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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Nikon D300+3d focus tracking and football
Dave Doonan, Photographer
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Kingston | TN | USA | Posted: 9:25 PM on 09.06.09 |
->> does anyone use it?
do you like it?
do you get the shot?
is it in focus?
any tips tricks or any info they might want to share would be greatly appreciated. |
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Darren White, Photographer
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Brisbane | QLD | Australia | Posted: 11:26 PM on 09.06.09 |
| ->> I tried it but really didnt like it, too unpredicatbe to me and it would grab the OOF foot, not the face etc, so now stick with 21-pt dynamic and put the focal point where i want it. |
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Matthew Sauk, Photographer
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Sandy | UT | United States | Posted: 11:37 PM on 09.06.09 |
| ->> when I used the D300 I tried it and did not like it. To me the D300 had a hard enough time with center point |
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Doug Holleman, Photographer
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Temple | TX | USA | Posted: 12:48 AM on 09.07.09 |
->> Same here. I tried it, didn't like it.
I wish there were a faster way to change the focus point during a sequence. It would probably be better if it were on the lens or the front part of the camera grip, instead of having to stick your thumb in your eye. |
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Jeff Stanton, Photographer
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Princeton | IN | USA | Posted: 1:37 AM on 09.07.09 |
->> I have used mine on a number of occasions. I felt it worked fine for example like when I have shot track and field where there is plenty of daylight. But for sports like high school football or dimly lit gymnasiums, it doesn't work very well at all.
Matthew, maybe the one you used just didn't like you. (grin) |
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Grant Blankenship, Photographer
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Macon | GA | USA | Posted: 7:29 AM on 09.07.09 |
| ->> The 21 point dynamic focus is what I stick with on the D300 or D3. That 3d thing just hunts too much as far as I can tell. |
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Eric Canha, Photographer
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Brockton | MA | United States | Posted: 8:55 AM on 09.07.09 |
| ->> From what I was told 3d is setup to find one graphical pattern (a face) and hold that over shifting to things like the turf or water. The catch is that it doesn't work well in situations where there are multiple similar "patterns" i.e. faces. I was told that it was best suited for things like tennis, or swimming where the camera may try to shift the focus to the water splashing up or the lines on the court. In those cases the camera's computer would recognize that the splashing water or the court markings were significantly different and hold your original subject. |
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Dave Doonan, Photographer
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Kingston | TN | USA | Posted: 9:58 AM on 09.07.09 |
| ->> these tips have been great. thanks for the info. |
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Chuck Steenburgh, Photographer
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Lexington | VA | USA | Posted: 12:57 PM on 09.07.09 |
->> Not so much faces, Eric, but colors...the point is the same, though. It's also slower than regular focus tracking (51-, 21-, or 9-point) from what I've found.
The only time I find myself using it consistently is in baseball, and not in the way Nikon intended. I will set the center focus point, activate focus on the first baseman when a runner is on first, and then, while holding focus, shift the frame toward the runner leading off until the first baseman is on the rightmost sensor. It will keep focus on the first baseman so I can catch a pickoff attempt, and when the action shifts elsewhere I don't have to re-select the central focus point, I just need to re-activate focus. Has really helped me in this one particular situation.
Occasionally I'll find it useful in a similar manner in other set-piece situations, like place kicks in football or direct kicks in soccer. |
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Jeff Mills, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Columbus | OH | USA | Posted: 1:29 PM on 09.07.09 |
->> I love it for wrestling and swimming but for most other sports its too inconsistent.
Basically for anything where your sticking with one subject for a long time who's moving in a consistent manner and not going to have a lot of other subjects on the field.
Its pretty cool for portrait sessions as well I found. You can move around freely and change your composition and just keep shooting as it locks on the subject quite well |
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Matthew Sauk, Photographer
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Sandy | UT | United States | Posted: 3:38 PM on 09.07.09 |
->> Jeff Stanton,
It was probably jealous of the D3 that was hanging with the big glass :) |
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Shane Psaltis, Photographer
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Aquebogue | NY | USA | Posted: 5:44 PM on 09.07.09 |
->> The D300 3d is not to follow fast or multiple subjects, On the D3 the Cluster focus is amazing.
Matthew,
You had trouble with the center point then that is just user error. The D300's focus is amazing especially when used with pro glass.
The D300s is even better.
I have used the 3d and was not a huge fan but then again it depends on what you are using it for. |
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Matthew Sauk, Photographer
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Sandy | UT | United States | Posted: 11:04 PM on 09.07.09 |
->> Shane,
Thank you. |
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