D70 Vs D200 Focus Tracking

[Gizmo555]

Hi

I'm currently using D70 & Sigma 100-300mm F4 for shooting motorsport.

In focus hit rate isn't too bad using AF-C with centre focus point only.

I'm trying to decide to upgrade to D200 or not and besides the extra MP the AF tracking capability is my biggest priority.

Has anyone made the same jump and can offer a fair comparison - even better if you have the same lense.

Thanks in advance

Mark

 

[Devendra]

I have used 170-500mm with my D70. A non AFS lens and AF while not the best worked wonderfully to track birds.

Later on I upgraded to 50-500mm and the quality improved, with slight improvement in AF w/D70
NOTE: with both above combination I am able to decently zoom in AF-C mode.

Now I mostly use 300-800mm and the D200. AF-C is definitely an improvement plus all focus point seem to react very well, until the D70 which would be a bit quirky at times. I use the dynamic area with center point and I can still move my lens around the subject while it keep it in focus. Helps a lot during compositional and directional shots of birds
Then of course getting away with 21+ raws in focus is something in itself!

So, if you really think that you are consistently hitting the limitations of AF-C, then assume that D200 is indeed an improvement. Weigh down other limitations that you are hitting and see if D200 meets up with your demands. For me AF was one important reason... apart from others.

try this for AF explanation in a D2x, but the D200 carries most of them:

http://www.nikonians.org/html/resources/nikon_articles/body/multi-cam2000_af/index.html

Hi

I'm currently using D70 & Sigma 100-300mm F4 for shooting motorsport.

In focus hit rate isn't too bad using AF-C with centre focus point
only.

I'm trying to decide to upgrade to D200 or not and besides the
extra MP the AF tracking capability is my biggest priority.

Has anyone made the same jump and can offer a fair comparison -
even better if you have the same lense.

Thanks in advance

Mark

--
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use vJJCnQ7CbIPCM to sign up @ smugmug

 

[Gizmo555]

Thanks for the reply.

It really is difficult to figure out if I am hitting D70 AF-C limitations.

Most of my motorsport photography is 100mph+ although recent poor performance was at MotoGP at full zoom at 200mph.

Maybe Nikon capture would be worth getting to figure out what the camera was focusing on. Saying that some of the manual focused shots were out of focus indicating it may be me and not the camera/lens

Sigma 100-300mm F4 is producing spot on static shots so sure I haven't developed a lens fault.

Have tried the lens at full zoom focused on static object and can here the lens chattering back and forth although this is producing no noticeable focus shift in view finder. My guess is this is normal AF-C operation. Will try other lens to confirm this.

Trying not to buy the D200 (credit card balance says no) but finding it hard to resist especially if I have a good justification.

 

[Michael McCarthy]

Maybe Nikon capture would be worth getting to figure out what the
camera was focusing on. Saying that some of the manual focused
shots were out of focus indicating it may be me and not the
camera/lens

I'm not sure NC will help in determining focus problems. My experience with my D70 and NC is that it will show you what focus point was selected by the user, but will not show which focus point it may have shifted to when using "dynamic." It will not show what thwe camera focused on, just what point was selected. Maybe others have a different experience.

 

[Gizmo555]

Hhmm...

Just realised it wont help anyway as I'm using single point centre focus point only anyway.