D2X Focus Performance and Repair/Replacement Poll

[Beezle]

I can see having both. They really address different things.

Thom's D70 guide was great. I would imagine his D2X guide will also be useful.

 

[Paul Beiser]

Ron's book is excellent, but not for casual reading . If you just got the D2X, when Thom recovers from his lightning problems, I would whole-heartedly recommend you get his D2X book ( I sure plan to!).

Another thought is this - if you use CS2 and want to use Thomas Knoll's Camera Raw, I would HIGHLY recommend the latest Camera Raw book from Bruce Fraser. Superb and easy-to-follow.

 

[Rocha]

Thanks Paul,

I use Nikon Capture, but it is very slow in my Mac, so I am willing to give other programs a try. I will keep that in mind.

By the way, I visited Fort Collins last year for a meeting. That was my first time in Colorado, a really beautyful landscape, I bet you have plenty of photo opportunities. Weather in Panama is terrible this time of the year, it rains constantly.

 

[Paul Beiser]

I think you should give PS CS2 and Camera Raw a try, sorry to hear about all the rain. And this is a a great time for photography, lots of flowers! Glad you liked Colorado .

-Paul

 

[mcampos]

Jim,

>> Images are supposed to need USM! <<

In your opinion, do you think the D2X's images need a lot more of it than the ones from the D2H?

Right now I am finding myself cranking up sharpening in Capture on the RAW images and then applying a large amount of USM, much more than I am accustomed to with the D2H & D100.

Last Friday I went to the botanical garden, but not with enough time to really do serious work. I took some shots following your advise on color settings and the results were quite good. The only problem I found is that the 24-120VR was all over the place with auto focusing handheld (I did not try it on the tripod).

Right now I am going to take a middle of the road approach and for the next couple of weeks assume that it is my technique that needs improvement if things don't improve I am going back to Nikon. I really can't see having to be so extremely careful with this camera, how is anyone ever going to be able to get good action shots when the action gets hot and heavy.

 

[Beezle]

I also tried Jim's setting suggestions on a large hydrangea plant in our garden that is bursting with flowers. It did produce nice results.

I think I went through something similar to you over the last few months. And things have just been getting better and better. At this point I am thinking that this camera doesn't need careful handling so much as it is just different from the 4, 6 and 8 MP cameras I was used to.

And the more I think about it, pretty much every camera I have ever used required time to learn where the sweet spots are. I remember the first shot I took with a D70. I was lucky and it was very nice. About 4 thousand images later, I was able to do it again.

 

[mcampos]

Thanks for the feedback.

>> I am thinking that this camera doesn't need careful handling so much <<

I hope so. There is no way that you can use this camera to do any useful work other than in an extremely controlled manner if you are going to listen to some of the advise going around about needing to be a sharp shooter to be able to hold the camera steady.

 

[jfenton]

Sharpening

Mike...

Honestly, I'm finding that the X needs less agressive sharpening than the D70 or the D2H.

I do my basic 55,5,4 in NC and in PSCS, depending of course on the output, I'm fiding that 165, 0.2, 1 works very well for the web...again...totally dependent upon the output and the individual image.

 

[mcampos]

Thanks Jim,

Besides USM, are you applying "in-camera" sharpening in Capture?

I'll give your USM settings a try as a baseline to see how far off my needs are.

 

[Ruffles]

For Jim and the rest of you that have check your focus sensors, do you get the SAME focus from each sensor?

On my 24-120, with the center sensor, the feild of focus is exactly centered over the focus point. The target shows the line in perfect focus with the same amount in front and behine. With other sensors, the focus line may be on the very front edge of focus with much more in focus behind. Is this makeing sense?

I'm seeing this on my 24-120 and my 12-24.

 

[jfenton]

Focus Sensors....

My sensors are pretty close to correct except in the corners.

In all honesty, my focus is locked at the center sensor and changes on it's own of course depending on which group I'm using and the direction in which a moving subject is traveling.

 

[Ruffles]

Thats how mine are too Jim. I use my camera in the same way but my concern is that even though I start out with the center sensor, when the Dynamic AF kicks in and tracks the subject across sensors, it could be off when I snap the pic depending on what sensor is curretly in use.

 

[Beezle]

Jim,

Is there a post somewhere where you describe how you use the AF system for moving targets?

This is something I need a lot of practice at.

Also, re: your sharpness experiences. Are your listed lenses the only ones you use on the D2X? Looks like a very sharp set of lenses.

 

[jfenton]

Auto focus Settings

I'm sure I've posted these somewhere along the way, but they are pretty simple....

For static shots, I'm using AF-S. Single area (first option on the back selector switch), focus release.

For moving (mainly flight) shots I use AF-C, Single area dynamic (second option up), once ion a while group dynamic if I'm shooting really fast birds like swallows, terns and purple martins (third option up), focus release most of the time or Focus + Frame rate if I need higher FPS. I always use Group Priority 1, center area...never closest subject as the camera has a tendency to grab the highest contrast subject which in many instances if the background and not the intended target. My camera is almost always locked on the center focusing reticle although it automatically moves around with flight shots within the selected group pattern.

I never use full dynamic (aka idiot mode) as it takes away all control and gives it to the cameras brain...and the results suck in my opinion.

CSM option a4 is always turned to OFF.

I think one thing I'm seeing is that most everyone is bitching about lenses having poor performance at wide open aperture. You folks need to understand more fully that a very, very small percentage of lenses work correctly at wide open, no matter what camera. Spend some time on Bjorn's site and Ron's site and learn the optimum apertures of your lenses. I think you'll learn that you're expecting wide open performance when it never existed in the first place. Bjorn especially tells you where lenses aren't good and explains why.

I'm not trying to lecture...simply to help get you educated so that you're not expecting what will never in reality happen

Other lenses that I've tried that worked superbly on my D2X:

60 micro inside of 10' from f4 to f8...just as expected.

85 1.4 from f2 to f11

28-70 AF-D from 5.6 to f11

70-20 AF-D (older push pull lightweight zoom) was superb from f 5.6-f11

70-200 AFS-VR...quite honestly, I thought that it sucked with the D2X.

180 AIS and AF (didn't try an AF-D) was perfect from f4 to f11.

200-400 AFS-VR was an absolute winner from wide oped (f4) to f11, both with and without a TC...although less of a performer with a 1.7.

500 AFSII...perfect wide open and I never need to shoot it past f11. Works extremely well with a 1.4 TC although it does focus a bit slower. Again, with a 1.7 TC it definitely suffers in contrast and focuses slower still.

 

[jfenton]

Before I forget....

If you folks are coming from a D2H background.....in my opinion, the focus tracking of he X is absolutely not up to par with either of my previous D2H bodies. I know that it's supposed to be new and improved???

I remember when I upgraded the firmware in my H last summer when they updating the tracking / focus algorithms and there was such a marked improvement.....I wish they had used those algorithms in the X.

My guess is that you'll see a firmware update to fine tune this.

For bigger targets it may work fine...but I don't shoot cars. They are too easy

 

[Paul Beiser]

I use the EXACT same settings as Jim does (now, if my pics could only be as good . I am waiting to see Thom's D2X book to see if there are more things I can do as well.

One other thing I have started doing is taking AF on the shutter button, and only have it on the AF button on the back of the camera (something that Ron teaches). I have found it very nice for shooting birds, or things that are fast moving.

 

[mcampos]

Jim,

As a side note. Something that has happened to me twice is that I find my camera switched from AF-S to AF-C. The first time I thought I had done it and had forgotten about it. I shot a bunch of flowers and only realized it until the end and a lot of shots were out of focus as a result. Yesterday I saw it again and realized that it happens when I put the camera in the bag, interestingly with the D2H it never happened, maybe the switch on the X is softer. Now I include checking the switch in my "pre-flight" check .

 

[Beezle]

Thanks for the notes on your focusing settings, Jim.

Personally, I have been very happy with the results I am getting with the 70-200 and the D2X. I am working on a composite image made up of about 18 hand held images at about 160mm that will result in a ~100 megapixel image of a giant tree.

The detail and lack of fringing at the edges of leaves is making me very happy. I plan on printing this one out at nearly six feet tall.

 

[twig]

With 28 respondants (starting to become a reasonable sampling) I am seeing 50% of d2x units with problems, and of those without problems only half of those are assured,

I would suggest hose of you that have not checked your sensors should do so, don't you think?

am I the only one to find that pretty bad?

 

[jfenton]

Cooment

I checked all of my sensors with my D2H and they were oiff in the corners as well.

Actually, I'd have to agree with Tom Hogan on this one...they aren't off...they simply aren't where the little red sensor light is in the viewfinder and they aren't the same shapes either.