Dogbytes

There were a couple of contenders but I think I’ll settle for this one...



Nikon D610
AF Nikkor 24mm f2.8 D
1/2000 a f5.6
ISO100
Snapseed/iPad

What is the simplest adequate editing program for a beginner-intermediate amatuer. I tried Photoshop but it was way too advanced for my small mind. I shoot in raw and just wish to touch up some things on occasion.

Hi, it depends, to a degree, on what platform you’re using. I’ve tried quite a few, over the years, on Mac and nowadays pretty much exclusively on my iPad. If you’re using a Mac/PC desktop or laptop and Photoshop is too much (and it is for the vast majority of us) maybe try Photoshop Elements? It’s more approachable and will lead you gently into Photoshop should you ever decide you want more.

Currently, on my iPad, most of my editing can be done in Snapseed although I do use Affinity Photo - which is good if not particularly intuitive.

Blue Tit at Rinsey Head

Nikon D610
Nikkor AF-P 70-300 f4.5-5.6E ED VR (@300mm)
1/250 @ f8
ISO100
Snapseed on iPad

Day 7, challenge completed!

Pentreath, this morning.

D610 & AF P 70-300 E ED VR (@300mm)
1/500 @ f8
ISO100
-1EV

Day 6, struggled today...



Same camera / lens
1/1500th @ f5.6
ISO6400
-1/2 EV

Day 5, where does the time go?
I’m doing these on the early morning dog walk, this morning I was a bit later than usual and it was sunny and the birds were awake. So today it’s a Blue Tit.

Nikon D610 & AF-P 70-300 E ED VR
1/250th @ f8
ISO100
Snapseed on my iPad

Day 4 and I’ve caught up! This was actually taken today...

Nikon D610, AF-S 70-300 4.5-5.6 E ED VR
1/1000 @ 5.6
ISO 6400
-0.5 EV

Day 3

D610 & AF-S 50/1.4G
1/60 @ f1.4 ISO200
EV-1 compensation
Tweaked on my iPad using Snapseed

Day 2
Nikon D610 / AF-P 70-300 E ED VR
1/90 @ f5.6 ISO400, -1EV exposure compensation
Processed in Snapseed for iOS

I’ll give this a go. Here’s yesterday’s attempt...

Taken with my D610 / AF-P 70-300 E ED VR
1/750sec. f5.6, ISO100, -1EV

Edited, as always these days, on my iPad using Snapseed

Nikon D610
AF-P Nikkor 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 E ED VR
1/1500 sec @ f5,6
ISO 3600
-1 EV

Recently, after a macro session with my D610 and 60mm f/2.8D Micro Nikkor, I decided to shoot some portraits using my AF-S 85mm f/1.8G. No AF! I was completely stumped for a couple of minutes... until I remembered that I always shoot macro with both the camera and lens set to manual focus. I know, totally dumb... but it happens.
 
So my first suggestion would be to go with Occam's Razor and make sure all your switches are set correctly. If they are then Peter's suggestion about cleaning contacts is a good idea. Also, since the 600mm is a fairly heavy lens, you might want to check the lens mount on your camera for looseness.
 
--Ron

Good point - check that you haven’t set back button focus too!

I fully share Mike’s view on considering the D500 for the type of use that you describe.

I have both the D610 and the D500 - and while I am looking into replacing the D610 with a D850 for landscapes the D500 will stay my favourite when it comes to fast moving subjects.

You may have noticed that while the D500 has a DX sensor it has the FX sized focus sensor field of the D5. As a result focus points are spread much wider over the capture. Obviously the one closer to the border are less accurate, but the ones in the center of the image allow to have the focus really down to the spot.

Also, due to the cropfactor, you may choose a lens with a shorter focal length to get the same angle of view.

My recommendation for your type of photography would therefor be a D500 while having a fast lens for the difference in price to the D850.

Believe me, I have considered this option and, if I ONLY did that kind of photography, I would probably go that route but I use my camera (and I prefer to have just the one, for several reasons, not least financial considerations) for all kinds of photography.

I like full frame for limiting depth of field, and although I don’t particularly need more than 24mp, now that I’m used to it I wouldnt want less. Id be interested to see how the probably forthcoming D760 is equipped as regards focusing/metering/resolution.

The D850 has a side effect(!) of having that 46mp resolution. That could enable me (down the road a bit when finances have recovered!) to use a 70-200mm/f2.8 instead of my 70-300 and have enough pixels to crop - particularly given the 2-stop, hence lower ISO/higher shutter speed advantage of the 70-200.

A question for the technical amongst you and the sports/action shooters...
I take a lot of pics of dogs, very fast dogs and they’re often shot running towards me. They move at a bit over 40 miles per hour and being quite small (compared to a car, for example) I usually use as long a lens as possible and let them get as close as I can.

This introduces a number of requirements - I need a high shutter speed (obviously!) and experience has shown that 1/1500 is enough though 1/2000 is ideal. Living in the U.K. where sunshine is not necessarily guaranteed(!) means using as wide an aperture as possible both to achieve the high shutter speeds without losing too much quality to high ISO settings and to isolate the subject.

I find I lose a lot of otherwise decent shots to focus errors. That is particularly apparent as the dogs get closer and I’ve come to the conclusion that the camera/lens struggles to track focus under these conditions. At longer distances where the range difference is not so great and depth of field is greater, I dint have the issue.

I remember with the old ‘D’ screw-drive lenses, the film-era pro bodies - particularly the F5 were known for their extremely powerful focus motors which were able to focus the lenses noticeably quicker than the consumer camera bodies.

My question is this...
Using modern ‘S’ and ‘P’ lenses, are modern pro bodies able to focus quicker than consumer bodies - due to faster data processing, for example?
Do some of the lenses focus faster than others due to more powerful motors?
If so, which ones?

I currently use a D610 and, for dog racing/action pics a Nikkor AF-P 70-300 f4.5-5.6 E VR. Which of the two is likely to be the limiting factor in terms of tracking focus with the subject moving towards the camera?

I’m hoping to get a D850 this year, will that focus quicker with the same lens or would I be better keeping the D610 and getting the latest model 70-200/2.8 lens?

Looking forward to hearing your views...

Wish me a Nikon 500 f/4 vr Everyone
 
Well, I wish you a 500/4 - just to see what you do with it. They’re stunning pics!

PS If people are in a wishing mood, I’ll have a D850