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Swithcing to Nikon, advice on new gear and setup
- Thread starter Razeus
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Most bodies D90 and above can control flashes wirelessly using the built in flash as a commander. You can shoot multiple groups of flashes and set separate power levels etc for each group. It's very versatile.
D(x) series cameras such as the D2 or D3, as well as entry level Nikons such as the D3000 require the use of a mounted hot shoe flash or a wireless speedlight commander. The entry level cameras don't have commander capabilities for their on board flashes, and the D(x) cameras don't have a built in flash.
As far as I know, Canon just barely implemented a similar flash commander mode with the 7D, and I'm not sure if it's anywhere near as versatile as the Nikon implementation that we've had for quite a while now.
SLC
Thanks for the info. Not played with a 7D yet to compare with my ST-E2, might get round to it eventually.
The best thing is that you get everything for free without having to buy additional equipment (with the exceptions noted before; I missed that the Dx series could not be used as a commander by itself, I forgot that they don't have a built-in flash).
The one thing not mentioned about the D300 is the stellar AF performance. It's the same system as the D3 and D700, with up to 51 active focus points and 3D color focusing/metering. It's highly customizable for different shooting situations, and you can set the tracking priorities, shutter release priorities, focus-hold duration (when the tracked subject moves behind objects) can be set to different values. You can set up different 'shooting' profiles that can be stored. The excellent, but comprehensive manual for the camera is 'only' 400 pages long, and for good reason--there's that much you can dig into when learning the Dxxx series. Canon is only now coming close to the top Nikon AF performance... even the newest EOS 1 MkIV hasn't caught up yet, according to some reviews.
Really? I find the D200, D300/s and D700 AF to be far inferior to the D3 series. Case in point, last week I was using a shiny new D300S in continuous drive mode, and 90% of the shots were out of focus - and yes, I *do* know how to to use the system. A D700 a while back seemed to have a lag on the AF, resulting in missed shots in a PR setting - yet the D3 I had at the same time behaved perfectly and nailed every shot.
In comparison, my personal 5D mark II (rather than the Nikon kit which belongs to work) and 1D mark III don't have this weird behaviour and will take the shots I ask them to. The Nikons, with the exception of the D3, have a habit of misbehaving.
That's strange, because the D700 has the exact same AF system as the D3, there is absolutely nothing different between them. Perhaps it was a lens issue, what lens were you using on the D700 vs the D3?
The D300 and D300s have the same system as the D700 and D3, but it's slightly different in that it a DX area vs an FX area in the D700 and D3. But the sensor is identical in all 4 cameras (6 including the D3s and D3x).
SLC
Why not the 24-70 F2.8 and the 70-200 F2.8 along with the D300s or D700 depending on whether you want cropped or full frame? Add the 14-24 for going wide or the new 16-35 F4 if you want to save a few bucks and F4 works for you.
14-24 on the D3, 17-55 on the D700/300s. For some reason the Dxxx cameras just seem to miss shots by fractions of a second - it may not be the AF system, it could be down to "overall" lag coming from several areas.
Of note however: http://www.bythom.com/nikond700review.htm
Hm, that would actually explain the issue I run in to. Simply slower to lock the initial focus, despite the same set up.
^ do the D700 and D3 share the same AF processors and algorithms? because having the same layout and same generation chip doesn't mean anything by itself...the Canon 100-series cameras have had the 9-pt, center cross layout from the 20D since the 400D, but they're all still slower and inferior at tracking.
on the Nikon flash system, the biggest difference is CLS. I don't think there's enough difference worth worrying about, other than that.
on the Nikon flash system, the biggest difference is CLS. I don't think there's enough difference worth worrying about, other than that.
To my knowledge the xxx models use a different AF module: they only have one cross-type sensor, the one in the middle, while the xx-series has 9 cross-type sensors. Please correct me if I'm wrong, though.
The top Nikons really use the same AF module (just have a look at the specs).
I was in a similar situation a few months ago; my XSi wasn't doing what I wanted (some technical limitations, a few too many hot pixels for my tastes, etc), the problems I had heard about the 50D had turned me off to that camera, and the Nikon D90 or a used D300 were looking more and more appealing.
I ended up deciding though that the money I'd lose on my Canon gear (lenses, flashes, etc) wasn't worth it, and saved up a few more weeks and sprung for the 7D. Haven't regretted it at all. Plus, now I have an XSi body lying around for my girlfriend to use when we travel
All that said, I'd say that your timing for the switch is poor. Nikon's D90 is nearing the end of its lifecycle, and the D300s seemed like a half assed upgrade (though it's still a wonderful camera). Meanwhile, the 7D is still new enough that we're not seeing any consistent, lasting price drops on it (though if you hang out on Slickdeals or any other such deal site, it's not uncommon to see a kit for $1500-$1600), and the mystical 60D hasn't shown up yet.
IMHO, save for the 7D, or wait for the 60D. If you buy into Nikon now, you're bound to suffer some remorse when the 50D's replacement comes out, or when whatever Nikon you buy gets refreshed.
I ended up deciding though that the money I'd lose on my Canon gear (lenses, flashes, etc) wasn't worth it, and saved up a few more weeks and sprung for the 7D. Haven't regretted it at all. Plus, now I have an XSi body lying around for my girlfriend to use when we travel
All that said, I'd say that your timing for the switch is poor. Nikon's D90 is nearing the end of its lifecycle, and the D300s seemed like a half assed upgrade (though it's still a wonderful camera). Meanwhile, the 7D is still new enough that we're not seeing any consistent, lasting price drops on it (though if you hang out on Slickdeals or any other such deal site, it's not uncommon to see a kit for $1500-$1600), and the mystical 60D hasn't shown up yet.
IMHO, save for the 7D, or wait for the 60D. If you buy into Nikon now, you're bound to suffer some remorse when the 50D's replacement comes out, or when whatever Nikon you buy gets refreshed.
Agree here, you got a couple L lenses so its pretty silly switch unless you really hate them to the core.
I'm sure there are many differing reviews out there, but this is the one I was referring to on the EOS 1 MKIV.
The AF system on the D300 is something that can take a lot of familiarization in setting it up depending on how you want to use it--there are so many variables. If you're using it for fast sports action, it's usually better to set it for fewer focus points. Also, the tracking settings can make a huge difference when following action. Once locked on a subject, how long will the focus stay put when the subject goes behind other things in the frame before hunting for something else. Are you using selected points, or letting the camera do it for you. Is the shutter release prioritized for the shutter release button, or for locked focus, or weighted one way more than the other? All this makes a difference in how the camera will behave. Is capturing the moment more important than being crystal sharp? Or do you want it the other way around? Or somewhere in between? All this takes experimenting with your shooting style, the type of subject/action, etc...
My own experiences are that after spending several days shooting cyclocross action I learned a lot about how the camera reacts. My percentage of usable shots is very high, and probably half or more are extremely sharp in the part of the frame where I want it to be, and that's shooting wide open. Personally, I've never used a quicker, more responsive AF system on any previous camera, including Canon EOS film bodies. But, I have not used the current Canon dSLRs or the D700/D3 series, so they could be slightly faster. The D3 uses a dual processor I think, vs the D300's single processor. But, the D300 is no slouch at all with fast glass. One thing I do like about the DX sensor is that the same AF module's 51 AF points cover a much higher percentage of the frame overall than with the full-frame bodies, so I can select a focus point near the edge of the frame to start my series of action shots, and the camera will track that subject across the frame as the action moves.
Anyway, this isn't intended to be a Nikon vs. Canon thread... I was only making a suggestion to consider the D300 when the OP was asking advice on Nikon gear, especially if he's thinking about the D90. The D300 is still a solid choice despite being several years old now.
The AF system on the D300 is something that can take a lot of familiarization in setting it up depending on how you want to use it--there are so many variables. If you're using it for fast sports action, it's usually better to set it for fewer focus points. Also, the tracking settings can make a huge difference when following action. Once locked on a subject, how long will the focus stay put when the subject goes behind other things in the frame before hunting for something else. Are you using selected points, or letting the camera do it for you. Is the shutter release prioritized for the shutter release button, or for locked focus, or weighted one way more than the other? All this makes a difference in how the camera will behave. Is capturing the moment more important than being crystal sharp? Or do you want it the other way around? Or somewhere in between? All this takes experimenting with your shooting style, the type of subject/action, etc...
My own experiences are that after spending several days shooting cyclocross action I learned a lot about how the camera reacts. My percentage of usable shots is very high, and probably half or more are extremely sharp in the part of the frame where I want it to be, and that's shooting wide open. Personally, I've never used a quicker, more responsive AF system on any previous camera, including Canon EOS film bodies. But, I have not used the current Canon dSLRs or the D700/D3 series, so they could be slightly faster. The D3 uses a dual processor I think, vs the D300's single processor. But, the D300 is no slouch at all with fast glass. One thing I do like about the DX sensor is that the same AF module's 51 AF points cover a much higher percentage of the frame overall than with the full-frame bodies, so I can select a focus point near the edge of the frame to start my series of action shots, and the camera will track that subject across the frame as the action moves.
Anyway, this isn't intended to be a Nikon vs. Canon thread... I was only making a suggestion to consider the D300 when the OP was asking advice on Nikon gear, especially if he's thinking about the D90. The D300 is still a solid choice despite being several years old now.
Expensive? Yes. But silly? Not necessarily. People have different reasons to switch from one system to another and while I agree that you should think carefully about switching, I wouldn't discourage from switching altogether.
I think the OP is well-aware of the financial impact and my impression is that (s)he is frustrated with Canon's current product policy. (If I were him, I'd wait just a little longer to see what the update to the 50D looks like.)
We've had this discussion. They're not the same. While they're all 51-point sensors, the performance on a D3 completely outclasses the D300, and noticeably outperforms the D700 (I think it's available current from the batteries personally).
This was somewhat my impression, but I lack enough knowledge on the subject to say one way or the other. Basically with an MD10 with ENL4 batteries the D300 and D700 should perform on par with a D3. Without the battery pack or even with the pack and ENL3 batteries the D3 will outperform... but D300 and D700 are still very fine with AF speed and 3d focus tracking.
If you're talking about the runner thing- that test (a) only tests Servo, not Continuous AF, and doesn't set the AF settings to their optimum settings, but uses the factory defaults, which aren't the best on Nikon. If they normalized the settings there may or may not be different results, but they don't- and they don't test the mode that's designed for moving subjects, so personally, while I think it does say that Canon is doing much better than they were, I don't think it's a good representative test of the two systems side-by-side.
Paul
They are the same Nikon AF module, exactly. What may be different about the AF performance (slight as that may be) is the dual x-speed chip of the D3 compared to the single chip on the Dxxx series.
The battery grip increases the fps for the D300/D700, but hardly has anything to do with autofocus speed. I'm sure the current/voltage applied to the AF processor and module is highly regulated internally, and not user controllable by throwing on a battery pack.
Have you ever considered Sony DSLRs? I love mine, and am planning to buy another. I would HIGHLY recommend them. I've used Canon DSLRs before, and I really like Sony better. I've never used Nikon before though so I'm not sure what you're used to.