Pixtus - Photography Forum, Photographers, Photo Tips

LSCSN.com · 03-09-2010, 03:50 PM

I shoot 99.9% of the time in jpg.

mfletch · 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LSCSN.com

Yes I'm shooting with the battery tray and the battery in the tray and without a battery in the actual camera. It feels like I'm only getting the 5fps, because the D700 doesn't fire nearly as fast as the D2H and they are supposed to be shooting the same frame rate.

Yes. You will get only 5fps using the standard battery (en-el3e). It makes no difference whether it's in the body or in the grip. This is clearly stated in the manual. When you press the info button, the current fps will be shown under the ISO at the upper left side of the screen.

The grip doesn't give you 8fps. It is the higher powered batteries that given the fps boost.

To get 8fps, you need to use AA batteries or the larger en-el4(a) battery. AA's work fine but don't hold a charge long. The EN-EL4 and EN-EL4a batteries hold a good long charge for plenty of shooting. Try some fresh AA's in the grip with no battery in the body and compare the FPS to your D2H. The D700 is just as fast firing, there shouldn't be a difference. I do own both. I can say that the D2H does have a faster feel to it due to the shorter VF blackout, but fps is the same.

It just occurred to me that you seem to own a D2H. If so, you should have an EN-EL4 series battery and charger. Even if you don't have the BL-3 adapter, you can slide the battery into the MB-D10 grip and it will seat into the contacts. You can do this to test fps with the battery. Of course if you take it out shooting, the battery will fall out, but for testing it'll work fine.

As I stated in my previous post, there are definitely reasons to want a D3 over D700, but fps and AF speed differences are going to be minimal. The D700 is plenty fast.

LSCSN.com · 03-09-2010, 08:50 PM

Manuel . . . what's that :-). Guess I should read that thing eh :-).

By the way I'm with you on the "feel" of the camera body as well. The D2H just feels better in my hand, but if all I have to do is switch batteries to get a true 8fps I may not be so quick to go the D3 route. Thanks for the heads up on that!

LSCSN.com · 03-09-2010, 08:53 PM

Well I just stuck a D2H battery in the camera and fired off a few rounds and it still doesn't "seem" to be firing as quick as what my D2H does.

LSCSN.com · 03-09-2010, 08:54 PM

Here's another question . . . if we are supposed to be able to shoot 8 fps then why is 7 fps the highest available choice on the menu?

mfletch · 03-09-2010, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LSCSN.com

Here's another question . . . if we are supposed to be able to shoot 8 fps then why is 7 fps the highest available choice on the menu?

That is for the CL(continuous low) fps. It can be set to 1-7fps, max 5 with the standard battery of course. The CH(continuous high) mode is 8fps, or 5fps with standard battery. Again with the D2H battery in, put in CH and press the "info" button and see how many fps it says you will be getting. Then place it in manual focus mode, fire off a burst and see if it sounds like you're getting your 8fps. This will eliminate the possiblity of your high fps being killed by hunting for focus.

If your AF priority is set to "Focus" in your menu a1 and a2 settings, you might drop slightly below. I prefer the "Release" or "Release+focus" setting for AF-C.

LSCSN.com · 03-09-2010, 09:59 PM

Got it this time Mickey. Nice burst :-). So looks like I'm game for a couple of new batteries and holding off on getting rid of this puppy at least until I can give it a new go a time or two with the new trick.

So now the question is Is there anything else that I'm missing out on because I didn't read the book :-)? Teach me something else.

mongoose777 · 03-11-2010, 02:58 AM

Hey guys,
I’ve had the D700 for a short while, but bought another D3.
Will, sorry but there is a notable difference between the two, especially in lower light.
The D700 w/ battery grip is a little bit heavier and its not deep enough for my fingers when compared to the D3. When switching between FX & DX mode on the D3, the outside of the viewfinder is greyed out, which to me is much better at helping out. As a sports photog, I would much rather have an all weather sealed camera. I have been caught to few times by unexpected rain while shooting outside and it sure was nice knowing my camera and lens were sealed, I know the D700 would have failed or died have I continued to use it. I read somewhere in the past the D3 has a faster processor, cannot verify at the moment. The D3 has dual CF cards, this is an awesome feature to have. While shooting paid sporting events throughout the country, I simply set it for dual write. Ex. Usually the cards are provided to me by the event coordinator and I will put a 16-gig card on the next slot and have a backup for my portfolio, or just set card one for raw and card two for jpg. You also get an extra stop ISO with the D3. Finally, the biggest difference is the shutter life between the both. D700 rated 150k vs D3 rated 300k
I already have 350k in one year from on of my D3’s and it sure is nice knowing its still going strong. I know you would be hard pressed to get that from a D700

Wil_Bloodworth · 03-11-2010, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mongoose777

Hey guys,
I’ve had the D700 for a short while, but bought another D3.
Will, sorry but there is a notable difference between the two, especially in lower light.
The D700 w/ battery grip is a little bit heavier and its not deep enough for my fingers when compared to the D3. When switching between FX & DX mode on the D3, the outside of the viewfinder is greyed out, which to me is much better at helping out. As a sports photog, I would much rather have an all weather sealed camera. I have been caught to few times by unexpected rain while shooting outside and it sure was nice knowing my camera and lens were sealed, I know the D700 would have failed or died have I continued to use it. I read somewhere in the past the D3 has a faster processor, cannot verify at the moment. The D3 has dual CF cards, this is an awesome feature to have. While shooting paid sporting events throughout the country, I simply set it for dual write. Ex. Usually the cards are provided to me by the event coordinator and I will put a 16-gig card on the next slot and have a backup for my portfolio, or just set card one for raw and card two for jpg. You also get an extra stop ISO with the D3. Finally, the biggest difference is the shutter life between the both. D700 rated 150k vs D3 rated 300k
I already have 350k in one year from on of my D3’s and it sure is nice knowing its still going strong. I know you would be hard pressed to get that from a D700

Manny,

I have used both side-by-side and the AF performance, for me, has been equal or so close that I have never been able to tell a difference. I don't see how anyone can say that, using the same exact electronics and firmware/software, they expect different performance because it's housed differently?! You said, "I read somewhere in the past the D3 has a faster processor, cannot verify at the moment."... the D3 has the same processor as the D700.

The D3 does NOT have an extra stop of ISO (maybe you're thinking of the D3S?).

The D700 is very well sealed. I have used it in light-to-medium rain and snow and have never had a problem with it. And the D700 automatically masks the viewfinder with a rectangle when using DX lenses. Are you sure you were using a D700 and not a D300?

Sure the D3 has cool features like dual cards, shutter count rating, viewfinder coverage, etc... but none of those have anything to do with AF performance and frames-per-second shooting. Those are the reasons Jason wanted to move to a D3. Is the D3 better? Of course it is! But the differences are not pertinent to this thread (AF & FPS).

So to sum up, unless you're using non-AF-S lenses as Scott mentioned, there will be ZERO AF performance improvement between the D700 and the D3. And if you use the MB-D10 with AAs or an EN-EL4a then you're within 1 FPS of the D3's FPS rate.

SIDE QUESTION: Why, when you have a FF body are you switching between DX and FX lenses???? The only reason I can think of is because you haven't upgraded all your lenses to non-DX. I know you bought a brand new D3 and a new 400mm F/2.8 a year or so ago... so I can't imagine you still own DX lenses. Are you still using DX bodies as a backup or to get extra reach?

- Wil

mongoose777 · 01:25 PM

Quote:

I have used both side-by-side and the AF performance, for me, has been equal or so close that I have never been able to tell a difference. I don't see how anyone can say that, using the same exact electronics and firmware/software, they expect different performance because it's housed differently?! You said, "I read somewhere in the past the D3 has a faster processor, cannot verify at the moment."... the D3 has the same processor as the D700.

Ok, here we go.
I personally know numerous sports photogs throughout the country and at least 4 (Albert, Jerry, Steven and me) here on this forum who have had the D700 and has made the switch to the D3 as their main or as another backup. Hmm... why is that?
Is it because we know something you don’t or maybe its because we are SPORT photogs firstly and wedding/portriat/commercial photogs secondly like you. Im NOT discrediting your profession as you appear to be doing to me in making numerous assumptions on my usage as a sports shooter. When JJump talked of moving up to a D3, I heard a few of you guys tell him false info and personally this bothers me because you have to remember one thing. To each it own, every photog has a niche on what type of shooting they prefer to do and some may slant towards sports while others go towards weddings and things, like you. I actually make pretty good money shooting sports whereas most cannot say that, in comparison to shooting weddings and things, I know this is where the money is at if your the owner of your business like yourself. Looking at your work is impressive, I just dont see where U shoot enough sports to feel comfortable on what your saying. So, having said all that, IMO this puts you on the other side of the fence and you cross over to improve your photography skills at shooting sports and now it makes you an expert. I also know many people like yourself doing the exact same thing.

Quote:

D700 is very well sealed. I have used it in light-to-medium rain and snow and have never had a problem with it. And the D700 automatically masks the viewfinder with a rectangle when using DX lenses. Are you sure you were using a D700 and not a D300?

Maybe this is where you show me your inexperience when one try’s to say they are the same here. Perhaps you were lucky, I bet your were somewhat concerned and hoped it would work the next day, right. I know I would have been. BTW, you know there is a reason why both Nikon & Canon make all weather seals including dials on the pro models right? Is it a marketing ploy or is because it cost more money to make all weather seals. Look I have shoot sports for 14+ yrs. and have been in so much bad weather conditions than you can realize, I have never had a canon or nikon pro body fail on me due to moisture getting inside the camera, too bad my 5D couldnt say the same thing. BTW the snow thingy has never had me concern, its the pouring down rain. Oh, they do make rain covers and I still use one when I can because wether sealed or not I still prefer to get extra protection because I cannot afford to miss any sporting events since I normally shoot 2 to 4 events per wk.

Viewfinder?? Oh, yes... You see when someone questions me weather if I had a d700 or a d300 automatically tells me that person is questioning my credibility. The crop factor on both cameras are totally different here. The D3 has a self-masking finder when selecting DX. The D700 instead has a crappy, thin, easy to ignore rectangle. This is where the D3 is better. Don’t forget the he D700 finder doesn't use the red backlit AF sensor areas like the D3, this is especially useful for long long days of shooting sports and it becomes your friend of tired eyes.

Quote:

SIDE QUESTION: Why, when you have a FF body are you switching between DX and FX lenses???? The only reason I can think of is because you haven't upgraded all your lenses to non-DX. I know you bought a brand new D3 and a new 400mm F/2.8 a year or so ago... so I can't imagine you still own DX lenses. Are you still using DX bodies as a backup or to get extra reach?

I only use DX mode for tighter shots while shooting stock photos and cheer competition when needed. DX mode is nice when used properly.

Wil_Bloodworth · 03-11-2010, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mongoose777

Is it because we know something you don’t or maybe its because we are SPORT photogs firstly

Manny, you don't know my background. I was a sports and concert shooter for over 20 years. I only recently (about 5 years ago) stopped doing sports because I injured my spine and can't get around as nimbly as before. I still do some minor sports stuff but haven't done anything major since I switched to digital.

I'm detecting some emotion in your post. I hope you're not getting emotional because I'm simply talking about facts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mongoose777

When JJump talked of moving up to a D3, I heard a few of you guys tell him false info

What info did "I" say that was false? Factually, YOU posted wrong information. For example, the ISO thing you mentioned which is just wrong. Please stop getting emotional and just discuss the facts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mongoose777

IMO this puts you on the other side of the fence and you cross over to improve your photography skills at shooting sports and now it makes you an expert. I also know many people like yourself doing the exact same thing.

Maybe this is where you show me your inexperience...

That's just a jackass thing to say and I'm not even going to bother responding to it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mongoose777

Look I have shoot sports for 14+ yrs. and have been in so much bad weather conditions than you can realize

More assumptions and attitude. Why?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mongoose777

Viewfinder?? Oh, yes... You see when someone questions me weather if I had a d700 or a d300 automatically tells me that person is questioning my credibility.

I asked you if you were mistaken because the D700 also has a self-masking viewfinder. So, you discredited yourself. In fact, with each fact that you get wrong you continue to do so.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mongoose777

The crop factor on both cameras are totally different here.

Duh!

Quote:

Originally Posted by mongoose777

The D3 has a self-masking finder when selecting DX. The D700 instead has a crappy, thin, easy to ignore rectangle. This is where the D3 is better. Don’t forget the he D700 finder doesn't use the red backlit AF sensor areas like the D3, this is especially useful for long long days of shooting sports and becomes your friend of tired eyes.

Very true. Nice copy/paste from KenRockwell.com.

Manny, when I post on TPF and it involves technical things such as AF and FPS, I address only those issues and address them accurately. I consider Jason a friend and wouldn't want him to give up a nice lens when what he was trying to achieve by switching to a D3 wouldn't be realized. It's one thing to be passionate and another to be emotional. Don't take anything I've said as attacking you in any way because I wasn't. I was only trying to get the facts straight. The facts are that the guts of the D3 and the D700 are identical.

- Wil