By : Nikon School Blog | 6 May, 2017 |
Photography helps us record events happening around us every moment. However, sometimes events happen too quickly for us to capture them. A bird suddenly flying off, a child jumping unexpectedly, someone tripping comically, these are just a few of the many incidents that often happen too fast. Thankfully, technology can help us in such situations. Modern DSLRs are helping us capture fast events better than ever before, thanks to a combination of technological factors.
High shooting speed
Take the D500 for instance, the recent addition to the Nikon DX format D-SLR line up. Its high speed shooting abilities of up to 10 frames per second (fps) allows you to capture very fast movements with ease. Of course you can up your game further with the flagship FX format Nikon D5 which can go up to 12 fps. With this kind of shooting speed, no action will seem difficult to shoot. Now you think only the big guns are fast? Even the D3400, the first in the line-up, shoots 5 frames per second!
High ISO quality
Shooting with fast shutter speeds often requires boosting ISO to maintain good exposure. With the current Nikon DSLR line up, great high ISO performance is achieved in all the cameras. With usable ISOs of 1600 and higher, using fast shutter speeds in low light is possible, and the new EXPEED 5 processor ensures high image quality while maintaining important details.
Faster processors
To shoot fast action, the in camera processor has to match the high shooting speed of the cameras. The EXPEED 4 and the latest EXPEED 5 (D500 and D5) processors are up to any rate of shooting and can process images as you shoot them at up to 12 fps. So, you can keep your eyes on the action while the processor prepares every image at a fraction of a second for you.
Compatibility with fast cards
The current Nikon DSLR line up makes sure you can use the fastest memory cards available for consumer use in the market (SD, CF and XQD). This ensures the images are sent to the card almost instantly as they are shot, and there is almost no lag between the shots in a continuous burst. You never know which frame in a burst will turn out the winner!
Faster, more accurate focus
While the shutter, processor and the memory cards are working hard and fast together to capture super- fast action, the focusing mechanism has to keep focusing with each shot. This requires fast and accurate focusing system. In D500 and the D5, an ultra-efficient 153 point AF system can focus almost throughout the frame. The Nikon D810, D750, D610 and the DX format models like the D7200 also boast 39 or 51 point AF modules, which makes focusing on fast moving subjects easy.
Focusing modes have been developed to ensure that shooting fast and unpredictable action does not hamper autofocus performance. Dynamic area AF, 3D tracking, or the group area AF can get you perfect focus even with the most challenging action situations.
Increase in the number of focus points available at even f/8 aperture ensures that even in low light conditions, or while using teleconverters, the camera can still focus on fast moving subjects.
High speed flash sync
While shooting fast action in low light with flash, the sports or event photographer can get a lot more from the camera by using the high speed flash sync feature of some Nikon DSLRs. Using high speed sync allows you to use Nikon speedlights (flashes) with shutter speeds faster than the normal sync speed. This lets you freeze fast action in indoor or low light conditions while using compatible Nikon speedlights.
The engineers at Nikon are working hard to make Nikon cameras suited to more and more difficult situations. In future we can hope the Nikon DSLRs to shoot even faster and with even more accuracy. Best can be made better!