lukemeup
Well-known member
A lot of moaning with a dash of hurt feelings.
Nikon Z8 Firmware 2.0 Released
- Thread starter MartyD
- Start date
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Oy Luke - these poor people - doesn't matter who it is - they get so much flack (just ask Steve) - remember they take their time to put something out there for YOU to read. They share their personal opinions and feelings too - which is how it should be - otherwise you might as well call up ChatWhathisnameA lot of moaning with a dash of hurt feelings.
Rather then follow those who does fit your vision. These guys takes a lot of abuse - and that also takes it's toll on them emotionally.
They are human and have feelings and comments like yours isn't useful. And Thom Hogan is no fool by any stretch of the imagination.
If you want to debate them - go ahead. They would welcome it. And so would the rest of this forum. That's how we learn.
lukemeup
Well-known member
You can disagree but it all reads negative there - "this feels like beta, this is wrong thinking, careful what you ask for, too vague - oh and they didn't give me early access". Meanwhile we got a substantial firmware upgrade that a lot users of other brands would LOVE to get. For free.
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Alistair
Well-known member
I think Thom's just sore because he has to update his ebook. He does not share Steve's valuable skill of showing good grace through gritted teeth.
Yes it is a fantastic free firmware update, and fun to trust yourself to play around with. Guides from those we enjoy are another, often free bonus.
Thanks for the new camera Nikon - I already loved it!
Thanks for the new camera Nikon - I already loved it!
It's just Thom being Thom. Unless it's the first time reading him I'm not sure it's worth a mention. He's just a cranky old fart with a good dose of arrogance thrown in. But if you can get past the personality and all of the world according to Thom comments he does have a wealth of knowledge. Though sometimes on technical issues it's hard to sift through what's hard fact and what's opinion/speculation on his part. Kind of like most modern day scientists.
That's true - he's a self described curmudgeon. Or maybe he has an AI editor that takes out all the positive items and adds a grumpy and whiny tone. 6 out of 7 points mentioned were negatives - and the one positive was for an obscure change nobody is likely to use. Do you think his tone is related to the last point - he did not get an advanced notice and trial for the firmware?
DHL
Well-known member
You’ve identified the real issue. Lol
I watch and read reviews of some photographers just for fun, but when it comes to trust, for me I trust only Steve´s reviews. Why? Because I am more like him in his style and the way he looks at nature and his love for wildlife. I know he also is the most honest reviewer and I always take his advice and stick with his books for learning and advancing.
When any firmware comes, I look at Steve’s opinion and the discussion in this forum. That is more than enough for me.
When any firmware comes, I look at Steve’s opinion and the discussion in this forum. That is more than enough for me.
Even though "Pinpoint AF" is selected in the list of "Cycle AF..." it never appears when I cycle through the list. So my questions are:
What is the difference between Pinpoint and Single? Why does is Pinpoint AF option skipped over when I cycle though the list?
As well, I noticed that in the list of "A8 Limit AF-area...." both Pinpoint and Single are checked however you can not uncheck the Single option. Is this somehow related??
What is the difference between Pinpoint and Single? Why does is Pinpoint AF option skipped over when I cycle though the list?
As well, I noticed that in the list of "A8 Limit AF-area...." both Pinpoint and Single are checked however you can not uncheck the Single option. Is this somehow related??
I glanced thru Hogans comments. I really can't stand his constant whining and negative comments. I don't disrespect his knowledge but his attitude towards Nikon comes across as negative and it just gets old. That and he has to take paragraphs to explain what Steve does in a sentence or two. If I want informed opinions of Nikon I'll read Steve or Brad Hill, much easier reads....
Pinpoint should only appear when cycling if Single Point auto focus is chosen. It won't appear if when Continuous is selected.
Pinpoint AF will only show up when you are on Focus Mode AF-S single focus and not AF-C Continuous Focus.
| [Pinpoint AF] |
| |
| [Single-point AF] |
|
Thanks for the clarification. I had guessed it was something like that. I can't remember when I last used Single .
Mecky
New member
Exposure delay mode, finaly!!!!
On Thom Hogan’s first observation, I had a bit of a quarrel with my wife who insisted on us leaving the house in the middle of my 2.0 update. I couldn’t adequately explain the reason for my resistance, but I was determined to wait until I saw the ‘turn off the camera’ notice. All went well and I was forgiven shortly thereafter when I agreed to bring my MIL along for the afternoon…
So now the question is what Fn button or menu it goes on. Historically I've put it on a programmable button. That's not necessary to activate Exposure Delay because you have plenty of time, but is useful when I have forgotten to turn it Off and encountered wildlife or some other moving subject.
I'm curious how others are using the new Cycle AF feature. It's certainly a quick and easy way to change the camera's base AF mode but does it eliminate the need for AF Mode Overrides [ie, additional AF mode buttons]?
In my case I have Fn1 assigned to Cycle AF but I also have Fn2 set to Auto Area AF + AF On and the BBAF set to 3D Tracking + AF on. In the cycle AF list I have SP, Wide (L), Wide (S), Wide C1, Wide C2, 3D, and Auto Area selected. I kept 3D and Auto Area in the Cycle AF list even though I have override buttons for them because this allows me to choose them for the base AF system.
In my case I have Fn1 assigned to Cycle AF but I also have Fn2 set to Auto Area AF + AF On and the BBAF set to 3D Tracking + AF on. In the cycle AF list I have SP, Wide (L), Wide (S), Wide C1, Wide C2, 3D, and Auto Area selected. I kept 3D and Auto Area in the Cycle AF list even though I have override buttons for them because this allows me to choose them for the base AF system.
FWIW, I'm using it as a replacement for adjusting the AF mode with a push and turn, so all my favorite AF areas are on it - Single, 3D, Auto, Wide S ,Wide Large, and Wide C1 (1x1). Once you get used to it, even with that many AF points, going from one to the other is almost instant. In time, you'll learn how many pushes to get from one AF area to the next depending on which you're using. I have my AF cycle on the Video Record button since if I'm switching AF areas, I'm not shoot and it gives my index finger something else to do (it gets bored with just pressing the shutter rerelease). FN1 is now Auto AF for handoffs.
Nikon didn't give me one either, despite my asking. However, they are WILDLY protective. For me anyway, they want to be on-site when I'm using any new firmware or gear. I think they've just had too many leaks - accidental or otherwise - over the years.
ajrmd
Well-known member
Interestingly, I had posed a similar question much earlier in the thread (think page 5-6)? While cycle AF doesn't replace "handoff", one can assign it to a button where one could rapidly change it during use (as you did) rather than a more obscure button such as "disp" or video rec. As we gain experience with the new AF firmware, I think it will become evident whether "handoffs" provide further benefits or are even necessary.
Steve had responded to the query with a situation where a handoff might be useful, though if the FW delivers, the number of case scenarios where it offers utility diminishes. In early reports, the AF system appears to detect and follow birds better against water, when they transition from skies to busy backgrounds (such as trees), etc. In other words, it appears that the AF system is functioning overall more like a Canon or Sony body. If one is having difficulty acquiring AF in a base mode, say a bird in a tree with a lot of distractions and the af mode is AF Auto, one could rapidly cycle through to single point or alternatively have a button assigned to accomplish the same thing. Again, the difference being that if one uses the af cycle approach, handoff is not possible.
In the limited applications that I've employed the new FW where this scenario presents itself, handoff didn't work. Let me illustrate my experience with a couple of examples. First one was a bird on a perch with some specular highlights on the surrounding flora. Auto Area was having some difficulty detecting the bird. Switching to AF wide area small resulted in af capture though if I tried to hand it off to AF Auto, it failed, and the AF jumped to the specular points. A trip to the zoo and a test on the proverbial challenge (elephant) likewise resulted in handoff failure. This is not unique to Nikon, as my Canon and Sony equipment struggles with the dark eyes against similar tonality skin (think elephant, buffalo, hippos' ears which seem to attract the AF point, etc.). As a test of the new firmware, I tried AF Area (animal mode) on the elephant and it selected a pigmented spot on the skin rather than the eye. Again, I tried AF small (didn't work) and had to resort to single point. Of note, this was not different than what I would encounter with my Canon or Sony bodies.
My personal experience on BIF has been extremely limited though I am unable to discern whether the new FW indeed elevates the AF to the level of Canon and Sony. If that holds true, then for my shooting, the need for "handoffs" essentially evaporates and I'll be happy as a lark (especially when shooting them). Kudos to Nikon for providing a free, serious upgrade and I am marveling at the meltdowns occurring on the Canon threads.
Soukous
New member
There is in a roundabout way. Turn off subject detection in your Recall Shooting functions and allocate that to a button. It works for me.
Soukous
New member
The Cycle AF is a great addition. But I have encountered a hiccup.
My 2 main AF area options are C1 & C2.
C1 is the default, then switching to C2 for single point focussing. Because I don't want to hold down an override button while shooting I have selected AF Area C2 in my Recall Shooting functions, along with disabling the subject detection .
This worked perfectly as I assigned a button to toggle my Recall Shooting functions on & off. I would toggle between C1 with subject detection and C2 without subject detection.
I thought the Cycle AF would make this even easier but for some reason even though I have it selected as one of my AF area options the camera skips the C1 AF Area option.
If I switch on the camera and have C1 as my preferred AF area, as soon as I use the AF Cycle button C1 is deleted from the options and is not shown as an option when I look at the AF area options on my i-Menu.
Why would this happen?
My 2 main AF area options are C1 & C2.
C1 is the default, then switching to C2 for single point focussing. Because I don't want to hold down an override button while shooting I have selected AF Area C2 in my Recall Shooting functions, along with disabling the subject detection .
This worked perfectly as I assigned a button to toggle my Recall Shooting functions on & off. I would toggle between C1 with subject detection and C2 without subject detection.
I thought the Cycle AF would make this even easier but for some reason even though I have it selected as one of my AF area options the camera skips the C1 AF Area option.
If I switch on the camera and have C1 as my preferred AF area, as soon as I use the AF Cycle button C1 is deleted from the options and is not shown as an option when I look at the AF area options on my i-Menu.
Why would this happen?