Learning to use the D300 autofocus system

[Robert Campbell]

So this is progress: a camera so complex with instructions so opaque that a new owner can't work it...and it's not only the D300 - most cameras these days come with a phone book sized manual...and the frequent advice is to carry the manual at all times...is this complexity really necessary, or just a case of oneupmanship towards the opposition...is it time to revert to simplicity, to concentrate on the essentials...or am I just an anachronism?

 

[Guy Mancuso]

And this is a extremely good point. Yes the D300 has some nice features but there simple are to many and confusing as hell. I would say about 45 percent or more are just gimmicks. I will never use many of them. But you can ignore a lot of them too and never have to turn some of this stuff on ever. LOL

Exactly what i am doing turning off more than turning on buttons.

 

[TRSmith]

I feel you Bertie. When I un-boxed my Nikon I was at first overjoyed and then quickly became overwhelmed. The top-end modern DSLRs can shoot a product shot in the morning, a wedding at noon, and a NASCAR race in the evening. And many of the features that confound me can be put to good use by a professional in any one of those situations.

My level of respect for Pros making their living doing any one of the above rose a notch when I realized that one component of their mastery was to fully understand and utilize the spectrum of options that came with their cameras. It may not be rocket science, but it's a lot closer to it than I ever wanted to get. (Which is one reason why I ultimately bought the M8... to get back to a simpler method.)

So I've found, over time, the functions on the Nikon that work well for me. Which leaves a huge number of options that I never even think of, never mind use. But the pro markets demand them and the competition seems pretty brutal.

As complicated as it is though, I do find the evolution pretty exciting. I think it's an extraordinary time to be a photographer.

 

[Robert Campbell]

Yes, I agree that the cameras can do all these things; and I suppose that any pro might use one of the feature sets for their work, whether sport or fashion or whatever, but I guess that any pro would specialise in only one area. And I have been very impressed and surprised by the number of Leica M8 users on this forum, as judged by the number of posts - perhaps, as you suggest, a return to simplicity - or is it the feeling that I am in control of the camera, and not vice-versa? I did read somewhere - perhaps somewhere here - that a modern DSLR is no more than a computer with a lens attached - and therefore has a shelf life of no more than a couple of yeare - so perhaps like modern software, modern DSLRs are no more than bloatware - lots of functions, but 80% of users make use of 20% of them.

The mass market P&Ss are for those who want a perfect record of their activities - and there is nothing wrong with this - so face and smile recognition together with settings for museum photography on the beach in the snow at midnight are appropriate for them: yet these functions 'trickle down' to more 'advanced' models. I do not believe in making things harder for myself than necessary, so auto exposure and focussing, and anti-shake are all sensible advances, compensating for most of the technical problems that people have; but it seems that this is now associated with a very significant level of complexity for the user -a very steep learning curve if you will - almost to the extent that it is counter-productive. Perhaps I really am just an anachronism.

 

[woodyspedden]

I think that we get close to being overly simplistic here.

To me it is similar to Photoshop..........you can do virtually anything, but the price is that all of those abilities come with a level of complication. So we learn to master those elements we deem important with regard to how we need or want to process files.

With the modern DSLR (no brand issue here) you can work from purely manual whereby you take control of the camera from metering to focus or you can go to the other extreme where you allow the camera to do a lot of the work for you. I find situations where autofocus gives me way more keepers than (for me) would be possible with manual focus. Your mileage may vary.

I just think that it makes no sense to "ding" the manufacturer for giving us more than we want. So long as we have the option to engage or disengage those features we have the ultimate control. Just my humble opinion.

Woody

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I agree Woody as long as we can turn stuff off and on at will than the technology inside is great.

 

[Mitch Alland]

So this is progress: a camera so complex with instructions so opaque that a new owner can't work it...and it's not only the D300 - most cameras these days come with a phone book sized manual...and the frequent advice is to carry the manual at all times...is this complexity really necessary, or just a case of oneupmanship towards the opposition...is it time to revert to simplicity, to concentrate on the essentials...or am I just an anachronism?

Can't agree with you at all, Bertie. The D300 autofocus system is brilliant and technically dazzling in what if can do, for example, with "follow focus". Basically, the various AF modes are designed for various types of situations, including whether, when the subject is people, there are many or a few people to focus on and whether they move or not, that is, whether the autofocus target is broad or narrow, and whether it should be followed or not. You cannot expect such a sophisticated and well-articulated AF system — which indeed is dazzling in its capaility — to be capable to be used by the photographer without a learning effort when he first takes the camera out of the box.

—Mitch/Windhoek

 

[Mitch Alland]

I can't say I'm up to speed on it, but there's an 11 minute video under "Focus" on the Digitutor that's helpful:
http://www.nikondigitutor.com/eng/d300/index.shtml

Sorry for all the mis-spelling in the previous post. Anyone who gets this camera should look at the above video on focus because it will help you to understand the choices you have and when to use particular AF settings in various circumstances.

—Mitch/Tsumeb, Namibia
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10268776@N00/

 

[Robert Campbell]

Can't agree with you at all, Bertie. The D300 autofocus system is brilliant and technically dazzling in what if can do, for example, with "follow focus". Basically, the various AF modes are designed for various types of situations, including whether, when the subject is people, there are many or a few people to focus on and whether they move or not, that is, whether the autofocus target is broad or narrow, and whether it should be followed or not. You cannot expect such a sophisticated and well-articulated AF system — which indeed is dazzling in its capaility — to be capable to be used by the photographer without a learning effort when he first takes the camera out of the box.

—Mitch/Windhoek

Mitch,
I think we will have to agree to disagree; I quite accept that the D300 can do all of these things, and do them amazingly well. But I have difficulty with the idea that you have to carry a phone book sized manual around to work out how to do it - that is, I feel that some things have got too complicated for their own good - too clever by half - and by the time you have read the manual the decisive moment has passed.

I suppose I must be a reactionary old Luddite; so be it.

 

[Mitch Alland]

Bertie, but that is the point: once you've figured out how things work, on the AF, for example, you don't need to carry the manual because, once you understand it, it's quite logical and well-designed.

—Mitch/Tsumeb, Namibia
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10268776@N00/

 

[jlm]

Luddite at the time, when i was shooting 4x5 outdoors, i was carrying around a lot more than a weenie little nikon manual and the decisive moment had always to be happy to wait while i set up, head under cloth, focusing with a loupe on the ground glass, taking spot meter readings, you know the drill. A different form of complexity.

back in '92, ken hanson convinced me to trade in my Minolta CL and try one of those new fangled autofucus zooming SLR nikons (i think it was a D90?); that I took for a six week trek in Nepal. could not have had a better camera, even the batteries hung in there and it shot well at 21,000 feet. oh, i brought the manual

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Honestly I have yet to read the manual and actually not even opened it. I did read the quick guide though 33 pages and enough for me. I do need to look up about 3 things though. But I have a lot of experience with DSLR's so maybe I don't count as much.

 

[harmsr]

Mitch,

For shooting fast moving game, I was going to give you some suggestions on the your lens and camera settings.

Turn your lens VR (70-200) on and set it to the restricted distance not full. It will focus faster at distance.

I shoot on CH, the high frame rate. Shoot in 12 bit on the D300, not 14 bit. The D300 cuts its speed in half at 14 bit. That is in the shooting menu, under NEF recording.

Leave Active D-Lighting off.

I set AF-C Priority to focus, so the camera won't fire until focus is achieved. The same for AF-S.

Dynamic AF area at 21 points. The focus point which you set, plus the surrounding 20 points will be used to keep track of the subject. You must keep the subject in that area of the frame and focus first.

I leave focus tracking with lock-on at normal. This relates to the amount of time an object can pass in front of your subject prior to the camera switching focus distance. (example a bush or branch)

AF Point selection at 51, so you can refine more where you want the subject in the frame.

AF-On button is only AF-On. I use this button to start the AF system when initially framing and selecting my point of focus with the selector.

Shutter-release button AE-L is on. Allows a continued half press of the shutter to lock exposure.

AE-L/AF-L button is AE lock (Reset on release) - This allows you lock the exposure with this button and not have the half shutter press change your exposure. This works well when you want to lock exposure on continuous focus mode and then the shutter button only focuses and fires the shot. Once the shot is taken, the exposure lock is gone.

So now for the shot.

Set focus mode to "C" and type to the dynamic area auto focus. The middle setting of the control switch.

Use the AE-L button if you would like to like the exposure prior. Your choice.

Set your camera mode to A, S, P, or M however you want along with the appropriate ISO, aperture, shutter as needed for the mode.

Move your focus point where you want to compose your subject in frame.

Compose your shot. Press the AF-on button or give a half shutter press to start focusing on your subject.

Keep your subject as close to the lit focus point as you can, panning the camera as needed.

Press the shutter to get the shot.

I normally also shoot with a 5.6 or 8.0 aperture on a fast moving subject to keep my DOF covering everything as it moves within the 21 points that we have already selected.

Fairly simple, but I hope that helps on understanding the focus system a little.

Best,

Ray

 

[Mitch Alland]

Thanks, I already read this and commented in the other thread.

—Mitch/Tsumeb, Namibia
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10268776@N00/