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 p.11 #6 · Z8 extremely unreliable/inconsistent AF in mildly low light | |
armd wrote:
So, the OP is complaining about AF performance on humans in low light rather than birds. In my extensive use of the Z8, I've found that since the updated FW 2.0 (now 2.1), the bird AF has improved dramatically over simply using animal mode. That being said, compared to the Sony/Canon gear I have used for years, it is approaching their reliability with the exception of a few odd scenarios of birds swooping through catches (eagles/osprey). Otherwise, I've been extremely pleased with the bird recognition and tracking performance.
With respect to AF performance on people, I have to say that the AF is not as reliable as Sony/Canon. In lower light it does manifest the jumpiness with SD as Snapsy illustrated. Additionally, it still has a tendency to indicate eye focus when in fact it is capturing the eyelashes or some other part of the face. I didn't perform a deep dive on SCoombs files in Exiftool though if he does, he can learn about the active focus point in a vector solution as well as whether the camera thought it was AF'ed, subject distance, etc. The way I have adapted in lower light is to use a single point AF over the eye rather than SD. It yields better keeper rates....Show more →
Yes, i realize that and addressed it in my post. I have shot newborns, my nieces running around in very poor light at very wide apertures, and the Z8 in particular is a very popular camera for wedding/PJ work (which means lots of people in challenging lighting moving unpredictably). In my experience it was as close to perfect as it could reasonably be (hit rate comfortably in the 90% range), provided I was doing my job of course. No camera is perfect obviously. I know several people with that camera now locally and not one of them has issues like those described here. My father's Z8 (the one I have access to) certainly does not have issues like the ones described here, and he is shooting people more often than I am. At this point I think it's very obvious the camera itself needs trip back to Nikon unless we're all missing some major setting/technique issue from the OP. In my opinion, the people AF works even better than animal/bird AF because not only is it an easier subject for the camera to detect, but the speed and degree of movement is far less than most animals/birds and the 'variation' of what the subjects look like in terms of basic features the camera is looking for is far lower.
I have now shot with nearly every Canon/Sony body and I would respectfully disagree that their AF is better for people or wildlife - I am not saying Nikon's is definitively better either, just that they are all so good (at the top end) that incredibly high rates are the norm rather than the exception. If people are claiming they can tell a difference between, say, an 87% hit rate and a 90% hit rate, I would call BS. In very low light my Z9 and the Z8 I have access to are absolutely rock solid with people AF and that seems to match both the experience of others here as well as those I know personally. Interestingly enough I also have lots of eagles/osprey in my area and they are big enough and make larger movements (compared to smaller birds like swallows) that hit rates are as close to perfect as it gets as long as I can keep them in the viewfinder (the hardest part). A swooping eagle for example has a predictable trajectory, and distance to the camera is barely changing unless it's coming directly towards/away from you. That isn't a difficult situation for any modern AF system as long as the bird stays in the frame and AF lock can be maintained. Most people I have helped in the field complaining about AF issues are losing the subject momentarily, and their OOF shots are when trying to re-acquire - I can't tell you how many times I have seen that exact scenario blamed on the camera. If you have a good lock, all modern high-end AF systems track very tenaciously.
The problem with this kind of troubleshooting in general is that there are almost an unlimited number of variables and none of us are there with him. There is a limit to how much we can help. At the end of the day, assuming no defective product, a camera has a specific level of performance/capability. If some people are getting more out of it than others, all else equal, then the equipment is not a fault. I like my car analogies, and it's no different than two Ferrari owners with different lap times. The best result is an objective representation of the maximum capability, so barring defective product, that doesn't leave many other explanations. In this particular case, I think the OP has done enough troubleshooting that he should send the camera back to Nikon or at minimum rent/borrow another Z8 and see if he is still having trouble.
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