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Well, I finally got around to testing the 80-400, the only way I can figure out how.

Time was measured, with a cheap stopwatch, from infinity to close focus and back, with lens cap on.

These were crude tests, at best, so please don't hold me to them as absolutes.

IMO, the real world differences for d70/d200 AF speed for screwdriver lenses will be insignificant. I do think that the AF accuracy of the d200 will make it seem a little faster than the d70, because it's pretty sure and doesn't hunt as much.

d200 - 70-180micro
time avg 2.75 secs .

d70
time avg 3.50 secs

d70 - 80-400vr
time avg 2.65 secs

d200
time avg. 2.20 secs

Thanks for taking the time to post these results Kerry. Essentially are you happy with autofocus performance i.e. does its accuracy coounterweigh any disappointment in outright speed of AF? I welcome any other testsing you may feel inclined to do. Am keen to get my little beauty
cheers
marco

marcotrov wrote:Thanks for taking the time to post these results Kerry. Essentially are you happy with autofocus performance i.e. does its accuracy coounterweigh any disappointment in outright speed of AF? I welcome any other testsing you may feel inclined to do. Am keen to get my little beauty
cheers
marco

Hi Marco,

So far, I'd say that yes, the improvements to AF accuracy dispell any disappointment with speed. But, I've only had the camera a week and have not had a chance to do any real shooting with the 80-400.

Dunno, I still wish it were faster, but it is what it is and the other goodies that it has, make me happy. I'm still gonna keep it.

Yeah from what i've read the 2 key points I based my purchase, autofocus speed and high ISO performance have as you say improved over the D70 but not what we were hoping for. As you say Kerry lot of other things to love about it
Let's hope they have a little firmware upgrade as they didi the D70 to improve the autofocus even furhter
cheers
marco

Thanks for that info Kerry. As the owner of an 80-200 2.8 and a soon to be D200 owner, figures such as those are very interesting. I would assume a 3 sided comparison including a D2nn would show a similar incremental difference.

Thanks for the tests Kerry, I think I'm gonna hold out for the D300

Thanks for the tests Kerry. I guess that addresses one aspect of D200 vs D70 AF performance comparison (the other would be ability under low light/contrast conditions).

I get a chuckle everytime I read of 'screwdriver' lenses to describe the older non silent wave motored AF lenses. Aptly named I guess, as there's no better way of describing it.

I secretly hope the D200 would become a publicly proclaimed 'disappointment', with the 5D comparisons on obscure unknown japanese websites, reports of limited battery life, sigma lense incompatibilities, "it's not full frame" and other issues of verbal diarrhorea spewed forth from the dpreview forums. It should bring down the cost and improve availability so I could grab myself one.

Thanks Kerry. Would be interesting if you could lay your hands on a D2x and do the same tests, or else if someone with a D2x could test the same lenses.

So it would be fair to say that the D200 is marginally faster in raw AF speed with screwdriver lenses, but also hunts far less and has a more 'authoritative' lock-on.

Something I often see at wide apertures on my 50mm (ie f2.8 and wider) is that the D70 often will change its mind about what is 'good focus'. IE put it on a tripod and refocus several times on the same point and it will marginally focus in different places. With the 50mm, this is enough to put my dogs ears or nose in focus instead of her eyes; I often get far better results with this lens using MF on that horrible little viewfinder than I do with AF. Interestingly the 70-200 doesnt seem as bad.

Anyway, have you seen this with the D70, and do you still see it with the D200 at all?? This is MY main annoyance with the D70 AF as opposed to raw speed... more its accuracy.

Rob

Onyx wrote:Thanks for the tests Kerry. I guess that addresses one aspect of D200 vs D70 AF performance comparison (the other would be ability under low light/contrast conditions).

My initial impression is that the d200 is better under low light. Dunno if that means much. It just seems very quick and sure, most of the time and I've only been playing with it indoors, in normal house lighting. I'm just not very good at testing stuff, because I find it very tedious and boring. I'll never be a good, or even adequate, measurbator...

I secretly hope the D200 would become a publicly proclaimed 'disappointment', with the 5D comparisons on obscure unknown japanese websites, reports of limited battery life, sigma lense incompatibilities, "it's not full frame" and other issues of verbal diarrhorea spewed forth from the dpreview forums. It should bring down the cost and improve availability so I could grab myself one.

heh, some of those people are incredible. They love nitpicking nonsense and every little perceived flaw is a major disaster.

IMO, the real world value of this camera can be found by the lack of trolls finding fault with the camera, now that it's in the hands of users. With the d70, they were delighted with the moire and BF issues. With the d200, they're silent. They haven't been able to find a real issue to champion. This camera is very well done, like a d70 on super steroids. I don't think your secret hope will come to pass, any time soon.

robboh wrote:Thanks Kerry. Would be interesting if you could lay your hands on a D2x and do the same tests, or else if someone with a D2x could test the same lenses.

Hi Rob,

Sorry, but I don't have access to any d2 body. Popular opinion seems to be that the d2 bodies do drive these screwdriver lenses faster.

So it would be fair to say that the D200 is marginally faster in raw AF speed with screwdriver lenses, but also hunts far less and has a more 'authoritative' lock-on.

Yes, that's a very good description, I think. In my limited experience, the AF accuracy makes these lenses "seem" faster.

Something I often see at wide apertures on my 50mm (ie f2.8 and wider) is that the D70 often will change its mind about what is 'good focus'. IE put it on a tripod and refocus several times on the same point and it will marginally focus in different places. With the 50mm, this is enough to put my dogs ears or nose in focus instead of her eyes; I often get far better results with this lens using MF on that horrible little viewfinder than I do with AF. Interestingly the 70-200 doesnt seem as bad.

I don't have any experience on most of that stuff. Thus far, I haven't had any difficulty with the 85 f/1.8, in locking on precisely where I wanted the focus.

Anyway, have you seen this with the D70, and do you still see it with the D200 at all?? This is MY main annoyance with the D70 AF as opposed to raw speed... more its accuracy.

Yes, I've seen it with the d70, but I don't think I have enough real world experience with the d200 to make a definitive statement. So far, it has impressed me with being more accurate, with less hunting.

Thanks Kerry for the comparison. The D200 looks like an excellent camera.