baumgarten0712 wrote:
Nice shots! What camera and shutter speeds were you using? I just picked up this combination and love it! On my D700 it is tack sharp!
For these shots I used D300 because of the smallness of the birds. ISO 800. speeds? 1000---2500. All at wide open f6.7. Years ago I was using 300/2.8 shooting Provia slides, ISO 100 and I thought it was fast!! the 300/4 AFS is sure much smaller, lighter and AF is excellent even with 1.7x tc. On tripod it will be a perfect combo. I don't mind because my hands are not that steady anyway.
Interesting...Exif shows a D3 being used on the noisier images (1st and last). Something's terribly wrong.
Also, stopping down to f8 will give you much better IQ than shooting this combo wide open.
trenchmonkey wrote:
Interesting...Exif shows a D3 being used on the noisier images (1st and last). Something's terribly wrong.
Also, stopping down to f8 will give you much better IQ than shooting this combo wide open.
You are right. noisier with D3? may be because I had to crop more?
NOrmally I will probably stop down to f8, but this is the first tests, so i just want to push to the limit just to see. I will now do some more shots and at f8.
According to Nikon, this combo (300mm f/4 + 1.7) will not autofocus. Apparently they are wrong? What is minimum aperture that AF will function? On Canon's pro bodies they will AF with the center point until f/8. How about a Nikon F6 (CAM 2000) for example?
No, they are covering their asses. They know that it won't focus in ALL situations, so they claim it cannot work in ANY situation. Less chance of someone actually trying it and expecting it to work. It's really just expectation management. In good enough light, this combo AFs just fine with the CAM 2000 module.
Here are a couple of shots shot using the D2Xs:
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/ufiles/62/318462.jpg
Exif information
Model: NIKON D2Xs
Date: 2009:03:16 00:13:16
Original date: 2009:03:13 16:57:32
Exposure time: 10/6400 sec
Focal length: 500mm
Focal number: f/8.0
ISO speed: 400 ISO
Exposure compensation: -0.3
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/ufiles/61/318461.jpg
Exif information
Model: NIKON D2Xs
Date: 2009:03:16 00:28:59
Original date: 2009:03:13 17:40:05
Exposure time: 10/10000 sec
Focal length: 500mm
Focal number: f/6.7
ISO speed: 400 ISO
Exposure compensation: -0.7
jphendren wrote:
According to Nikon, this combo (300mm f/4 + 1.7) will not autofocus. Apparently they are wrong? What is minimum aperture that AF will function? On Canon's pro bodies they will AF with the center point until f/8. How about a Nikon F6 (CAM 2000) for example?
Jared
D3 and D300 have no AF issue with this combo. I haven't tried yet for BIF but I remember shooting 1DII+300/4+1.4c tc, if any difference, this Nikon Combo will do better. Of course one can compare 1DII with D3.
not sure what is up with your images but EXIF says D3 on a few, not D300 and many of your imags are not wide open as you suggest. some read f9, some f10.
also, you can achieve sharper results with this combo than you are getting, especially at f9 or f10 where the combo is sharp. watch your focusing.
Scott Grant wrote:
not sure what is up with your images but EXIF says D3 on a few, not D300 and many of your imags are not wide open as you suggest. some read f9, some f10.
also, you can achieve sharper results with this combo than you are getting, especially at f9 or f10 where the combo is sharp. watch your focusing.
You are right, I was not quite meticulous &sequential about my "testing". However, if you look at the "best", #6 it was taken with D300, wide open f6.7 and tripod, you can sure trust this combo. I could live with it considering the size and weight of other alternatives (300/2.8 and 500/4.)
Re: #6....the critical focus is to the left of the bird, not on the eye. Stopping down to f8 will help with the
smearing of feather detail one sees when shooting this combo wide open.
trenchmonkey wrote:
Re: #6....the critical focus is to the left of the bird, not on the eye. Stopping down to f8 will help with the
smearing of feather detail one sees when shooting this combo wide open.
Did you spot the critical focus visually or from PS? often I wonder where did I focus. Is there a way in PS to find this focus point?
Only the 'monkey eye, Dr. Robert 1/1250th should have stopped any movement of the lil guy. I don't PS
so hopefully someone else can chime in...as I'm sure there is a way to see the "red square" after the fact.
trenchmonkey wrote:
Only the 'monkey eye, Dr. Robert 1/1250th should have stopped any movement of the lil guy. I don't PS
so hopefully someone else can chime in...as I'm sure there is a way to see the "red square" after the fact.
A ha, Capture NX shows that the focus point was at the right shoulder of the bird. Right next to the eye. May be I should refer you to one of the eye specialists ??
A ha Then I suggest your lens slightly front focuses. Look at the leaves left of sharper tail feather,
much sharper than your "focus point" right next to the eye. The head/beak is softer....can't you see that
PS. Was just trying to help, if you're happy with the sharpness of these shots...that's all that matters.
Then I suggest your lens slightly front focuses. Look at the leaves left of sharper tail feather,