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Upgrade to a D300? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter BarryH
- Start date
nirofo
Well-known member
I think you'll find that as the distance from camera to subject increases so does the apparent depth of field for any given aperture, (I assume you're using the same aperture throughout your testing), it thereby negates your assumption that it focuses better at longer range.
nirofo.
nirofo
Well-known member
You miss the point, depth of field becomes less and less the closer you get to the subject; it can reach a point, especially on long zoom lenses, where it is almost non existent. This depends on what apperture you are using, I assume you are using a wide aperture at the 500mm end of the lens; if you are, focussing becomes super critical at close distance. While it might appear to be out of focus at the point you intended to be sharp, it could in fact be in focus elsewhere on the subject. As mentioned previously, focussing on the Nikon D300 is very fast and it can have refocussed on another point in the picture if it is the nearest focus point, you may not be aware this has happened. Try focussing manually on a fixed point, don't use the lens wide open, stop it down at least half a stop, Sigma 150-500 zooms are crap wide open anyway!
nirofo.
just read an article that someone linked over on dpreview (cant remember thread so havent found the link again 
). I believe the article was written by one of the lens rental outfits in the US. According to them, they spend (waste) a lot of money on returns for people claiming lens front focus, back focus, etc. According to them, they test everything and only find a very small percentage of legitimately bad lens.
The explanation they give for the number of returns comes down to cameras and lens and the amount they are out of 'sync'. They gave example of a camera maybe being +3 away from "perfect". This is ok if you get a lens that its -3 away from perfect. The problem occurs when someone with a +3 problem camera gets a +3 problem lens... now you have a +6 issue that leads to a back focus / front focus scenario. The +3 / -3 is just an arbitrary scale used by author to make a point.
The way this issue was overcome by pro's back before cameras had the ability to be calibrated for individual lens was for the pro to send all of their lenses and camera bodies to Nikon or Canon to have them "sync'd". The author summarizes that with so many camera bodies being able to calibrate lenses now, it doesnt make sense to keep changing what are perfectly good lens until you find one that matches the idiosyncrasies of your particular camera.
If i can find the article.... i will link it. I recently checked out my 500mm f4 on my d300 and found it to be perfect. My Sigma 100-300 however required some adjustment. This is a valuable feature that I will want on any body I purchase going forward.
). I believe the article was written by one of the lens rental outfits in the US. According to them, they spend (waste) a lot of money on returns for people claiming lens front focus, back focus, etc. According to them, they test everything and only find a very small percentage of legitimately bad lens.The explanation they give for the number of returns comes down to cameras and lens and the amount they are out of 'sync'. They gave example of a camera maybe being +3 away from "perfect". This is ok if you get a lens that its -3 away from perfect. The problem occurs when someone with a +3 problem camera gets a +3 problem lens... now you have a +6 issue that leads to a back focus / front focus scenario. The +3 / -3 is just an arbitrary scale used by author to make a point.
The way this issue was overcome by pro's back before cameras had the ability to be calibrated for individual lens was for the pro to send all of their lenses and camera bodies to Nikon or Canon to have them "sync'd". The author summarizes that with so many camera bodies being able to calibrate lenses now, it doesnt make sense to keep changing what are perfectly good lens until you find one that matches the idiosyncrasies of your particular camera.
If i can find the article.... i will link it. I recently checked out my 500mm f4 on my d300 and found it to be perfect. My Sigma 100-300 however required some adjustment. This is a valuable feature that I will want on any body I purchase going forward.
OK....my wife reminded me where i read the article i referred to in my post above. I went and check the article and discovered there has been a newer one posted (the one i read was from 2008).
Im posting both links. I suggest you read the first link first (2008) and then the second link. Reason is that the first describes the fundamental issue and the 2nd updates some of the logic based on newer observations with the latest gear.
http://www.lensrentals.com/news/2008.12.22/this-lens-is-soft-and-other-myths
http://www.lensrentals.com/news/2010.03.06/this-lens-is-soft-and-other-facts
Im posting both links. I suggest you read the first link first (2008) and then the second link. Reason is that the first describes the fundamental issue and the 2nd updates some of the logic based on newer observations with the latest gear.
http://www.lensrentals.com/news/2008.12.22/this-lens-is-soft-and-other-myths
http://www.lensrentals.com/news/2010.03.06/this-lens-is-soft-and-other-facts
gasjkh2
Well-known member
This thread intrigues me.
I struggle to understand why anyone should wish to upgrade to the D300/D300s (which is a very good camera), when you can buy a pro unit like the
DX2S for less money on the 2nd hand camera market.
Bought mine for just under £700 with a 1 year warantee from Misfuds - quality item.
I upgraded from the D200 (which I still use for landscapes, nice camera also, but too slow from birds in flight etc) and when it comes to bird photography, the results are astounding with a prime lens on the DX2S.
I love this camera.
Ultimate quality from Nikon
nirofo
Well-known member
This thread intrigues me.
I struggle to understand why anyone should wish to upgrade to the D300/D300s (which is a very good camera), when you can buy a pro unit like the
DX2S for less money on the 2nd hand camera market.
Bought mine for just under £700 with a 1 year warantee from Misfuds - quality item.
I upgraded from the D200 (which I still use for landscapes, nice camera also, but too slow from birds in flight etc) and when it comes to bird photography, the results are astounding with a prime lens on the DX2S.
I love this camera.
Ultimate quality from Nikon
How about faster focussing, extremely useable high ISO settings, low noise, large high quality viewing screen, movie mode, etc, etc, etc. High Quality Results etc !!!
The DX2S is a fine camera, no doubt about it, but it's a generation behind the D300S, time to move on.
nirofo.
Duke Leto
Without habitat, there is no wildlife. It's that s
couldn't agree more, my pro friend bought a D300 as a spare to his D2Xs and D2Hs and couldn't believe the improvements so went and bought a D3 and got rid of any D2XXX bodies.
I still have a D200 as a spare body but it rarely gets used and isn't the difference noticeable when compared with a D300
gasjkh2
Well-known member
If I dropped your D300 and then dropped my D2XS, which one would survive? - nuff said PAL! You get what you pay for.
Pro camera v amateur camera.
End of!
gasjkh2
Well-known member
Gasjkh2, why all the agression? You've come into this thread very late and now you're telling everyone they're wrong and as for the "Nuff said PAL" attitude, well.
Nikon themselves class the the D300 as a Pro camera and make it part of the NPU Scheme.
Since you also seem to rate Ken Rockwell as "The Master of Nikon" it tells me all I need to know. The opening line from your link clearly states: The D2X has been superceded by the far superior D3 and D300.
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Dave Williams
Well-known member
This thread intrigues me.
I struggle to understand why anyone should wish to upgrade to the D300/D300s (which is a very good camera), when you can buy a pro unit like the
DX2S for less money on the 2nd hand camera market.
Bought mine for just under £700 with a 1 year warantee from Misfuds - quality item.
I upgraded from the D200 (which I still use for landscapes, nice camera also, but too slow from birds in flight etc) and when it comes to bird photography, the results are astounding with a prime lens on the DX2S.
I love this camera.
Ultimate quality from Nikon
The D200 is pretty good for BIF actually, all bar the last few in my gallery were taken with a D200 and that includes the Swallow.
Can't judge yours because your gallery has only 2 pictures neither of which I'm sure are the astounding ones your D2X produces
The D2x struggles with higher ISO than 400 from what I can gather so that alone is a reason for moving to a D300 which performs very well at ISO800.
Duke Leto
Without habitat, there is no wildlife. It's that s
lol, what a contradiction, the D300 was more expensive than a used D2x and has the same metal / titanium chassis, i'd give them a both the same chance, any more pearls of wisdom from the aggressive newbie.......
If you love Ken the master of Nikon then as quoted the The D2X has been superseded by the far superior D3 and D300 is a fitting statement, thanks Barry
Not sure if you've noticed but nearly everyone tends to judge cameras by the images they produce and not a drop test......
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nirofo
Well-known member
If you want to go around dropping your cameras on the floor then you deserve all the damage you will receive to either of the cameras. NUFF SAID PAL !!!
nirofo.
Jason Bugay Reyes
Well-known member
Hahahahahahahaha and by the way, D300s is a nice camera with external mic attached on its hot shoe to record birds singing with long lens
apbarr
Well-known member
As others have stated the link you provide starts with you shooting yourself in the foot as far as your assertion goes.:-O:-O
gasjkh2
Well-known member
Just remember me when you have to keep charging those crap batteries on your D300's SUCKERS!
Oh did I mention the crop mode?
Amateurs again!!
KGTS
LOL.
Funniest post I have seen in a long time :-O
