51 Focus Points


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koayst

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Dec 29, 2006
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Noticed the newly announced Nikon camera has 51 focus points.

Out of curosity, what are the advantages of having so many focus points?
 

Noticed the newly announced Nikon camera has 51 focus points.

Out of curosity, what are the advantages of having so many focus points?

More focal points, then you won't need to do AE/AF lock... better spot metering? :think:
 

Anyone has any idea how this will work?

I cannot imagine having to scroll around 51 points to find my preferred spot for focusing and spot metering. Also, I would imagine the viewfinder being really crowded with 51 little points + a grid!
 

Anyone has any idea how this will work?

I cannot imagine having to scroll around 51 points to find my preferred spot for focusing and spot metering. Also, I would imagine the viewfinder being really crowded with 51 little points + a grid!

May be the cam comes with stylus pen to pick the 51 points. hahaha...
 

Anyone has any idea how this will work?

I cannot imagine having to scroll around 51 points to find my preferred spot for focusing and spot metering. Also, I would imagine the viewfinder being really crowded with 51 little points + a grid!

I guess - maybe got different modes. Maybe the Full mode will have 51 points, can have semi-mode which only scroll through 30 points, another mode that only use 20 points???

Make sense???
 

It might be a prelude to Eye controlled focus. :think:
 

From: http://e-photographia.smugmug.com/gallery/3354617#187078029
187078029-L.jpg


Single point is user selection.

Dynamic is for moving subject. User select the focusing point and the camera can use the other points to track the subject if it moves.

BC
 

sometimes i think had technology makes simple task complicated.. focusing to me is like u should know where the object is. even a 51 focus point, i guess there will still case that camera mis-focus since no matter how, camera is not our brain.. in the end, $$ is paid for some technology that try to simulate intelligent that we just need to practise few times..
 

sometimes i think had technology makes simple task complicated.. focusing to me is like u should know where the object is. even a 51 focus point, i guess there will still case that camera mis-focus since no matter how, camera is not our brain.. in the end, $$ is paid for some technology that try to simulate intelligent that we just need to practise few times..

I think it is more to assist us. Cameras with so high number of focusing points are generally for action photography. With the extra number of focusing points, the camera can track moving subjects better. It is suppose to help you track the subject and improve the chance to get the shot that you want. The chances of say a 11-pt AF system losing track of the subject is higher than a 51-pt system. This is particularly important for people like the professional sports photographer or even nature wildlife photographer.

You'll realise that there is a choice to reduce the number of focusing points when you do not need them.

You've got to learn how the camera work and make it work for you. It not suppose to be like what you said.

BC;)
 

More focusing points means more accurate focus.

Read somewhere that there is a 11-point focus mode, ala D2-style too!
 

More focusing points means more accurate focus.

Read somewhere that there is a 11-point focus mode, ala D2-style too!

Yup. See the slide I posted above.

BC
 

More focusing points basically means more options. If D3 has eye control focus, then the camera could even guess which point you're looking at and focus using the nearest point.
 

I think it is more to assist us. Cameras with so high number of focusing points are generally for action photography. With the extra number of focusing points, the camera can track moving subjects better. It is suppose to help you track the subject and improve the chance to get the shot that you want. The chances of say a 11-pt AF system losing track of the subject is higher than a 51-pt system. This is particularly important for people like the professional sports photographer or even nature wildlife photographer.

You'll realise that there is a choice to reduce the number of focusing points when you do not need them.

You've got to learn how the camera work and make it work for you. It not suppose to be like what you said.

BC;)

You're the only one with the right answer.;)
 

Does it need user calibration? ::bsmilie:

More focusing points basically means more options. If D3 has eye control focus, then the camera could even guess which point you're looking at and focus using the nearest point.
 

when canon came out w the eye controlled feature like 10years ago. i did try it and they were quite amazing after some calibration. just look and it focus correctly. but it somehow died off. dunno why...dun think nikon will pick it up from there. but i should think hte overall area focusing should improve by quite a far bit w so many points.
 

But having so many focus points may sometimes be annoying. I have seldom used anything more than the centre focal point. Especially since the camera seems never been able to guess what I am trying to use as my subject.
 

But having so many focus points may sometimes be annoying. I have seldom used anything more than the centre focal point. Especially since the camera seems never been able to guess what I am trying to use as my subject.

Same here. 99.5% of the time i use the centre focus point so i know what i want in focus.

Then again i'm not a sports photographer who may require a subject to be tracked.
 

I suspect this is more a "marketing" feature then something that would be really useful. How much more accurate it would be? I would think that having 51 sensor points would confuse the AF more if you have multi layers of objects in a scene you compose to shoot. Does the 51 sensor and it various configuration start searching all over the place fighting against you to over-right your preference of which object to focus on? I suspect most of us will leave it to its bare basic configuration for ease of use and speed.
 

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