Focusing Speed Question

[Howard5252]

Is there any correlation between how fast a lens will snap into focus and the body it's mounted to? I mounted the 300mm PF to my D7200 and I think I ran into a slow focus problem. Did I, or is it probably something else? Body is set for BBF and I was shooting a bird approaching me.

 

[Warren D]

Yes, the body does matter. The fastest AF Nikon body is currently the D6, followed by the D5, then D500, D850 etc. That said, a BIF approaching is one of the most challenging subjects for any AF system. This for a given lens, some lenses AF faster than others and the wide aperture lenses get more light to the AF module so they tend to AF faster and with more accuracy.

 

[DRwyoming]

Is there any correlation between how fast a lens will snap into focus and the body it's mounted to?

As posted above, the body it's mounted to matters and in some cases even the battery used can matter. For instance I find my D850 with the optional vertical grip focuses my 600mm f/4 noticeably faster with the larger higher voltage battery installed rather than the stock battery. But yeah, choice of camera can impact focusing speed.

And as posted above a BIF coming straight at you is one of the most challenging tasks (next to birds with really erratic flight patterns like Swallows and Fly Catchers). The only time I get reliable shots of birds heading straight towards me is when I acquire focus early when they're still far away and keep focusing while I track them in until they're large enough in the viewfinder to begin releasing the shutter. One other trick is to pre-focus at about the distance where I think I'll acquire another incoming bird by quickly focusing on a bush or other object near that same distance to get ready for the next bird. This obviously works best when there's a typical approach pattern to your location like birds flying into the wind to land in a watering hole.

 

[MorganP]

New cameras have improved processing speed and updated software. Your camera is basically a small computer. I remember ( Back in the day ) my Nikon d70 was so slow the bird I was focusing on was down the road buy the time it hunted back and forth back and forth....

One more thin when was the last time you had your camera sensor and focusing sensor cleaned?

 

[Howard5252]

As posted above, the body it's mounted to matters and in some cases even the battery used can matter. For instance I find my D850 with the optional vertical grip focuses my 600mm f/4 noticeably faster with the larger higher voltage battery installed rather than the stock battery. But yeah, choice of camera can impact focusing speed.

And as posted above a BIF coming straight at you is one of the most challenging tasks (next to birds with really erratic flight patterns like Swallows and Fly Catchers). The only time I get reliable shots of birds heading straight towards me is when I acquire focus early when they're still far away and keep focusing while I track them in until they're large enough in the viewfinder to begin releasing the shutter. One other trick is to pre-focus at about the distance where I think I'll acquire another incoming bird by quickly focusing on a bush or other object near that same distance to get ready for the next bird. This obviously works best when there's a typical approach pattern to your location like birds flying into the wind to land in a watering hole.

I use pre-focusing when I can - this bird was approaching over water! I think I'll move the lens to my D810 and give up the extra focal length.

 

[Howard5252]

New cameras have improved processing speed and updated software. Your camera is basically a small computer. I remember ( Back in the day ) my Nikon d70 was so slow the bird I was focusing on was down the road buy the time it hunted back and forth back and forth....

One more thin when was the last time you had your camera sensor and focusing sensor cleaned?

Thank you for your comments; my first DSLR was the D70 > D7000 > D7200 > D810 > D850; I only used the D7200 for the small sensor with an apparent gain in focal length. I hadn't given any thought to the focusing issue, until ................