D300 Focus Observations Post Firmware 1.1

After shooting all day yesterday, my observations are pretty much cast in place.

A) Acquisition is faster and more precise at achieving initial lock, even when using a TC on my 500. I didn't once experience the slow hunting when trying to obtain initial lock that I've been frustrated with when using TC's on my 500 VR.

B) Focus accuracy has not changed / improved for BIF shooting which I do a lot of. It is interesting to note that accuracy is higher when shooting subjects flying against a background vs those which are in the air. Haven't got a clue as to why but it's a continuation of something Iliah, jmyself and others noted when the D300 first came out. I'm not saying that focus accuracy in the sky is horrible....just not as good as other situations.

C) 21 point is now more exacting than the 51 pt (non 3D) I had been using previously and it's a noticeable difference. 51 point now yields some unexpected focus points which I always thought would be the case, especially when photographing birds flying along the water and there is any type of wave present in the background. It simply is now more apparent, at least on my camera as 21 point seems to be better than it was previously.

In short.....I've seen a definite improvement in acquisition speed, nothing overly noticeable in accuracy or tracking but as I though both of those worked well previously, it wasn't really expected.

These are simply my observations and yours may certainly vary.
--
Jim Fenton
My Wildlife Images at:
http://www.pbase.com/soonipi1957

I was also out over the weekend with my D300 + 500/4 VR + TC1.4X, and I also had the impression that acquisition was better. I can't be definite about this, as the opportunities that I had were not always great, but I had a positive impression.

I will do more testing in the near future.

Single servo auto area mode acquisition is also faster than before. Using an AFS lens works better in this mode than a screw type lens, as you have to wait for the screw type lens to catch up.

Agree!

Better and more accurate over what I had thought was excellent. My 80-200 non-afs f2.8 is noticably faster. Would be nice if Nikon kept going with these kinds of signicant updates.
--
Bob K

Thank you very much Jim for the useful info.
Can I ask you what setting you prefer for a4 focus tracking with lock-on ?
thanks again

Jim,

Could you please summarize the AF settings you use for shooting birds in different settings? I have tried a number of settings, and I can't really find the sweetspot yet.

One thing that seems clear however is that 51 point and 51 point 3D don't work well for birds, probably because the targets occupy a very small part of the AF array.

I haven't been able to try the 1.1 firmware yet, as it's been raining for one thing and somebody crashed in to my car for another!

Cheers,

Nike

Hi Jim,

I too think that focus aquisition, lock and tracking are improved now that i've loaded the 1.10 firmware - this is based on BIF shots using my AF-S 200-400 f4

Yes i think Nikon have pulled out the stops with this firmware release

--
Cheers Derek

Are routinely left on short.
--
Jim Fenton
My Wildlife Images at:
http://www.pbase.com/soonipi1957

Has anyone else tried D300 + 1.10 firmware in with AF-C in (very) low light yet?

I've been having intermittent focus issues with my D300 for a while now but had held off putting it in for a warranty assessment because I thought maybe it was bad technique on my part.

My primary subjet is flying foxes (bats) which are annoyingly nocturnal so I'm always fighting with bad light. Generally I mount two flashes (an SB900 on the shoe and an SB800 fired wirelessly) which gives me a fair chance of a decent shot but it's still hard work.

Now is the prime time of year for me because it's maternity season but I've had to ditch the D300 completely in favour of my D200 because the D300 simply won't acquire the target fast enough for me to get a shot. Having installed 1.10, the situation is, if anything, a bit worse and sometimes the focus just keeps hunting without locking on at all. Under the same conditions (using 70-200VR/2.8 in both cases), the D200 is acquiring the target almost instantly. I've finally returned the body for a warranty check but I'm just wondering whether I'm expecting too much of it and it just so happens that I'm shooting in conditions that the D200 can hack but the D300 will struggle with.

This is off the D200. I simply can't get this off the D300 at the moment (and this isnt' a particularly low light shot). And yeah, I know the adults face ain't in focus :-(



Oh and whilst I'm here, a mum & pup not in flight



--

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.

First off, I'd have to disagree that 51 pt non 3D doesn't work well for BIF....I have no negative issues at all with this unless there is a background or multiple targets in the scene...and this has made it a bit trickier post 1.1 and will get me to try 9 and 21 more often. If you're in open sky, even with clouds, it works just fine.

Typical settings....

AFC, 21 ior 51 pt (non 3D), single area dynamic (second option up) lock on set to SHORT if there are multiple targets or any type of background other than a blue sky.

AF always with the AF-On button.

I should note that unless I'm creating images of totally static subjects, I am always in AFC.

As far as Pictue mode stuff......I always shoot a NL flat curve and use a NearUniWB preset. I then convert to DXII Mode III in NX.

Keep in mind that while the NearUniWB preset will give you better exposure, it will also cost you some in shutter speed as more + EV compensation is required typically.

--
Jim Fenton
My Wildlife Images at:
http://www.pbase.com/soonipi1957

Really Cool images!

I have found exactly the opposite as acquistion has definelly speeded up on my D300 after firmware update.
--
Jim Fenton
My Wildlife Images at:
http://www.pbase.com/soonipi1957

Thanks Jim,

That's good to know. I am becoming more and more sure that there's a problem with the D300 I have so with a bit of luck, I'll be smiling on the other side of the warranty assessment.....

Cheers, Nick

Jim Fenton said:

First off, I'd have to disagree that 51 pt non 3D doesn't work well
for BIF....I have no negative issues at all with this unless there is
a background or multiple targets in the scene...and this has made it
a bit trickier post 1.1 and will get me to try 9 and 21 more often.
If you're in open sky, even with clouds, it works just fine.

Typical settings....

AFC, 21 ior 51 pt (non 3D), single area dynamic (second option up)
lock on set to SHORT if there are multiple targets or any type of
background other than a blue sky.

Click to expand...

Hmm. I have not done too well with 51 pt non-3D. Perhaps it's pilot error. But 21 pt seems to work alright. Are there any techniques/tricks that you use?

On the other hand, 51 pt + 3D is uniformly poor unless the target fills a large part of the frame, in which case it's magic.

Thanks for the help,

Nike

degsy_safc said:

Hi Jim,

I too think that focus aquisition, lock and tracking are improved now
that i've loaded the 1.10 firmware - this is based on BIF shots using
my AF-S 200-400 f4

Yes i think Nikon have pulled out the stops with this firmware
release

Click to expand...

OK Derek, Pony up some shots from that big glass cannon, that's two N's not one.
--
Stan ;o()



In the spirit of Occam’s Razor one should embrace the less complicated formulation or simply put, less is more.
http://standavidson.com/post/Birds

DStan said:

OK Derek, Pony up some shots from that big glass cannon, that's two
N's not one.
--
Stan ;o()

Click to expand...

LOL - Hiya Stan, here are 3 shots i took with the 200-400 & Kenko Pro 300 1.4 DG Teleconverter. These were the day after the firmware upgrade was applied - i had a lot more keepers from the 20 mins the owl was out, the lighting was varied between sun and dull overcast, these are 3 of them:







Hope this helps
--
Cheers Derek

Looks good but what a face, if the lens is too heavy for you, send it to me cheers.
--
Stan ;o()



In the spirit of Occam’s Razor one should embrace the less complicated formulation or simply put, less is more.
http://standavidson.com/post/Birds

Hi Jim,

very interesting post. I did some BIF photography last Monday.

http://danielbouchard.zenfolio.com/p231191836

I used the D300+80-400mm Vr. I can confirm your comment about the fact that the AF is not as good when the bird is in the air. I got some keeper, but in some situation, acquisition was not fast enough to get what I wanted.

Also, I mostly use 21 points, but last Monday I did some experimentation with 51 points and quickly realised that 21 points was doing better.

As a side note, I used Auto ISO for the first time and I can tell you that from now, I'll always use it for BIF !

Thanks for the interesting post !

Daniel

I'm always a tad hesitant with firmware upgrades.....

But do you really believe the upgraded firmware will be good for me?

I know you're obviously happy with it..... But I'm always hesitant...

Lil
--
I'm just as entitled to be wrong as you are.

My ever growing gallery, can be visited by friends & family at

http://lilknytt.zenfolio.com/

Simple Answer....

ABSOLUTELY
--
Jim Fenton
My Wildlife Images at:
http://www.pbase.com/soonipi1957

Hi Jim,

A4 Short when background is not the sky, and OFF when shooting against the Sky ?

I also shot with 500mm +TC1.7 / TC1.4

focus tracking with the TC is not good enough for BIF (at least not as goos as without the TC) so i almost always shoot BIF without the TC.
do you get good results for BIF with the TC ?

also, what about AF-C ? do you use release or release + focus ?

Thanks For your Help !

Amir