james.liam Posted March 30, 2011 Share #41 Posted March 30, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) The focus point (actually, a very small rectangle) can be moved anywhere in the frame. Surprisingly, it doesn't darken that much at f/8 that I have been hampered when light is reasonable, though I tend to focus and then stop-down. The Live View option really offers the most accurate focusing when it's fixed on a tripod, something I don't know if the DMR is capable of. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 30, 2011 Posted March 30, 2011 Hi james.liam, Take a look here Thinking of finally getting a DMR- good idea or not anymore?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Posto 6 Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share #42 Posted March 30, 2011 One important reason why I am considering (very strongly) the DMR is that I do not wish to change mounts, as I use my SL2s and R9s quite a lot for film as well. I also saw the Popflash sale on their site, but the lots include an R9 which I do not need, and the Popflash guarantee is only for the camera, NOT the DMR. They are unwilling to spilt the lot from what I understand. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildlightphoto Posted March 30, 2011 Share #43 Posted March 30, 2011 The focus point (actually, a very small rectangle) can be moved anywhere in the frame. Surprisingly, it doesn't darken that much at f/8 that I have been hampered when light is strong. What I often do is focus wide-open and stop it down thereafter. The R's that I have used haven't demonstrated focus shift so it hasn't been an issue. You can also focus with Live View on a tripod and that is probably the most accurate method. What do you consider "anywhere"? Focussing wide-open and stopping down to make the exposure is much, much too slow for my subjects, likewise live view. Here's an example: The bird was all over the viewfinder when it was in the viewfinder at all and this is cropped to make it more-or-less centered. I was using the 280mm f/4 APO with 1.4x APO extender stopped down to f/5.6 (effectively f/8) for DOF. I doubt anyone could keep a focus point on this bird whether by moving the camera or by a jog wheel. Another example: This photo was cropped on the right side, the swan's head was in constant motion from the water at its feet to full height and back again. It did not stop long enough for using a jog wheel or live view focus. 180mm f/2.8 APO (at f/5.6 IIRC). Focus 'points' and manual aperture simply do not work for me. Tried it, does not work for me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
james.liam Posted March 30, 2011 Share #44 Posted March 30, 2011 Stopped down to an effective f-stop of 5.6 may make it more challenging, I will admit. As far as the focus point, for moving objects, i place the point in the center. But in truth, I use the split circle more often than the dot confirmation. What sort of focusing screen do you use on the R8/9 for your type of shooting? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
topoxforddoc Posted March 30, 2011 Share #45 Posted March 30, 2011 I use the plain ground glass screen for my DMR. like Doug, I need to focus very quickly although my prey is usually musicians or racing cars. In low light on stage microprisms and split screens are useless IMHO. Focussing the 180/2 wide open is hard but at least I can choose the focus point instantly. Best wishes Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildlightphoto Posted March 30, 2011 Share #46 Posted March 30, 2011 What sort of focusing screen do you use on the R8/9 for your type of shooting? I use the plain matte viewscreen with DMR crop marks. They are no longer available new (I've got the last one). Brightscreen.com can add the DMR crop marks to a standard R8/R9 viewscreen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
james.liam Posted March 30, 2011 Share #47 Posted March 30, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) How do you change the focus point on the R bodies? On the back of Nikon pro DSLR's is a small jog wheel that allows you to move that point in any direction, up and down, with a click and lock it as well. Becomes second nature after a while. Good accuracy too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted March 30, 2011 Share #48 Posted March 30, 2011 There are no focus points. They are manual focus cameras. I use the whole of the D700 Screen to focus, just as I did with the DMR. The green dot is an aid, not a substitute. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpattison Posted March 30, 2011 Share #49 Posted March 30, 2011 Actually, if you are coming to the DMR from a Leica rangefinder, the greatest feature is the full frame view with DMR crop screen... just like an M camera, you can see things/people moving outside the picture area! John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
james.liam Posted March 30, 2011 Share #50 Posted March 30, 2011 There are no focus points. They are manual focus cameras. I use the whole of the D700 Screen to focus, just as I did with the DMR. The green dot is an aid, not a substitute. So it has no assist? I ask out of ignorance; so it is no different than my old Nikon FM2. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted March 30, 2011 Share #51 Posted March 30, 2011 No. It's DIY focussing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
james.liam Posted March 30, 2011 Share #52 Posted March 30, 2011 No. It's DIY focussing. Wonder why the masses still cling to the DMR....I think what they don't get about the D700 (and the D3 iterations) is that because the pro bodies are backward compatible with Nikkor manual focus lenses, it operates in full manual mode with the added benefit of focus confirmation. With it's more modern sensor, it really is an ideal pairing to the R lenses, stop-down notwithstanding. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted March 30, 2011 Share #53 Posted March 30, 2011 James - The "masses" aren't even a sub-set of a market segment for Canon or Nikon. Only about 5,000 were made, and as you've seen in this thread, at least some of those 5000 live in the same home with another DMR or two. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
james.liam Posted March 31, 2011 Share #54 Posted March 31, 2011 'Masses' was clearly a poor choice of words, but the devotion of the 'cognoscenti' is impressive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildlightphoto Posted March 31, 2011 Share #55 Posted March 31, 2011 There are no focus points. They are manual focus cameras. I prefer to say there are an infinite number of focus points, wherever you look in the picture area. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildlightphoto Posted March 31, 2011 Share #56 Posted March 31, 2011 On the back of Nikon pro DSLR's is a small jog wheel that allows you to move that point in any direction, up and down, with a click and lock it as well. Becomes second nature after a while. Good accuracy too. That's fine if the focus point coincides with the point you want in focus with your desired composition. Focus & re-compose doesn't work with a shallow DOF: Canon's advice is to either adjust the composition to suit the focus point or to focus manually w/o benefit of the focus point. Adjusting the composition to suit the camera's focus point is a serious no-no in my book so I'd rather use a camera optimized for manual focus. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posto 6 Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share #57 Posted March 31, 2011 These seem to be good 4GB SD (not SDHC) cards at a reasonable price. I managed to do an extensive Ebay search last night to see availability of such cards. The other ones I mentioned earlier seem to be SDHC after asking the sellers. ★ NEW SD 4GB Card Memory Secure 4 G B Lifetime Warranty - eBay (item 220589424892 end time Apr-09-11 04:15:48 PDT) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie Roberts Posted March 31, 2011 Share #58 Posted March 31, 2011 That's fine if the focus point coincides with the point you want in focus with your desired composition. Focus & re-compose doesn't work with a shallow DOF: Canon's advice is to either adjust the composition to suit the focus point or to focus manually w/o benefit of the focus point. Adjusting the composition to suit the camera's focus point is a serious no-no in my book so I'd rather use a camera optimized for manual focus. Doug (and everyone)--a few points of clarification... First I want to start out by saying that selling my DMR was a financial necessity for me, but it's the only piece of gear I personally regret selling. Why? Because the files are so damn good, especially the colour at low ISOs. For focusing, the Nikon D3 I have is practically as good a VF as the DMR--yes, it's true, and I had the luxury of comparing them over time. The D3 VF has the coverage (and it's full frame) and it's very bright for an AF camera, only very slightly less contrasty and bright as the DMR, which is saying something. I was impressed, especially coming from Canon full frame (1ds2) where focusing manually was next to impossible, regardless of the screen in the camera. So focusing manually, with the D3 at least, isn't much of an issue. It's a high ISO dream camera, and ergonomically it's nicer in the hands than the DMR (and lighter I think). From a focus-confirmation perspective, both the D700 and D3 have tracking AF mechanisms for moving subjects that actually work. They will follow a target exceptionally well, and it's quite astonishing to see this work in the VF. The D3 has 51 focus points spread very well across the FOV. I haven't seen if the 3d focus tracking works with MF lenses (as confirmation only, of course), but I'd like to. Of course, I don't shoot the same things Doug does, but I don't focus and recompose, and I understand the benefits of manual focus. If there's an AF camera capable of excellent MF costing less than a new car, then it's the D3 / D700. Anyway, the problem for me is not focusing or the speed or the view of a D3. It's the colour. I just can't reproduce the colour of the DMR with the D3, no matter how hard I try. It may be that I haven't put Leica glass on the D3 (I'm sure that contributes) but the files themselves are just not the same in terms of colour. As for sharpness, if anything, the D3 has more AA than full frame Canons, so Andy and I disagree on that (the D700 is essentially the same as the D3 in this regard). However, they are, like Canon, perfectly capable of sharpness with the right processing. But it's that DMR colour palette that I miss most, to tell the truth. Short of an S2 or a Phase back, I'm not sure where to get it these days.... Oh--and not being able to use my 19mm Elmarit on the Nikon is a real drag too... BTW--any suggestions are welcome. I wish Leica would hurry up with its "R solution"... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
james.liam Posted March 31, 2011 Share #59 Posted March 31, 2011 ?.... I'd rather use a camera optimized for manual focus. I think I may not have been clear about this. The D700 and D3x/s become fully manual focus cameras with a flick of a Switch. Forget about the green dot confirmation. Set the AF switch to 'manual' and that's that. Functions no differently than your R8/9 does. Or earlier MF film NIkkors. You're using your eye to decide the focus point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted March 31, 2011 Share #60 Posted March 31, 2011 As for sharpness, if anything, the D3 has more AA than full frame Canons, so Andy and I disagree on that (the D700 is essentially the same as the D3 in this regard). However, they are, like Canon, perfectly capable of sharpness with the right processing. Fair enough - but I have seen some really nasty plasticky skin tones from Canons that I have never seen from my D700. Using Leica glass makes a difference. The only Nikon lens I have used was a billy-basic 50 f1.8, so the comparison isn't a fair one, but that was really useless compared with my Leica lenses. I think that the point is that there ARE viable alternatives to DMRs out there, for Leica R lenses, for the majority of people who might be considering buying one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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