Nikon D300 Auto Focus
I’m not a professional reviewer and don’t have any sophisticated equipment to do measurements. I can only give my impressions of Nikon’s new auto focus system based on my limited use, thus far. So far, I’ve shot 2 games, totaling about 1,100 frames and also burned a few hundred frames chasing seagulls and forcing them into flight to see if the auto focus system would track them. It was a fun time!
The D300, as well as the D2X offer a myriad of ways to set up the auto focus system. However, as I’m talking about the D300, I’ll stick with that. The new auto focus system offers a pretty clean display featuring only one movable auto focus box, in the form of a rectangle with rounded ends. Here is a view of the display with all 51 possible auto focus points showing.
In reality, only one is visible at a time and you may move it into any one of the 51 positions. It makes for a very clean display. The only disadvantage that I’ve seen to non-sports photography is that the focus points can not go to the edge of the screen. With the D2x, even though it had only 11 auto focus points, I had the ability to cover more of the screen. This is an advantage when composing static images as you don’t have to hold the auto focus and then recompose as much.
Settings:
There are a number of settings available, but the major settings involve how many auto focus points are activated at a time. The choices are 1, 9, 21, 51, or 51 with 3-D tracking.
- 1 point – For static subjects
- 9 points – For moving objects when you have a good idea where they will go (race cars, runners, etc)
- 21 points – For erratically moving objects such as basketball players.
- 51 points – For lots of erratically moving objects, such as a flight of birds
I’ve experimented with each of them and have found that, for basketball, it’s kind of a toss up between 9 and 21 points. 9 points allows me to get a lot fewer miss-focused pictures. That is, the camera has focused, but possibly somewhere other than where I was trying to get the focus to lock. In basketball, on 21 points, sometimes the camera finds a nice focus point in the crowd if the angle of view is rather wide, like when you are shooting action that is around mid court. With 9 point focus, this rarely happens. The downside is that as it is a much smaller area of focus, sometimes the action is happening so fast that the camera cannot get a lock. For the purposes of this review I used 21 points.
The setup:
There are so many possibilities on the way to configure the camera to shoot. I won’t attempt to cover them, but will tell what I found most useful for shooting basketball, which may be totally different than shooting tennis, volleyball, baseball, or water polo! Your mileage, may vary.
- Nikon D300
- Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 lens
- Auto ISO – Starting at 800, maximum of 3200
- Shutter priority – 1/500 second
- Auto White Balance
- 21 point auto focus
- Dynamic tracking
- Continuous auto focus
- 6 frames per second (Continuous High)
- Focus Priority (Don’t take the picture unless lock has been achieved).
- Lock On- None – Camera, when in continuous auto focus, will constantly attempt to refocus if lock is not attained. The other options, short, normal, long indicate how long the camera must wait before attempting to refocus when the subject is moving drastically.
- JPEG Normal (6 mega pixels), optimal quality – For faster shots per second and more shots allowed in the 100 shot (max) buffer
As you can see, there are quite a few settings. Fortunately, the camera has 4 custom shooting banks as well as for custom settings banks, making for 16 possible settings combinations. In this way, when I get to the game, I just switch to the correct banks and start shooting. Easy.
About that 50mm lens. I am so close to the action that I’ve found that the 80 – 200 mm/f2.8 lens that I had been using, which has a minimum focusing distance of 6 feet, was too long even at 80mm and I couldn’t get focus sometimes, especially when I was on the baseline, which put me right at about 6 feet, or less, from the action. The 50mm has a minimum focusing distance of about 1.5 feet. Hopefully, I don’t have to get so close as that!
The results:
The results were impressive. Using focus priority is rather annoying sometimes, especially when you miss a shot because the camera wouldn’t fire; however, if the camera didn’t fire, it meant that the picture wasn’t in focus! The auto focus is not flawless; there were several times when it focused on someone in the crowd, the rim of the basket, or perhaps the back wall. More of these ‘mistakes’ happen as you move from 9, to 21, to 51 auto focus points. It’s simply a matter of the camera having more targets to choose from. In the D300′s defense, though, I would have to say that it also has to do with the photographer’s ability to track the action accurately. Click on the thumbnail for a larger view. The larger view shows the full picture as well as a 100% crop. This was shot at ISO 1600. Considering that this is a 100% crop, that’s a surprisingly small amount of noise which is pretty easily cleaned up with Neat Image, as shown in this close up. The camera continues to impress.
As usual, the action was frenetic! Basketball players moving in every direction, up, down, left to right, right to left, you name it. However, the camera’s auto focus stayed true to the game and most shots that I got were right on target and cleanly focused.
Two thumbs up, again, for the D300. Kudos to Nikon on their excellent auto focus. Click here for more shots from the game!!!
Climbing Mountains
I read, with tears in my eyes, Colin Jago’s post entitled: An obituary, of sorts. If you’ve not read it, I highly suggest that you do it. It is touching in both a sad and inspirational way. However, it is a poignant reminder to treat each day as special and to not put off those things that we wish to do or that we constantly postpone. Tomorrow, as it is said, is not promised.
So, take a moment to read Colin’s blog entry and then perhaps meditate on it a bit and then maybe even do something about it. If you’ve planned to climb a mountain, make the reservation. If you have old wounds that you’ve been holding on to, let them go and begin anew. If there is someone whom you’ve not contacted for a very long time, give them a call. Send out a little bit of positive energy someone’s way.
Colin’s post was wonderful and a great reminder of what’s important. My heart goes out to you and Christian and Colin!
Nikon is the the game!
After using the Nikon D300 for a few days, I must say that I’m impressed. Mostly, because they’ve taken all of the features of the D2X, added a few new ones, including an improved sensor, and automatic sensor cleaning and at a price point that makes it affordable for serious amateurs or professionals just starting out.
The camera is so good, in fact, that it made me decide to not sell my D2X. How’s that? As I said, all of the features of the D2X are there and then some. The build of the D300 does not seem as rugged as the D2X, perhaps this has to do with the weight of the camera. However, if you add the optional MB-D10 battery grip, they weigh nearly the same and have the same ability to shoot vertically without having to wrap your hand around the camera.
With the release of Nikon’s new cameras, the D300 and the D3, the D2X has depreciated to about $1200 – $1500, from a going price of $4,999 less than 2 years ago. A brand new D300, with the grip, can be had for about $2,000. The camera costing $1,799, the grip about $260. It’s newer technology, higher/cleaner ISO capability, and has better auto focus technology than the D2X. It has now become my go-to sports camera. The D2x will remain in my bag for landscapes as I don’t intend on buying the RRS L-Bracket for the D300, which would add an additional $180 to the equation. The main reason that I won’t sell the D2X is that it never hurts to have an excellent backup AND, it is a hell of a good camera. Now, which camera is the backup? Neither and both. They will serve their roles and become backups for each other.
On tomorrow’s post, I plan to talk a bit about my impressions of the D300′s auto focus capabilities. If you’ve ever shot a high school basketball game from the baseline, you know what a challenging environment that can be! The action is fast, furious, and difficult to follow. You are allowed to get as close as about 6 feet from the action. With distances that short and the inherent high speed nature of the game, it can tax any auto focus system. We’ll see how the D300 did!
About Face!
It’s been over 3 weeks since I put the Nikon D3 on order. Friday, I canceled the order and picked up a Nikon D300 instead. Why? Some of the reasons are personal, some are practical. On the personal side, my spiritual growth has gone very far away from rampant consumerism. Certainly, there is a bit of consumerism left, which partially explains the purchase. I could have lived just fine without the camera.
In reading about the improvements, the D300 has a bit more functionality than my D2X; however, after holding and using the D300, I still prefer the heft and feel of the D2X. My main reason for purchasing the D300 was for the improved auto focus. Mind you, with the D2x, it was a rare occasion that I missed a shot. I have lots of great basketball photos with that one. The D300 now has 51 focus points instead of the 9 offered by the D2x. These 51 points offer finer focus detail. Also, with the shape recognition firmware, the tracking should be better.
There is also a lot less noise at the higher ISO settings. For example, I shot a couple of shots at ISO 3200, like this picture of Tony going to the hole in his Friday night basketball game. With the D2x, this type of shot would have so much noise as to barely be usable. Even worse would be a night shot at ISO 3200. The black areas would be full of noise.
Also on a practical level, there was the price difference of $3,200 as well as the way that I use the camera. The D3 is full-frame sensor. This really only comes into effect when shooting super wide angle shots. My widest angle lens is an 11-18mm DX lens. This gives an effective focal length of about 17-27mm. So, the widest shot that I can take is at about 17mm equivalent. No big deal. Even when shooting film, I never had a lens wider than 20mm, so I’m still ahead. Further to the point of practicality, in order to make good use of the D3, I would need to sell 4 of 5 of my lenses and get their equivalent non-DX versions, or else I’m basically taking a full frame camera and shooting DX all of the time. This makes no sense. Since I didn’t want to replace all of the lenses, etc, it made perfect sense to get the D300.
Lastly, there was a bit of ego involved. I wanted to have the latest, greatest, and most-up-to-datest Nikon flagship camera, but it wouldn’t make any better pictures than any camera that I currently have in my possession, it would only displace an additional $3,200 that could be used to pay of some bill, take a trip, or do something else.
The final nail in the coffin was when I spoke to Richard and he asked me some of these very same questions and I couldn’t provide good enough answers for myself. After talking to him, I immediately canceled my order, called Wolfe Camera, and went to pick up my D300. It was a good purchase and I’m looking forward to using more for sporting events than anything.
As I discover new things about the camera, I’ll post it.
About the bottom picture: This picture was taken at ISO 3200 with the D300. Notice the black area. Hardly any noise visible. Even on the full sized picture. Amazing!
Full Throttle
My friend Richard is in town on a photo safari, of sorts. I’m taking him around and showing him the sites of North Carolina and neighboring states. Yesterday morning we started off with a trip to UNC Charlotte’s greenhouse where we photographed some pictures of orchids and other plants, some of which smelled like popcorn, or dirty socks, depending on your nose! It is an interesting plant.
After our trip the greenhouse, which was all warm and toasty, I asked Richard where he wanted to go. He said that he was open for anything. Well, I know my friend and his dislike for cold weather, but it is winter after all and I did want to show him the Blue Ridge Parkway, even though I had a feeling that part of it would be closed. He’s a Texan, born, raised, and acclimated accordingly to Texas weather. That white stuff on the side of the road should be be seen only on television, if you ask him.
So, to the north we headed, full throttle, for Fancy Gap, VA, some 105 miles north of Charlotte along I-77. We arrived in Fancy Gap about 11:30, or so. From the looks of the roads as we entered Virginia, it looked like there had been some snow. The roads were white with salt residue. We made our way onto the parkway, turned right, and immediately saw a sign that said that the southbound parkway was closed. We drove the short 1/2 mile to the barricade, just to make sure. Yep. It was closed.
Undaunted, we turned around and headed north. We saw another sign that said that the northbound road was closed, too. Not a good beginning! I decided to go up the road a little bit just to be sure. We saw a ranger who was removing the barricade. I asked if the way was open and he said yes, but he wasn’t sure how far. So, we, being the intrepid photographers that we are, decided to go for it. From our location, Mabry Mill was about 25 miles north. I didn’t think that the parkway would be open all the way even though it was a balmy 35 degrees. There was snow on the side of the road all along the way, but the roads, for the most part were clear and dry.
Richard sat in the copilot’s seat happily snapping pictures through the windshield and side window. He wasn’t about to allow the outside air to disturb his comfort.
Surprisingly, we made it all the way to Mabry Mill. At this point, I had no expectation, but what a pleasant surprise it was to see the mill totally frozen over! What luck!!! Well, maybe Richard didn’t think that. I’d never seen any pictures of the mill like this. Much to Richard’s credit, we stayed there for at least an hour and photographed ice.
I know that I had a great time! We left there and headed back south for warmer climes. As we descended I-77 from VA and headed back into NC, Richard’s smile got wider with each increase of the thermometer! I don’t know what’s on today’s agenda, perhaps a trip south into South Carolina. I’m sure that he’s had enough ice for one visit!
Hobbservations
Sure! He looks all innocent and what not, doesn’t he? Well, this guy is a career criminal, a miscreant of sorts. I knew that when we went on our Christmas vacation to Texas and spent 10 days that, when we got back, he would probably mope around for a few days, but I didn’t expect what I actually got. He went on a ‘crime’ spree.
Normally, when we leave the house, we let him have the run of the house, although there’s usually not much running that he’s going to do. He just likes to choose his places of slumber. Occasionally, if someone has left a tasty morsel, or what smells like a tasty morsel, of food in a trash can, he’ll go for it! When we arrive home and he doesn’t greet us at the door, we already know that something has happened.
Since coming back off of our vacation, our trash cans, no matter which room, have been vandalized. His trash can crimes are usually isolated to the bathrooms, for some reason.
His first incident of note was getting caught in Tony’s room. Tony’s door closes by itself because I put a bit too much WD-40 on them. Oops. Anyway, Hobbs smelled something, went in, found the treasure … an 11 ounce bag of Hershey’s Kisses with caramel! Naturally, he at the whole thing, foil and all. We didn’t know until some hours after the fact when Tony went to his room and made the discovery. A quick call to the vet indicated that, based on his weight, he had only eaten about 50% of the chocolate needed to be toxic! Phew! We were told to keep an eye on him as he might need to, ummm, errr, go the bathroom at bit more frequently than normal! Thankfully, it didn’t happen. His barker was a bit sore for a few days though. It was kind of funny to hear him try to bark a lot.
So, not learning from that lesson, we continued to let him stay out, but had Tony remove all chocolate and foodstuffs from his room, which wasn’t supposed to be there anyway, but that’s an entirely different post! Within a few days, he made a pantry raid. No, not a panty raid, but a pantry raid! He decided that while we were gone that perhaps a few of those mini muffins , about 16 of them, on the bottom of the shelf in the pantry just might be really tasty! Who could blame him … we left the pantry door wide open!
OK! Now I get it!!! I’ll keep him in his crate, or Hobbscienda, as I call it, while we are out. Now, he doesn’t get in trouble. So, yesterday, I offered a little parole. I closed all doors to the bathrooms and the pantry and let him stay out. Lo and behold, he made it into my office and the bathroom downstairs and vandalized the trash cans.
What can I say? Parole revoked!
About the title: Much thanks to Kathy for the title of this post! She coined this word in a previous post. I told her that I would use it one day and today is that day!
Mistaken Identity
Back in the late 50′s and early 60′s there was a television show named, To Tell The Truth. In this show, 3 contestants would try to guess who was the real Paul Lester, for example. The show ran into the early 1970′s, I believe. This show coined the very popular phrase, “Will the real [name], please stand up!”.
I get a lot of hits from Google for searches using my name, Paul Lester. The interesting thing about it is that if you do a search for that name, in order, here’s what you see:
- Paul Lester – Hey, that’s me! – My site comes up at the top of the list
- A professional golf photographer in Van Nuys, CA.
- Paul Martin Lester – A professor at UC Fullerton who teaches visual journalism, of all things! He’s written a few books that you could find on Amazon. I’ve never read them, though.
- Finally, to add a 4th contestant, there is the Paul Lester who worked on a movie called, The Photographer. He was the still photographer and second assistant camera for the film.
Periodically, bordering on frequently, and as recently as yesterday, I get e-mails asking me about golf tournaments and weddings. I know that they are intended for Paul Lester, the golf photographer, so I just either forward the e-mail to him or tell the person inquiring that they have the wrong guy.
I don’t know any of these guys, but we all share a couple of things: our names and photography, in some form or fashion. I find it quite interesting.
Even my phone number almost has a mistaken identity. My cell phone number is just one digit away from Laser Quest’s phone number; transpose the second and 3rd digits, 7-6, to 6-7, and you’ve got Laser Quest. I get several calls asking to reserve times. Hmmm, maybe instead of giving them the right number, I should start taking prepaid reservations. It could be a way to make a bit of money on the side because of a mistaken identity! Hmmmm!
I’ve always been partial to the name Xavier, or Jamal, maybe I’ll change my name! Xavier Lester … I like it! 
About the photo: A bit of fun with the camera. I was pointing at the trees in the back yard. I was moving the camera diagonally while taking some pictures. 1/125@f/11. This output kind of reminded me of something one might see in The Twilight Zone, or perhaps The Outer Limits.