Crappy D300 Frame Rate

IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
edited May 5, 2011 in Sports
Just thought I'd pass along something you D300 shooters may find helpful. Maybe I'm slow, but I've been cursing the D300 for the crappy 2.5 FPS I was getting when shooting raw (and I always shoot raw, especially for night sports.) I could get 6 FPS in jpeg no problem (using the EN-EL3e) but when I switched to raw, things slowed down to a relative crawl.

Here's the "secret" solution: Switch your bit depth to 12 from 14. :bash
But y'all prolly already knew that.

What do I give up in the way of IQ (real world) by doing this?
John :
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.

Comments

  • ZerodogZerodog Registered Users Posts: 1,480 Major grins
    edited May 5, 2011
    Not much I do not think. Most sports guys do not shoot 14bit.
  • Scott293Scott293 Registered Users Posts: 369 Major grins
    edited May 5, 2011
    Icebear wrote: »
    Just thought I'd pass along something you D300 shooters may find helpful. Maybe I'm slow, but I've been cursing the D300 for the crappy 2.5 FPS I was getting when shooting raw (and I always shoot raw, especially for night sports.) I could get 6 FPS in jpeg no problem (using the EN-EL3e) but when I switched to raw, things slowed down to a relative crawl.

    Here's the "secret" solution: Switch your bit depth to 12 from 14. :bash
    But y'all prolly already knew that.

    What do I give up in the way of IQ (real world) by doing this?

    Put a MB-D10 on and that also makes a big diffrence and great for verticals!!
    Scott Davis

    Nikon D70,D2H,D300,Nikkor 300mm f2.8,Nikkor 80-200 f2.8, Nikkor 24-70 AF-S f2.8,Nikkor 50 f1.8

    www.ScottDavis.smugmug.com
  • IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited May 5, 2011
    Thanks Zerodog. That's helpful to know.

    Scott, I'm feeling lazy at the moment. I know I could mount the grip with AAs and experiment for myself, but do you know from experience if I'd get the higher frame rate at 14 bits?
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
  • donekdonek Registered Users Posts: 655 Major grins
    edited May 5, 2011
    I've always shot 12 bit and got the 8fps with no problem. I just tried at 14 bit and encountered a dramatic slow down. Maybe 3 to 4 fps with the MB-D10 and an ENEL4. I know popular photography did an article a year or so on the difference in image quality between the twon, but never paid it much attention. You should be able to search their site for info on that.
    Sean Martin
    www.seanmartinphoto.com

    __________________________________________________
    it's not the size of the lens that matters... It's how you focus it.

    aaaaa.... who am I kidding!

    whoever dies with the biggest coolest piece of glass, wins!
  • toragstorags Registered Users Posts: 4,615 Major grins
    edited May 5, 2011
    There are a lot of threads discussing the 12/14 bit issue. The consensus seems to be its hardly discernible. But there are advantages when printing large.

    They don't outweigh the cost of fps when sports shooting IMO, I guess it's more important for large landscapes.

    I don't think the MB 10 increases fps on the 300 series.

    I have a 300S and that thing whales when I have it on release (CH)
    Rags
  • ZerodogZerodog Registered Users Posts: 1,480 Major grins
    edited May 5, 2011
    I think there are other things that contribute to better action than the 12 vs 14. For one. If your frame rate is too slow you might miss the "perfect shot". But I think getting shutter speed and aperture to get the effect you want, and your subject in focus are way more important and contribute more to IQ than anything else.
  • IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited May 5, 2011
    Yep. What Sean said. Put the grip on with fresh AAs. In 12 bit, it burned right along at 8fps. Switched to 14 bit, and (blergh) 2.5 fps.

    Just as a matter of comparison, with the EN-EL3e, the D700 shoots at 5 fps in 12 or 14 bit raw. I didn't bother taking the arca-swiss plate off the bottom of the D700 to see what would happen with the MB-D10 and AAs at 14 bits, but I wonder if it would drop way down too, since it does not with the EN-EL3e.

    Anybody know? - Or care? :D
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
  • toragstorags Registered Users Posts: 4,615 Major grins
    edited May 5, 2011
    Icebear wrote: »
    Yep. What Sean said. Put the grip on with fresh AAs. In 12 bit, it burned right along at 8fps. Switched to 14 bit, and (blergh) 2.5 fps.

    Just as a matter of comparison, with the EN-EL3e, the D700 shoots at 5 fps in 12 or 14 bit raw. I didn't bother taking the arca-swiss plate off the bottom of the D700 to see what would happen with the MB-D10 and AAs at 14 bits, but I wonder if it would drop way down too, since it does not with the EN-EL3e.

    Anybody know? - Or care? :D

    My 300S seemed to be faster than 5fps, I looked up the spec (8fps)

    I wonder if that (8fps) was an upgrade from the D300
    Rags
  • Scott293Scott293 Registered Users Posts: 369 Major grins
    edited May 5, 2011
    Icebear wrote: »
    Yep. What Sean said. Put the grip on with fresh AAs. In 12 bit, it burned right along at 8fps. Switched to 14 bit, and (blergh) 2.5 fps.

    Just as a matter of comparison, with the EN-EL3e, the D700 shoots at 5 fps in 12 or 14 bit raw. I didn't bother taking the arca-swiss plate off the bottom of the D700 to see what would happen with the MB-D10 and AAs at 14 bits, but I wonder if it would drop way down too, since it does not with the EN-EL3e.

    Anybody know? - Or care? :D

    Why the AAs if you use the MB-210 use a EN-EL4 and you shoot at 8fs all day with out having to recharge!!! And a grip on the D300 makes a big diffrence.
    Scott Davis

    Nikon D70,D2H,D300,Nikkor 300mm f2.8,Nikkor 80-200 f2.8, Nikkor 24-70 AF-S f2.8,Nikkor 50 f1.8

    www.ScottDavis.smugmug.com
  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited May 5, 2011
    Icebear wrote: »
    Thanks Zerodog. That's helpful to know.

    Scott, I'm feeling lazy at the moment. I know I could mount the grip with AAs and experiment for myself, but do you know from experience if I'd get the higher frame rate at 14 bits?

    Nope, you will get the same 2.5 rate at 14 bits vs the 6 (8 if you use the MB-D10) at 12 bits.

    Thom Hogan touches on the IQ difference in his D300 review http://bythom.com/nikond300review.htm

    I shot at 14 bits a few times and never saw a distinctive difference.
    Harry
    http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
    How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
  • Scott293Scott293 Registered Users Posts: 369 Major grins
    edited May 5, 2011
    Icebear wrote: »
    Thanks Zerodog. That's helpful to know.

    Scott, I'm feeling lazy at the moment. I know I could mount the grip with AAs and experiment for myself, but do you know from experience if I'd get the higher frame rate at 14 bits?

    I shoot at 12bit in raw but when I shoot sports I shoot in JPEG so it is only 8bit. I'm shooting the Kentucky Derby this Saturday and will be shooting 12bit raw. I really don't see a diffrence except for speed. The reason I'm shooting in raw for this is I won't get that many shots of
    in a horse race compared to say basketball or football game. I shoot for a news wire service and speed is everything and uploading 1500 RAW compared to JPEG is night and day.
    Scott Davis

    Nikon D70,D2H,D300,Nikkor 300mm f2.8,Nikkor 80-200 f2.8, Nikkor 24-70 AF-S f2.8,Nikkor 50 f1.8

    www.ScottDavis.smugmug.com
  • catspawcatspaw Registered Users Posts: 1,292 Major grins
    edited May 5, 2011
    torags wrote: »
    I don't think the MB 10 increases fps on the 300 series.

    It does increase the fps, but only marginable - the REAL difference is if you use the big battery (sorry, blanking on the same. same on the D3 uses) in the MB-10, THEN you get a few more frames per second. Costly, but if you already have a D3 and that battery hanging around, it's easy to do :) (new door/slider needed for that though)
    //Leah
  • IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited May 5, 2011
    Scott293 wrote: »
    Why the AAs if you use the MB-210 use a EN-EL4 and you shoot at 8fs all day with out having to recharge!!! And a grip on the D300 makes a big diffrence.

    'Cause I don't feel like spending the $$$ on the EN-EL4 since I have a truckload of EN-EL3e batteries and a boatload of 2400 mah Ni-mh AAs that do double-duty in my Sb-600s and SB-800s. I just don't want another battery and charger type to have to deal with.
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
  • Scott293Scott293 Registered Users Posts: 369 Major grins
    edited May 5, 2011
    Icebear wrote: »
    'Cause I don't feel like spending the $$$ on the EN-EL4 since I have a truckload of EN-EL3e batteries and a boatload of 2400 mah Ni-mh AAs that do double-duty in my Sb-600s and SB-800s. I just don't want another battery and charger type to have to deal with.

    I understand completely!!!:)
    Scott Davis

    Nikon D70,D2H,D300,Nikkor 300mm f2.8,Nikkor 80-200 f2.8, Nikkor 24-70 AF-S f2.8,Nikkor 50 f1.8

    www.ScottDavis.smugmug.com
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