.
Over all I have really enjoyed learning a new camera system, when it arrived I seriously couldn't make any sense of the dials.
Ty you all for all your valuable info and knowledge, I know 99% of you think I'm nuts but I have really enjoyed learning a new system
On another note I look forward to the next meet coz judging by the recent one I will be a lone Nikon
The camera it's self has so many function buttons all in the right place, the camera feels similar to the 6D in size and weight, I love the twin sd card slots and the AF is just amazing. The menu is a little Easier to navigate and I love the fact bracketing and flash functions are accessible from outside of the menu and fully customisable from outside the menu.
I actually like having a flash back albeit I will be buying remotes and a flash again.
I have to say the drive select is **** and hard to change one handed but I'm working on it, images really do seem more vivid and defiantly a wee but sharper.
I love all the customisable AF settings and the 3d setting is genius
Another point I'm not happy about is how complicated the lens system works, AF, AF-s, D, G, aperture ring, no aperture ring, environmental sealing, no environmental sealing! It's not as simple as canon at all, to find a lens you want you need to use their site.
Over all I have really enjoyed learning a new camera system, when it arrived I seriously couldn't make any sense of the dials.
Ty you all for all your valuable info and knowledge, I know 99% of you think I'm nuts but I have really enjoyed learning a new system
On another note I look forward to the next meet coz judging by the recent one I will be a lone Nikon
Glad you are enjoying your purchase.
With the lenses you basically only have 2 types you will come across:
1) older AF D lenses, uses motor in body, has aperture ring. D standards for distance as reported to the flash from lens.
2) new (e.g. In the last 13-15 years) AF-S G lenses. g stands for no aperture ring.
And that is really it, weather sealing varies by lens like canon. You also have lenses designed only for the crop sensor, called DX lenses like canon EF-S
The advantage of Nikon is that all lenses are fully forwards and backwards compatible, within reasons(a few older 1960s wide angle lenses protrude into the body and would break the mirror). Obviously on the old lenses you might loose things like auto focus or metering because the lenses just don't have AF or CPUs.
This goes as far as the fact that the Nikon DX lenses have an identical mount to the FX lenses so you can mount them on a FF body and use them in DX or FX mode, or things like 1.2xcrop. Some Nikon D lenses work really well on F sensors in the 1.2x crop mode, the 35,m f1.8 is commonly used on FX cameras.
This means you have access to all the Nikon lenses from the 1960s onwards!
With the lenses you basically only have 2 types you will come across:
1) older AF D lenses, uses motor in body, has aperture ring. D standards for distance as reported to the flash from lens.
2) new (e.g. In the last 13-15 years) AF-S G lenses. g stands for no aperture ring.
And that is really it, weather sealing varies by lens like canon. You also have lenses designed only for the crop sensor, called DX lenses like canon EF-S
The advantage of Nikon is that all lenses are fully forwards and backwards compatible, within reasons(a few older 1960s wide angle lenses protrude into the body and would break the mirror). Obviously on the old lenses you might loose things like auto focus or metering because the lenses just don't have AF or CPUs.
This goes as far as the fact that the Nikon DX lenses have an identical mount to the FX lenses so you can mount them on a FF body and use them in DX or FX mode, or things like 1.2xcrop. Some Nikon D lenses work really well on F sensors in the 1.2x crop mode, the 35,m f1.8 is commonly used on FX cameras.
This means you have access to all the Nikon lenses from the 1960s onwards!