Nikon DSLR action shooting: doesn't M setting shut out all automation & enable quickest moving subj capture?

Question

Considering Nikon D 300. Need freeze action capability as with my manual film Nikons. Reviewed many forums, everyone talks about AF speeds; howcome nobody mentions shooting M to grab action w/o AF & automated calculations. Absence of any mention makes me wonder if anybody does it this way anymore w/ dslr's.

Answer 1

At 1/8000th of a second, I am sure you can do that.

With the auto-focus selector on M, you can manually focus the lenses to your hearts desire.

Setting the camera's setting to Manual, you can use the cameras meter just like you use on your 35 mm camera

Answer 2

Sorry to break it to you, but your camera can calculate and adjust for light a lot faster than you can. No one will use M to grab action shots because one can't dial in the appropriate settings in time to get the shot. The point of using the manual mode is for professionals who know exactly what they are doing to dial in the exact effect that they want (which way be over or under exposing an image). Most will use the Aperture- or Shutter-Priority modes.

If you didn't know that already, the D300 sounds like way too much camera for you. Maybe you mean to say that you plan to buy a D40.

Edit: You might want to keep it in Auto-metering and use manual focus to get your shots, if you're worried about it not focusing in time. However, the AF on the D300 is pretty darn fast, and good modern Nikon glass will focus very very quickly.

Answer 3

this may not be a response to your question but i use my d50  and 70 using auton mode and capture action fine

Answer 4

HI Quester.  Very, Very interesting question!!   In this day and time, to shoot using the Manual Focus option does not allow for the capabilities of the great auto focus lenses that are out there.   There is hardly anyone that thinks their calculations would be better than those of the AF lenses.   To be able to focus continuously for fast action shots can be quite tricky so why worry?  Let the camera do it.   We have digital SLRs and actually use both the Manual shooting mode and the Manual focusing setting,  but not for motion situations.   When I need to shoot close up,  I really have to use MF because sometimes the lens just does not get it right and it struggles to focus in on exactly what I want it to.   Same when you don't have anything particular to focus in on... like clouds in the sky.   If I don't turn off AF the lens goes in and out and in and out forever not being able to attach itself to a focal point.  See,  there are shooting situations where is is practical to use certain features and others where you turn them off.  For experimenting, however,  there is no "right or wrong".  You can get some very creative shots by playing around with the shooting and auto focus modes.    Hope I could help.  :))