Camera Dilema...

Bonefish10

Hello,

I have found some great information on this site.

I've convinced myself that I need another camera. For most of what I shoot the D70s does a fine job, outdoor, adventure, fishing, etc. However, there are images that I have struggled to get (jumping fish, billfish, marlin, etc). I really want to focus on those subjects but when considering the 3fps of my current camera compared to 5fps to 8fps available in other models I feel like I'm making it more difficult on myself.

I have been following used D2h and D2x models. I'm wondering what others that have been/are in this same situation are considering. There seem like so many options that I've paralyzed my decision making. The lens I've been using is 18-200VR.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Best,

Glenn

dadwtwins

You are asking one of those trick questions. Which is the best camera to buy?

The D2x is an excellent camera but for the same price you can buy a D300 which will shoot 8 fps with the added on grip. Plus you get all of the awesome new features that Nikon has to offer.

I know this is not an easy dicision for you but you have to look at what a camera can do for how much you are willing to pay.

Decide your expense limit and compare the options you have. That is how I ended up buying the D300.

Bonefish10

Thanks for replying
Dadwtwins,

Yep, hard to ignore the D300, lots of options. Thanks again for replying.

Glenn

dadwtwins wrote:

You are asking one of those trick questions. Which is the best camera to buy?

The D2x is an excellent camera but for the same price you can buy a D300 which will shoot 8 fps with the added on grip. Plus you get all of the awesome new features that Nikon has to offer.

I know this is not an easy dicision for you but you have to look at what a camera can do for how much you are willing to pay.

Decide your expense limit and compare the options you have. That is how I ended up buying the D300.

ziggy53

Glenn,

Welcome to the Digital Grin.

Dadwtwins gave part of the solution, but I would also suggest that a much faster focusing lens is another part of the solution.

Shooting fish that are jumping is difficult even with the best equipment. First you have to respond, because the fish can emerge at almost any time and point, and then the camera has to respond to your request. The response from the camera is:

Autofocus
Exposure set
Aperture set
Mirror up
Shutter fire
Mirror down
Reset for next shot

(In more or less that order.)

Since the lens interacts with the camera, it should make sense that the lens speed of operation is also a dependant and cooperative component of autofocus and aperture.

I suggest that for this sort of action photography you need both a highly responsive camera and a very fast lens.

The Nikon D300 (or D200, D2H/D2Hs, D2X, D2Xs, etc.) will work best with a true sports lens like the:

Nikkor AF 300mm f2.8D ED-IF II-S
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G AF-S VR ED-IF

... or at very least
Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF

The reason these lenses are so important for your use is partly because of their fast focusing motors as well as a constant aperture of f2.8.

A large aperture is important in helping the autofocus circuits do their job, and a constant aperture of f2.8 is about as good as it gets unless you get to the prime lenses of even faster aperture. (Some of those primes are not very fast to focus however.)

The D300 has 15 cross type autofocus sensors which would really benefit from the large aperture lenses. The D300 also has a color tracking capability which might help in your situation as well.

The D200 is still a pretty capable sports camera so you might consider it as well, especially if you are shooting in daylight.

SavedByZero

Practice your timing. Pros have been shooting at 3fps or slower for decades and got the shot, it's all about timing your shutter release.

Bonefish10

Thanks Ziggy53
That is great information and you are right, fish are unpredictable. With regard to timing the whole thing, the one benefit of working with a good angler is that you can know when a fish is about to jump as you can feel the line rising in the water, particularly with large fish. So you can get a pretty good sense of the direction, but the distance is another story, "enter a fast lens", if I'm following your logic. It's no doubt a very specific and challenging situation. Thanks very much for taking the time to go into such detail. I appreciate your input.

Glenn

ziggy53 wrote:

Glenn,

Welcome to the Digital Grin.

Dadwtwins gave part of the solution, but I would also suggest that a much faster focusing lens is another part of the solution.

Shooting fish that are jumping is difficult even with the best equipment. First you have to respond, because the fish can emerge at almost any time and point, and then the camera has to respond to your request. The response from the camera is:

Autofocus
Exposure set
Aperture set
Mirror up
Shutter fire
Mirror down
Reset for next shot

(In more or less that order.)

Since the lens interacts with the camera, it should make sense that the lens speed of operation is also a dependant and cooperative component of autofocus and aperture.

I suggest that for this sort of action photography you need both a highly responsive camera and a very fast lens.

The Nikon D300 (or D200, D2H/D2Hs, D2X, D2Xs, etc.) will work best with a true sports lens like the:

Nikkor AF 300mm f2.8D ED-IF II-S
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G AF-S VR ED-IF

... or at very least
Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF

The reason these lenses are so important for your use is partly because of their fast focusing motors as well as a constant aperture of f2.8.

A large aperture is important in helping the autofocus circuits do their job, and a constant aperture of f2.8 is about as good as it gets unless you get to the prime lenses of even faster aperture. (Some of those primes are not very fast to focus however.)

The D300 has 15 cross type autofocus sensors which would really benefit from the large aperture lenses. The D300 also has a color tracking capability which might help in your situation as well.

The D200 is still a pretty capable sports camera so you might consider it as well, especially if you are shooting in daylight.

Bonefish10

Thanks for your input Zero, I appreciate it....
[Thanks for your input Zero, I appreciate it....quote=SavedByZero]Practice your timing. Pros have been shooting at 3fps or slower for decades and got the shot, it's all about timing your shutter release.[/quote]

HarveyMushman

ziggy53 wrote:

The response from the camera is:
Autofocus
Exposure set
Aperture set
Mirror up
Shutter fire
Mirror down
Reset for next shot

If you shoot in Manual mode you remove one of those items (Exposure Set) from the camera's pre-shot To Do list. And if you use a single AF point the Autofocus step will be as brief as possible.