Question to Nikon D300 Users

Hi All,

I am interested to know how D300 users find the 51 point autofocus? Is it great or have you noticed little difference from previous cameras with 11 point autofocus?

Regards

Nigel

I tried 51 point autofocus on my dive last trip and It did not work out well for me. Several times it chose to focus on "other than the main subject of the photo." There are enough things going on while diving with a housed camera one does not need to chase the focus dots around the rear screen.

Regards;

Vettediver

I found the same as Vettediver. I didn’t even bother trying it underwater since it annoyed me on land. I just stuck it to the middle point and use focus and recompose. Seems to have worked well so far. That all might change now I have a 105 to play with though, I've been meaning to dig out the manual again to find out how to change the points. Do bear in mind that I have no frame of reference to 11 point focus cameras since I went from compact camera straight to D300.

Suzy

I use the 51 point focus and have no complaints. I use the circle on the rear of the camera to move the focus point.

I have been using the 51 point AF this week and although I expected not to get along with the CAM-3500, I have found it very good. I should add that I have used a Fisheye FIX Light throughout that tends to flatter any AF system! I found auto-area worked perfectly for wide angle and also much of the time for macro. Sometimes for macro I would switch to dynamic area AF with 3D tracking - which works very well (for say keeping the eye as the point of focus) - should the subject (or the photographer) move slightly.

Alex

I tried 51 point autofocus on my dive last trip and It did not work out well for me. Several times it chose to focus on "other than the main subject of the photo." There are enough things going on while diving with a housed camera one does not need to chase the focus dots around the rear screen.

 

Regards;

 

Vettediver

You are referring to the 51 Point Dynamic Area AF with 3D Tracking, the standard 51 Point Dynamic Area AF does not send the focus point chasing all over the frame and works very well. Of course you have to choose your own focus point, but the 51 points vs 11 is brilliant as you have huge frame coverage, better coverage than a D3 or my old 1dMkII. You can use continuous area AF (i use it 75% of the time) with tons of compositional flexibility.

The 3D tracking is worthless for most of what I shoot and I'd never use it underwater. It only works well tracking large distinctive subjects against a well separated background as they wander across the frame. Tennis is the only time its really worked for me, as the players are in white against a dark green background and you can instantly compose them to either side of the frame as they switch from forehand to backhand shots.

I think the Group Area AF on the D200 is king for underwater WA and can't understand why they took it away with the D300, good thing I still shoot my D200 UW.... Cheers,

Chris

Thanks for the feedback guys, much appreciated.

Regards

Nigel