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01/17/2009 10:57:38 PM · #1 |
Or, D700 vs 5D Mark II, especially wrt auto focus. For the Google hits. =)
I gave my Rebel XT to my sister last summer and began thinking about upgrading. The 5DII was announced shortly thereafter and I was hooked. However, my pre-order wasn't filled as the 5DII's started rolling in, and I was getting antsy, so I decided to try a D700.
The D700 was great... at first. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved the interface, Auto-ISO, one-button sharpness checking, and high-ISO performance. Its usability is fantastic and the pictures it created were wonderful!
But I started noticing that the AF wasn't doing great. This was a real frustration because AF was one of the main reasons I chose the D700. It would seem to adjust 3-4 times before locking on in low-to-moderate light. I read all sorts of info and tried all different settings and techniques to no avail. I noticed many other threads of people having D700 AF problems and began collecting them. But, the folks in the DPreview forums (those who didn't dismiss me as an idiot) suggested it was my cheap Tamron lens. However, it happened on my Sigma HSM and a couple Nikon lenses as well. I wrote Nikon service about the issue, and they responded "send in your lens and we'll check it out."
How frustrating. Basically, nobody would accept that it could be a problem with the body. If you put your word against the religiously revered AF of the high-end Nikons, you will be ridiculed. Fine, screw it. I sold the D700.
Also of note is that the FX-compatible Nikon AF-S (fast focusing, USM equivalent) lenses are crazy expensive (with the exception of the very poorly reviewed AF-S 24-120 VR). On the Canon side, most of their lineup now has USM - even less expensive lenses, like the $350 85 f/1.8. So while the Nikon AF system might be better (in theory, though I didn't see it), I believe that good results with the Canon AF system are more attainable.
I sold the D700 and my collection of Nikon lenses after about a month of use and bought a 5D Mark 2. At first I really missed the D700 interface and Auto-ISO - I must admit the 5DII lags in those two areas particularly. With the D700, you can easily adjust all the settings without moving your eye from the viewfinder. The D700's auto-ISO lets you specify a lower limit for shutter speed and works in manual mode, whereas the 5DII's auto-ISO is seemingly random and doesn't work in manual mode. Nikon TTL speedlights are cheaper, too.
Bummer. But a usable AF is a complete must for me, and after getting used to the Canon interface again, I've been loving the 5DII. I've had to rely more on focus-recompose, but that's been working fairly well. I don't use auto-ISO and have decided that non-TTL flashes will be just fine.
I decided to get an 85 f/1.8 and 17-40 instead of the typical 24-70 or 24-105. This gives me wider angles and a fantastic fast portrait lens. Of course, any camera really shines when using good lighting. So below is a comparison on my old Rebel XT kit (XT + 24-105) and my new kit (5DII + 85).
The detail and sharpness of this new kit is simply incredible, even at 100%.
As for the movie mode, it'll be a bit hard to get the hang of. It doesn't let you control aperture or shutter, and manual focus is the only usable focus (there is an auto focus, but it's slow and often hunts). The two problems compound on a fast (f/1.8) lens, because it usually chooses a large aperture, so DOF is narrow and focus errors are obvious. Still, it is an interesting feature to play with, and I already have a media PC on my HDTV so watching the movies is pretty convenient for me (no disc burning or converting necessary).
Anyway, I'm very happy with this kit, and I hope this information is useful to you. Cheers!
-Jeff
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01/17/2009 11:26:06 PM · #2 |
I am eagerly awaiting my 5D mii, and wondered on the bottom shot you posted... what is that last image shot with? I am confused
Message edited by author 2009-01-17 23:26:41. |
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01/17/2009 11:30:40 PM · #3 |
Congrats on the new camera. I've been very happy with my 5D II. Even the AF meets my needs. I have the 1D III as well and can certainly relate to faster focus and more focus points. But I'm not shooting sports with the 5D II and I don't think I've ever felt like I was missing shots due to slow or inaccurate AF on the 5D or 5D II.
You're right about DPReview and how they treat people over there. It makes going there not the least bit enjoyable. All I ever see any more is bickering and whining. DPC has its ups and downs. But on average I find the whole DPC experience to be much more pleasant and certainly more informative.
Congrats again. :)
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01/17/2009 11:32:10 PM · #4 |
Originally posted by smurfguy:
Or, D700 vs 5D Mark II, especially wrt auto focus. For the Google hits. =)
I gave my Rebel XT to my sister last summer and began thinking about upgrading. The 5DII was announced shortly thereafter and I was hooked. However, my pre-order wasn't filled as the 5DII's started rolling in, and I was getting antsy, so I decided to try a D700.
The D700 was great... at first. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved the interface, Auto-ISO, one-button sharpness checking, and high-ISO performance. Its usability is fantastic and the pictures it created were wonderful!
But I started noticing that the AF wasn't doing great. This was a real frustration because AF was one of the main reasons I chose the D700. It would seem to adjust 3-4 times before locking on in low-to-moderate light. I read all sorts of info and tried all different settings and techniques to no avail. I noticed many other threads of people having D700 AF problems and began collecting them. But, the folks in the DPreview forums (those who didn't dismiss me as an idiot) suggested it was my cheap Tamron lens. However, it happened on my Sigma HSM and a couple Nikon lenses as well. I wrote Nikon service about the issue, and they responded "send in your lens and we'll check it out."
How frustrating. Basically, nobody would accept that it could be a problem with the body. If you put your word against the religiously revered AF of the high-end Nikons, you will be ridiculed. Fine, screw it. I sold the D700.
Also of note is that the FX-compatible Nikon AF-S (fast focusing, USM equivalent) lenses are crazy expensive (with the exception of the very poorly reviewed AF-S 24-120 VR). On the Canon side, most of their lineup now has USM - even less expensive lenses, like the $350 85 f/1.8. So while the Nikon AF system might be better (in theory, though I didn't see it), I believe that good results with the Canon AF system are more attainable.
I sold the D700 and my collection of Nikon lenses after about a month of use and bought a 5D Mark 2. At first I really missed the D700 interface and Auto-ISO - I must admit the 5DII lags in those two areas particularly. With the D700, you can easily adjust all the settings without moving your eye from the viewfinder. The D700's auto-ISO lets you specify a lower limit for shutter speed and works in manual mode, whereas the 5DII's auto-ISO is seemingly random and doesn't work in manual mode. Nikon TTL speedlights are cheaper, too.
Bummer. But a usable AF is a complete must for me, and after getting used to the Canon interface again, I've been loving the 5DII. I've had to rely more on focus-recompose, but that's been working fairly well. I don't use auto-ISO and have decided that non-TTL flashes will be just fine.
I decided to get an 85 f/1.8 and 17-40 instead of the typical 24-70 or 24-105. This gives me wider angles and a fantastic fast portrait lens. Of course, any camera really shines when using good lighting. So below is a comparison on my old Rebel XT kit (XT + 24-105) and my new kit (5DII + 85).
The detail and sharpness of this new kit is simply incredible, even at 100%.
As for the movie mode, it'll be a bit hard to get the hang of. It doesn't let you control aperture or shutter, and manual focus is the only usable focus (there is an auto focus, but it's slow and often hunts). The two problems compound on a fast (f/1.8) lens, because it usually chooses a large aperture, so DOF is narrow and focus errors are obvious. Still, it is an interesting feature to play with, and I already have a media PC on my HDTV so watching the movies is pretty convenient for me (no disc burning or converting necessary).
Anyway, I'm very happy with this kit, and I hope this information is useful to you. Cheers!
-Jeff |
Dang dude, you bounce back and forth more than a paddle ball!
Enjoy the new kit. (until you change your mind again and get a Sony a900. It's got 24.5 mp's...)
BTW, your comparison images would be better if you showed either two RAW's or two Jpegs. A RAW will always be less sharp then a Jpeg which has in camera sharpening applied. I'm just saying...
Message edited by author 2009-01-17 23:34:37. |
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01/17/2009 11:56:26 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by ellamay:
I am eagerly awaiting my 5D mii, and wondered on the bottom shot you posted... what is that last image shot with? I am confused |
I just resized the 5DII shot down to be equal to the XT size. So-as to compare similar-sized images.
Originally posted by DWTerry:
Congrats on the new camera. I've been very happy with my 5D II. Even the AF meets my needs. |
Indeed, my AF needs are a spunky little girl running around in moderate light on a Saturday morning. And the 5DII with USM lenses seems to work fine. I also shot some pee-wee basketball today and was pleasantly surprised.
Originally posted by breadfan35:
Dang dude, you bounce back and forth more than a paddle ball! |
Lol, my wife would agree with that. =) But I think I'm ready to settle down for a while. Unless Nikon starts producing new, inexpensive AF-S lenses out the wazoo and admits to their D700 AF quality control problem! =)
Originally posted by breadfan35:
BTW, your comparison images would be better if you showed either two RAW's or two Jpegs. A RAW will always be less sharp then a Jpeg which has in camera sharpening applied. I'm just saying... |
Ah, you're right. It's not a fair comparison by any means. Just a general idea.
Message edited by author 2009-01-17 23:58:04. |
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01/20/2009 10:18:58 PM · #6 |
Note: I heard from a friend who was having the same D700 AF issues that today's firmware update cleared up his problems. Assumedly it might have helped mine as well.
While it's no matter to me now, at least I feel vindicated. =) |
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