[ilkka_nissila]

Hi ikka,

  I think the majority want to see a FW update to restore dynamic AF modes back to how they were on the D4/D750/D810, but as Nikon are not well known for uturns, I doubt we will see anything over and above stating that the system has been changed in the D5/D500,  others may well like these changes...there not for me...but there's so much there you can get round things by using  another mode! 

 

Your thoughts?

 

I think it would be best if Nikon made a firmware upgrade which offered additional options on customizing dynamic area AF, perhaps having the old way as an option but not necessarily remove the current functionality which I think makes sense for some applications now that I better understand how they're intended to be used. They could simply add a custom function setting offering the choice between the old dynamic algorithm and the new. This would then satisfy those who prefer the old algorithm and those who have come accustomed to the new. Or, they could elaborate the details of the different algorithms in some additional AF guide documentation and help us use them through better understanding.

 

I tend to use single point and group area AF on both old and new cameras most of the time but I have found applications for the new dynamic area AF in the D5 as Nikon describes, to photograph subjects in the middle of a group of approaching subjects. When I tried to use the D810's dynamic area AF in the same way, it wasn't reacting as quickly as I would have liked to the subject behind another person.

 

Nikon can bring old features back sometimes, e.g., group area AF is strictly speaking not a new feature; the D200 offered a mode called group dynamic AF which had a custom function a4 associated with, allowing the photographer to choose closest-subject priority for this AF area mode, which should be roughly similar to what we have today as group area AF.

[davidmanze]

I think it would be best if Nikon made a firmware upgrade which offered additional options on customizing dynamic area AF, perhaps having the old way as an option but not necessarily remove the current functionality which I think makes sense for some applications now that I better understand how they're intended to be used. They could simply add a custom function setting offering the choice between the old dynamic algorithm and the new. This would then satisfy those who prefer the old algorithm and those who have come accustomed to the new. Or, they could elaborate the details of the different algorithms in some additional AF guide documentation and help us use them through better understanding.

 

I tend to use single point and group area AF on both old and new cameras most of the time but I have found applications for the new dynamic area AF in the D5 as Nikon describes, to photograph subjects in the middle of a group of approaching subjects. When I tried to use the D810's dynamic area AF in the same way, it wasn't reacting as quickly as I would have liked to the subject behind another person.

 

Nikon can bring old features back sometimes, e.g., group area AF is strictly speaking not a new feature; the D200 offered a mode called group dynamic AF which had a custom function a4 associated with, allowing the photographer to choose closest-subject priority for this AF area mode, which should be roughly similar to what we have today as group area AF.

   I agree a FW update featuring both the old and the new dynamic mode AF would be very sweet and/or a longer focus lock....say up to three or four seconds.

 

  The last few days I have been trying the Auto AF mode for wheeling and turning "terns" (pardon the pun)  and have had some great success with it, it uses the whole AF array and finds the birds automatically and stays locked on those difficult to follow terns.

  (Not so useful for ballet/dancing however)

 
 
 
 
Link: at Nikon Pro APSc DPreview:
 
 
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4141420
 
 
 
 
 
    Thanks for your reply ikka!