80-400G Focus Hunting

[colincarter]

Spot metering eliminates "hunting". That's all I ever use..

spot metering has nothing to do with af at all

the only time the metering sensor gets used in af is when your in 3D tracking and the camera can then use the colour information provided by the metering sensor to aid tracking.

 

[bnk190]

After using the lens this weekend it appears fine. Using in bright sunny light and subjects that had distance between them I couldn't get it the lens to chatter at all and lose focus. The photos come out nice and sharp so looks like a keeper. It will get put through it's paces at Airventure next week so we will see.

 

[Robert S]

spot metering has nothing to do with af at all

the only time the metering sensor gets used in af is when your in 3D tracking and the camera can then use the colour information provided by the metering sensor to aid tracking.

Spot metering does control af, and using this option limits focusing to that area. Think about it Colin, when you are using spot metering, all the other focus points are "turned off".

 

[Robert S]

.

 

[Randy]

Spot metering does control af, and using this option limits focusing to that area. Think about it Colin, when you are using spot metering, all the other focus points are "turned off".

You must mean single point AF because you are wrong

 

[colincarter]

Spot metering does control af, and using this option limits focusing to that area. Think about it Colin, when you are using spot metering, all the other focus points are "turned off".

your totally wrong.

Even when your using single point af in say matrix metering all the other points are turned off too, but matrix metering is still averaging the scene

you can still use spot metering if all points are active, it just "meters" from the active point at the time of exposure rather than using matrix metering to "average" the scene

Think about it Robert.

metering and af are too totally different things, you should know that surely.

 

[colincarter]

double post

 

[longzoom]

My D800 with any contemporary Nikkor lens is behaving like this: Spot metering is not limiting AF, which free to go at any point at camera's or mine own choice, when AF is set to AUTO, of course. With single AF sensor chosen, doesn't matter which one, metering is concentrating about this, already chosen AF single point, doesn't matter what, matrix or anything else is set. In this case, even spot metering is shifting, by camera, to already chosen single AF point. THX! LZ

 

[Robert S]

your totally wrong.

Even when your using single point af in say matrix metering all the other points are turned off too, but matrix metering is still averaging the scene

you can still use spot metering if all points are active, it just "meters" from the active point at the time of exposure rather than using matrix metering to "average" the scene

Think about it Robert.

metering and af are too totally different things, you should know that surely.

There are a lot of things that I don't know, but I know (anecdotally) that when I am using a single point spot when shooting, that is where exposure and focus "happen". In this image, my main subject is properly focused and properly exposed, and the background is oof and over exposed.How else would a shot like this be possible? The only other way I know of would be to use the focus lock and recompose, which I didn't do

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[Robert S]

You must mean single point AF because you are wrong

Single point also controls the exposure. Maybe my terminology is wrong, I call spot what you call single point.

 

[colincarter]

There are a lot of things that I don't know, but I know (anecdotally) that when I am using a single point spot when shooting, that is where exposure and focus "happen". In this image, my main subject is properly focused and properly exposed, and the background is oof and over exposed.How else would a shot like this be possible? The only other way I know of would be to use the focus lock and recompose, which I didn't do

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

I agree with what you have said there, yes, thats correct but that isnt what you were saying before.

A single point "spot" as you call it is single point spot autofocus and that has nothing to do with the Spot Metering option which can be set from the metering dial / button.

if you have single point spot af set and also spot metering then the metering will use the point your using for focusing for spot metering too, but you could also, just as easily, have matrix metering set with single point af and then the scene is averaged and the metering doesnt use the af point at all

And also af never uses metering to aid focusing unless your in £D mode when colour from the metering sensor is used to aid tracking

 

[colincarter]

Single point also controls the exposure. Maybe my terminology is wrong, I call spot what you call single point.

yes your terminology is wrong.

 

[colincarter]

deleted double post

 

[longzoom]

I agree with what you have said there, yes, thats correct but that isnt what you were saying before.

A single point "spot" as you call it is single point spot autofocus and that has nothing to do with the Spot Metering option which can be set from the metering dial / button.

if you have single point spot af set and also spot metering then the metering will use the point your using for focusing for spot metering too, but you could also, just as easily, have matrix metering set with single point af and then the scene is averaged and the metering doesnt use the af point at all

And also af never uses metering to aid focusing unless your in £D mode when colour from the metering sensor is used to aid tracking

No Colin there is no way to use matrix with single AF point. Its turning to spot metering around that single AF point, regardless what is set, or what you want. It is what going on with my D800, at least. THX! LZ

 

[Randy]

Since we are almost speaking 2 diff

No Colin there is no way to use matrix with single AF point. Its turning to spot metering around that single AF point, regardless what is set, or what you want. It is what going on with my D800, at least. THX! LZ

I'm confused or you are wrong

Set Af to single point, set meter to matrix, they are mutually exclusive

 

[longzoom]

Since we are almost speaking 2 diff


I'm confused or you are wrong

Set Af to single point, set meter to matrix, they are mutually exclusive

There is no matrix with single AF point. Spot metering by camera, around that point, without your willing. THX! LZ

 

[colincarter]

No Colin there is no way to use matrix with single AF point. Its turning to spot metering around that single AF point, regardless what is set, or what you want. It is what going on with my D800, at least. THX! LZ

Hang on a minute, I cant stop laughing, i think you went to the same school as the other idiot

To answer your post, Yes you can use matrix with single point af and No it isnt turning to spot around the single point. Of course you can have matrix metering set with single point af, as Randy said they are both totally different things.

What your saying is matrix metering only works when all points are active? Thats just total rubbish.

Take for example landscape photography, what your saying is that if i compose the shot and move the active focus point over say a rock in the foreground, then the camera will spot meter off the rock even if i have matrix set. Thats just not true. no landscape photographer in the world would want the camera to spot meter off that rock.

 

[longzoom]

First - keep yourself civil, or people will think that there only one idiot. Watch your language and temper. There is no matrix with one already chosen AF sensor(point). Check it first, be mature enough to accept the fact you could be wrong. Look thru VF - single AF point has turned your matrix to SPOT metering. THX! LZ

 

[Randy]

You are mixing terms and it makes no sense

 

[longzoom]

Since we are almost speaking 2 diff


I'm confused or you are wrong

Set Af to single point, set meter to matrix, they are mutually exclusive

Very simple test - use any white surface, say, 2x3 meters. Put any dark thing in the middle. Chose any single AF sensor, point it on the middle of the dark area. Set matrix, of course. Final image will be greatly overexposed. Matrix is not working, at all! Clearly visible thru VF, just control parameters and ISO! THX! LZ . PS. I am not mixing any terms, read one more time!