D300 Owners Thread - Anything related to the D300!

Pleased you have it sorted, stick with af-on, it takes a little time to get used to it, I tried it several times before I got used to it now I will only shot this way, the only time I switch it off is when one of my daughters uses one of my cameras as their hands are a little to small to use it.

Which way do you recommend by the way, stopping the shutter from firing unless AF is depressed? Or firing regardless?
 
Hi - joining in here because I have my D300 set up the same way with AF-ON. I use "continuous focus" nearly all the time - press the AF button once and then recompose at leisure, or for moving subjects keep it depressed.

I only use AF-S for trap focus - use the button to pre-focus on a spot that your subject is going to pass through, hold the shutter button down, and it will only fire once the subject has moved into focus. It can be very handy. (Hope you can follow my garbled description - it's my bedtime!)
 
No it doesn't - not in continuous focus. It does in single focus but you get the same result when you press the shutter release half way down. The AF-on button serves the same function as the shutter release button - says so in the manual.

yes it does - just take your thumb off the AF-ON button and the focus stays put! I keep mine in 'C' mode all the time and you control whether it's continuous or not with your thumb on the button. Easy! More control.
 
I got my first D300 this time last year and loved it instantly. At the time I had a D70 as a back up but it was obviously a massive step down from the D300 so I never used it. I thought an upgrade of the D70 to a D80 would help but still compared to my D300 it just wasn't the same so a couple of months ago I upgraded the D80 to another D300. Now I have 2 of them I can take either camera out of the bag and know I have a top quality camera in my hand.

It's been interesting reading about all this AF lock stuff because I didn't know any of it. I generally use AF-S with a half press of the shutter so I'm going to have a play with the AF lock button and see if I can get used to using it. I can imagine it being like learning a new skill.

I've only just got a grip for one of my D300's so learning to use the portrait shutter release is going to be hard enough.
 
Had a play with the AF-On for a bit last night and really liking it. That's interesting what you were saying too Tracer, although I found that mine would only take the photo 60/70% of the time when in focus. Dramatically brought down my FPS too. I think the combo AF-C with forcing AF-On to be pressed is what I'm going to try out. Be interesting how this works in street photography. Although, the D300 is a loud bugger! The shutter/mirror flip sounds excellent, but I won't be doing Street candids on a quiet day methinks :LOL:
 
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yes it does - just take your thumb off the AF-ON button and the focus stays put! I keep mine in 'C' mode all the time and you control whether it's continuous or not with your thumb on the button. Easy! More control.

Whilst I use a lot of continuous focus (with focus tracking and using the AF-ON button) for motorsport, single focus has one key advantage - when you have all the focus points active, in AF-S mode you can see which ones have aquired focus (assuming you have it set to light up the focus points) whereas in AF-C it doesn't do this. Dunno about you, but I like to make sure its focusing on the right bits ;-)
 
yes it does - just take your thumb off the AF-ON button and the focus stays put! I keep mine in 'C' mode all the time and you control whether it's continuous or not with your thumb on the button. Easy! More control.

This does actually make a great argument for using the af-on option as if offers the best of both worlds I suppose. I have been trying to get in the habit of using the button so I think I might well be swapping to the full set up soon, following all the comments here (y)
 
Oh and my top tip for this thread, dial in -0.7EV exposure compensation in the menus - these things overexpose (just like it seems every Nikon does)

My D300 exposes perfectly, no EV adjustment needed, my D80 always needed the -0.7 adjustment

Hi Kev - that suggestion about the AF-ON button you made on another thread. Sorry for the stupid question but why is that better than just holding the shutter button down 1/2 way? merv:thinking::thinking:

Merv think of it like the old cameras where you focused the lens manually, you had control. Using the AF ON gives you that separate control, you can focus and recompose, or with panning moving subjects (like birds in flight) you can release the button if they go behind an obstruction that would make the camera refocus, or if they go across a confusing background that would make the camera refocus.

It does take time to master, once it sank in with me I found it so much easier.

An example, a bird in a tree with some branches in front and behind, once I have the bird in focus I can release the AF ON button and press the shutter safe in the knowledge that at the last moment it is not going to focus on the foreground or background branch.

No it doesn't - not in continuous focus. It does in single focus but you get the same result when you press the shutter release half way down. The AF-on button serves the same function as the shutter release button - says so in the manual.

It does work in continuos focus, just release the AF ON button and it stops focusing.

I have mine set so it will only release if in focus.

I have mine set so that it will fire when I tell it to, that way I am in control, not the camera.
 
This does actually make a great argument for using the af-on option as if offers the best of both worlds I suppose. I have been trying to get in the habit of using the button so I think I might well be swapping to the full set up soon, following all the comments here (y)

Yv, I have had my D300 just over 2 years, I switched to this way of using the camera about 12 months ago, it did take a while to adjust to (old dog new tricks :D ), but it is second nature now, and something I do without thinking.

This shot shows what I mean, using the AF ON button has allowed me to achieve focus on the bird, release the button and not have the AF try and refocus on the foreground twig, which it would have done using the shutter release.

 
... in AF-S mode you can see which ones have aquired focus (assuming you have it set to light up the focus points) whereas in AF-C it doesn't do this. Dunno about you, but I like to make sure its focusing on the right bits ;-)

I'd try AF-C again, because it does the opposite, as in highlings the sensors after shutter release. So when you shoot it will highlight the sensor(s) that were in focus. I know this definitely happens when using AF-On, because I spotted this last night when I was messing around with the settings.
 
This does actually make a great argument for using the af-on option as if offers the best of both worlds I suppose.

Got it in one! Takes a little practice but once you've got it you'll never go back!
 
I only use AF-S for trap focus - use the button to pre-focus on a spot that your subject is going to pass through, hold the shutter button down, and it will only fire once the subject has moved into focus. It can be very handy. (Hope you can follow my garbled description - it's my bedtime!)

And if you set e.g. continuous shooting (CL) and set with shutter button locked open using a remote, you can walk away and leave the camera to take pictures only when something is in focus like when a bird lands in the focus zone to feed. Possibly not recommended at a high fps though :D
 
yes it does - just take your thumb off the AF-ON button and the focus stays put! I keep mine in 'C' mode all the time and you control whether it's continuous or not with your thumb on the button. Easy! More control.

Oh, well...duh! If you take your finger off the button, then that figures. :bang:

Got it in one! Takes a little practice but once you've got it you'll never go back!

Oh contrare mon amee. :) It's horses for courses I reckon and depends on your type of photography. I take landscapes, buildings and people and have mine set to 'S' mode 95% of the time. I use the AE-L button a lot to set the exposure (when I want skies for example) and recompose and fix focus with a half press of the shutter and then recompose again, so the AF-On button is of no real use to me. Set AF-C by all means and use the AF-ON button for motorsport, action, birdlife etc. But its no means a useful tool for all of us. That, in a sense is the beauty of the D300 - its range of controls for all kinds of photography.
 
I like the custom menu saves going through ALL the coloured sub menu's when you want to change something quickly like the AF points 9,21 or 51.
 
Well having just bought a D300S myself, and finding it hard to adapt (Used to be a Canon owner!) This looks like the thread to be watched. Some great tips there. Keep 'em coming please:clap:
 
Well having just bought a D300S myself, and finding it hard to adapt (Used to be a Canon owner!) This looks like the thread to be watched. Some great tips there. Keep 'em coming please:clap:

Try reading either "Mastering the D300" by Darrell Young or David Busch's "Nikon D300". I have them both. Both are really good, full of info, explanations, tips and tricks, neither are brilliant and not one of them is loads better than the other. Darrell Young's is cheaper, smaller and lighter and a little more readable. David Busch's is tome-like and a bit unwieldy and suffers a bit from his endless comparisons to the D200 (matters to him as an ex-D200 user, irrelevant to those of use who aren't) but includes some good bits of info missing in Darrell Young's. So its a bit of a toss up between them.
 
Anyone used 51 point 3D tracking for motorsport or aviation (or anything fast moving for that matter)? Would be interested to hear how you found it! (y)

Cheers,
 
Try reading either "Mastering the D300" by Darrell Young or David Busch's "Nikon D300". I have them both. Both are really good, full of info, explanations, tips and tricks, neither are brilliant and not one of them is loads better than the other. Darrell Young's is cheaper, smaller and lighter and a little more readable. David Busch's is tome-like and a bit unwieldy and suffers a bit from his endless comparisons to the D200 (matters to him as an ex-D200 user, irrelevant to those of use who aren't) but includes some good bits of info missing in Darrell Young's. So its a bit of a toss up between them.

on a similar theme I got the Nikon D300 Expanded Guide by Jon Sparks, excellent (y)
 
Try reading either "Mastering the D300" by Darrell Young or David Busch's "Nikon D300". I have them both. Both are really good, full of info, explanations, tips and tricks, neither are brilliant and not one of them is loads better than the other. Darrell Young's is cheaper, smaller and lighter and a little more readable. David Busch's is tome-like and a bit unwieldy and suffers a bit from his endless comparisons to the D200 (matters to him as an ex-D200 user, irrelevant to those of use who aren't) but includes some good bits of info missing in Darrell Young's. So its a bit of a toss up between them.

on a similar theme I got the Nikon D300 Expanded Guide by Jon Sparks, excellent (y)

Excellent, both on my Christmas list. All be it a little late to be on there at this stage in proceedings! :thinking:
 
Anyone used 51 point 3D tracking for motorsport or aviation (or anything fast moving for that matter)? Would be interested to hear how you found it! (y)

(Was last post of the previous page, thought I'd repost it in case any missed it! :confused:)

Cheers,
 
Anyone used 51 point 3D tracking for motorsport or aviation (or anything fast moving for that matter)? Would be interested to hear how you found it! (y)

(Was last post of the previous page, thought I'd repost it in case any missed it! :confused:)

Cheers,

I have tried it for birds, simply can`t get on with it.Though, in fairness, that could be my fault rather than the cameras.
 
Anyone used 51 point 3D tracking for motorsport or aviation (or anything fast moving for that matter)? Would be interested to hear how you found it! (y)

(Was last post of the previous page, thought I'd repost it in case any missed it! :confused:)

Cheers,

So what exactly is 3d tracking? Think I have the 'normal' 51 point AF. Mainly shoot portraits, mainly kids so sometimes a lot of movement.
 
Love my D300, great step up from the D90.

Shoot in RAW so turn off NR and DLighting,
 
Anyone used 51 point 3D tracking for motorsport or aviation (or anything fast moving for that matter)? Would be interested to hear how you found it! (y)

No its pants.

If you want to see how pants it is, turn on the af point illumination and then try it... you will see the AF points light up as it "tracks" things... and you'll see it go bonkers and loose the plot plenty :D

Probably good if you are a numpty and can't work the rest out, but trust me, for consistant results keep it to stuff you control...
 
No its pants.

If you want to see how pants it is, turn on the af point illumination and then try it... you will see the AF points light up as it "tracks" things... and you'll see it go bonkers and loose the plot plenty :D

Probably good if you are a numpty and can't work the rest out, but trust me, for consistant results keep it to stuff you control...

thank goodness it's not just me then :D
 
51 point 3D tracking on the D3 is superb - and I'm pretty sure it's the same as on the D300. Pick up the subject in the centre point and it sticks with it flawlessly - if it doesn't - you don't have the camera set up properly. I use it 99% of the time!
 
It could be worth changing menu a4 (Focus tracking with lock-on), to 'Short', or 'Off', to increase the responsiveness of 3D tracking.

It all depends on your subject really...
 
51 point 3D tracking on the D3 is superb - and I'm pretty sure it's the same as on the D300. Pick up the subject in the centre point and it sticks with it flawlessly - if it doesn't - you don't have the camera set up properly. I use it 99% of the time!



Same here. I've used it on the D3 and D300. Worked ok, but I must admit I don't use it much. Haven't even tried it on the D3s yet.

Kev.
 
51 point 3D tracking on the D3 is superb - and I'm pretty sure it's the same as on the D300. Pick up the subject in the centre point and it sticks with it flawlessly - if it doesn't - you don't have the camera set up properly. I use it 99% of the time!

Same here. I've used it on the D3 and D300. Worked ok, but I must admit I don't use it much. Haven't even tried it on the D3s yet.

Kev.

Chaps (or anyone else), would you care to explain a few of the settings you use. It'd be good to establish if the folk not getting along with this system, just haven't managed to get it set up in a way that would be good for them.

I'm mainly thinking about which Dynamic AF Area you use (maybe you change from time to time), and what you have ' Focus tracking with lock-on' set to, considering that switching it to 'off', increases the responsiveness of Dynamic AF, but may then cause problems if it's likely that something may briefly block your view.

Also, what situations are you 100% confident in using the system, and when would you turn it off?

I think with some extra info, we could make sure the TP D300 users fully understand how to use this system, and the world will be a much better place. :LOL:

I've not yet used the system in anger, and I'm dying to use it for my Mountain Bike photography, as previously I've always pre-focused on the spot where I want to capture the rider, and then switched to manual.
But I have now set up my camera to use the AF-ON button, switched servo mode to continuos, and enabled 3D-Tracking, set 'Focus tracking with lock-on' to OFF, and with a bit of luck, that's how I'll be leaving it. (Although D300 digitutor does recommend the 9point AF Area for the mountain biking stuff - we'll see...)

I hope users can take the time to explain the points I've raised. :D

Cheers
Oliver
 
Also, what situations are you 100% confident in using the system, and when would you turn it off?

Answers... never and always :D

Select a focus point with focus point assist (middle setting), using the AF-ON button to track the subject for a little while before squeezing the shutter.

Two things you need to take into consideration here...

1) If you have VR on your lens you need to half depress the shutter release button to engage it. It takes time to spin up, so if you have not got that time, turn it off or it WILL muck up your shot. Personally, turn it off and leave it turned off.

2) As subjects get closer (subject distance decreases) your AF system and lens focus motor has to work harder. The D300's AF system is superb, but your glass might not be (only certain lenses are really suitable for this). This will be most taxing with things coming straight towards you, less taxing the less the subject distance changes least. If its really up close and personal and fast, AF tracking won't really work, so go back to basics and use pre-focus instead.

Probably 95% of a considerable number of shots I take are taken like this. The D300 is a fantastic bit of kit and the number of focused shots is very, very high. Ok, so camera shake or subject movement kills some of the slow shutter stuff, but thats not the D300's fault. Its a quality bit of gear that you can rely on.
 
This thread has made interesting reading. When I buy a new camera I'm one of the few that reads the manual - cover to cover. I marvel at the new fancy things they can do

Then I turn off just about everything and go back to centre point focussing and centre weighted average on a small circle - just like my old film cameras :D

Works perfectly for me and I certainly don't get the overexposure or focusing issues others have commented on :)

DD
 
Answers... never and always :D

Oh bugger! So much for world peace, then. :LOL:

But you've covered some very important points there, and exactly the kind of info we need in this thread. (y)

Still want to hear more from both sides...
 
I have just started using my D300 again after a long break. Can't really explain why it just stayed in its bag. I think the main problem is i'm not sure what I want to photgraph, if that makes any sense. Can anybody recommend a good training coarse. Don't really like books or DVD's, much prefer a classroom with an expert and lots of hands on. Really need to get to grips with all these buttons and functions, at the moment it rarely gets off P, what a waste.
 
I have just started using my D300 again after a long break. Can't really explain why it just stayed in its bag. I think the main problem is i'm not sure what I want to photgraph, if that makes any sense. Can anybody recommend a good training coarse. Don't really like books or DVD's, much prefer a classroom with an expert and lots of hands on. Really need to get to grips with all these buttons and functions, at the moment it rarely gets off P, what a waste.

You know mate, the thing is... it really is hard work. I mean the D300 is HARD WORK! Seriously. In ye olde days camera were simple - aperture and shutter speed and choose your film and that was about it, apart from an eye for the fotie. Nowadays - you need a degree in electronics simply to turn it on. But the rewards are there, if you have the eye. The D300 will give you what you want if you work at it. But buy the books, read the web pages, work at it...its hard work all in all. But its worth it, in the end. You'll capture images you never thought possible, it's all there, in your hands - in the D300. But don't let anyone tell you that its easy.
 
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