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D2X Firmware Updates-Anyone tried it yet? Any problems?

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Marshal

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Speak up if you've downloaded and installed the firmware updates announced & made available 2-3 days ago. Any problems in the process? Any problems afterwards?
 
No problems, however be careful to maintain the order with which you update... make sure to update FIRST the A file, then the B file

Martino T
Milano, Italy
--
Now that I have seen photography - I can shoot myself (Picasso)
 
I upgraded a couple of days ago and just shot an event in the RCA Dome in Indy today. I could not tell a whole lot of difference, but the camera did seem to hold focus on moving people slightly better (I had no problems before). I am going back to the dome in a few minutes and I may try to crank it up to HI-2 for a few shots (not really necessary but...) to see if it makes much difference.

Follow the instructions and you will have no problem.

--
John Cote
http://www.johncotephotography.com

'Cameras are just cr@p we have to lug around because there is no direct brain to printer connection...yet!'
 
...at a kid's soccer game. I had used the same set up before, but I had absolutely no problems with focus today, plus it seemed to capture and hold focus better (subjective). I am using the AF-ON for focus instead of the shutter release, but I tossed only 2 shots out of 70+ for poor focus. Those two were probably more user error than anything.
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Strategist
 
When I shoot my kids games I usually shoot at least 500 frames. I was thinking that was the point of digital. I shoot all kinds of moving multiple player deals and try to focus on different parts of the action. If I keep 20% I feel like I am OK.

Do most people have keeper rates like 68/70 ? If so I need to think about my strategy. No wonder pp takes so long.
 
...games, but when your child is on the field and it is the 5-6 year olds playing, you don't have too much time for shooting! As for the keeper rates, remember that I said this is my child's game. If I were marketing these shots my rate would drop pretty significantly. But my point here was the number of keepers I had based on the focus accuracy. I am very pleased with the results and think that my rates improved with the firmware upgrade on the D2X.
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Strategist
 
John:

Which AF mode on the back of the camera do you use most, or think works best for shooting sports and just crowd scenes when you want to hold focus on one person? A lot of times on my D2X, it'll just lock up with some AF settings and not fire or do anything, so I have to hastily switch to another and hope that fleeting moment isn't lost by the time I find one that will both focus AND fire. My keeper rate isn't very high with this thing so far. Maybe shooting 60% success rate or keeper rate which counts as a letter grade of "D" to me!

I should add that it does that with ALL my lenses,(12-24, 17-55, 24-120VR-ED, 70-200 VR-ED) so the problem is not with them but the body.

I hope the firmware update will help significantly.
 
I really spend more time shooting sports with my D2Hs because of the frame rates but the settings I use are AF-C with release priority, usually Group Dynamic focus,center weighted exposure,Aperture priority (usually 2.8 or maybe a couple stops down), . I think those are pretty standard sport settings.

If you are shooting one player not moving much you can improve your keeper rate substantially. My two favorite sports to shoot are lacrosse and field hockey and if you are trying to get a scoring sequence or something fun it takes a lot of frames on Ch to get what you are looking for. When you get it right it is worth it. It does take a while to sort through the thumbnails especially with the D2X.
 
Marshal said:
Speak up if you've downloaded and installed the firmware updates
announced & made available 2-3 days ago. Any problems in the
process? Any problems afterwards?
Click to expand...
Marshal,

IMHO I think Nikon really has just made a major improvement on the D2X. I have been holding on to my old D2H for sticky situations, however I shot about 350 shots at a state playoff HS game. All came out perfectly in focus with the exception of about 2 frames. I knew the camera did not focus up to the specs of the old D2H, but now I think it definately surpasses it. I even had all the focusing logic on and it tracked the players as they crossed behind other players.

Here is a grab shot I definately would have missed had I had not done the upgrade. This was a 30 yard catch that came out of nowhere. The kid wasn't even looking at the ball.

I now have complete confidence in selling my beloved D2H and picking up a D200 for a backup to my D2X. Bravo Nikon!

GenoP

Nikon D2x ,Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR
1/2000s f/4.0 at 300.0mm iso200



--
Web: http://www.pbase.com/genop754
Send eMail to: [email protected]
 
Try this link its an excellent summary of how to use the AF in the CAM 2000 system which is what the D2Hs and D2X uses:

http://www.digitaldarrell.com/Article-UnderstandingNikonMultiCAM2000AF.asp#2000

This article is extremely well written and helps make sense of the AF settings on these cameras for different shooting situations.

As for the firmware update I find that the focus locks on better as others have mentioned as well the AWB has been shifted more to the cooler end of the spectrum resulting (in my opinion) a truer WB hue when shooting JPEG. I found that prior to the upgrade I was getting a definite greenish cast with my JPEG images where now they are almost spot on. Definitely improvements over the previous firmware version
 
Marshal,

Are you sure that your lockup isn't caused by the difference between focus and release priority ? If you've got that set wrong, it might seem like your camera is locked up, but it just won't fire because you told it too only fire when it has focus lock. I've never experienced a real lock up myself, apart from incorrectly set focus/release priority.

Maarten
 
Marshal said:
John:

Which AF mode on the back of the camera do you use most, or think
works best for shooting sports and just crowd scenes when you want
to hold focus on one person? A lot of times on my D2X, it'll just
lock up with some AF settings and not fire or do anything...
Click to expand...
This subject can lead to an argument, so I will only tell you what I do and I will not claim it is the best thing for anyone else. I always shoot in continuous AF and I never ever shoot in focus priority...always in release priority. I do not care if the camera thinks it is in focus or not, I care that I want to take a photo....when I think it is in focus and when it is time to take a photo. The camera will not lock up if you take it out of focus priority. This takes some practice.

Otherwise I use the mode which seems appropriate. I maninly use dynamic AF with a single focus spot but sometimes switch to group dynamic. I mostly turn closest subject off, but sometimes turn it on. I mostly have CSM-4 set to "OFF" but I grudgingly have to admit that I turn it "ON" once in a great while (not very darned often though).

Most of the action I shoot is Motorsport and some field sports.

--
John Cote
http://www.johncotephotography.com

'Cameras are just cr@p we have to lug around because there is no direct brain to printer connection...yet!'
 
I shot a horse show and tried some ISO 800 when I first got my D2X in September. I made a quick decision NOT to use anything over ISO 400 for future events.

After experimenting after the firmware upgrade, yesterday I shot some volleyball indoors at ISO 800. They are as good, or better than ISO 400 was before I did the firmware upgrade.
I'm STOKED!
 
Geno:

So which AF mode or setting were you using for these? Of the 4 AF settings on lower right back of camera?
 
So far I haven't seen any concrete focusing improvements as I never had any focusing problems with the old set up. Not sure what they "fixed".

Steve Bingham
http://www.dustylens.com
 
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