f4 zoom lenses at 300 or 400mm ??

[astroNikon]

the d600 seems not to allow the FX/DX to be assigned to the FN button

In my menu,
Shooting Menu / Image Area --> I select FX or DX

The assign FN button is a limited list, The FX/DX not being one of them (per the manual & the camera).
But I had it assigned the FN button to TOP MY MENU, which I put the FX/DX as the TOP selection so I can access it quickly now.

I would guess the d700,800,4 allow this instantaneous FN feature

 

[Derrel]

the d600 seems not to allow the FX/DX to be assigned to the FN button

In my menu,
Shooting Menu / Image Area --> I select FX or DX

The assign FN button is a limited list, The FX/DX not being one of them (per the manual & the camera).
But I had it assigned the FN button to TOP MY MENU, which I put the FX/DX as the TOP selection so I can access it quickly now.

I would guess the d700,800,4 allow this instantaneous FN feature

Yeah, assigning it to the top item on the My Menu page is going to be pretty fast. I just looked into that on-line; seems like the last option in the menu is Choose Image Area option is aimed primarily at DX users who have upgraded from DX bodies and DX lenses, and who will ant the camera to automatically "assign image area" to DX whenever a DX lens is mounted on the body. I guess Nikon figures a lot of DX body owners will go to the D600/D610 models, which makes sense. I have been using the My Menu page since 2005 with the D2x...I really like that feature!!! it's great because it takes like huge number of possible adjustments and permutations thereof and groups the ONES YOU need "Today, right NOW!!!" and relegates all the other infrequently or never-changed options to where ever it is that they are in the menu pages and tree.

But I read on kevin Kubota's blog this comment about the D600 for wedding profesionals: "...alleviate the stress on my memory card pouch, iMac and external hard drives, I assigned one of the camera's custom function buttons, located on the right side of the body, near the lens mount to take the camera to "crop mode." This mode gives you a smaller file size by using a smaller portion of the sensor. This is a great feature to use during the ceremony when you may want a bit more "reach" to your lens as it crops in 1.5 times the normal size of the image. The flip side to this is that it makes getting ultra wide shots a bit more difficult. No fear, one button hold and a command dial turn later, I'm back to utilizing the whole sensor and can achieve full frame, ultra wideepicness."

So, maybe there's a Custom Function that allows the Fn button to be configured in the normal way? Perhaps a user-defined Custom-Custom Function option??? Because Ben goes on to talk about the My Menu setting on the D600: "Nikon also gives you the ability to set up "My Menu." My Menu lets you group custom functions you think you'll use most. For instance, I like to add Built-In SpeedlightFunction, Clean Camera Sensor, and the ability to turn on and off the camera's Auto ISO capabilities, to name a few."

So, I'm not sure what the exact status is on assigning DX crop to the Fn. button...I saw the default list of options, and it's not on there, but Ben saying he used it at a wedding makes me think it might be user-selectable on one of the other bajillion Custom Function options the user can select.

 

[coastalconn]

Isn't it by default the bottom function button? Your just talking changing from FX to DX? Or did I misread something? Bottom front,turn thumb wheel.. display show 36x24 or 18x12 I think?

 

[Derrel]

Isn't it by default the bottom function button? Your just talking changing from FX to DX? Or did I misread something? Bottom front,turn thumb wheel.. display show 36x24 or 18x12 I think?

That is exactly what I thought...press Fn button and hold it in while turning rear command dial one click, and thus go from FX to DX, or from DX to FX...

 

[astroNikon]

top of page 91

Image area can be set using the Image Area option in the shooting menu or by pressing a control and rotating a command dial

found it ...

Yes, under Custom Assign FN button
you select "Assign Image Area" ** this is different from the MENU OPTION to change it.
It's just a press Fn then rotate the command dial for FX <--> DX

perfect


i wonder if anyone will do an even trade of my d7000 for a d800 or 6x0?


of course, I now lose my quick access to MY MENU .... hmmm

 

[astroNikon]

yup, Kris knew it while I was experimenting and reading.


so why own a crop camera at all then except for price ??

 

[Derrel]

Well, heck, there is, right there, buried only 91 pages in!!! Gotta love these new camera manuals!

 

[astroNikon]

Well, heck, there is, right there, buried only 91 pages in!!! Gotta love these new camera manuals!

yeah .. it references that feature. You had to go on to page 243 to read about it.

Choose Image Area - Press the fn button and rotate the command dial to choose an image area (- 89)

and like Kris mentions in the VIew Finder it switches between 36-24 and 24-16
or with the Info Page up .. DX - FX and 36-24 / 24-16

 

[astroNikon]

View attachment 71709View attachment 71710

 

[coastalconn]

yup, Kris knew it while I was experimenting and reading.


so why own a crop camera at all then except for price ??

Speed, better af system, more pixels on your subject.. in the same area.. d7100 24mp, d800 15 MP, D600 10 MP, D4 5 MP... oh and dx should have a better buffer, but Nikon choked there.. lol

 

[astroNikon]

and through the viewfinder with the lens cap on

 

[astroNikon]

yup, Kris knew it while I was experimenting and reading.


so why own a crop camera at all then except for price ??

Speed, better af system, more pixels on your subject.. in the same area.. d7100 24mp, d800 15 MP, D600 10 MP, D4 5 MP... oh and dx should have a better buffer, but Nikon choked there.. lol

Oh yeah. But blame Derrel on this one, it was his idea to use my FX for soccer.
Doing Soccer I find myself the need of a real FX 80mm vs DX 120ish mm on the short end, and on the long end the 200 is more 300ish on DX mode.
I'm also going to test my 75-300 AF /3.5-4.6 lens too which will give me even more reach both ways.
and I really don't want to carry 2 cameras for kids soccer.

 

[astroNikon]

Now the oddest part about this is looking through the viewfinder

To the left is the CROP version. Notice the rectangular square box (drops the entire grid in FX mode). Anything outside of that box will not be in the photo.
Versus on the right the normal look through the viewfinder as FullFrame - I use the grid turned on.

 

[Derrel]

The benefit of the crop mode is the ability to see stuff that "will soon be" coming in to the viewfinder...for years, rangefinder camera fans praised that same ability in their Leicas...the ability to shoot photos using a camera that offered a "big" overall finder image, then a smaller, "lens field area" marked off.

You know, as far as soccer in the daytime goes, the 70-300 f/4.5~5.6 is not that bad, really. I shot most of last season using that lens on my kid's youth soccer league's games. NO--it does NOT give the "blown out background" effect the way a faster lens would, but it's an easy lens to handle and shoot with.

 

[bc_steve]

Yep, it's a nice lens. Affordable too.