D800 Shutter speed required to freeze motion like BIF?

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billsnature
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p.1 #1 · D800 Shutter speed required to freeze motion like BIF?

I am still trying to optimize my D800 and 800E for birds in flight and specifically eagles. I am trying to figure out if I still need to tune system for AF settings and micro adjust even further, or if it is a shutter speed issue.

I know many are saying that for 36MP you need to double the shutter speed required for hand holding to get sharp looking images. Is the same true for motion such as BIF?

In my old system (Canon), I could get sharp images at 1/320 to 1/400 for an 800mm lens. I am currently using 700mm (500mm with 1.4X) and it seems like I need to be at 1/800 and in many cases 1/1250 to get really sharp images. Really hard to unconfound if it is a AF tracking issue or a shutter speed blur.

Any advice from D800 users that have switched from D3? Do you need faster shutter speeds to get critically sharp images on D800 than were required for equal sharpness (but lower resolution) on the D3 or D3s?

Thanks
Bill

Nov 19, 2012 at 11:50 PM

trenchmonkey
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p.1 #2 · D800 Shutter speed required to freeze motion like BIF?

Hey, Bill...I shoot 'em all the same: D2Xs/D7K/D700/D3/D800 w/appropriately fast shutter speed to get the desired effect.
Sometimes it's 4X FL and other times 1/2. Technique trumps technology, you got it...you can shoot anything.

Nov 19, 2012 at 11:59 PM

Scott Grant
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p.1 #3 · D800 Shutter speed required to freeze motion like BIF?

In my experience shooting eagles with a d700 1/1250 is about a minimum. I'd prefer to be at the 1/2500th point if possible to make critically sharp images.

I bought a d800 a week ago so I have't tested it on eagles yet but would assume that I'm going to want higher SS than the d700 due to such a pixel pitch.

Nov 20, 2012 at 12:34 AM

trenchmonkey
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p.1 #4 · D800 Shutter speed required to freeze motion like BIF?

there's no "pat" SS for BIF

regardless of body used. These lil suckers (female meadowlark?)
are faster than a freakin' eagle and I still got a taste of motion blur on the wing tips...at 1/3200th

Shootin' my D3/D700 is no different than shootin' my D800, sorry man. They all gots FAT pixels, eh?!

100% crop (the beauty of the D800) DOF was ~2' and the bird's smaller than a beer

NIKON D800 300 mm f/5.0 1/3200 sec 200 ISO -0.3 EV

Nov 20, 2012 at 12:41 AM

billsnature
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p.1 #5 · D800 Shutter speed required to freeze motion like BIF?

Thanks Scott and Monkey,

I guess it's possible I accidently sold my technique (skills) when I sold my Canon equipment. Whoever found that in the box please return it

I think I need to play a little more and make sure I have my set ups right. I seem to be getting better results in the D800 than the D800E, so it may just be that I am still off a little in my micro adjustments on the 800E, or it could just be I got lucky. I probably had been pushing my luck with low shutter speeds in the past, and was still getting a good number of sharps at below 1/400.

Do either of you know how Nikon treats AF micro adjust on TC's? In Canon if I had a -5 on a Naked 500mm lens, no adjustment was required when I added a 1.4x TC.

In Nikon, if I have a -4 saved for the naked lens, when I add a TC-14E II, the micro adjust reads 0 in the menu. Does the camera still apply the original -4 that was set without the TC even though it shows 0 with the TC? Or do I need to create a new adjustment for the lens plus TC?

Any insight would be appreaciated

Bill

Nov 20, 2012 at 12:59 AM

gchappel
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p.1 #6 · D800 Shutter speed required to freeze motion like BIF?

The camera treats it as a new lens when you add a teleconverter. You will need to remeasure and readjust the lens with the TC, and redo it with each TC you use.
I have a separate setting for 1.4, 1.7 and 2.0 with some of the superteles, and they are all different.
Gary

Nov 20, 2012 at 01:41 AM

colincarter46
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p.1 #7 · D800 Shutter speed required to freeze motion like BIF?

Bill,

i think your confusing required shutter speeds for handholding as opposed to required shutter speeds to freeze motion?

shutter speeds required to freeze motion havent changed and are dependent on speed of subject.

Now shutter speeds required to cancel out "camera shake" is a different thing. Alot of people are saying because of the ultra high resolution you need to select a higher shutter speed when handholding to cancel out any shake you may have in your hands etc because any vibration will show up more in the fine detail.

I surpose this is personal and depends on how steady your hand are or whether you are shooting off a stable platform etc. Personally ive found no difference in shooting the D800 over the D3 but this might change as i get older and maybe become less stable so its an "individual"l thing and varies from person to person so only you know how steady you are.

Experiment and see what works for you. Its a superb camera so go out and enjoy it.

Nov 20, 2012 at 09:46 AM

ShutteredMe
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p.1 #8 · D800 Shutter speed required to freeze motion like BIF?

I also found the amount of coffee intake also affect the outcome of my pictures as well. Seriously.. no joke, if I have more than a couple of coffee, I tend not to be as steady. I need coffee b/c I am a caffeine addict...

Nov 20, 2012 at 01:58 PM

JimFox
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p.1 #9 · D800 Shutter speed required to freeze motion like BIF?

Hey Bill,

For all who have found no difference in moving from a 12mp up to the 36mp of the D800, I know I saw a difference. Certainly my technique didn't change between the two. I do know that I had to tighten up my technique. In essence, with 3 times the resolution, it seems that any movement or sloppiness on my end is magnified by 3 times...

So I would say you are not noticing anything unusual, what you are noticing is that the D800 is more unforgiving when it comes to movement. And that goes not only for BIF, but even just taking a photo of a static scene like a landscape.

Will, doesn't see a difference because his technique must have been solid all along. Where as for some of us, even though we might have thought we had solid technique, when we moved to the D800, it magnified any errors with our techniques that the lower resolution cameras had masked. Since it was masked by the lower resolution, we had no idea...

Anyway... that's my take on it...

Jim

Nov 20, 2012 at 03:08 PM

billsnature
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p.1 #10 · D800 Shutter speed required to freeze motion like BIF?

A mind is a terrible thing to waste. And if I can find the one I lost I promise to use it better.

After reading the replies to the thread I started here, I decided to go back and confirm what shutter speeds were really producing sharp images for me historically in the Canon system. While I did have a few BIF images that were critically sharp and below 1/800, the vast majority of the really tack sharp were over 1/1600 and in many cases over 1/2500.

So it seems I may be suffering more from a defective or misadjusted memory than a defective camera.

That said, I am happy I started the thread as I learned that a lens with a teleconverer needs to be micro adjusted independently from the lens itself in the Nikon system.

So.. I will now redo my micro adjusts, move my minimum shutter speed up to 1/1600-- or 1/2000 and see if I can achieve nerdvana in the Nikon system.

Thanks for all of the help here!!

Nov 20, 2012 at 04:06 PM

Howard Kearley
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p.1 #11 · D800 Shutter speed required to freeze motion like BIF?

not the fastest of flyers I know!

But couple of flyers anyway, both crops.

D800 600mm Handheld.

NIKON D800 600 mm f/4.0 1/1600 sec 100 ISO 0.0 EV

2013 © Howard Kearley

NIKON D800 600 mm f/4.0 1/1600 sec 500 ISO -0.3 EV

Nov 20, 2012 at 05:47 PM

derry1
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p.1 #12 · D800 Shutter speed required to freeze motion like BIF?

hat off to you Howard for those hand help 600mm photos,,

I'm 72 and find my 300mm can be a challenge to times to hold steady,, would not even think of 600mm,,

Derry

Nov 20, 2012 at 09:15 PM

billsnature
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p.1 #13 · D800 Shutter speed required to freeze motion like BIF?

I am now getting great results by using auto ISO and locking the shutter speed to 1/2000 and f8 and letting ISO float to adjust.

Here are examples

2013 © billsnature

Nov 22, 2012 at 11:39 PM

wellsjt
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p.1 #14 · D800 Shutter speed required to freeze motion like BIF?

Yes, looks like you cured it. Great shots!

Nov 23, 2012 at 12:18 AM

Defy
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p.1 #15 · D800 Shutter speed required to freeze motion like BIF?

So I am in the same boat.... well maybe not the same but at least in a boat.... I know technic is where it's at but what settings are ya'll using

Shutter or full manual?
Center focusing, multiple points or all the focusing points?
Also I heard something about setting high or low auto focus so that it doesn't jump back and forth once you lock on. I have been using the buttons on my lens to lock it but someone said you can change a setting and it won't jump as fast if say if something walks in front of you or you pass a tree when trailing a bird. Does that make any sense?

I know it all varies but I want to have the big settings like should I be shooting in shutter priority, full manual set or lock in the shutter speed and put auto ISO I can get birds that don't move (i e on a branch but moving ones.... oye)

And yes the D800 is awesome! This is at least 100% maybe more I don't remember.

NIKON D800 500 mm f/8.0 1/250 sec 100 ISO 0.0 EV

Jan 29, 2013 at 03:26 AM

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