Nikon doesnt improve ? (Rant)

[pixmedic]

Dude, I just tried out the 3D tracking mode on my lowly D3100, having TOTALLY MISSED the bit about how you have to "prime" it by telling it what to focus ON, and holy cow, it's like magic.

your liking it then?
i may have to try it out on the D7100 and D7000...see how it does.

 

[amolitor]

I placed the focus point in the center, and then focus on whatever at the center.

This is important: Keep the shutter button halfway down (or equivalent, back button focus might work the same?) and wave the camera around, walk around, go nuts.

Watch IN AMAZEMENT as the focus point bounces around to remain on the thing you focused on.

The "starting" focus point returns to the center (or wherever you left it) when you release the shutter button.

 

[shadowlands]

I use auto ISO more than I thought I would. I use it more with my D700 than I did when I shot with my former D300.
I'm more confident with ISO 3200 and 6400 now.

 

[astroNikon]

I use auto ISO more than I thought I would. I use it more with my D700 than I did when I shot with my former D300.
I'm more confident with ISO 3200 and 6400 now.

Auto ISO has taught me that ISO is my friend. When I set mine to Auto I check what it set it for. Then look at the picture for clarity.

I do see alot of 6400 and I wonder why but the pictures look pretty good. It's made me start pushing my boundaries when I'm in manual ISO. I used to not go beyond 400 ( habit from the film days of only using ASA 200 or 400 film), now I use 800, and even 1600 from time to time. I'm testing shots up to 6400 too now. Makes me really want to go to a FF camera for it's better ? performance.

I also saw those shots of a TPF member of inside volleyball at 10,000 ISO on a d700.

 

[Derrel]

Dude, I just tried out the 3D tracking mode on my lowly D3100, having TOTALLY MISSED the bit about how you have to "prime" it by telling it what to focus ON, and holy cow, it's like magic.

I know...years ago in 2005-2006, I got hired to shoot local sports for two local newspapers under joint ownership. I was using my D2x, and using SINGLE-point AF. One day, I had to shoot a gray-day track meet, using my 300 f/4 AF-S, which is kind of a substandard focusing lens for an AF-S Nikkor...God...it blew soooo many shots due to poor focusing...I vowed that very day to figure out how to get better focus...

I dug out the fine user manual, and read it...next track meet, I switched to Group AF mode, and my initial focus acquisition was INSTANTLY better, and my ability to TRACK running subjects went up like five-fold. After one season, I really learned how Nikon's 3-D, distance aware, color-aware focusing system actually works.

I then learned Group DYNAMIC AF mode, where it can TRACK subjects that move erratically, or across the frame. "It's like science and chit!"

 

[astroNikon]

Dude, I just tried out the 3D tracking mode on my lowly D3100, having TOTALLY MISSED the bit about how you have to "prime" it by telling it what to focus ON, and holy cow, it's like magic.

I know...years ago in 2005-2006, I got hired to shoot local sports for two local newspapers under joint ownership. I was using my D2x, and using SINGLE-point AF. One day, I had to shoot a gray-day track meet, using my 300 f/4 AF-S, which is kind of a substandard focusing lens for an AF-S Nikkor...God...it blew soooo many shots due to poor focusing...I vowed that very day to figure out how to get better focus...

I dug out the fine user manual, and read it...next track meet, I switched to Group AF mode, and my initial focus acquisition was INSTANTLY better, and my ability to TRACK running subjects went up like five-fold. After one season, I really learned how Nikon's 3-D, distance aware, color-aware focusing system actually works.

I then learned Group DYNAMIC AF mode, where it can TRACK subjects that move erratically, or across the frame. "It's like science and chit!"

Back to the manual for me .... sounds like it could help me with the kids sports. I've gotten alot better since I started doing it, but there's always room for improvement.

 

[robbins.photo]

I dug out the fine user manual, and read it...next track meet, I switched to Group AF mode, and my initial focus acquisition was INSTANTLY better,

Wait, there is a manual?

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[astroNikon]

I dug out the fine user manual, and read it...next track meet, I switched to Group AF mode, and my initial focus acquisition was INSTANTLY better,

Wait, there is a manual?

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

yeah, you can down load them from the Nikon website.


ooh, and there's a paper one too in your camera box.

 

[Dao]

I placed the focus point in the center, and then focus on whatever at the center.

This is important: Keep the shutter button halfway down (or equivalent, back button focus might work the same?) and wave the camera around, walk around, go nuts.

Watch IN AMAZEMENT as the focus point bounces around to remain on the thing you focused on.

The "starting" focus point returns to the center (or wherever you left it) when you release the shutter button.

Yeah! Those focus tracking is kind of cool. My Canon video Cam has that and my daughter (I think she was 6 at that time) at one point tried to beat it but fail. She flipped the screen so that it was facing her and she kept moving around shaking her head try to stop the green square from following her head. I wish I had that video recorded.

 

[robbins.photo]

I dug out the fine user manual, and read it...next track meet, I switched to Group AF mode, and my initial focus acquisition was INSTANTLY better,

Wait, there is a manual?

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

yeah, you can down load them from the Nikon website.


ooh, and there's a paper one too in your camera box.

Sounds suspicously like stopping and asking for directions.. hmm...

 

[TheLost]

Slow down cowboy...

I am a proud owner of a Nikon D5100 and a Nikon D600.

There is a successor for the D600 out (D610) and there are already TWO successors to the D5100 (D5200, D5300).

Yesterday I watched this review of the Pentax K-3 from thecamerastore on YouTube and then it dawned me: NONE of these three new cameras fixes ANY of the bigger issue I have with my own cameras, of course with the exception of the sensor dust of the D600 (which is annoying but not my main problem with that camera).

Lets keep in mind the D5100 is a $700 camera (when new) and the Pentax K-3 is a $1300 camera. You are comparing apples to oranges... a better comparison would be the K-3 to the D7100 but lets keep going...

The biggest problems I have with the D5100:
- No HSS (This is a nobrainer feature. You need to be able to use filllight, even in bright sunlight. Every professional does this all the time. Your camera cant do it ? You are not photographically complete !)

Yes.. my camera can... its the D7100.. The D5200 is a lower end camera. If you want HSS move up.

- No second cardslot for Backup (I think thats a total nobrainer and should be in EVERY SINGLE digital camera out there, no matter if point and shoot or whatever. Digital backup is a must - and not a luxury).

Yup.. D7100

- No weathersealing (Again something that should be mandatory). Granted, I just use it in the rain anyway, so far without problems.

Wait for it... D7100

The biggest problems I have with the D600:
- There are 39 instead of 15 AF points ... but the way they are distributed is completely stupid, they are all in the center !!! I have less flexibility than with the 15 points of my D5100.

Have you looked at the AF cluster on the D800?
http://i47.tinypic.com/2dhdvk5.png

Welcome to the world of Full Frame... they don't cover the full screen. Take a look at a D4 sometime...

- I can accept that the D5100 is an entry level camera and the viewfinder is kinda, well, meh. But I'm wearing glasses and even with the D600, I still cant see the full image at any time, no matter how hard I try to. In fact it seems I couldnt see it with the D800 or D4 either ! What the frak ?

The large viewfinder is what lots (and i mean lots) of people want. The more higher end you go.. the bigger it gets.

- The AF points are even harder to select than on the D5100 ! Because there are more AF points, but the technology to select them is still just endless clicking. The only camera that I've seen that fixes this is the new Panasonic GX7, which allows you to use the touchscreen to select focus (probably other cameras with touchscreen allow this as well).

Menu option a6 on your D600..
http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/dslr/d600/img/features02/img_20.png

- The button layout is frankly completely stupid and very slow to use. Especially, to change ISO, you have to fiddle with the fingers in your face if you're using the viewfinder.

I would have to say, that's just your opinion. I would take Nikons layout over Canons any day of the week. I have no problem changing ISO on my D7100 (same layout as your D600)

- I really miss the flipscreen of my D5100 on my D600. Why does Nikon have such a great feature only in one of their cameras ?

I doubt you'll ever see a high-end nikon body with a flip-out screen... Maybe a touch screen.. but not flippy-twisty.

Okay, maybe the D610 doesnt really count, because Nikon clearly released that to get rid of the shutter problem. But the D5200 and D5300 are clearly supposed to be upgrades. However, they only gave the camera more megapixels, more AF points, more this and that, but never fixed any core problems in the ergonomics and the lack of photographic completeness.

Here is where we get to the meat... The D5100 -> D5200 -> D5300 is NOT AN UPGRADE.. its an update. A camera upgrade would be going from the D5x00 to the D7x00.. or from the D6x0 to the D800..

I hate to break it to you.. but your D600 is the D5x00 of the full frame world.

When I look at the new Pentax K-3, I kind of get the suspicion that the problem is simply how Nikon approaches camera design in itself. Instead of "okay we design a great, complete camera", like Pentax does, we get "okay we want a camera for this and that pricepoint, and we have to make a new model every X months at this pricerange".

As i said.. the K-3 is a competitor of the D7100 and the Canon 70D.

The Pentax is a great camera... but you should listen closely to what Chris Niccolls says in his YouTube review you mentioned..
<Quoted text from the K-3 review... around the 5:10 mark>

I do find it the best pentax has to offer... but it still doesn't compete with other brands out there. That is a weekness of this camera. [Talking about AF]
I do find sometimes that its going to go, and it needs a little time to hesitate, and then lock in tight. And then sometimes it will loose track and hunt a little bit then catch on again. It seems pritty random. When it works it works quick. But i still think that camers like the D7100, 5dmk3 and D800 are going to blow it away in that regard.

If you want to improve your Nikon... move up a model. If you buy a soccer mom camera you are going to get soccer mom features

 

[julianliu]

Slow down cowboy... Lets keep in mind the D5100 is a $700 camera (when new) and the Pentax K-3 is a $1300 camera. You are comparing apples to oranges... a better comparison would be the K-3 to the D7100 but lets keep going... Yes.. my camera can... its the D7100.. The D5200 is a lower end camera. If you want HSS move up. Yup.. D7100 Wait for it... D7100 Have you looked at the AF cluster on the D800? http://i47.tinypic.com/2dhdvk5.png Welcome to the world of Full Frame... they don't cover the full screen. Take a look at a D4 sometime... The large viewfinder is what lots (and i mean lots) of people want. The more higher end you go.. the bigger it gets. Menu option a6 on your D600.. http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/dslr/d600/img/features02/img_20.png I would have to say, that's just your opinion. I would take Nikons layout over Canons any day of the week. I have no problem changing ISO on my D7100 (same layout as your D600) I doubt you'll ever see a high-end nikon body with a flip-out screen... Maybe a touch screen.. but not flippy-twisty. Here is where we get to the meat... The D5100 -> D5200 -> D5300 is NOT AN UPGRADE.. its an update. A camera upgrade would be going from the D5x00 to the D7x00.. or from the D6x0 to the D800.. I hate to break it to you.. but your D600 is the D5x00 of the full frame world. As i said.. the K-3 is a competitor of the D7100 and the Canon 70D. The Pentax is a great camera... but you should listen closely to what Chris Niccolls says in his YouTube review you mentioned.. <Quoted text from the K-3 review... around the 5:10 mark> If you want to improve your Nikon... move up a model. If you buy a soccer mom camera you are going to get soccer mom features

"Thelost" just said everything I wanted to say and more !

Your rant just does not make sense. First you complain about d5100, then you said d600 is not good as d5100 in many ways. I mean don't you find it confusing ? They are different camera towards different people, no real comparison anyway!

 

[slow231]

+1 to the lost's points. i'd also add that the G7 is a mirrorless camera, so touch-to-af point is something possible because it's live view (just like with most smart phone cameras). When looking through the viewfinder (mirror flipped down) you're dealing with discrete AF points from the phase detect af sensor. if you don't understand the advantage of phase detect af then you're completely missing the point of one of the main advantages of mirrored dslrs. i'd take phase detect all day to contrast detect (touch to focus or otherwise). also the iso button REALLY isn't that difficult to learn and find, BUT you can also set your iso to adjust off of the dead dial in A/S modes which makes it stupid easy to adjust on the fly. the OP's "rant" comes off as a lot more as a demo of his/her lack of understanding of his/her own cameras and/or camera systems in general, and not at all an indication of nikon's lack of improvements (a point that really could otherwise be argued).

 

[TheFantasticG]

I lol'd pretty good at the original post because what was said in the above two posts was going through my head as I read it.

 

[Solarflare]

If you take all the features that you believe should be in the 5100, and Nikon built it in and ADDED the cost for those additional features, then that would put you at the price of the D700. Which of course costs more.

Doubtful, because I didnt demand the built quality of the D7000 (which, I would assume, you wanted to name, instead of the D700). Weathersealing probably might cost some, OK. Whats so extremely expensive about a second memory card slot and even more whats so expensive about HSS ? I'm not aware the later needs any additional hardware ?

And again, Nikon added all kinds of stuff in the D5200 and made the camera more expensive for it. Still no HSS. Why ? I have a kickass autofokus system in there and 24 Megapixel and whatnot. Its as good or better as the D7000 now. But it still lacks a basic feature of flash photography. Why ?????

So .. it's people priorities and how they use those features I guess.

I think HSS is the only thing missing to make the D5100 photographically complete.

Not to sound like an arse but if you want more features, spend more $$.

But thats exactly the point and the motivation for my rant !!! I can spend as much money as I want, I'll never get such a great design like the Pentax K-3 from Nikon. And they dont even improve, just throw stuff at me that isnt the point, never fixing the real issues.

I have NEVER understood the idea of changing the ISO while the camera is at my eye,

Even if it isnt at your eye, the ISO button is still in a location far away from any of your fingers if you hold it like usual (right hand at shutter etc, left hand supporting the weight of the camera).

If Nikon build a camera that has everything people want, what are they going to do with the next version?

Thats the logic behind ****ty products.

But why would people buy Nikon cameras if they dont get what they want ?

And thats btw the reason why I dont care about the D5200 etc releases too much. The biggest issues I had with these cameras arent addressed anyway, theres just some detail improvements - so why bother ?

I placed the focus point in the center, and then focus on whatever at the center.

This is important: Keep the shutter button halfway down (or equivalent, back button focus might work the same?) and wave the camera around, walk around, go nuts.

Watch IN AMAZEMENT as the focus point bounces around to remain on the thing you focused on.

The "starting" focus point returns to the center (or wherever you left it) when you release the shutter button.

Yes, thats how I currently focus on my D600, but its less reliable as with my D5100. I usually want to focus on the eyes and want it tack sharp there.