D300..51 focus points

[Reportage]

so...for those who got try d300, any use having 51 points of focus?

[BhLoAlCeK]

i'm not using the 51 points AF..

also, i dont use auto area AF as it's slightly slower.

im using the 9 point AF ( i think ) as i can manually select where i want the AF focus to be on... its just my preference.

if you arent shooting sports, auto area AF is going to be fast enough. and it's pretty clever too!

[zh3ng]

The answer is here: http://www.nikondigitutor.com/eng/d300/index.shtml

[log1t3ch]

i do alot of macro, and yes i do utilise the 51 points. i can fine tune the exact spot i want to focus on using the AF. if u have paid so much for the camera and lens, must as well use the fuctions u paid for.

[geraldkhoo]

I use a single point focus, but move the focus point among the 51 available points... pretty useful

I find by doing this is more accurate than focus and shift to frame.

[sliond]

I think it all depends on the situation.

For instance, doing landscape with 51 focus points does help.

[Benosaurous]

no more blur photos due to recomposition using big aperature. once u know this beauty of it, you will not say 51 af points is useless.

[boyboy]

depends on situation.. i use 11 point when i want to focus and recompose, and 51 when i do not. the 11 point only matters when u manual select ur focus point.

for the dynamic AF area (the middle notch between single AF and auto area AF) mode in AF-C, it will track the subject with 51 points, just that you have only 11 areas to choose the "starting point" for AF

[Blur Shadow]

It's probably most effective for bird/sports photography or other forms of photography with fast-moving subjects...

I think it's probably pretty useful for macro too.

[ianwurn]

Just had the chance to try my fren's D300 and D700.... I use a D40x and D70 myself.

The 51 pts is surprisingly useful. I constantly have pain having to move the focus point when I do macro or landscape and this totally takes the pain out by allowing me to move that ONE pt of AF to any of the 51 pts....

Damn.... Now I feel like buying one.....

[BhLoAlCeK]

Originally Posted by Blur Shadow It's probably most effective for bird/sports photography or other forms of photography with fast-moving subjects... I think it's probably pretty useful for macro too.

the 51-pt is actually the slowest mode. on the D3 its not that slow because i think it has better processing power.

anyway, 51-pt isnt really suited for sports, imo..

[Reportage]

is using more then 50 focus points a copyright? I dont see the other brands implementing something this practical.

[boyboy]

Originally Posted by BhLoAlCeK the 51-pt is actually the slowest mode. on the D3 its not that slow because i think it has better processing power. anyway, 51-pt isnt really suited for sports, imo..

51 point manual select? no way.

for sports, dynamic area AF with 11 points will be good. select any of the 11 "starting points" and the camera will take over from there. but i usually use auto AF area select which is 51 point.

[lsisaxon]

Originally Posted by ianwurn Just had the chance to try my fren's D300 and D700.... I use a D40x and D70 myself. The 51 pts is surprisingly useful. I constantly have pain having to move the focus point when I do macro or landscape and this totally takes the pain out by allowing me to move that ONE pt of AF to any of the 51 pts.... Damn.... Now I feel like buying one.....

Wait till you shoot macro using liveview and the tripod mode contrast detection AF, and you can move the AF area anywhere in the frame...

[David Kwok]

Originally Posted by Reportage so...for those who got try d300, any use having 51 points of focus?

All the 51 points are usable on both D300 and D3 regardless with focus mode you are in. Owned them and used them

Having them is especially useful in situation where you don't wanna recompose for good reason and lazy reason

Lazy... I just don't wanna move my tripod. I just move my focus point (single point) to which ever you want just to get the right focus.

Good reason, when you are doing your macro and using your f1.4 lens, you will find that slight movement in the focal plane during recomposition results in OOF. You don't want to get OOF, move your focus point instead.

Another good reason, tracking. Tracking with 51 points is going to be a bonus instead of 11 points.

The part where D300 tracking is slower is mentioned, but as a user, I don't really feel it that much. Probably it is true, but because my pattern of photography doesn't have alot of action pack tracking involved, so I don't really know.

[ianwurn]

Originally Posted by lsisaxon Wait till you shoot macro using liveview and the tripod mode contrast detection AF, and you can move the AF area anywhere in the frame...

YAH I KNOW ! I am having that "issue" with my D40x on macro !

Haha.... damn.... BBB virus coming....

[sin77]

Originally Posted by David Kwok All the 51 points are usable on both D300 and D3 regardless with focus mode you are in. Owned them and used them Having them is especially useful in situation where you don't wanna recompose for good reason and lazy reason Lazy... I just don't wanna move my tripod. I just move my focus point (single point) to which ever you want just to get the right focus. Good reason, when you are doing your macro and using your f1.4 lens, you will find that slight movement in the focal plane during recomposition results in OOF. You don't want to get OOF, move your focus point instead. Another good reason, tracking. Tracking with 51 points is going to be a bonus instead of 11 points. The part where D300 tracking is slower is mentioned, but as a user, I don't really feel it that much. Probably it is true, but because my pattern of photography doesn't have alot of action pack tracking involved, so I don't really know.

is 11 pts much slower than 51 pts?
actually when i was contemplating between D300 and my D90, i did consider the 51pts over 11pts.
Maybe can you pls share more abt the difference between the two, esp in fast action? Thks

[David Kwok]

Originally Posted by sin77 is 11 pts much slower than 51 pts? actually when i was contemplating between D300 and my D90, i did consider the 51pts over 11pts. Maybe can you pls share more abt the difference between the two, esp in fast action? Thks

Slower ? Unlikely nor I feel so. I wouldn't be able to be a comparison between the 2 for I have never used any Nikon besides D300 and D3. The point here having more focusing point is about the granularity when you choose your focusing point. If there is any slow down, more likely it's the more the slower IF it is the same processor. But since 51 focus points are found in high grade models only with better processor, I doubt it will be slower than the 11pt ones.

I will let others to fill in on this aspect.

[BhLoAlCeK]

well basically, the AF points arent all identical. only 15 (rough number, its somewhere in the tech specs) are the fast "cross-type" sensor. the rest are of a slower kind.
also, just think about it logically, with all 51 pts auto area AF, the computer has to do the extra step of figuring out where the subject is. so it's an extra step, no matter how fast a step it may be.

david you are right, if not shooting sports and wanting to cut down on the focussing and recomposing, 51 pts AF is better and actually not that much slower.

[boyboy]

Originally Posted by sin77 is 11 pts much slower than 51 pts? actually when i was contemplating between D300 and my D90, i did consider the 51pts over 11pts. Maybe can you pls share more abt the difference between the two, esp in fast action? Thks

it is much slower in 51 point mode..... to select the individual AF point u want. but for the d300, the 11 AF points are spread out. I believe that for the D90, the Af points are clustered around the centre.

D300 11 AF point mode is to allow u to quickly select the rough area u want, but u still have to lock focus and recompose a bit. however, u don't have to press the button so many times to shift ur AF points around. i sometimes "gabra" and press the wrong button so instead of going left or right, i select the AF point above or below .

less of this issue if u only have 11 points to select