I mentioned in my earlier review of the Nikon D4 about how
amazing its continuous focus and tracking of a moving object can be. There are
many accounts online and in magazines telling of how the D4 tracked fast moving
objects in low light and managed to capture tack sharp images. There have also
been reports regarding the malfunction that the D4 sometimes seemed to develop
when shooting in this mode. Andy Rouse (www.andyrouse.co.uk) talks about how
the camera would lock up on certain occasions, a result that could be
disastrous if it meant missing the shot. The latest Nikon firmware update A:1.05/B:1.03, has addressed this issue and has resulted in a camera that is now truly
astonishing, and one that could have netted me £1000 in a bet. Let me explain.
Last year I visited Woodside Falconry
(www.woodsidefalconry.com) in Lincolnshire, a lovely little wildlife park,
suitable for all the family and a great day out. During the course of the day,
the staff put on a spectacular falconry display which can include Eagles, Owls
and a super speedy Peregrine Falcon. It was during this visit that a friend of
mine bet me that I couldn't get a tack sharp image of the Peregrine Falcon as
it was being put through its paces. If I could he would hand over £1000. I had
with me my Nikon D3s and Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8 lens. The Peregrine started its
display, swooping down among the thrilled audience and sometimes flying
towards me at upwards of 80 mph. Quite pedestrian for this species, but very
fast when it’s coming right towards you. I was shooting at 200mm, F5.6 and was
achieving very fast shutter speeds because of the bright conditions, but the
bird was that agile that it was extremely difficult to get it in my sights, and
when I did the D3s just couldn't quite lock on and track it, especially when it
was flying directly at me. After several passes I got very close to capturing a
sharp shot but not quite. I tried to convince my friend that I had indeed
nailed the one image that he was after, but alas, he just wasn't buying it. To
be honest, neither was I.
Roll on nine months and back I went, not really thinking
about the flying display in particular, but just fancying a nice day out looking at all the animals that Woodside has to offer. They have a Sloth you
know! We took our seats as the flying display started, with similar weather
conditions and a similar flying display. Two things had changed however. This
time I had a Nikon D4 paired with the Nikkor 70-200mm, and this time, stupidly,
I had forgotten to remind my friend about the bet we had made the year
previous. Looking back at the images that I managed to get from the day, I
reckon he might be quite relieved. I set the camera to 200mm, F5.6 and to auto
focus continuous, 21-point area selection. The first few runs were complete failures
simply because I, not the camera, couldn't follow the Peregrine. On the fifth
run I managed to spot the Falcon through the lens and as it made its final turn
I fired off six shots. I didn't even know whether the bird was all or only
partially in frame until I reviewed the images on the back of the camera.
Checking on the LCD screen confirmed that I had managed to capture the entire
bird, but it was only when I got home that evening I realised what an
incredible job the D4 had done. Four out of the six shots were pin sharp at
100% and I was completely blown away by the performance of the Nikon. I haven’t
mentioned the results of the shoot to my friend as of yet on the off chance he
would like to visit the park again and have another bet… In fact, I wonder what the weather’s doing
this weekend.....
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| Nikon D4 with Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8. |
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| A crop of image 4 |
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