Please talk me out of it!

[MattyO]

Okay people. Here is the deal looking at buying a D300 very soon.

But i need to be certain on 1 thing Nikon D300 AF system, is it better... IE more accurate and faster focus tracking than the d2xs.

Is teh cam3500dx better than the cam2500

[Yi-P]

Okay people. Here is the deal looking at buying a D300 very soon.

But i need to be certain on 1 thing Nikon D300 AF system, is it better... IE more accurate and faster focus tracking than the d2xs.

Is teh cam3500dx better than the cam2500

I think the D300 AF system is slightly better than the D2xs, if by any difference apart from the excessive amounts of focus points.

Nevertheless, the D2Xs AF is still top notch. Period.

[MattyO]

yer im not too concerned about the AF points, as for still shots i usually just use centre and re-compose.

Im more worried about the actual accuracy and tracking of highspeed moving objects... ie superbikes!

would the d300 be able to match the d2xs levels of performance in this department

[gstark]

would the d300 be able to match the d2xs levels of performance in this department

I think that's a question you need to answer yourself, taking into account that the D300 and the D3 share the same AF system.

[ATJ]

While birds in flight is not exactly the same as motor sports, both need fast and accurate focusing:

http://www.naturescapes.net/phpBB2/view ... p?t=120850

[chrisk]

excessive amounts of focus points.

as long as you can switch to less focus pts for portrait work etc then there is no such thing as excessive amounts of focus points.

[methd]

I was a bit bored the other evening so I decided to shoot seagulls in flight. It was after 9pm, the sun had already gone below the horizon and they really blended into the background.

The D3 (shares the same AF system with the D300) was extremely impressive. Set on continuous servo, focus release and 9 points, it was hitting well over 95% in perfect focus, and i would think the other 5% was user error.

These have been unedited or uncropped except the last to show 100% crop. They're all at ISO 800, aperture priority set at f/2.8. I also tried to make it harder for the camera by selecting gulls that were further away (less than 5% of the entire frame) just to see if the camera 'knew' what i wanted to focus on. The lens was the 24-70 (yes, there is vignetting at 24mm wide open ) ... sorry for the spamming!











This shot impresses me the most of the camera and I have quite a few of them. The seagull is tiny compared to the size of the frame, yet the D3 manages to focus on it, despite the background which is very similar to the seagull.



And here is 100% crop of the same image.

[Ivanerrol]

Hi Methd, I like that number 5 shot.

Flaps down, landing gear down, runway in line, down in 20 seconds, just missing is his landing lights.

[blacknstormy]

Wow - in pretty trying conditions that is really pretty good !!!!
Why can't I win Lotto !!!!!

[methd]

Hi Methd, I like that number 5 shot.

Flaps down, landing gear down, runway in line, down in 20 seconds, just missing is his landing lights.

\

hhaah

yeh i was only testing the AF system so they arent really great shots. I was actually shooting a beach landscape and thought i might as well test the AF since there's gulls flying around.

[chrisk]

methd, those gull shots are awesome. great work.

[johnd]

Great shots Methd. Dust bunny lower right hand of frame. I got one too on my D3. You'd think these new bodies would stay dust bunny free.

MattyO, I can only compare with the D200 not the D2Xs. But the AF on the D3 is very accurate and amazingly fast focus tracking compared with the D200. I believe the identical system is in the D300. A lot of people are talking about the D300 as a D2XS replacement. Another thing, the skin tones are just delicious straight out of the camera.

Cheers
John

[Antsl]

Hi Matty,
If it is any help to you ... David Dare Parker was on the billing in Sydney the other month to help launch the D3 and D300. Like me, he has been working with the D200 for the past couple of years and he reckoned that the D300 he was testing for the launch was a lot better at focussing than the D200. He reckons he has been unhappy with the D200 AF but I have to say that I have not had that many issues with it.
Good luck on the decision! Antsl

[bwhinnen]

Even if they iron out the little niggles with the D200 AF system it would be good.

Personally I think the D300 would be better than the D2Xs, but I still think D3 a little further down the track