I haven't posted on FM for a long time...After over 6,000 posts starting years ago I lurk now quite a bit. However, I thought I would throw up a D4 shot I took today. I am not sure this camera is a "Game Changer" but it sure is a pleasure to work with. I love the D3 and D3s but I think that the D4's files are better right out of the camera. This file is untouched except for a bit of PS highlight correction for the white top of Helio's car and a resize with appropriate sharpening.
DavidWEGS wrote:
Solid. Was this AF tracking or prefocus?
AF tracking. I haven't had to pre-focus since the D2h. The D3 and the D4 will track the cars all the way from the entrance to the turn to the point where they almost fill the frame. With good technique a burst of 4 or 5 frames will all be in focus. The Indy cars are coming at the camera at about 20mph over the speed the camera is rated to track but it will do it. Sometimes on darker days especially I set the AF fine tune a bit to the minus to fool the camera a bit. Today's light was contrasty enough that I didn't need to.
DavidWEGS wrote:
When I shot with the D3's, I had less luck with AF tracking. What is your config. for that burst?
The D4 setting I use are very similar to the D3 settings I use (I still have and use the D3s).
1) AF-C and AF-S set to "Release"
2) AF Tracking with lock-on..."OFF"
3) AF activation. Head-on shots are the only time I ever have focus on the shutter button. I don't know why really but it seems to work better to have my thumb on the AF-ON button with the shutter focus working too.
4) Number of Focus Points...I have the menu set to 51 but only activate a patch of 21 points.
With high speed shots turning the AF Tracking with lock-on to off is really important. Any other setting slows down the AF brain in the camera. In this situation I don't need it so I don't use it. This setting is great for basketball or football where you have a subject which is weaving in an out of focus distractions....it is terrible for high speed cars.
Doing this with NASCAR cars at almost 50mph slower is much easier. Indy cars at 225 or so are pretty much at the limit of what the camera will track. It's all about technique and even after getting paid to do this for years...I still don't get them all in focus.
Stripper wrote:
With high speed shots turning the AF Tracking with lock-on to off is really important. Any other setting slows down the AF brain in the camera.
JC
Yep, found the same thing on the last generation of bodies with runway models.
Any particular reason why you set the AF Tracking with Lock-on to "off"?? i mean, i guess if there is nothing coming between you and the object you're tracking, then no need have it lock on...but does that custom function itself make a big difference?
NathanHamler wrote:
Any particular reason why you set the AF Tracking with Lock-on to "off"?? i mean, i guess if there is nothing coming between you and the object you're tracking, then no need have it lock on...but does that custom function itself make a big difference?
Nathan,
I really don't have enough experience with the new brain in the D4 yet to know how much difference this makes. I am sure they keep refining this function. I started to notice this with my D2h and x bodies. What this function does is pause a bit before it will refocus on something other than the primary object you are tracking. This pause is great if you are trying to keep focused on the guard driving to the hoop in a basketball game with 9 other players (focus distractions) on the court. However, in a situation like a high speed head-on shot there are no distractions. The lead car is the object of focus. When the "Lock" function is ON, any distraction, even that caused by my imperfect technique shifting the focus point to a different place on the car can make the camera pause and lose track. All I know is that if the function is ON it is harder to track and the higher the function is set the harder it becomes....at least for me.
You can see more of my photos and photos by a bunch of other long time race shooters on the IMS website at:
Thanks for getting back to me.... That makes sense, cause the camera is having to analyze and process more things at once... Kinda like how your performance and focus speed goes up the less focus points you use...or, should i say, the less points that are active at once...
More please!