D80 question

[scottdg]

I have been using my D80 for about 8 months now. A couple weeks ago I was at a morning training run for the Breeders Cup and getting some shots of the horses. It was the first time I really put the burst mode of my camera to the test. I know the D80 is supposed to shoot at 3 fps which it did for about 2 seconds at the most. Then there would be a long delay before it would start firing again. IIRC, I would even have to release the shutter and press it again a few seconds later. Does anyone know the reason for this?

 

[Big Mike]

Sounds like the buffer was filling up. Can you give us more details? Were you shooting RAW or JPEG? What is the rated shooting duration or number of shots for that camera? My camera, for example, can shoot at 5 fps but the buffer fills up at 6 RAW shots or 9 JPEG shots. The buffer does clear, so if I wait for a second or so, I can continue to shoot...but it's always limited by the buffer. The files go from the buffer to the memory card, so using a faster card will clear the buffer faster and allow you to either continue shooting or to resume shooting sooner.

 

[scottdg]

Thanks Mike, I will check that. I was shooting in RAW. A buddy of mine with a D40 was shooting in jpeg and was able to hold his shutter down for much much longer. In fact it didn't stop shooting until he let it go after 10-15 seconds. I will check the buffer though. Thanks again.

 

[Big Mike]

Yes, shooting JPEG will make a difference. Also, one of the things that gets upgraded with every new camera, is the capacity and/or speed of the buffer....so it's quite possible that the D40 has a better buffer than the D80.

 

[Garbz]

Also check your memory card. Getting a Sandisc Ultra IV is a waste but I use a Cheap ebay job because I couldn't afford better at the time. My D200 buffer in RAW (11 frames) fills up after 15-16 shots at 5fps. But with my mates Sandisk Extreme III I can get about 20 shots out and then when it slows down it is still much faster then the <1fps I get with mine.