D610 focus point clustering

[ManFromDelmonte]

I am on the verge of buying a D610 as an upgrade from my D5100. I mentioned before in a previous post that I was concerned by the spread (or lack of) in the focus points. I know the camera had to be nobbled in some respect as it is still an entry level FF camera.

Do any owners or users have anything to say about how the lack of spread affects them? I know you can focus and recompose but does that really work when shooting portraits at f1.8 for example and you have 24M pixels to keep happy?

Any thoughts either way appreciated.

Cheers,

TMFD

[RobDickinson]

Its actually the same focus points, just the frame is bigger.

Its really tricky to place phase detect focus points closer to the edge of the frame and keep them working and accurate.

[ManFromDelmonte]

I was aware that the D7000 and D600/610 shared the 'same' AF sensor but didn't know the D300 and D800 did.

I'm less concerned about the 'whys', more about how much of a problem it is in day to day shooting.

[cornet]

While it takes some getting used to then I've not really had any issues with it with day to day shooting

Your ability to focus & recompose is obviously slightly limited when you're subject is close but I've often worked round that by side stepping, using live view to lock the focus or cropping after.

[Gad-Westy]

Have had a D600 for a few weeks. It was a big concern for me but would now consider it just a minor frustration. Depends a bit on how you like to work of course but the resolution does allow quite heavy cropping if need be so you always have the option of composing with that in mind.

Edited by Gad-Westy on Tuesday 19th August 13:48

[widebloke]

I've had mine for almost 18 months (D600) now and in all that time I can count on one hand the number of times that I have thought "I could do with a bigger spread of focus points". You just sort of work round it. It is an amazing camera and the image quality still surprises me sometimes! (Normally on the odd occasion you get it all right in camera, then when you get home and look at the image 100% in light room and the detail is amazing)

[creampuff]

I was tossing up between the D7100 and D610 (I have FF glass anyway, so it was a contest between the two bodies).

I picked the D7100 due to the better 51-point AF. I decided I couldn't live with the AF points on the D610 clustered towards the centre.

HOWEVER you ask about portraits at f/1.8. I do not think the D610 will limit you here. You will likely be using AF-S mode and you can make one of the edge AF points active and place that AF point as close as you can get it to your model's eyes. Any recomposing will then be quite small and any move out of the plane of sharp focus will then be minimal, really minimal. I do not think the D610 is limiting for this sort of use. It is only a limitation if you want to use AF-C and track subjects around the frame. In any case, the D610 focus points just about cover where the model's eyes (ie the bit you want to focus on) will be in many/most framing situations anyway. In short, I think the D610 is fine for portraits.

You need very good camera holding technique to make use of 24 Mpix and it is probably unnecessay for posed portraits given that there are only about 8 Mpix in a printed 8 x 10" photo.

MORE INFO - Nikon are about to (in September) release a new full frame body with a spec between the D610 and D810. See nikonrumors.com

[ManFromDelmonte]

Thanks everyone. I guess to some extent I will have to suck it and see.

The new D750 (assuming NikonRumours is right) sounds like the long awaited spiritual successor to the D700. It does seem like there is a bit of a hole in the lineup at the moment for a FF action-oriented camera. D810 a bit too slow, D4s a bit too pro, D610 not pro enough, Df not fast enough etc.

[Ari]

creampuff said:

I was tossing up between the D7100 and D610 (I have FF glass anyway, so it was a contest between the two bodies).

I picked the D7100 due to the better 51-point AF. I decided I couldn't live with the AF points on the D610 clustered towards the centre.

Surely all you've actually achieved is the same sensor spread, but effectively a permanently cropped image around them?

[ManFromDelmonte]

Now the D750 has been released it seems a bit like the answer to my prayers AF-wise (although I don't particularly like the tilty screen).

I'll have to wait for the price to settle but even if it stays reasonably pricey, it should push D610 prices down further. I'll then make my decision based on VFM. Good job I'm not in a rush.