D800 AF-S priority selection, a rant

[pete_s.]

<p>Andrew G, thanks for your explanation. I can see how trap focus would be very useful in scenarios like the bird box.</p>

<p>I tried the Canon workaround with the 50/1.4 AF-S lens on the D600 and unfortunately it didn't work.</p>

<p>It truly is very strange when Nikon changes functionality on something purely software based without giving the option of reverting back to the old behavior with a menu item.</p>

<p>When I got the D600 I was shooting manual mode and spot metering as I usually do and I was totally thrown off changing aperture and shutter speed in the wrong direction and I couldn't figure out why. Turns out that the D600 factory setting is to show the exposure meter in the viewfinder -...0...+ instead of +...0...- as it has been Nikon standard since at least the early 90's. I was lucky because I could change it back with a menu setting.</p>

<p> </p>

[Andrew Garrard]

<p>Pete: Thanks for experimenting (and damn, I was hoping that remembering that workaround would have helped). The exposure meter settings changed with the D800/D4 generation, which is annoying because - having come from Canon - I deliberately refrained from changing my D700's directions, feeling I should learn "the Nikon way". I don't use my F5 (which can't switch) enough to justify this. I did change them back on the D800, but the + and - zoom buttons can't be switched (they're inverted from the D700), which is extremely annoying when switching cameras. I always press the wrong one first. I'm sure we won't care in ten years, but for now it's a pain. At least there's no actual removal of functionality, as there is with trap focus. I must check at some point whether any Nikon could ever do trap focus with a plain manual focus lens...</p>

[pauldmurphy]

I just got my D800 and was disappointed to

find this issue with the camera. I use the

focus on button often on my D700's and

D7000. I contacted Nikon and contrary to

what it says when you send them a message

no one got back to me at all never mind the

next day. Until I hear from Nikon that this is a

change, they correct pages 281&282 as well

as change what the in camera help menu (?

button) states I will continue to consider this

a bug.

[Andrew Garrard]

<p>While I'm trawling around the threads on this subject... Paul: I believe there's been feedback to other forum members from Nikon, whose official policy seems to be that this was a deliberate change. Personally I think it's much more likely that the change was accidental than that they changed policy and neglected to update the manual. However, it would not be out of character for many large companies and especially Nikon to decide retrospectively that an accidental change of this sort is not worth fixing. I hope there's a small chance that they'll fix it in future cameras, and maybe even if BIOS updates happen for the D800 for other reasons, but I doubt they'll release an update solely for this issue - I don't think they'll feel it's worth the cost and risk of putting it through quality control. I'm still hoping to get involved in producing an unofficial BIOS update which could fix this (and a number of other issues).</p>

[marcus_miller3]

 

<p>I’m trying to use the focus recompose technique because it could be useful for me.<br /> Set my D800 accordingly the suggested set-up:<br /> AF-S Priority Selection: FOCUS<br /> AF Activation set to OF-ON button ONLY.<br /> AF Area mode set to SINGLE POINT.<br>

The camera works exactly as reported in your description.<br /> But when you use this technique for focus and recompose, what about the exposure meter? I mean, if I focus on the face of my subject then also the exposure must be taken from his face. But with AF-ON button to hold the exposure I must press also the shutter button.<br /> Do you have any suggestion to hold focus and take the correct exposure?<br>

I noticed also some interesting behaviour:<br /> - When I press and keep AF-ON pressed, also the exposure seems to be locked. I wrote seems because the exposure reading value has a strange reading. Try to acquire focus with AF-ON, keep AF-ON pressed, and then move completely the camera to a different light source and intensity. The exposure meter reads a certain value. Now release the AF-ON button. The exposure meter reads a totally different value.<br>

I believe that the AF-ON must lock only the autofocus and not the exposure.<br>

Thanks for your comments.</p>