Robin Casady
Forum Pro
I find the D800E PDAF to be more accurate and reliable than it was on my D700.
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The Truth about D800 Auto Focus - fair at best
- Thread starter Shotcents
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primeshooter
Veteran Member
See my threads but, AF-S, single point focus. No area, no dynamic, no 3d. Selecting the point myself. Usually centre point or the centre cluster cross types.
primeshooter
Veteran Member
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Leo360
Senior Member
@AllOtherNamesTaken: you seem to be consistently very lucky! First you got D800 with perfect AF, then your D600 (as well as of all your friends) have no dust/oil issues. You might start thinking of opening a Nikon reseller outfit selling perfect bodies and lenses
Leo
The complete opposite of my findings. I have a far greater keeper rate for my D800/E than I did for my previous D700. The AF is more accurate and faster.
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Robin Casady
Forum Pro
Robin Casady
Forum Pro
primeshooter is upset because he can't get perfect focus every time when shooting portraits at f/1.4 with an 85mm lens, hand-held.
My D800 is fine. It's not perfect 100% of the time though. Sometimes there are minor errors or even major errors when shooting at f1.4 but that's the truth for every camera using autofocus. The example pictures show minor errors.. the face isn't sharp but the scarf is.. no major concern. Sometimes I even get a big miss where something like the ears are in better focus, but still EVERY SINGLE camera does this. The d4 does it, the d700 did it, the d3s did it, the 5d3 does it.. NO camera using phase detect AF is perfect. Not a single one.
Roger from lensrentals tested the d800, as well as other Nikon cameras using a properly scientific methodology and 1.4 prime lenses for the centre AF point (which is what this thread is showing). He said that the newer series (i.e. D4 and D800) are better than the older (d700 etc) in terms of consistency.
I would suggest that everybody was getting the same, or worse, AF errors on the d700 but simply 36mp is letting you notice more.
Roger from lensrentals tested the d800, as well as other Nikon cameras using a properly scientific methodology and 1.4 prime lenses for the centre AF point (which is what this thread is showing). He said that the newer series (i.e. D4 and D800) are better than the older (d700 etc) in terms of consistency.
I would suggest that everybody was getting the same, or worse, AF errors on the d700 but simply 36mp is letting you notice more.
1) If you're happy with the D800 AF then GREAT and I'm happy for you.
2) Understand that we all place very different demands on our cameras.
3) The fairly large and CONSISTANT reports of AF problems with the D800 point towards a problem. The 5DIII, as an example, has FAR fewer reported problems.
4) I've used a good amount of D800 bodies (2 of my own then returned later body due to ridiculously bad Left AF issue) via friends and we're all seeing the same issues. Some are bothered a lot or a little depending on applications.
5) The large pool of reported problems vs. the small one for the 5DIII still add up to the same thing: Nikon's AF system is not as good on the D800.
Please understand: I really like my D800 and my Nikon lenses. Overall I find the Nikon system superior to Canon's. But just as Nikon took a front seat in sensor technology and pretty much leveled the playing field for glass, they took a back seat on auto focus.
And that's that. I'm not providing samples, "evidence" or any other nonsense. If everyone who posts there AF issues are trolls, amateurs or worse, then fine. Enjoy your camera and move on. But I know 100% that the D800 AF is second banana at the moment, just like the 5DIII sensor is second banana.
At some point you have to stop being a fanboy and simply be honest about the strengths and weaknesses of a given system. And as I said...I will enjoy my D800 until it's time for an upgrade.
Robert
2) Understand that we all place very different demands on our cameras.
3) The fairly large and CONSISTANT reports of AF problems with the D800 point towards a problem. The 5DIII, as an example, has FAR fewer reported problems.
4) I've used a good amount of D800 bodies (2 of my own then returned later body due to ridiculously bad Left AF issue) via friends and we're all seeing the same issues. Some are bothered a lot or a little depending on applications.
5) The large pool of reported problems vs. the small one for the 5DIII still add up to the same thing: Nikon's AF system is not as good on the D800.
Please understand: I really like my D800 and my Nikon lenses. Overall I find the Nikon system superior to Canon's. But just as Nikon took a front seat in sensor technology and pretty much leveled the playing field for glass, they took a back seat on auto focus.
And that's that. I'm not providing samples, "evidence" or any other nonsense. If everyone who posts there AF issues are trolls, amateurs or worse, then fine. Enjoy your camera and move on. But I know 100% that the D800 AF is second banana at the moment, just like the 5DIII sensor is second banana.
At some point you have to stop being a fanboy and simply be honest about the strengths and weaknesses of a given system. And as I said...I will enjoy my D800 until it's time for an upgrade.
Robert
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Steve Bingham
Forum Pro
Which is just another way of saying that the 2007 era PDAF system of the D800 is not up to the requirements of a 2012 era 36mp Sony sensor. Seems Nikon could have anticipated PDAF tolerances needed to be tightened in product development for the D800.
And it is tightened because my D800 (originally) and now my D800E is more accurate and faster at obtaining focus than my D700 in all light conditions.
moving_comfort
Veteran Member
I disagree, in every way my D800 matches or exceeds my D700's performance. Roger Cicala has done an Imatest-based comparison, and the D800 actually does slightly better than the D700.
QC/variation issue?
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This and other D800 AF threads show that this issue is simply too difficult to admit for many. They will disregard you and think you cannot use your gear. I'm glad this subject has been brought up, though.
I had similar problems with D3s, so this is nothing new. And D4 has this very same problem as well.
I had similar problems with D3s, so this is nothing new. And D4 has this very same problem as well.
i agree with the OP
the D800 focusing is pure crap or crap shoot when it comes to BIF, it will nail one shot in 5, tracking with the D800 is terrible
lot of posters may post one shot of a BIF but never do i see a series of shots by these posters cause the rest of the shots will be out of focus but yet they will say the D800 focusing is the best thing since sliced bread
i have even seen a poster talk about how great his D800 is so great yet he posted a series of a bird and the only shot in focus was with the bird sitting still, the in flight shots are all missed focus
i am selling my D800 as fast as i can
the D800 focusing is pure crap or crap shoot when it comes to BIF, it will nail one shot in 5, tracking with the D800 is terrible
lot of posters may post one shot of a BIF but never do i see a series of shots by these posters cause the rest of the shots will be out of focus but yet they will say the D800 focusing is the best thing since sliced bread
i have even seen a poster talk about how great his D800 is so great yet he posted a series of a bird and the only shot in focus was with the bird sitting still, the in flight shots are all missed focus
i am selling my D800 as fast as i can
I don't shoot BIF, so much of the time the D800 AF works okay for me. Not great, but okay. It;s just about impossible for this to have anything to do with bad batches of cameras. That would mean that every D800 I've had contact with or heard about from people I know are "bad."
You only have to pick up a 5DIII to note the weakness of the D800 AF and I don't think most people here have done that. The 5DIII is quicker and just never misses. I'm a former 5DII owner, but I've always owned more Nikon gear.
The knowledge pool here and elsewhere indicates that the D800 AF is not as good. Period. Repeating over & over again that "you've had no problems" is not meaningful when so many have noted what I have.
It doesn't make the D800 a bad camera, just like the weaker 5DIII sensor doesn't make it a bad camera. You have to work within the limitations of ANY camera.
Robert
lordbeau
Senior Member
Sorry to go OT but do we know how good the D600 focus is by comparison? Just a weaker system or less ambitious and thus less prone to mis-focus???
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